Chapter Three                                                            01.05.2003

The nightmare 

continues!!!!!

Once the 888 engine was in place and secured, various ancillaries could be bolted in place or at least offered up into their resting places. The injection system was the next major piece of apparatus to be installed, but first of all it had to be purchased . A quick call to S&S Tuning 01773 530 022 proved that they had one and Kevin was quick to add that they also had an air box complete with all sensors and gaskets including bell mouths!

A price was agreed that was suitable to both parties i.e… namely him and mate… Peter!!……and  I was now the owner of a complete engine and injection system. I had toyed with the idea of modifying the Fant system, but after taking some advice, choose the 888 injectors route. The other governing factor was that S&S Tuning informed me that both the Fant and the 888 shared the same electronic brain and moreover due to their vintage being ….1992-94…. the system would plug into the Fants wiring loom with little modification. Likewise the Fant brain would accept the programmable type of chips used by the 888 engines and tuners! Once again the advice that I was getting was proving to be both sound and economically acceptable. I estimate that I spent over £1500 with S&S Tuning , but that could have been more had it not been for their attitude of trying to help the buyer rather trying to bullshit him or her.  If you are considering buying second hand parts or you have a project then check S&S Tuning there is more to them than just Northerners in vests !!

Once the injection system arrived , it was time to offer it up and true to form it bolted straight on and self primed the system prior to starting automatically and riding off into the sunset with some little size 8 strapped to the back….I should coco..

The poxy injection system wouldn’t fit!!…. in fact it fouled the frame so badly I really could not see away out of this! There was no real way of unearthing any method or approach to over- coming this MAJOR problem. I cannot express my feelings….my grasp of the written English language cannot convey the frustration or lack of any hope when faced with something which was endangering to stop this project.

 The lack of room and just the total number of dead-ends that I kept going down with this so-called dream was getting the better of me and after staring at the problem for close on two hours, no amount of coffee or Gitanes was going to change the situation……………………....time for bed………………………. said Zebedee!!

 That night the project looked finished .

The next morning brought fresh optimism and I decided to split the injectors and run almost two separate units. The problems revolved around the front pot or horizontal head, in as much as the injector body fouled the 20mm tube which braces the frame, i.e., the tube that the aluminum bottom frame loop bolts to. What’s more there was no way of cutting this tube without disturbing the frames structural integrity . The injector body fouled to such an extent that almost one third of the tube would have to be cut away. With the system now split into two separate units it was easier to explore alternative arrangements and this method allowed the potential answer to the problem, namely reversing the injectors position!

By offering the rear injector up to the front head, the fouling was now reduced to a mere 3 or 4 mm, considerably better than the 10 to 15 mm that the original arrangement showed. What’s more the injector inlet manifolds had enough metal on them to allow for an angle to be machined over their mounting face where it bolts to the actual head…Photos…3.1…and ..3.2.

Once this had been done the injector bolted to the manifold and with the new gasket, could be assembled. The machining of the manifolds had knock-on effects namely; the angle between the injector bodies had changed, therefore the throttle-arm had to be shortened and re-tapped: both right and left handed M5 threads and the adjoining bracket that held the bodies together was now redundant.   Photo 3.2a

A quick call to Steve at Dr Desmo confirmed that the bodies can be re tuned to work together and there will be no problem with the injectors working backwards ,i.e, the butterflies now open in the reverse direction from which Ducati intended them to operate…………………………….we shall wait and see !!!

 Throughout the initial discussions with people over my ideas and intentions, it became clear that high on the list of  “Areas of Concern” was the air box and engine breathing. Therefore in order not to have the 888 Fant sounding like an asthmatic porn queen trying to impress the cameras, something had to be done, as the standard Fant air box measures approx. half the volume of that of the 888. Moreover, there was never any prospect of making the 888 box fitting the Fant frame……….

Various discussions and again a call to Steve at Dr Desmo led me to the path of the Ducati 748 RS. This ultra trick, almost customer race bike, does not use an air box and standard filter assembly. Instead it’s 2 stage foam filters clip right onto the bell mouths of the injection, and although the box is kept, the actual filter is located way down the box at the bottom therefore giving the air box an indefinite volume capacity.

Many moons ago, John Robinson from Performance Bikes Magazine tested an 851 kit, when they were first introduced into the U.K. These kit bikes had a very crude GRP air box, very small in size, with no air filters and delivered only the same H.P on the dyno as a quick CBR600 super-sport bike, until he jacked the tank up by 10 mm and broke the air box seal on the base of the tank, thus giving the 851 kit engine an infinite air box volume to draw air from.

This in turn, made the dyno read another 20-22 bhp and stimulated the effects of ram air or air being forced into the air box at speeds of 80 mph plus. Could the same thing work for the Fant, would the Fant re-act in a similar principle if air were forced up its trunk !!.

An 888 air box was purchased from S&S. Tuning and a 3mm foamex base was fabricated using the 888 air box as a model this was completed using a Stanley knife and superglue!!  …………..Photo………3.3

Over the course of the next three days, l modelled this air box thing in my lunch break and continually ended up with fingers stuck to desks, keyboards and various other office equipment. At one time I looked like an extra from an Edward Scissorhands convention! Oh how people laughed……”you’re going to use that on an 888 Ducati ……. It’ll pull it apart…. You dickhead “…. Little did they realise my cunning plan. The 3mm white foamex was amazingly easy to work on. You can cut it with a knife, bend it with your hands and make intricate shapes if you employ the services of a heat gun I have used it for templates, spacers, etc.

Once everything was glued together and the base plate fitted the injector bodies, I took one of the injection base gaskets and sliced it over its length therefore making two from the original one. The brass spacers were cut in two likewise and straight away I now had a base plate albeit very flimsy, and the gaskets to make the seals. See photo------------ 3.4

The unit once in position, fitted and could now be finalised by having 2 x 2oz GRP layers laminated over it by a local boat builder. The finished product photo-------3.5     is considerably stronger that the Fant or 888 standard air box….. Oh how they laughed………….. Those dick heads!

 An air filter manufacturer was sourced via the WWW and after explaining the non standard nature of my dilemma, agreed to make a 2 stage foam unit similar to the 996 & 748 that they normally manufacture by working from the homemade base plate and photographs, and to the foamex model shape template……Photo…………3.6

Foamex….. available from all good sign-makers,  pay no more than £15 for an 8 x 4  3mm thick sheet.

The air filter manufacturer quoted 6 weeks for delivery and only wanted paying for the goods after they were ready. Induction Technology Group 02476 3056 386 Produced the goods!!!!………..Photo………3.7 and 3.8

After the  injection  system came the radiator or should that be radiators!. S&S Tuning kindly supplied a curved 888 radiator, fan, sensors and expansion bottle  for a reasonable sum and shipped them South for immediate fitting. The radiator was offered up and with temporary brackets and proceeded to foul everything in sight!!!. The radiator fouled the forks and bottom yoke or triple clamp as the Americans say. In addition, it looked absolutely hideous, jutting out at all the wrong angles and definitely looking like a bodged up special. Photo ….3.9

A cup of coffee and three Gauloise later and not only did the garage appear a calmer place, but the inspiration of ingenuity took over. The radiator was turned through 180 degrees in order that the curve was facing backwards and  now things were looking like they had  been done by an automotive design college, everything looked right.

The middle section of the aluminum loop was retrieved from the scrap area and re shaped with a sanding disc into a radiator support bracket. See photo……………………… The new curved radiator really looked the part, even the body work fitted around it, and everyone who viewed it, commented on its ‘rightness’  

In a world of ugly ducklings the Fant was beginning to look nice, even pretty, in a strange kind of way. …I have since found out that this format of reversed radiators is used by Cagiva themselves on their little 125 Planet roadster.

The pipes for entry and exit to the radiator were in the wrong place and this when coupled to the fact l still didn’t know where all the coolant tubes and pipes went, was causing concern. Another Gauloise and after studying the photographs in the 851/888 portfolio book, l decided on the ultimate route for all cooling pipes. By the way, as l sit and write this, l still don’t know if they are right or wrong as there are no manuals to go by !!!.

The radiator was plumbed in by “Rob the Central Heating Man” who can’t speak without swearing and can’t swear without laughing. By the way, when he laughs he can’t solder the 22 mm copper pipe that was used to extend and route the cooling system. So the Sunday morning in which he decided to…. “plumb it all in,… Gav” was spent laughing, getting burnt, cursing and generally having the pea taken out of me by Rob….. “ Gav, why don’t we patent this?” ……..**ck me, Gav, it looks like it meant to be like this”  …….Thank you Rob for all your assistance, it was  FUN.

Once Rob had gone, and more coffee was consumed, the copper pipe work was primed and fabric tape wrapped, then the pipes were fitted. Photo….3.10.

When the bike was taken off the stands, the front wheel fouled the pipes and pushed them back into the front 4valve head, when full braking was applied!!!!

This was simulated by withdrawing the springs from one fork leg and pushing down really hard in order to assess wheel movement…… All of the work that Rob had done was rendered useless other than the engine side plumbing, which is still in use to this day.  Some other method had to be used for the radiator as this system was rendered CRAP !!

Through my contacts, l uncovered ….Kingrads in Grays, Essex . They manufacture and re weld radiators, they have various types in stock and will modify any radiator. I took my curved 888 radiator down to them, only to be faced with the dilemma that due to the 888 being a “late one” it was a Japanese radiator with “pisspoor” aluminum. Now, being an old engineer, l was not familiar with this specification, I had wrongly assumed that aluminum was aluminum and that aluminum welders can  weld aluminum. Not so, in Kingrads, their attitude was such that it would be cheaper, better and proper to build a copper radiator rather than bodge a cheapo Jap one.

£100 later they custom built a radiator to my supplied dimensions, used the original sensors, fan and mounting parts and even added some addition threaded,. M8 bosses, welded strategically to the radiator in order to  assist in final mounting and in securing the radiator to the frame. All of this was done with a 5 day turnaround and the workmanship is good, even if the original info given to them wasn’t! 

You should be able to see my mistakes and the Kingrads radiator in the photo---3.11

I incorrectly omitted to inform them about the original 888 radiator  being reversed, in other words, they had to weld up all the original outlets and re position them in new positions  simply because l assumed they knew what I  was going to be doing !Suffice to say, the new radiator fits a dream and the capacity is slightly greater that the original 888 volume was.

Oil cooling……the oil-cooler will be going onto the front-beak…right in full air flow.

From my 944 overheating days, l discovered that the rear head runs very hot , but , can be cut into and oil taken out and fed to a re positioned single cooler sitting in the glove compartment in the left hand side cover, behind the lockable door . However the Fant 888 would be different , this model will break into the oil line  then go to the cooler on the front beak, then to the heads. This operation was quite easy with the 888 as the single oil feed is routed via the cooler first, then back to the heads. 

So, what has gone wrong,??

Is there any little problems that have to be aired??…you better believe it!!

The one good thing about having a test bed is just that. In as much as you can compare like for like, extremely handy when you’ve forgotten where something goes! So it was quite a moment when the 888 engine was finally in its place and the frame could be removed from the  blocks in order to rest on the wheels. 

The fist thing that struck me, was how low the 888 Fant looked.

And this is prior to me dropping the forks through the yokes as is my want. The Lucky 944 looks considerably bigger, as such an extent that I’m  then thinking…….. “ have the factory  made a smaller version for the Malaysian marketplace??”….. 

Unable to find any Malaysians on Canvey Island ,… the place  where l live,.. l try the local Chinese, but unfortunately only manage a hot chicken curry with fried rice and no peas, please!. 

Undaunted, but slightly worried l set about measuring the bikes side by side. My worst fears are manifesting themselves. The Fant 888 is 4 to5 inches lower at the luggage rack and 2  inches lower under  at the engine base plate than the Lucky944. The forks are the same length…. The shocks the same length…, the linkages are identical and then it hits me…..like the sudden realisation that the noise at the front door is her husband and no, you can’t repair the unbroken television or talk your way out of this dilemma……… The sinking feeling of realising that you moved the frame upwards, to get the engine in, by 28mm and that the , just ,  rebuilt shock absorber was now effectively 28mm too short!…… It still fitted, but was not absorbing in a shocking manner,…. soft is not the phrase for it.

 A quick call to U.K suspension the OHLINS TECHNICIANS on 01274 305 671 proves the point perfectly, and, they don’t make a longer shock!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!.

The cat had only just re-entered the Earths atmosphere when I realised that all was not lost…. and with the assistance of Robbie from Crown Engineering in Basildon we had the  shock cut into two ,then drilled and tapped the shock body MI2  then with a stainless steel 30mm spacer coerced into place with promises of better things to come. The shock now measures 530mm, the luggage rack is where it should be and the engine can avoid confrontation without fear of being smacked. Photo…..3.12

Moreover l now have an infinite-well another 5mm available to jack the end up even further, should l be looking for that G.P look!!

One thing that was different with the Malaysian spec was the spring rate and this can be seen in the Photo…3.13 The U.K spec has more coils than the Malaysian example, not dissimilar to real life really!!

In addition the preload adjuster had to be spaced out from the frame, but these kind of things are par for the course when building a special.

But with the shock in place and the radiator  Photo ….3.14…and ancillaries being bolted on, the 888 Fant was looking good. 

The next chapter will cover the reworked exhaust, the air filter and injection settings, the fuel tank….. oh… the tank…… such fond memories……. the body work  gets a fresh lick of paint and Dr Desmo gets another panic call.!!!!!

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Last modified: 07/02/06