Richard's ST2 pages - cam belts

Information on this page last updated 08/18/01.

The cam belts are tensioned manually, take a look at item 17 in this drawing.

The shop manual says to use the factory tensioner, but I have adjusted the belts on my current ST2 and the 907 I used to have using the 5mm guideline explained in the Ducati FAQ. Basically you adjust until a 5mm allen wrench slides between the belt and idler pulley without too much pressure. A 6mm should not fit and a 4mm should feel loose. As with checking the valves, this should be done with the engine stone cold, as in having sat overnight. See the Ducati FAQ for more details.

As for when to replace, I've heard enough failure stories that I would stick to replacing every other valve check, or about every 12000 miles. Some of the failures I have heard about were caused by seized idler/tensioner bearings so it would be a good idea to check these fairly often, like maybe every time you change the oil. They are sealed bearings but apparently the seals can fail and let the lubricant out and water in which will eventually lead to seizure.

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