New owner, new project!
Posted: Mon Nov 20, 2023 12:00 pm
Hello!
I may have met some of you on a FB page where I'd recently shared my purchase, after getting a little carried away at an auction two weeks ago. It's now home!
It sadly hasn't come with any history, but one MOT from 1989 (test buy the people who supplied it new in 1950) and the V5 has been lost, it was part of a deceased estate. In the tool box there were some old manuals and there's even a hand pump on the side. I've poured some two stroke oil down the bores and it turns freely. The fuel tank still has some old 4* in it, but the line down past the tap has sludged up with some seriously stinky stuff. It's not stuck out my entire garage and gym with it. So needless to say that's an immediate thing to clean out.
Otherwise, the lack of history does mean the sludge traps probably need cleaning out. Combine that with the lack of cartridge filter means it's been run on old school oil.
My goal here is not a restoration. Quite the opposite. I've currently got a Bantam, which dare I say is over-restored. It looks like it's never seen a rainy road and I quite like the oily rag feel. That said I'd also like some reliability, so ignition may get some attention in the future, but in the meantime, I'm not thinking about buying anything other than a set of wheels (possibly with bigger twin leading shoes, if anyone has something for sale let me know!), tyres and replacing all consumables.
The question is, as it was ridden to it's MOT in 1989 and laid up inside since then and it's only got 7000 miles on the clock, I'd quite like to at least get it started before debating a full tear down of the engine. My dad's vintage bike engine builder (after uttering some expletives asking why I'd bought a SQ4) suggested getting it going on some vintage oil before converting it to run on multi grade with detergents and a cartridge filter. On the other hand, everyone on FB seemed to think the only option is a full tear down and cleaning the oil passages. Thoughts welcomed!
I'll be doing the majority of the work myself, I've rebuilt car engines, lots of i4 and V6, but this will be my first motorcycle and square engine.
I may have met some of you on a FB page where I'd recently shared my purchase, after getting a little carried away at an auction two weeks ago. It's now home!
It sadly hasn't come with any history, but one MOT from 1989 (test buy the people who supplied it new in 1950) and the V5 has been lost, it was part of a deceased estate. In the tool box there were some old manuals and there's even a hand pump on the side. I've poured some two stroke oil down the bores and it turns freely. The fuel tank still has some old 4* in it, but the line down past the tap has sludged up with some seriously stinky stuff. It's not stuck out my entire garage and gym with it. So needless to say that's an immediate thing to clean out.
Otherwise, the lack of history does mean the sludge traps probably need cleaning out. Combine that with the lack of cartridge filter means it's been run on old school oil.
My goal here is not a restoration. Quite the opposite. I've currently got a Bantam, which dare I say is over-restored. It looks like it's never seen a rainy road and I quite like the oily rag feel. That said I'd also like some reliability, so ignition may get some attention in the future, but in the meantime, I'm not thinking about buying anything other than a set of wheels (possibly with bigger twin leading shoes, if anyone has something for sale let me know!), tyres and replacing all consumables.
The question is, as it was ridden to it's MOT in 1989 and laid up inside since then and it's only got 7000 miles on the clock, I'd quite like to at least get it started before debating a full tear down of the engine. My dad's vintage bike engine builder (after uttering some expletives asking why I'd bought a SQ4) suggested getting it going on some vintage oil before converting it to run on multi grade with detergents and a cartridge filter. On the other hand, everyone on FB seemed to think the only option is a full tear down and cleaning the oil passages. Thoughts welcomed!
I'll be doing the majority of the work myself, I've rebuilt car engines, lots of i4 and V6, but this will be my first motorcycle and square engine.