Square Four woes....

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john.bebb
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Square Four woes....

Post by john.bebb »

Hi Folks: - a couple of vids to show the current situation with my Sq...
20260608_185130.mp4
(89.14 MiB) Downloaded 41 times
I thought club rods were alleged to be indestructible... here's proof such is not the case: -
20260608_192440.mp4
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Mick D
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Re: Square Four woes....

Post by Mick D »

Hard to put a positive spin on that

Commiserations Mick
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Re: Square Four woes....

Post by tony.barnett »

Blimey. Thats done a proper job. Good luck.
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Bob.Murphy
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Re: Square Four woes....

Post by Bob.Murphy »

Of course you want to rebuild it, there's nothing quite like a Square !

Bob.
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Roger Gwynn
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Re: Square Four woes....

Post by Roger Gwynn »

Club rods are of course not indestructible but they will not fail due to fatigue, at least not for a long time yet. When the engine seizes something has to give, that is the problem, not the rods.
Roger Gwynn, caretaker of the club's works drawings and machine register, membership secretary 2015-26. Director of AOMCC, Draganfly Motorcycles, Craven Equipment and Supreme Motorcycles mostly retired.
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john.bebb
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Re: Square Four woes....

Post by john.bebb »

Roger - there is NO stiffness or excess stiction on the remaining parts... there are no tell tales in any of the bores....
the big end failed - you can see a threaded shard of it on the crankcase webbing below #3 pot
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john.bebb
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Re: Square Four woes....

Post by john.bebb »

Bob.Murphy wrote: Tue Jun 09, 2026 8:52 am Of course you want to rebuild it, there's nothing quite like a Square !

Bob.
[it's been with me fifty-four years... maybes now the time to say goodbye...]
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Re: Square Four woes....

Post by Pete.Silson »

I do feel for you, I have had a similar experience but they are repairable.

The big-end in the video looks to have tightened a bit. Did the engine have an oil filter? After 30,000 miles running, it could be the dreaded blocked crankshaft oilway rearing it's ugly head. Hopefully the crankcases are not damaged.

Don't give up on her, she a fine looking machine and deserves a second chance.
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Re: Square Four woes....

Post by john.bebb »

Roger Gwynn wrote: Tue Jun 09, 2026 9:13 am Club rods are of course not indestructible but they will not fail due to fatigue, at least not for a long time yet. When the engine seizes something has to give, that is the problem, not the rods.
[Roger - there is NO stiffness or excess stiction on the remaining parts... there are no tell tales in any of the bores, all valve trains appear good..
the big end failed - you can see a threaded shard of it on the crankcase webbing below #3 pot]
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Re: Square Four woes....

Post by Bob.Murphy »

I used to change the oil in mine every 1000 miles and strip the engine every year. I was doing around 20,000 miles per year when young and footloose !
I had to sell it when work took me from a Somerset village to a top-floor flat in Edinburgh, I still miss it.
It would be a pity to see this sold as a 'basket case' after all that time.
My avatar shows the late Len Rich in 1970 with the bike I now have - a 1958 Ariel VH
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