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Square Four woes....
Posted: Tue Jun 09, 2026 7:23 am
by john.bebb
Hi Folks: - a couple of vids to show the current situation with my Sq...
I thought club rods were alleged to be indestructible... here's proof such is not the case: -
Re: Square Four woes....
Posted: Tue Jun 09, 2026 8:28 am
by Mick D
Hard to put a positive spin on that
Commiserations Mick
Re: Square Four woes....
Posted: Tue Jun 09, 2026 8:30 am
by tony.barnett
Blimey. Thats done a proper job. Good luck.
Re: Square Four woes....
Posted: Tue Jun 09, 2026 8:52 am
by Bob.Murphy
Of course you want to rebuild it, there's nothing quite like a Square !
Bob.
Re: Square Four woes....
Posted: Tue Jun 09, 2026 9:13 am
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.
Re: Square Four woes....
Posted: Tue Jun 09, 2026 9:45 am
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
Re: Square Four woes....
Posted: Tue Jun 09, 2026 10:00 am
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...]
Re: Square Four woes....
Posted: Tue Jun 09, 2026 11:51 am
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.
Re: Square Four woes....
Posted: Tue Jun 09, 2026 2:17 pm
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]
Re: Square Four woes....
Posted: Tue Jun 09, 2026 4:06 pm
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.