Square Four MkI restoration complete - almost....

[pauldridge]

That's great news Gui. I found my own Mk II smoked and leaked like crazy for the first 50-100 miles or so, and seemed to be running hot. Now, with 800 miles on the clock, oil leakage is minimal and the engine seems to be running at a happy, moderate temperature.

Now get out there and log some miles on that beauty!

[allan burgess]

check the compression have you got compression on all cylinders are you using NGK plugs? if so? they soot up very fast a poor starter with sooty plugs allows the petrol to collect on the plug, clean the plugs and try easy start instead of the choke, when mine starts the 4g is first kick and the Mk1 was 2nd kick This became 1st kick when warm . have you converted the MK1 to 12 volt this is a good modification try different plugs If mine does not start I use champion plugs and then check the distributor. Have you got play in the shaft at the top where the rotor is this centre's when it's running but is a pain for starting it effects the points gap Is the condenser OK take it off and connect it across the 6-volt battery charger for a second use an Avo. non-digital and connect across the condenser same polarity the needle should go to 5 or 6 volts and decay to zero use plug caps that do not have a suppressor. Is your petrol fresh? On the carb have you put new nylon bushes on the throttle shaft holding the valve. When you assembled the carb, did you close the throttle valve and then tighten the two brass screws in the shaft the return spring on the throttle cable is it closing the throttle fully and have you set the throttle stop correctly. check that the carbs jets are all as per the manual.

[Simon.Gardiner]

Great work and excellent news Gui.
I see you've got a GB gearbox - I've had one develop leaks from the blanking plugs over the holes in the case for the selector shafts.
I think new plugs are available but as my bike was well in the red for 'time worked' I degreased the area around the plugs on the outside and araldited some thin pieces of aluminium over them (I'd previously checked them before putting the box in the bike and they didn't appear at all loose or corroded, so I figured it was time to be brutal with it....)

SG