Rex,
The little gun also works well on the steering rack if you remove the
plug on top where the harness grounds, and replace it with a grease
fitting temporarily.
Jim
----- Original Message -----
From: "Rex Townsend" <rrt@connectexpress.com>
To: "6 Pack" <6pack@autox.team.net>
Sent: Tuesday, January 29, 2002 12:27 AM
Subject: Oiling those trunions
> Re: Phillip Eilenberg's question about the front suspension trunnions,
I
> believe that the trunnions really should be lubed with gear oil (SAE
90)
> rather than grease due to the threaded construction of the trunnions
and
> spindles. There have been cases of suspension failure due to
trunnions
> completely seizing up from grease being used instead of gear oil. (In
1978,
> I actually witnessed the RF suspension of a Spitfire collapse due to a
> frozen trunnion and snapped spindle. The owner swore he had had the
> suspension "greased" frequently!) Triumph World magazine a few months
ago
> had an article on this very subject (maybe someone knows the exact
issue).
>
> Anyway, the way I oil the trunnions of my TR6 is with a small, compact
> grease gun. This grease gun is inexpensive and readily available at
auto
> parts stores. It uses grease cartridges that are much smaller than a
full
> size grease gun (only about 4" long by 1" diameter). I removed the
grease
> from one of the cartridges, and replaced it in the gun. The seal on
the
> grease gun piston requires a cartridge in the gun to seal properly.
When I
> am ready to oil the trunnions I unscrew the "outlet" end of the grease
gun
> and pour in a small amount of gear oil into the empty cartridge. I
then
> screw the grease gun back together and snap the grease gun onto the
nipple
> on the trunnion. To speed up the process I turn the gun upside down
as I
> pump gear oil into the trunnion. In a few strokes, gear oil exudes
from the
> bottom of the trunnion and I turn the grease gun right side up and
pull it
> off and move on to the other side of the car. I only use this little
grease
> gun for oiling the trunnions - I have a full size grease gun that I
use for
> all of the car's grease points. This method makes very little mess.
The
> gun seeps a little oil when it is stored, but I keep it in a plastic
> zip-lock bag between uses.
>
> Rex Townsend
> 1969 TR6
> Bainbridge Island, WA (definitely not top-down weather here!)
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