Dan Mutchler writes:
>
>According to the manual, I am only supposed to put 90W gearbox
>oil in the lower trunion on the Spitfire. Unfortunately I didn't
>read this until I had thoroughly lubricated it with grease.
>Do I have a problem to solve now? Should I pull this back apart right
>now, clean it, and use the other lubricant or is this simply a
>recommendation to keep the steering from being stiff on cold mornings?
>It is much easier to do now since the car is still on jacks.
>
In my opinion, I doubt that there is any significant problem
with your using grease instead of 90 weight oil. I'm sure the
vast majority of Triumphs in this country that have been
serviced by both their owners and service staions, etc have
had the trunions greased. Again, in my opinion, the important
aspect here is that the trunion remain lubricated. I don't know
what type of use your Spitfire sees, but if it isn't daily
use in an adverse environment (winter salt road conditions),
I wouldn't worry at all about using grease. I have always
greased the trunions on my TRs, mostly because I have yet to
find an easy way to pump 90w oil into the grease fitting.
By the way, this question of grease vs. 90w oil has been
around a long time. Some of the aversion to using grease
may have stemmed from the quality of the grease available
years ago. I'm sure the longevity and resistance to hardening
of the grease available today is much better than 15 or 20 years
ago.
Bill Sohl
|