Trunnion oiling

[alan.gilbert_6384]

Hi All,

 Does anyone know why one side of the car would require much more pressure (using a large syringe instead of the messy oil grease gun thing this time) to inject oil into the trunnion ?  Also is the wishbone pivot bush oiled at the same time, ie is the cross bore connected to the main threaded part by an oil way ?  Reason for asking is that oil seems to becoming out of the pivot bore shields.  I cannot seem to find any cross sectional views of the internals anywhere

[Pete Lewis]

unless someone has cross drilled there is no connection from the oil bath   to the pivot bushes in normal trunnions 

Pete

 

[johny]

The bushes in the trunnion are plastic so self lubricating plus if there was a connection the oil would tend to run out of the trunnion whereas its supposed to sit in there like a bath.

The little spring loaded ball in the grease nipple used for oiling can be stuck or bunged up so making it harder to push oil in. I usually free them off with a fine piece of steel wire beforehand...

[alan.gilbert_6384]

40 minutes ago, Pete Lewis said:

unless someone has cross drilled there is no connection from the oil bath   to the pivot bushes in normal trunnions 

Pete

 

Cheers Pete, I will check again, maybe i'm going mad

[alan.gilbert_6384]

17 minutes ago, johny said:

The bushes in the trunnion are plastic so self lubricating plus if there was a connection the oil would tend to run out of the trunnion whereas its supposed to sit in there like a bath.

The little spring loaded ball in the grease nipple used for oiling can be stuck or bunged up so making it harder to push oil in. I usually free them off with a fine piece of steel wire beforehand...

Cheers Johny, I have removed the grease nipple and screwed in 6MM nylon tube (seem a good fit, it was recommend in the mag February edition 

[Colin Lindsay]

31 minutes ago, alan.gilbert_6384 said:

Cheers Johny, I have removed the grease nipple and screwed in 6MM nylon tube (seem a good fit, it was recommend in the mag February edition 

I don't use the grease nipple at all, did five cars last weekend in my garage and every one was filled with an oil can and plastic pipe. On some you could see grease coming up under the rubber seal, so there was sufficient pressure to force old grease out - whoever put that in - and refill with fresh oil.

[trigolf]

I find jacking the front up- & putting on an axle stand, to get the weight off, helps get the oil in.

Gav

[daverclasper]

If the top seals are new (or very good), then I have found pushing a thin lolly stick/coffe stirrer, etc up them to sort of, temp unseal them and help the flow, has helped a lot using an oil can.

A grease gun would be my last resort (or retort).

Edited April 30, 2021 by daverclasper

[Badwolf]

I have used a cotton buds soaked in spirit in the past after the garage helpfully greased everything because they didn't have anything handy to use to fill with oil despite me asking them to.

[Pete Lewis]

1 hour ago, trigolf said:

I find jacking the front up

Thats good   its  standard onion troiling procedure   the wsm says jack it up prior to oiling 

Pete

[alan.gilbert_6384]

1 hour ago, trigolf said:

I find jacking the front up- & putting on an axle stand, to get the weight off, helps get the oil in.

Gav

Cheers trigolf, and everyone else, I will try jacking it up and trying that, once the winter is over

[ahebron]

Looks to me like this is in need of nipple protection.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/s?k=grease+nipple+caps&crid=C5ARBHS3XL5O&sprefix=grease+nipple+caps%2Caps%2C473&ref=nb_sb_ss_ts-doa-p_1_18

 

Adrian

[Colin Lindsay]

7 hours ago, ahebron said:

Looks to me like this is in need of nipple protection.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/s?k=grease+nipple+caps&crid=C5ARBHS3XL5O&sprefix=grease+nipple+caps%2Caps%2C473&ref=nb_sb_ss_ts-doa-p_1_18

 

Adrian

I remember doing a search for "grease nipples" and it asked: "did you mean greasy nipples?" 😮

[dougbgt6]

Red, green and blue? No yellow ones?

db

[1969Mk3Spitfire]

On 30/04/2021 at 18:58, Pete Lewis said:

Thats good   its  standard onion troiling procedure   the wsm says jack it up prior to oiling 

Pete

My Autobooks manual doesn’t mention jacking the corner but I can see it helping, thanks for the tip.

I’ve only recently had the joy of oiling with a grease gun so I’ll save your sage advice until next season 😀

[alan.gilbert_6384]

having tried both, a syringe is much easier, for this job, said the actress to the bishop

[jagnut66]

On 30/04/2021 at 16:54, alan.gilbert_6384 said:

Cheers Johny, I have removed the grease nipple and screwed in 6MM nylon tube (seem a good fit, it was recommend in the mag February edition 

Hi, 

As soon as my Traveller is back on the road I am going to take Hetty off for a good service and some TLC.

This will be the first time I have serviced a Triumph and whilst most of it will be pretty standard (no pun intended 😄) stuff, I have never 'oiled' trunions before, only greased them. 

So two questions with a view to making it easier, one: Do you have a link to these 6mm nylon tubes you screwed to replace the nipple on each side?

I joined after Feb, so don't have a copy of that issue and it sounds like a good idea to get some.

Plus if someone has a link to an appropriately sized syringe that would be very useful too.

Two: Can you post up a picture of said tube in situ?

Also would EP90 be the correct oil to use?

Many thanks,

Mike.

 

[Chris A]

EP 90 is correct. I use a normal grease gun that I keep just for this. As long as I keep the gun vertical it doesn't leak 😒 Also best done with wheel jacked up.

[alan.gilbert_6384]

1 hour ago, jagnut66 said:

Hi, 

As soon as my Traveller is back on the road I am going to take Hetty off for a good service and some TLC.

This will be the first time I have serviced a Triumph and whilst most of it will be pretty standard (no pun intended 😄) stuff, I have never 'oiled' trunions before, only greased them. 

So two questions with a view to making it easier, one: Do you have a link to these 6mm nylon tubes you screwed to replace the nipple on each side?

I joined after Feb, so don't have a copy of that issue and it sounds like a good idea to get some.

Plus if someone has a link to an appropriately sized syringe that would be very useful too.

Two: Can you post up a picture of said tube in situ?

Also would EP90 be the correct oil to use?

Many thanks,

Mike.

 

Hi, attached are picture from the mag, and having tired both wheels down and wheels up, definitely wheels up is best and easiest.  fleabay is where you find the stuff mostly I think.  Don't forget to put a catch try underneath or you could mess up your driveway.

[GrahamB]

I use an old fashioned trigger actuated oil can rather than a syringe. A few squeezes of the trigger is all that is needed to fill the trunnion and old oil to be forced out the top.  The unused  oil then resides in the oil can, which is marked with a large letter T, ready for the next time.

[jagnut66]

1 hour ago, alan.gilbert_6384 said:

Hi, attached are picture from the mag, and having tired both wheels down and wheels up, definitely wheels up is best and easiest.  fleabay is where you find the stuff mostly I think.  Don't forget to put a catch try underneath or you could mess up your driveway.

Thanks for that, being able to read the original article is useful.

I have ordered a syringe and 6mm tube, although having just seen Graham's post the old trigger operated oil can does seem the obvious solution. I even have one, although I'd need another, as he states, dedicated solely to this purpose / EP90.

I will try the syringe and tube and see how I get on.

Provided, of course, they're not full of grease.................

Best wishes,

Mike.

[Chris A]

10 hours ago, jagnut66 said:

Provided, of course, they're not full of grease.................

when I first got my 13/60 I went through all the service & maintenance points as I didn't know the detailed history of the car. when I oiled the trunnions old grease was pushed out. My method with the grease gun had enough oumph to do the job, would a syringe and tube make a good enough seal? I don't know. anyway yours might have been oiled, you'll find out soon enough. . .

[Pete Lewis]

you are just topping up a small reservoir of oil 

a syringe wont shift previously filled grease  

jacking to lift the weight off the upright allows the oil to fully fill the cavity 

and threads 

pete

[jagnut66]

2 hours ago, Pete Lewis said:

jacking to lift the weight off the upright allows the oil to fully fill the cavity 

and threads 

Thanks Pete, 

It's best to grease Minors with the front wheels off the ground too.

Everyone has been underlining this point and it has been taken on board, when I do them the front will be raised.

As to whether I will need to clean out old grease or not I don't know yet, time will tell.....

Best wishes,

Mike.

[DanMi]

The only pressure needed to fill the trunnions is to get the oil through the grease nipple (unless previously greased) as GrahamB says just jack the car up remove the grease nipple and use a standard trigger oil can. I also put something like an allen key under the top seal so the oil flows out easily. There is no need for a special grease gun filled with oil and no need to make up syringes etc.