Trunnion trouble

[Blue Marlin]

Hi, I was greasing the front suspension today and discovered a small problem with the N/S upper trunnion. When trying to pump grease into the nipple it was difficult and the grease just started coming out betwen the nipple and the gun.
I removed the nipple but it was working fine and I could pump grease through it without problem. Do you think I'll have to strip the trunnion and clean out the old grease or is there anything else I could try. There is no play in it and I would like to keep it that way

Derek

[A_Hogg]

Re: Trunnion trouble

I've noticed that the grease tends to go solid when the solvents dry out. Maybe try gentle heat with hair dryer or similar to get the old stuff fluid again.

[b_caswell]

Re: Trunnion trouble

The top joint is a ball joint

you could try removing the nipple again and have a poke with some stout wire to help clear the drilling up the middle.

Or try squirting some carb cleaner/brake cleaner into the drilling.

Jack the car to take the load off the suspension joint.

Then put a thin cloth over the nipple to improve the seal before pushing the nozzle of
the grease gun on.

[Blue Marlin]

Re: Trunnion trouble

Thanks guys, I've learnt something else now. I'll try those suggestions over the weekend and report back.

[stevejgreen]

Re: Trunnion trouble

Thanks guys, I've learnt something else now. I'll try those suggestions over the weekend and report back.

OEM says grease every 6months or 6000 miles.

My advice is to ignore the 3 or 4 attempts with a grease gun, because you have no idea what is reaching the bearing faces.
Continue until you see clean grease getting past the seals. If not dismantle, clean and inspect before reassembly.
Either way I would reccomend the same procedure every 5 years, especially for a vehicle that may lie idle for a few months.

Once the grease has gone ‘hard’ you have no idea of the remaining lubrication properties.

I would avoid the use of any oils as proposed in Pitstop, that seems to be a very American proposition.

[Blue Marlin]

Re: Trunnion trouble

Success.
Tried most of the above so not sure which one, maybe a combination of them all, worked but I now have fresh grease oozing out. Also got to the bottom of an annoying groan from the NSF. Turned out to be from the brake pads on that side. Nice noise when I had the wheel in the air to fix the above and spun it slowly. Brake cleaner and copper grease and silence is restored.

[b_caswell]

Re: Trunnion trouble

Well done!! "If @ first you don't succeed" try the MOC forum

[Ye Ol Ripper]

Re: Trunnion trouble

The method I use to unblock clogged grease-ways to joints is as follows and takes typically 30 seconds per joint:

Using the red tapered plastic foot pump adaptor intended for inflatables.
1) Remove the grease nipple
2) Attach the red adaptor to either a) a tyre inflator connected to an airline from compressor, b)A foot pump, c) A 12v compressor tyre inflator.
3) using approx 60psi air pressure blow the old grease through the joint until you see grease emerge from under the rubber dust cover.
4) Refit the grease nipple and pump grease in with the grease gun.
A cycle pump may also work in 2) above , (but I haven't tried this method).

Hope this helps you all keep your trunnions properly lubricated

[stevejgreen]

Re: Trunnion trouble

All very well, but.. unless the trunnions are regularly dismantled, cleaned and reassembled, you cannot be sure that all dried/contaminated grease is removed.

Compressed air will find the simplest, easiest route, grease however has mass, so has a better chance to displace solidified contaminants from obstructed routes.

Regular disassembly, cleaning, inspection and relubrication of a known Marina problem area, has to be the correct path to follow, especially as spare, good condition, exclusive uprights become even more rare.

Amongst a few other components, ultimately the shortage of mechanically reliable parts will herald the demise of Marina based cars.

Triumph based vehicles, due to their donor popularity, and multiple sources of parts, will not suffer from the same eventualities for several years to come.

[Ye Ol Ripper]

Re: Trunnion trouble

Hi Steve

I would have thought that blowing through with the airline will bring all of the old grease out through the drilling , which would then have any contaminants stuck to it, blown out.
Surely when applying the new grease any remaining old grease will be forced through and out of the exit hole thereafter.

That has always been the case on all similar British classic cars & commercial vehicles that I have worked on in the past with grease gun serviceable joints.
I agree stripping the trunnions is beneficial ,however my tip was purely providing an easy way to unblock a grease path way.

Most of the wear on kingpins and trunnions occur because they haven't been greased on a regular basis.

[stevejgreen]

Re: Trunnion trouble

Hi Steve

I would have thought that blowing through with the airline will bring all of the old grease out through the drilling , which would then have any contaminants stuck to it, blown out.
Surely when applying the new grease any remaining old grease will be forced through and out of the exit hole thereafter.

That has always been the case on all similar British classic cars & commercial vehicles that I have worked on in the past with grease gun serviceable joints.
I agree stripping the trunnions is beneficial ,however my tip was purely providing an easy way to unblock a grease path way.

Most of the wear on kingpins and trunnions occur because they haven't been greased on a regular basis.

Agree totally with your last paragraph.

The problem, I believe is, that air or grease will seek the easiest way out, possibly bypassing a clot of hardened contaminated grease.

The more frequent you lubricate from a known ‘clean’ starting point the better. A thorough strip and clean every five years, has to be a god idea in my opinion.

[boustrophedon]

Re: Trunnion trouble

You cannot lubricate a dead end. Some of the OEM top ball joints had a flat ground up the side of the ball to provide a path for the old grease to get out. Others do not and I found them very difficult to get grease into.

[HairyDave]

Re: Trunnion trouble

Are these the 'Lubricated for life' type that you have to change because you can't lubricate them properly?