Grease gun...

[Arthurdaily]

Hi all, well although only a few days into ownership... I thought I'd begin gathering all my servicing gear todether, and firstly grease... and a gun!

Please tell me, what SORT of grease gun is required for the nipples? Will anything do, ie does it just push against the nipple, or does it 'fix' on? Plus, what grease to use?

Thanks!! Matthew

[simmitc]

For the prop shaft and track rod ends, standard general purpose grease will be fine. For the top and bottom suspension links (trunnions) you need a slightly softer grease. ESM sell both types, most traders and car accessory shops will have the general purpose.

You need a grease gun that is comfortable to hold and with a short enough pipe to fit under the wheel arch. There are trigger type, pump action, and lever types, not to mention air operated. Just personal choice. You can get big ones that take cartridges or small ones that you fill by hand.

All grease guns should lock onto the nipple when you push hard, and then you yank them off when yo hvae finished.

[IslipMinor]

Matthew,

Castrol LM grease is ideal for all the grease nipples. For a grease gun the Wanner is hard, if not impossible to beat. Usually quite easy to find at autojumbles. The push types will not normally provide enough pressure to work well.

[aupickup]

i do have severa lof these if any one wants one

[Arthurdaily]

I'd like one please!! How much?

[Arthurdaily]

Oh, just discovered that I'll need an oil gun too! For the Steering rack - is that like a grease gun?

[simmitc]

Very similar. In my experience, they usually leak. You can remove the grease nipple from the rack (tight fitting socket so that you don't drop it) and then just use an oil can with spout to drip in a few drops, then put the nipple back. EP90 oil for the rack. Some people use grease.

[Arthurdaily]

Ooohh... this is getting complex, and yet strangely exciting... how different from the Nissan Micra... Now, to get all this out in a one-er:

So ,greasing an lubing, have I got the following right:

1. Engine - 20/50 oil
2. Carb - 20/50 - couple of drops
3. Trunions, ie steering joint nipples x 4 - ML grease (or ML2?) with a grease gun to nipples
4. Propellor Shaft - a few squirts of heavier grease, like molly grease, sort of smear it on where the shafts connect?
5. Handbrake cable nipple - ML (or ML2?)
6. Distributor - 20/50 a few drops
7. Dynamo 20/50 a few drops
8. Gearbox - 20/50 to bottom of hole
9. Rear axle (do they mean the differential?) - EP90 Hypoid oil
10 Water Pump - ML (or ML2)
11. Steering rack - EP90 Hypoind oil - a few drops

And finally, what does '10 strokes' mean as a measurement? The original book says 10 strokes and no more for the steering rack - you say a few drops Simmitc? Is a stroke an actual measurement? lol Oh,

Thank god that is all out of the way - I hope I have now mastered it Oh, no, wait a moment... I never mentioned track rod ends? What are they?

[bmcecosse]

I use Moly grease all round - including the rack....... 20/50 is too viscous for the carb - and no you don't 'smear' grease on the prop shaft - you pump it in the nipples !

[mike.perry]

Anything with a grease nipple on use LM grease, some items are sealed for life with no grease nipple. Also a smear of grease or oil on the back end of the handbrake cables.
The nipples on the back of the brakes are bleed nipples not grease nipples

[Arthurdaily]

Thanks everybody - all sorted in my head now EXCEPT if 20/50 is too thick for the carb pot, WHAT sort of oil do you use? I know it should be 'thin'... but what type? Engine oil like 5/30 or something? Or what about standard 3 in 1 type oil?

[bmcecosse]

3 in 1

[Arthurdaily]

Thanks.

[rayofleamington]

I've never had a problem using 15/40 in the dashpot.

As for grease gun - I have a couple of lever guns including my grandad's Wanner.
For doing front suspension I got hold of a long flexi pipe, allowing me to put the gun out of the way.

For prop shaft UJ grease nipples - new replacements are often fitted without the extension / long nipple. The flexi tube has a slightly bigger head so won't get in theer - my old Wanner just fits.

[dalebrignall]

you can get a grease gun from most agricultural dealers

[simmitc]

One thing that you will find on this forum is that we're friendly & full of advice (OK, the two things about this forum, no let's not go there, or we'll end up with the Spanish Inquisition and a comfy chair), and that sometimes the advice differs. LM is great for most things, but in trunnions it dries out. If you want to use it there, then add a little diesel to keep it soft. It sounds like you've got a manual, so you know about jacking up the car to to do the greasing. For the carb, you can also get special "dashpot oil" which is a thin oil - but 3-in-1 is fine.

[Arthurdaily]

lol - very friendly and full of advice... if sometimes different advice... but who to trust? LOL - if you wouldn't use LM then, what would YOU use for trunions?

[bmcecosse]

As earlier - I use Moly grease for everything. Can't do any harm to have the extra 'slippiness' of the Moly in there.

[Arthurdaily]

Cheers

[mike.perry]

I wondered what to do with that tin of black grease I bought by mistake.