mot time

[Robbiet9999]

Hi fellow Morris people.

Took Henrietta for her mot yesterday and she failed but nothing major. She needs 2 steering rack boots and passenger front brake is binding. The man also said there is some play in the drivers lower trunion which might be taken up by filling with grease. Now I know there are nipples all over the morris but I've never had a car where you do this . So my question is how and what grease do I use.

[JOWETTJAVELIN]

Castrol LM grease, fill a grease-gun, and pump away. There are 3 nipples on each front trunnion which should be done every 500 miles, there are also lots of others over the car, like prop shaft (every 1000 miles), clutch/brake pedal, steering rack, handbrake cables etc.

Now go and grease your nipples.

[Robbiet9999]

Thanks for the quick reply. Is it easier to remove the nipple then pump or just loosen then pump. Complete novice at this lol

[drivewasher]

No, don't remove the nipples. They are sort of a 1 way valve. They let grease in but won't let it out again.
A grease gun nipple adapter/chuck just pushes onto the grease nipple and the pressure of grease by pumping the gun holds it on, just a steady firm pull to get it off again.
Sometimes the chuck on the gun has to be adjusted so as to get a good fit to hold on to the nipple.

[drivewasher]

Here's a Youtube vid It shows how to grease your nipple (OO Er missus)
It shows him adjusting the chuck on every nipple, but genrally you shouldn't need to do that every time once you have it set just right

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bB2RiRKDQ9k&feature=fvst

[Trickydicky]

Hi,

Page 16 of this manual shows a lubrication chart. Looks quite a good parts catalogue too

http://britautoparts.com/catalog/morriscat.PDF

Richard

[JOWETTJAVELIN]

As other members have said, you don't need to adjust the nipple at all, in fact it shouldn't be touched. However, if you find grease is going everywhere apart from in, first check you have the gun seated properly, then suspect the nipple is blocked (especially if they haven't been touched for a while).

[customjob]

Other thing to note the nipple on the steering rack access from inside the car in passenger foot well do not greese the rack fill it with oil HP 90 will do nicely through this nipple.

[JOWETTJAVELIN]

I've always greased it; the oil just runs out. It's only a rack and pinion... grease is good.

[bmcecosse]

The advice to take up wear in the trunnion by greasing is just utter nonsense....... Grease cannot do this. If the trunnion is worn I urge you to urgently fit a new one , and of course it may need a complete kingpin assembly. When the kingpin pulls out of the lower trunnion and the wheel buckles under the car.....it's too late then to wish you had fitted new parts........

[IaininTenbury]

The advice to take up wear in the trunnion by greasing is just utter nonsense....... Grease cannot do this. If the trunnion is worn I urge you to urgently fit a new one , and of course it may need a complete kingpin assembly. When the kingpin pulls out of the lower trunnion and the wheel buckles under the car.....it's too late then to wish you had fitted new parts........

I would agree with this. Conventional beam axle kingpins can be 'improved' a little with grease a good MOT test dodge, but I can't see it working with Minors - the threaded bearing area is too small and the forces too great.
I normally agree with my MOT testers helpful suggestion that greasing ould reduce the movement so he'll give me a pass, then drive gently back to work and fit a new trunnion.
Top trunnions can stand a little play, as all they do is keep the swivel pin and road wheel upright. The lower one however is taking all the weight of that corner of the car against the spring. You don't want any looseness there!