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Steering rack lubrication
Posted: Tue Oct 23, 2012 11:49 am
by Bit of Both
Hi
Can anyone tell me why there is only one grease nipple on the steering rack?
Thank you
Re: Steering rack lubrication
Posted: Tue Oct 23, 2012 12:25 pm
by Andy Rose
Although it is a grease nipple, it is used to top the rack up with oil..and the oil washes around the whole length of the rack. Use EP90 oil in a gun and give it about ten pumps. It will probably leak a bit from the boots, mine does, but if a Morrie is not leaking, it needs lubing.

Re: Steering rack lubrication
Posted: Tue Oct 23, 2012 12:30 pm
by chesney
If it's leaking from the boots then the boots need replacing!
Re: Steering rack lubrication
Posted: Tue Oct 23, 2012 2:48 pm
by BBJ
Should it be oil or grease?
I know the manual says oil but a lot of people say grease
John
Re: Steering rack lubrication
Posted: Tue Oct 23, 2012 3:03 pm
by moggiethouable
BBJ wrote:Should it be oil or grease?
I know the manual says oil but a lot of people say grease
John
The consensus seems to be oil, grease is said to harden/clog when cold and the oil, like Heineken, gets where other lubricants cannot reach.
Heinekens too thin though.

Re: Steering rack lubrication
Posted: Tue Oct 23, 2012 6:27 pm
by MarkyB
A bit of both won't hurt anything, the lack of both certainly will!
Re: Steering rack lubrication
Posted: Tue Oct 23, 2012 8:11 pm
by bmcecosse
GREASE! I use Moly grease. It doesn't run away into the boots! Run the rack back and forth as you add the grease - or 'oil' if you must.....
Re: Steering rack lubrication
Posted: Tue Oct 23, 2012 9:54 pm
by les
I can't see how grease would travel along to the 'other' side, there's only about 8inches of lateral movement, not enough to push the grease to the other end. Oil has the ability to 'run' along before some possibly might end up in the boots. Well that's why i use the recommended stuff

Re: Steering rack lubrication
Posted: Tue Oct 23, 2012 10:45 pm
by bmcecosse
We've been over this time and again - all later racks of exactly the same general design are specified for grease.........
Re: Steering rack lubrication
Posted: Wed Oct 24, 2012 11:05 am
by les
I know we have Roy but my reasoning, right or wrong, still makes me stick to oil.
Re: Steering rack lubrication
Posted: Wed Oct 24, 2012 11:46 am
by bmcecosse
Indeed - each to their own.
Re: Steering rack lubrication
Posted: Wed Oct 24, 2012 12:14 pm
by rayofleamington
later racks of exactly the same general design are..
Later track rod ends came without grease nipples* - that doesn't mean it's better!
(*ok, later as in 10 years later than the end of the Minor)
Re: Steering rack lubrication
Posted: Wed Oct 24, 2012 6:56 pm
by MarkyB
I suspect that ease and speed of servicing played a bigger part in the change to grease.
It's not in the interest of the dealer network or the spares suppliers for parts to last forever is it?