Morris Minor Owners Club

Hi there,
just wondering if anyone else has had a similar problem or if any advice can be given on getting grease into my new top trunnions?
Back in May I replaced the front swivels and top and bottom trunnions.
Looking at them again today I decided I should whack a bit of grease into them seeing as I had the wheels off for other reasons. But the grease just sqirted out of some holes around the top cap, the bit that looks like a large screwhead.
I took the trunnion off and removed the top cap and had a good look at it replaced it again, putting some sealer around in an attempt to stop the grease coming out again that way again.
I greased the threads of the swivel again before replacing the trunnion but when I tried greasing it again when it was back on it wasn't having any of it. It just squirted out around the grease nipple where the grease gun fitted on to it.
Now its always been a bit of a job getting the grease into the nipple instead of around it even with the old trunnions, but I always got there in the end, usually after I'd wasted half a grease guns worth of grease on each side.
But I'm concerned about not being able to get any grease into the new ones.
I don't want to have to remove the trunnion every time I want to grease it, that would be ridiculous. And a real pain in the backside.
The other side was a very simillar.
The bottom trunnions however where no problem at all.
I'm assuming that because there was wear on the old trunnions and swivels there was room for the grease to move down the threads and out of the bottom seal but it seems that there is no way that this is going to happen with the new ones.
Does anyone out there have any suggestions on what I can do to solve this problem please? I must admit I'm a bit stumped.
Guy

The top trunnion should have a well defined grease slot or groove running downwards from the grease nipple hole, terminating or reducing before the two bottom threads.
If it does not have the slot it will be hard for the grease to find its way down to and around the threads especially the bottom threads. The grease will instead find its easiest way out and as you found through the top screwed cap.
The three NOS top trunnions I have, one has a well defined grease transfer slot whilst the other two only have a minimal slot which is hardly formed and would not allow the easy transfer of grease to the threads.
I would suggest that if your top trunnions do not have a well defined grease transfer slot - remove the top cap and with a fine 2.5mm square/rat tail type file create a slot downwards from the grease hole.
Terminate or reduce the depth of the slot before the bottom two threads so as not to allow the grease to flow straight out of the bottom of the trunnion
Make sure that all filings are cleaned away before re-assembly.

Thanks Phil, I will have a look at some later date (can't face going through all that again so soon) and take your advice.
Interestingly all parts, apart from the bottom trunnions, came from club spares!
It does appear I must have got a pair that don't got a well defined groove in them otherwise I wouldn't be having this problem.
Guy

you could try jacking up the car and have an assistant turn the steering wheel while you pump in the grease i had this problem on my tractor it worked a treat

Unless there is a well defined grease slot/groove - taking the load off the trunnion threads by jacking up the suspension/wheel will still not allow the grease to move easily down the trunnion for circulation around the threads..

It is important to unload the trunnion threads to allow grease to flow around the threads. See a copy of my post re this matter.
Bob
Postby BLOWNMM » Sun Oct 23, 2016 8:25 am
If the weight of the car is on the ground (on its front wheels) one side of the upper and lower trunnion threads will be loaded. The weight on the trunnions needs to be released by jacking the lower suspension arm till the wheel is just off the ground, which takes the load off the threaded joints allowing grease to flow freely around the threads. If the car is jacked with its weight on the chassis rails the torsion bars will load up the threads, and again the lower arms needs to be jacked up to unload the threads allowing grease to flow freely.
Bob

Ah, interesting...thank you for that tip. I will attempt to file a deeper channel in the inside of the trunnions and will grease them up as described. Thank you for the advice.