Morris Minor Owners Club

Does anyone know where I can find a definitive drawing of all the grease nipple locations? and are some more important than others?

You can buy this poster from ESM. I had mine laminated and I have it on the garage wall. You can then mark it with dry wipe marker pen.

Some cars may have had additional grease nipples fitted by previous owners.

They are all important. The normal places are below, but sometimes "sealed for life" items such as UJs and TREs may have been fitted, and the nipples will be missing.

Propshaft UJs front and rear
Handbrake cables, middle of outer section
Rear of top trunnion left and right
Track Rod Ends left and right
Inside underneath of bottom trunnion left and right
Steering rack, accessed from hole in passenger toe board. See separate discussions on whether to use EP90 or grease
Some bottom trunnions have additional nipples front and rear
Some clutch shafts and/or brake pedal bushes will have had nipples added.
Water pump on early models may need grease

Most workshop manuals will detail the grease points, and there is a Castrol lubrication chart that used to be available from Club Merchandise.

I always worry when someone asks ...

are some more important than others

...it basically translates to 'what can I get away with not doing'.

It's a bit like the people who don't fit Beehive Springs to the brakes... You can get away with it until you need them, at which point it's probably too late.

Some items are more essential than others, they're the ones with longer intervals.
Also, some are potentially life affecting items, like Engine, Gearbox, Steering and Suspension, while others are to reduce/prevent wear and tear, such as door hinges, so making life a little easier in the long term.

Beehive springs?

rocco wrote: ↑Mon Oct 14, 2024 7:06 pm Beehive springs?

Oh no, not again!

myoldjalopy wrote: ↑Mon Oct 14, 2024 7:12 pm

rocco wrote: ↑Mon Oct 14, 2024 7:06 pm Beehive springs?

Oh no, not again!

Oh joy

svenedin wrote: ↑Mon Oct 14, 2024 7:54 pm

myoldjalopy wrote: ↑Mon Oct 14, 2024 7:12 pm

rocco wrote: ↑Mon Oct 14, 2024 7:06 pm Beehive springs?

Oh no, not again!

Oh joy

rocco wrote: ↑Mon Oct 14, 2024 7:06 pm Beehive springs?

See here: viewtopic.php?t=77553
A topic that seems to come up regularly and even got me banned from the Farcebook Group.

geoberni wrote: ↑Mon Oct 14, 2024 7:57 pm

rocco wrote: ↑Mon Oct 14, 2024 7:06 pm Beehive springs?

See here: viewtopic.php?t=77553
A topic that seems to come up regularly and even got me banned from the Farcebook Group.

Thank you. It seems strange to think that anyone would decide not to fit those if they are holding the shoes to the backplate.

Well, there were none fitted to my car when I bought it, I had a rear hub seal replaced, entailing the removal and replacement of the rear brakes, by a Moggie-specialist garage and there are still no beehive springs on it nor was there any comment to the effect that I needed them. The brakes work just as they should too. Go figure, as they say.

In spite of adapting a deep socket to fit and remove them there are none fitted to mine in the 25 years of ownership. None on the front brake shoes either because the backplate doesn't possess holes for the retaining pins/springs.
Just like Myrtles Man they work exactly as they should.

rocco wrote: ↑Tue Oct 15, 2024 9:43 am

geoberni wrote: ↑Mon Oct 14, 2024 7:57 pm

rocco wrote: ↑Mon Oct 14, 2024 7:06 pm Beehive springs?

See here: viewtopic.php?t=77553
A topic that seems to come up regularly and even got me banned from the Farcebook Group.

Thank you. It seems strange to think that anyone would decide not to fit those if they are holding the shoes to the backplate.

There is so much complete garbage commented on the farcebook group about them.
I saw one comment where the individual confidently asserted that they were irrelevant because their sole purpose was to "keep the shoes in place on the assembly line when the car was built".
But generally you can sum it up with the 'ignorance' of people who think they know better then the designers/manufacturers.
(expressing a forthright view in plain language, regarding a safety critical system like brakes)
The fact is that some sort of retaining spring is used on practically every drum brake system, wherever in the world the car was designed.
Even modern cars still using rear drum brakes have retaining springs.
Morris even subsequently introduced them on the front brakes of the S3, around 1961; but of the latter Pin & Washer style, so clearly a need was identified, and it wasn't for convenience on the assembly line!

olonas wrote: ↑Tue Oct 15, 2024 10:22 am In spite of adapting a deep socket to fit and remove them there are none fitted to mine in the 25 years of ownership. None on the front brake shoes either because the backplate doesn't possess holes for the retaining pins/springs.

Introduced to the front brakes at S3 around 1961, but using the latter style more commonly found in the 60s onwards, and still in use today on cars with rear drum brakes. Car number 959441 onwards.
If they ceased to be fitted at the end of S3, I would expect an end number to be in the book, as it is with the 7" brake adjuster....at 990298.

However, I agree with you about back plates, my SII has a donor set of 8" on the front, with no springs, and there are no holes.
The reconditioned front plates sold by ESM, both 7" & 8", have no holes.
Yet ESM sell the retaining spring parts...but not the pin itself.
https://www.morrisminorspares.com/brake ... 71-p829458
https://www.morrisminorspares.com/brake ... 69-p829457
Quite a puzzle
Even the illustration in the Parts Book shows the Retainer Spring for the front, but the illustration of the back plate has no holes for them...

Go figure..

There are no holes for retaining springs in the backplate on Series V front brake backplates. This is a new old stock backplate that I have.

Myrtles Man wrote: ↑Tue Oct 15, 2024 10:08 am Well, there were none fitted to my car when I bought it, I had a rear hub seal replaced, entailing the removal and replacement of the rear brakes, by a Moggie-specialist garage and there are still no beehive springs on it nor was there any comment to the effect that I needed them. The brakes work just as they should too. Go figure, as they say.

I have been driving Minors non-stop for 40 years now and none of them - none of them! - ever had the beehive springs. Never had any issues whatsoever. As MM says, 'go figure' indeed.....rather like the conundrum of whether to use EP90 oil or grease in the steering rack, this one will continue to cause debate for eternity.

myoldjalopy wrote: ↑Tue Oct 15, 2024 11:34 am
I have been driving Minors non-stop for 40 years now...

Is that because the brakes don't work as a result of the lack of beehive springs?

myoldjalopy wrote: ↑Tue Oct 15, 2024 11:34 am

Myrtles Man wrote: ↑Tue Oct 15, 2024 10:08 am Well, there were none fitted to my car when I bought it, I had a rear hub seal replaced, entailing the removal and replacement of the rear brakes, by a Moggie-specialist garage and there are still no beehive springs on it nor was there any comment to the effect that I needed them. The brakes work just as they should too. Go figure, as they say.

I have been driving Minors non-stop for 40 years now and none of them - none of them! - ever had the beehive springs. Never had any issues whatsoever. As MM says, 'go figure' indeed.....rather like the conundrum of whether to use EP90 oil or grease in the steering rack, this one will continue to cause debate for eternity.

Like me, you have clearly been dicing with death for decades, you crazy fool! I guess it's only a matter of time until our comeuppance....

Right - shall we have a discussion about electronic ignition and what engine oil to use now?

You do, and I'll lock the topic. Remember that the subject is grease nipple location. We've had quite enough creep or drift; although it has been entertaining