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  • Trunnion trouble

    Hi, I was greasing the front suspension today and discovered a small problem with the N/S upper trunnion. When trying to pump grease into the nipple it was difficult and the grease just started coming out betwen the nipple and the gun.
    I removed the nipple but it was working fine and I could pump grease through it without problem. Do you think I'll have to strip the trunnion and clean out the old grease or is there anything else I could try. There is no play in it and I would like to keep it that way

    Derek
    Stumbling around in the dark
    Marina based SWB roadster
    Alfa Romeo 1750 with 5 speed box

  • #2
    Re: Trunnion trouble

    I've noticed that the grease tends to go solid when the solvents dry out. Maybe try gentle heat with hair dryer or similar to get the old stuff fluid again.

    Comment


    • #3
      Re: Trunnion trouble

      The top joint is a ball joint

      you could try removing the nipple again and have a poke with some stout wire to help clear the drilling up the middle.

      Or try squirting some carb cleaner/brake cleaner into the drilling.

      Jack the car to take the load off the suspension joint.

      Then put a thin cloth over the nipple to improve the seal before pushing the nozzle of
      the grease gun on.
      Ben Caswell probably not the last word on anything here!!

      Comment


      • #4
        Re: Trunnion trouble

        Thanks guys, I've learnt something else now. I'll try those suggestions over the weekend and report back.
        Stumbling around in the dark
        Marina based SWB roadster
        Alfa Romeo 1750 with 5 speed box

        Comment


        • #5
          Re: Trunnion trouble

          Originally posted by Blue Marlin View Post
          Thanks guys, I've learnt something else now. I'll try those suggestions over the weekend and report back.
          OEM says grease every 6months or 6000 miles.

          My advice is to ignore the 3 or 4 attempts with a grease gun, because you have no idea what is reaching the bearing faces.
          Continue until you see clean grease getting past the seals. If not dismantle, clean and inspect before reassembly.
          Either way I would reccomend the same procedure every 5 years, especially for a vehicle that may lie idle for a few months.

          Once the grease has gone ‘hard’ you have no idea of the remaining lubrication properties.

          I would avoid the use of any oils as proposed in Pitstop, that seems to be a very American proposition.
          MOC member since 05/97
          1984 Marlin Roadster SWB.
          1800TC, Unleaded ported head, stage 2 cam. Ford Type 9 gearbox, Dolomite Sprint rear axle fitted with MGF disc brakes.
          Three core radiator, Renault Clio vented front discs.
          The reasonable man adapts himself to the world; the unreasonable one persists in trying to adapt the world to himself. Therefore all progress depends on the unreasonable man.

          Loads of Marlin Reference can be found documents here or there.

          Comment


          • #6
            Re: Trunnion trouble

            Success.
            Tried most of the above so not sure which one, maybe a combination of them all, worked but I now have fresh grease oozing out. Also got to the bottom of an annoying groan from the NSF. Turned out to be from the brake pads on that side. Nice noise when I had the wheel in the air to fix the above and spun it slowly. Brake cleaner and copper grease and silence is restored.
            Stumbling around in the dark
            Marina based SWB roadster
            Alfa Romeo 1750 with 5 speed box

            Comment


            • #7
              Re: Trunnion trouble

              Well done!! "If @ first you don't succeed" try the MOC forum
              Ben Caswell probably not the last word on anything here!!

              Comment


              • #8
                Re: Trunnion trouble

                The method I use to unblock clogged grease-ways to joints is as follows and takes typically 30 seconds per joint:

                Using the red tapered plastic foot pump adaptor intended for inflatables.
                1) Remove the grease nipple
                2) Attach the red adaptor to either a) a tyre inflator connected to an airline from compressor, b)A foot pump, c) A 12v compressor tyre inflator.
                3) using approx 60psi air pressure blow the old grease through the joint until you see grease emerge from under the rubber dust cover.
                4) Refit the grease nipple and pump grease in with the grease gun.
                A cycle pump may also work in 2) above , (but I haven't tried this method).

                Hope this helps you all keep your trunnions properly lubricated

                Comment


                • #9
                  Re: Trunnion trouble

                  All very well, but.. unless the trunnions are regularly dismantled, cleaned and reassembled, you cannot be sure that all dried/contaminated grease is removed.

                  Compressed air will find the simplest, easiest route, grease however has mass, so has a better chance to displace solidified contaminants from obstructed routes.

                  Regular disassembly, cleaning, inspection and relubrication of a known Marina problem area, has to be the correct path to follow, especially as spare, good condition, exclusive uprights become even more rare.

                  Amongst a few other components, ultimately the shortage of mechanically reliable parts will herald the demise of Marina based cars.

                  Triumph based vehicles, due to their donor popularity, and multiple sources of parts, will not suffer from the same eventualities for several years to come.
                  MOC member since 05/97
                  1984 Marlin Roadster SWB.
                  1800TC, Unleaded ported head, stage 2 cam. Ford Type 9 gearbox, Dolomite Sprint rear axle fitted with MGF disc brakes.
                  Three core radiator, Renault Clio vented front discs.
                  The reasonable man adapts himself to the world; the unreasonable one persists in trying to adapt the world to himself. Therefore all progress depends on the unreasonable man.

                  Loads of Marlin Reference can be found documents here or there.

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    Re: Trunnion trouble

                    Hi Steve

                    I would have thought that blowing through with the airline will bring all of the old grease out through the drilling , which would then have any contaminants stuck to it, blown out.
                    Surely when applying the new grease any remaining old grease will be forced through and out of the exit hole thereafter.

                    That has always been the case on all similar British classic cars & commercial vehicles that I have worked on in the past with grease gun serviceable joints.
                    I agree stripping the trunnions is beneficial ,however my tip was purely providing an easy way to unblock a grease path way.

                    Most of the wear on kingpins and trunnions occur because they haven't been greased on a regular basis.

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      Re: Trunnion trouble

                      Originally posted by Ye Ol Ripper View Post
                      Hi Steve

                      I would have thought that blowing through with the airline will bring all of the old grease out through the drilling , which would then have any contaminants stuck to it, blown out.
                      Surely when applying the new grease any remaining old grease will be forced through and out of the exit hole thereafter.

                      That has always been the case on all similar British classic cars & commercial vehicles that I have worked on in the past with grease gun serviceable joints.
                      I agree stripping the trunnions is beneficial ,however my tip was purely providing an easy way to unblock a grease path way.

                      Most of the wear on kingpins and trunnions occur because they haven't been greased on a regular basis.
                      Agree totally with your last paragraph.

                      The problem, I believe is, that air or grease will seek the easiest way out, possibly bypassing a clot of hardened contaminated grease.

                      The more frequent you lubricate from a known ‘clean’ starting point the better. A thorough strip and clean every five years, has to be a god idea in my opinion.
                      MOC member since 05/97
                      1984 Marlin Roadster SWB.
                      1800TC, Unleaded ported head, stage 2 cam. Ford Type 9 gearbox, Dolomite Sprint rear axle fitted with MGF disc brakes.
                      Three core radiator, Renault Clio vented front discs.
                      The reasonable man adapts himself to the world; the unreasonable one persists in trying to adapt the world to himself. Therefore all progress depends on the unreasonable man.

                      Loads of Marlin Reference can be found documents here or there.

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        Re: Trunnion trouble

                        You cannot lubricate a dead end. Some of the OEM top ball joints had a flat ground up the side of the ball to provide a path for the old grease to get out. Others do not and I found them very difficult to get grease into.
                        Formally DonSayers on here.

                        Comment


                        • #13
                          Re: Trunnion trouble

                          Are these the 'Lubricated for life' type that you have to change because you can't lubricate them properly?

                          Comment

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