JJC Posted October 8, 2011 Report Share Posted October 8, 2011 Having got to the stage of the rebuild of going round with the grease gun I arrived underneath the prop shaft. Complete with smelly EP90 in the gun. Discovered I can't get at the nipple. Does this mean cutting a hole in my new gearbox cover? Don't think I've got the prop shaft back to front but anything's possible I suppose. JJC Quote Link to post Share on other sites
stuart Posted October 8, 2011 Report Share Posted October 8, 2011 If you have a plastic replacement cover and a twin pipe exhaust then yes Im afraid that is probably the only way. If you have a gun with a flexible extension pipe then you may just be able to get to it depending on the type and orientation of the nipple. FWIW you should use grease in the nipples. Stuart. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
JJC Posted October 8, 2011 Author Report Share Posted October 8, 2011 Stuart- thanks. I can't get to the nipple even though it's a single pipe by the time it gets to the cruciform. So I guess it's a hole in the tunnel. The book says EP90. Is it better to use grease? Hate to start this one again but if grease is ok why can't I use grease in the trunnions? It leaks out of those on the 4. Oddly enough it doesn't seem to leak on the 2 or the 6 though. JJC Quote Link to post Share on other sites
ianc Posted October 9, 2011 Report Share Posted October 9, 2011 I had to cut a hole in order to gain access to the sliding spline on the propshaft. If you get it in the correct place, it need only be about 1/16" larger in diameter than the end of the grease gun, then you jack up one rear wheel and rotate until the nipple is in the desired position (I won't say more!). Â And, yes, I use moly grease on everything, including trunnions and this spline - I always have on my (solid rear axle) TRs. Why complicate life by having a grease and an oil gun? The important thing with the trunnions is to drive out the old grease and get new onto the working surfaces - and do it regularly. If not lubricated regularly, the trunnion can gradually seize, the symptoms being ever increasing difficulty in getting full lock in either direction - if really bad, replacement may be the only remedy as the parts may be impossible to unscrew (as I found on the righthand side of 4VC shortly after I bought it). Â Ian Cornish Quote Link to post Share on other sites
BrianC Posted October 9, 2011 Report Share Posted October 9, 2011 I use moly grease on everything, including trunnions and this spline - I always have on my (solid rear axle) TRs. Why complicate life by having a grease and an oil gun? Â I'm sure you're right Ian, but after being told to use EP90 in the trunnions, I persevered for many years, although I switched to Penrite Semi-Fluid Grease for the trunnions when my TR3A was rebuilt as they are expensive and difficult to replace. Emptying and cleaning the grease gun to switch between Moly (or similar) and SFG was tedious, even though I only do the job very 3000 miles, rather than the original recommendation of 1000 miles (really not practical, and probably unessary with modern lubricants), so I've just invested in a second grease gun and stocked up with SFG - should see me out! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
JJC Posted October 9, 2011 Author Report Share Posted October 9, 2011 I've already got a second gun for EP90 so no problem there. But! if the accepted view is that moly (or equivalent) is good for trunnions and prop shafts then I'll convert. At the moment I oil the trunnions at less than 1000 miles. The TR4 seems not to retain the oil so I think a new policy is required. JJC Quote Link to post Share on other sites
BrianC Posted October 9, 2011 Report Share Posted October 9, 2011 The TR4 seems not to retain the oil. Â I got called away when posting earlier and forgot to add that is exactly why I switched to Semi-Fluid Grease. Â A self-levelling grease, ideal for certain veteran transmissions and Burman motor cycle gearboxes as well as Land Rover swivel hubs. Available in 500ml. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
TR4Geoff Posted October 13, 2011 Report Share Posted October 13, 2011 I've already got a second gun for EP90 so no problem there. But! if the accepted view is that moly (or equivalent) is good for trunnions and prop shafts then I'll convert. At the moment I oil the trunnions at less than 1000 miles. The TR4 seems not to retain the oil so I think a new policy is required. JJC Â Â By virtue of the nipple at the very bottom of the Trunnion, I don't think the '4' Trunnions were ever designed to take oil (unlike later models) and the original advice was for them to be greased. Â As Ian mentioned earlier, if they are not greased regularly they can seize, but more importantly you need to shove out all the old grease with the new stuff, otherwise the old grease tuns into grinding paste!! Â Geoff Quote Link to post Share on other sites
ianc Posted October 14, 2011 Report Share Posted October 14, 2011 Quite correct, Geoff - I should have mentioned that. Keep pumping grease into the trunnion until all the old, discoloured, grease has been expelled and the nice clean grease is coming out. Then remove all the expelled grease. It's a lovely messy job, but very worthwhile! Ian Cornish Quote Link to post Share on other sites
JJC Posted October 17, 2011 Author Report Share Posted October 17, 2011 Ian& Geoff - many thanks I have cut a hole in the gear box cover to get at the prop shaft. Amazingly for me the hole was in the right place! Now off to find another grease gun for Moly grease. JJC Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.