TR6 TR6 trunion help - how tight, correct lubricant?

[ichthos]

Still at it with the front suspension rebuild, and more questions. 1)When I screw the trunion back on to the swivel axle, do I screw it down so that it is tight? 2) I am using Tinster's article on the front suspension rebuild - he says to fill the trunion 1/3 with gear oil. I noticed there is a zert fitting that leads into the trunion. The PO had both oil and grease in this area. If it is supposed to be filled with gear oil, why is there a zert fitting?

Thanks, Kevin

 

[DNK]

Kevin- It should have put together with oil. You can get a gun at West Marine to do any maintenance for the trunnion for the oil.

 

[TR3driver]

Right. On the TR6 (unlike some of the earlier TRs), the factory specified oil through the zerk.

The gun I got was designed for "toothpaste" tubes of grease, but the tubes of gear oil sold for outboard motors will fit it and work. Also safe for "yellow metal" (as some outboards contain copper wiring in the lower housing, which some gear oils can attack).
https://www.mercurypartsexpress.com/us/grease-gun-p47.html
https://www.mercurypartsexpress.com/us/premium-gear-lube-c214.html

But I'm not convinced it makes all that much difference, comparing modern oil to modern grease. The older style trunnions seem to hold up just fine with regular applications of grease.

 

[TR6oldtimer]

I ran the trunion all the way down then backed it off a turn or two until it cleared the stop.

 

[AltaKnight]

with Ray, that's exactly how I did it.

 

[ichthos]

Thanks for the info. Is the gun and oil a common item any boat store would carry - would I just ask them for an oil gun and gear oil?

I figured I would have to tighten the trunion and then back it off, but what do you mean backing it off one or two turns "until it clears the stop"?

Kevin

 

[TR3driver]

The gun doesn't seem to be that common. I checked with a local marina, and a local marine hardware store, neither one knew what I was talking about. They had the oil, though. I wound up ordering both through the web site referenced above, as I also couldn't find the gun anywhere else. Then of course I sold the car that needed it without ever actually using it

Or you can try this approach. Justin says it works for him, but the can I got from HF seemed way too flimsy to generate any pressure so I didn't try it.

Turn the trunnion on until it stops. Then back it off until it doesn't bind throughout the normal range. Should be less than one full turn. There is a stop that fastens to the threaded hole in the trunnion, it must be between the ears on the vertical link, on the side away from the stub axle. The motion from the stop touching one ear, to it touching the other ear, is the "normal range".

 

[ichthos]

Sorry to be dense, Randall, but are you saying you used the Quicksilver Premium Gear Lube (802844Q02) and that fits onto the grease (oil) gun (SKU 37299Q2)?

Thanks, Kevin

 

[TR3driver]

Sorry to be dense, Randall, but are you saying you used the Quicksilver Premium Gear Lube (802844Q02) and that fits onto the grease (oil) gun (SKU 37299Q2)?

Yes, basically. It was actually a slightly different gear oil that I did not see on the web site this time; says "Type C Gear Oil" on the tube. But it came in the same sort of tube as the one I linked to.

And I won't swear that's the same SKU gun I got, but it looks identical.

 

[myspitfire]

Go to the VTR website it shows the quicksilver gun their...I bought one at the local marine distributor oilor grease they BOTH screw onto the gun & their $24.95
Ken & Whitelightning
PS;Theirs a guy out their that used to sell the special setup using the harbor freight red pressure fed oil can,i've got & use that to.,for that to work well the trunnions can't have old packed grease in them.as the trunnion joint works like a pump pumping oil through oil channels

 

[ichthos]

Thanks. I am totally dismantling, bead blasting, and powderocoating all steering/suspension parts. I did clean the grease out of the area you talked about - that is what originally caused me some confusion since there was a mixture of oil and grease in the trunion.

Kevin

 

[Soup]

Kevin thanks for posting this thread, it saved me. I am about to install a new trunion myself and wonder if GL4 would be an acceptable gear oil to use since I have it on the shelf?

Thanks

 

[ichthos]

Sorry, Soup, I do not know. Hopefully someone else on the forum can comment. I used to get information from the independent parts stores. I find people in the chain parts stores of little help in these matters. For now I am going to try the oil suggested in an earlier answer. You might just do an internet search to find more info.

Kevin

 

[Soup]

Kevin, I already used the GL4 and filled the trunnion to 25%. When I turn it onto the verical link and up the point that is was before I took the suspension apart, a fair amount of the gear oil pressed it's way out over the boot. No big deal, just a little unexpected mess.

 

[TR3driver]

IMO the GL4 will be fine.

 

[Soup]

Thanks Randall. I assume the gear oil is not huge issue with the longevity of the trunnion as long as one keeps up with greasing the unit. Would others agree?

 

[TR3driver]

GL4 is the factory recommended lubricant for the trunnions on a TR6.

Personally, I think almost anything "oily" would probably work fine, but it's hard to go too far wrong following the factory recommendation.

 

[70herald]

The theory is that oil will be "pumped" up and down the thread as the car turns and the trunions screw in and out. True or not I do not know, but the grease which I extracted from the trunions when I rebuilt the frontend on the herald certainly wasn't doing anything useful where it was stuck.

 

[Gliderman8]

Hi all. I have been watching this topic with interest since I'm in the process of rebuilding the front suspension.
Yesterday I picked up this oil pump at a local marine store (Thanks Randall!).
The amazing thing is that the photo shows just how it was hanging on the wall at the store in its original packaging. It must have been there for 20 years or more!
Anyway, it is a Lubrmatic 5211.... I'm sure the number must have changed since then. The oil is Mercury Premium Gear Oil.

 

[vagt6]

The trunnion takes a fair amount of abuse: when the car is cornering, the weight of the front end of the car is borne by one side of the trunnion screw threads and the verical link.

One reason why oil is used instead of grease in the trunnion is that oil allows abrasive particles to slide to the bottom of the trunnion. However, grease <span style="font-style: italic">retains</span> abrasive particles which stay suspended in the grease and act as a grinding compound that accelerates wear of the tooth surface.

So, periodic and regular application of oil to the trunnions not only lubricates but helps keep the trunnions clean.

Don't use grease in your trunnions, it wears 'em out.