Greasing the car

[dndkk]

After driving for a year and half now, it just struck me that the car probably needs greasing. The new cars of course don't seem to so I figure that was a good enough reason to forgot this important maintenance item... I looked under the front end and couldn't seem to find an nipples.. Went to grease the u joints and could only get to one out of the whole works...
Can someone direct me as to how many nipples there are and where......thanks...

 

[YankeeTR]

There should be zerk fittings on the ball joints, tie rod ends (inner and outer), idler arm, clutch cross shaft and probably more...

 

[TR3driver]

There are also places that should be greased but have no zerks (like the steering rack); places that have zerks but take oil rather than grease (like the lower steering swivels); and lots of places that just take a drop of oil (like the advance mechanism in the distributor). Not to mention repacking the front wheel bearings.

My suggestion is to find a copy of the owner's manual (which is probably included in the Bentley) as it has a reasonably complete schedule of maintenance.

Then there are the additional items that people have worked out, like occasionally repacking the "lifetime" U-joints (which will considerably extend their lifetime).

IMO, neglected maintenance is one of the primary reasons Triumph are considered unreliable by many people.

 

[TR6oldtimer]

Every 6k miles, grease the drive shaft U-joints, the inner rear axle U-joints and the front suspension upper ball joints. Install a fitting and grease the rack and pinion.

The front end lower swivel has a zerk that should be used to inject oil into the trunnon. Some (many) grease instead.

Other areas are lightly oiled.


TR6 Lubrication and fluids

 

[dndkk]

Thanks folks... Sorry to sound so dumb but what is a zerk?

 

[MGTF1250Dave]

Aloha,

From an on-line dictionary, here is a definition:

Main Entry: zerk
Pronunciation: 'z&rk
Function: noun
Etymology: Oscar U. Zerk died 1968 American (Austrian-born) inventor
: a grease fitting

I knew it was a grease fitting, but didn't know it was named for its inventor.

 

[dndkk]

TR6Oldtimer...you link says to grease the inner u joints however no mention of the rear wheel u joints...? Are these not required to be greased?
Tks all....

 

[TR6oldtimer]

TR6Oldtimer...you link says to grease the inner u joints however no mention of the rear wheel u joints...? Are these not required to be greased?
Tks all....

I could not find any reference to the "Recommended" maintenance schedule that included the outer u-joints, the the rear axle spline, or the outer steering rack bushes to name a few omitted items. I suspect the reason is the difficulty in reaching these components.

Having owned a '73 TR6 since 1976, I can not recall ever greasing the outer u-joint, nor have I had one fail. That said, I have had inner u-joints fail, upon which I replaced all four. Now I must admit, that over those years I was not as diligent in maintaining my car as I should have been. Still, in my opinion the 6k mile recommended grease interval is very conservative. I think that every 12k is sufficient.

As to the outer U-joints and axle spline, IMHO a conservative maintenance schedule would be to grease these components when the brake shoes need replacing. To do so more frequently is to just ask for problems with studs in the trailing arm.

 

[hilsideser]

Zerks fitings were produced by a company called Alemite on 14 Mile Road in Clawson, Michigan.

Patrick
Western N.C.
The wife and I just had my Spit on top of Water Rock Knob on the Blue Ridge Parkwway at sunset. 18 mintues from my back door to the top of the mountain... life is good...

79, 79, 78, 77 & 80 parts car

 

[rotoflex]

Zerk fittings

 

[Tinster]

TR6OldTimer-

Is that every 6,000 miles
or

6Krypty miles or until next breakdown?

d

 

[TR6oldtimer]

Dale,
In your case, you will only have to grease the car once in a life time.

 

[dndkk]

Very nice.....thanks...

 

[DougF]

I just greased the splines and outer u joints today. Probably a 1 hour job. I was happy that I did. The one uj had some pretty nasty looking grease come out.
Dirt is more of a problem than than the grease going away, leaving all of that good abrasive in where you don't want it. That is probably the reason for the 6k mile intervals.
One of the better greases I've seen available over the counter is Lucas Red Grease. It is nice and tacky and will stay where you want it. It is less apt to sling off and will work better as a barrier to the dirt than many of the greases on the market. I have gotten a lot of positive feedback from customers in the trucking industry who use it. I am currently using a similar grease that I used to sell and when it is gone, I will use the Lucas.

 

[vettedog72]

Dale, be sure to put a drop of oil on the screw that holds the cam. That may save you from a frozen advance.