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MG MGA - Greasing

I had a fit of enthusiasm at the weekend and went round all the grease nipples now my wife is driving the car daily.

Is it just me, or do the nipples clog up easily. I usually find that I need to unscrew them and push fresh grease through before anything will happen?

Even then thegrease often just spurts round the nipple. Does this mean that there is enough grease already in?

I couldn't find the nipples on the propshaft. Does this mean that the nipples have fallen off, or that I have sealed bearings fitted? How can I tell?

The drive shaft makes growling noises when accelerating. I checked that the diff is full of oil. There seems to be some play in the driveshaft approx 5 degrees. Is this normal?

thanks

dan
Dan Smithers

The nipples should have little ball bearings to stop the muck getting in and just need a wipe before attaching the gun. The grease squirts out round the sides if you haven't got the gun nozzle lined up exactly. If you keep having trouble, I would replace the nipples. Greasable joints don't normally "fill up"; old grease will normally start oozing out somewhere and it is a good prompt to stop pumping! Again, if you can't see any oozing, it may mean that the grease-way is blocked, which is bad news. Are you using a side-lever gun or just one of the little hand-push variety? A correctly aligned side-lever pump will normally generate enough pressure to push any dry old grease through. If not, you may need to take the parts apart to clear the blockage or wear will rapidly happen.

If your prop-shaft universal joints don't have drillings for nipples then they are not intended to be greased. If you have threaded holes near the middle of the yoke with nothing in, you have lost the nipples.

Where is the play occurring? If you feel the movement when you grip the shaft either side of the universal joint and twist them in opposition then it is best to replace them. Wear in the joints normally produces a loud click as you move off. If the joints are tight then the noise is more likely to be coming from the diff.

Malcolm
Malcolm Eades

I haven't found the holes for the nipples so I shall stop worrying.

The play is between the drive shaft and the diff. The UJs seem pretty firm.
Dan Smithers

Dan - I'll go along with all the above. You can get a bit of play in the diff. If that growl is comming from the back it is almost certainly the diff. Have you checked that it is filled with the correct oil? That nice smelly thick EP80/90 stuff...
Pete
Pete Tipping

Speaking of the U-joint grease fittings. Where do you find the extended long fitting to replace broken ones. The usual straight replacement fittings won't allow a grease gun to fit.

Image shows short fitting on the left and long on the right. I just have not been able to find a source for a long fitting.

Jim

Jim Ferguson

Dan,

You said that you "went round all the grease nipples".
I hope that you did not put grease in the steering rack. Use 80W/90 hypoid oil only.

Mick
M F Anderson

hypoid EP 80 in diff and rack.
Dan Smithers

This thread was discussed between 15/11/2010 and 17/11/2010

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