Re: Phillip Eilenberg's question about the front suspension trunnions, I
believe that the trunnions really should be lubed with gear oil (SAE 90)
rather than grease due to the threaded construction of the trunnions and
spindles. There have been cases of suspension failure due to trunnions
completely seizing up from grease being used instead of gear oil. (In 1978,
I actually witnessed the RF suspension of a Spitfire collapse due to a
frozen trunnion and snapped spindle. The owner swore he had had the
suspension "greased" frequently!) Triumph World magazine a few months ago
had an article on this very subject (maybe someone knows the exact issue).
Anyway, the way I oil the trunnions of my TR6 is with a small, compact
grease gun. This grease gun is inexpensive and readily available at auto
parts stores. It uses grease cartridges that are much smaller than a full
size grease gun (only about 4" long by 1" diameter). I removed the grease
from one of the cartridges, and replaced it in the gun. The seal on the
grease gun piston requires a cartridge in the gun to seal properly. When I
am ready to oil the trunnions I unscrew the "outlet" end of the grease gun
and pour in a small amount of gear oil into the empty cartridge. I then
screw the grease gun back together and snap the grease gun onto the nipple
on the trunnion. To speed up the process I turn the gun upside down as I
pump gear oil into the trunnion. In a few strokes, gear oil exudes from the
bottom of the trunnion and I turn the grease gun right side up and pull it
off and move on to the other side of the car. I only use this little grease
gun for oiling the trunnions - I have a full size grease gun that I use for
all of the car's grease points. This method makes very little mess. The
gun seeps a little oil when it is stored, but I keep it in a plastic
zip-lock bag between uses.
Rex Townsend
1969 TR6
Bainbridge Island, WA (definitely not top-down weather here!)
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