[TR] TR2/3 lubrication questions

[Randall]

> Recall the discussions around using an oil for the
> trunions as opposed to a grease.

One of the points frequently overlooked in such discussions is that the
factory recommendation changed at the same time the trunnion assembly and
vertical link was redesigned.

> Given today's synthetic greases, would
> these do a good job in the trunions? 

IMO just about any ordinary, lithium based grease will work fine, if you
follow the factory recommended service intervals.  I use a somewhat better
grade of grease (just recently switched to synthetic) and cheat a little
(OK, a lot) on the service interval, and they still seem to hold up just
fine.  I've lost track of how long the trunnions had been on my wrecked
TR3A, but it's been over 10 years and they were still in good enough
condition that I moved them to the project TR3, rather than installing the
new ones I have on the shelf.

> Just worried about the heavy "oil"
> running out of the trunions. Don't really look oil tight.

It may vary with the trunnion supplier; mine leak even grease to some
extent.  Oil would drip out in a matter of weeks if not days.  However, the
later trunnion design eliminated the leak point, so they should hold oil
just fine.

> Moving on to the steering box, would something like MT90 do the job
> here? Anything from a FLAPS work in this application? Looking for some
> recommendations.

I use Valvoline full synthetic (GL5) gear oil in mine.  Seems to work great.
But I didn't switch to it until rebuilding the steering box, so I don't know
how much of the improvement was due to change in lubricant, and how much to
rebuilding the box.

IMO, MT90 is the wrong lubricant here.  Can't prove it, but it seems to me
that the same friction characteristics that make it work well in synchromesh
gearboxes would be a disadvantage in a steering box.  You want something
that is as slick as possible, under extreme load, wiping contact conditions.

-- Randall