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EuropaTC:
 :lotus:
--- Quote from: katanaman on Wednesday,August 29, 2012, 07:46:17 AM ---Well, now I have encoutered another problem!  The manual says that in order to lube the front end components, I need to remove a bolt sized plug and install a fitting that has a lube fitting on it, lube, then remove the fitting and replace the plug.  I looked at Moss for mention of this fitting/tool, and found nothing...  Is this something the mechanics made up from components, and will I be able to find them here?

--- End quote ---

Yes, the manual does say that, doesn't it ? :)  And in a lot of cases, it's wrong because in the UK at least, most people just leave the grease nipples screwed in place.

In the case of the vertical link (or trunnion), if this picture comes along ok, you should see a blue arrow pointing at what looks like a bolt head mid way between the big nut holding the stub axle/hub in place, and the lower rubber seal over the brass trunnion swivel at the bottom.  The official instruction is that you remove this bolt and screw in a grease nipple, add whatever lubricant you desire and then remove the nipple & replace the plug.

In my experience I've never seen a Lotus yet with the blank plug in place, although no doubt they came from the factory like that. Everyone seems to remove the blank, fit the nipple and then just leave it in place. If you fit a small one with a 45deg angle it doesn't catch on anything and the job is easier next time around.

Lubricant - you will get as many different answers as everyone has their own take. Personally I've used grease since the 70s on my Elan & Europa, the Europa is on it's original brass trunnions so there can't be much wrong. Others say Hypoid 90 oil, and the third popular answer is a mixture of grease & hypoid 90.  People don't like grease because it can dry out and thus not lubricate, but my take has always been that these are high maintenance cars and it's very simple to give a squirt of grease every time you're working on them. I've seen water come out of the rubber seal area which has turned me away from the oil lubricant as the only time I tried that the trunnion was almost empty a month later and I wouldn't like to leave the vertical link unlubricated as it's a known failure point.

You pays your money and takes your choice....

(if the picture isn't clear enough I will take one of the set-up on my car tomorrow)

benbeames:
Now I feel deprived.  My car still has blanks  :(

This is only because I haven't found the right size for the steering rack (or at least not in stock anywhere) and haven't put them in on the trunnions because I've been using oil. 

I think on the subject of grease, that grease products have also improved over the decades and drying out isn't as big a concern.  But I may be misquoting arguments I've only sat on the sideline and listened to.  I kind of like the idea of using grease.  It would certainly be easier.

EuropaTC:

--- Quote from: benbeames on Wednesday,August 29, 2012, 09:15:00 AM ---Now I feel deprived.  My car still has blanks  :(

--- End quote ---

Now does that mean you have a car which has been religiously maintained according to the Lotus Bible, or do you have a car which has never been touched since it left the factory  ?  :huh:

Grease works fine, just get some decent stuff and not something you'd use to lubricate your garden gate with.   I've no doubt it could dry out if left standing for months but I've never found a problem in the fine UK weather we have over here  :)

I did try the Hypoid 90 at one point when the UK Club Lotus was banging on about it but gave it up as a bad job.  Filling the grease gun was messy to start with and it seemed to come out all too easily.  Secondly, as I said above, when I went back a month later I seemed to be filling the trunnion all over again, and in our climate that's not good.  When using grease a single squirt would see something coming out of the rubber dust seal and I feel more confident with that approach. As always, YMMV.
 

cal44:
Here is my tip o' the day.  When we did our last Sunbeam Alpine/Tiger, the boots on the steering rack had rotted off.  Sooo the rack had no lubrication, still steered but something didn't feel right. 
One of the Sunbeam lads and I would share notes, his to me was:

Install two new boots and zip tie the small ends.  Obtain a decent size syringe and some plastic tubing.  The size that goes over the syringe nipple.  (This sounds like instructions on how to slam heroin). 

Fill syringe with oil, I use Swepco gear lube from the fine state of gun lovin' Texas.  Push tube under rubber boot on top, press syringe until lube goes into steering rack.  Repeat, repeat and repeat.  Pull out tube and start on other side.  Or just do one side but make sure to steer rack lock to lokc in order to fill the housing to the max and get out as much air as possible.  Zip tie large ends of boot/s.

The steering on the Alpine/Tiger was sweet after that.  Also the plastic is hard but flexible.

Mike

benbeames:
Now does that mean you have a car which has been religiously maintained according to the Lotus Bible, or do you have a car which has never been touched since it left the factory  ?  :huh:

A little from column A. . . and a little from column B. . . .

I've only owned the car for 3 years so I can't say what's happened for the bulk of its life, but the trunnions were full of oil the first time I attempted to add some.  Since I just used a hand pump oil can and a lot of rags to clean up the mess whenever I didn't get its spot in the hole tight enough, I haven't put fittings in on the trunnions.  Everywhere else that needs grease/lube according to the Lotus Bible has a fitting, except for the steering rack.  Its a larger fitting and I have yet to find the correct one.

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