S676095 ‘54 120M. Greetings, can anyone tell me if there is a trick to getting to the front propeller shaft grease nipple? I can see it when under the vehicle if I rotate the shaft around but can’t see a clear way to get the grease gun hose on it. It may be easier if the car was on the lift, I presently have it up on blocks. Also, the manual shows a grease nipple on the fan, and the water pump. I have not been able to locate them on mine. Was there a sealed bearing upgrade later that may be not reflected in my manual?
Thank you!
Sincerely, Mark
Front U joint (propeller shaft as they call it)…since your car is a 54…there is a removeable access panel on the gear box tunnel, right side…so you have to look under the carpet…usually can access from the floor side, if carpet is not glued down. many later waterpump-fans do not have that grease fitting–yes sealed. While you are at it–you can do the steering box, and the idler.
Nick
Thanks Nick. I’ll do a little exploring with my hands over the carpeting to find the access panel. I did have to do a bit of “surgery” a few years ago to locate the gearbox dipstick access on the tunnel.
I am looking for a photo of it…I doubt you can feel it…it is flat…but you may feel the screw heads. Usually the over the gearbox tunnel carpet is a big U that ends at the floorboards…so you lift it up…right side of tunnel…to get access. As said, sometimes the carpet or the insulator material under it is glued. Nick
Right, no grease fittings on my dealer replacement 120 pump which dates from about 1970. They revised the design to take the same bearings as the 140 pump.
Here is the right side access panel for the driveshaft.
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Great, thank you all. I will find it. Another question, what is a good recommendation for the proper lubricant for the U joints? The manual also refers to the driveshaft spline. Is this a nipple also?
I would use wheel bearing grease, since the u-joints are roller bearings inside.
The driveshaft spline is a nipple, but it just slides, no bearings. It should be about 6 or 8 inches behind the front u-joint.
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Outstanding. Thank you so much Rob! This forum is a wealth of knowledge.
I had to grind the tip of a grease gun down so it became slightly narrower, so then it could fit onto the driveshaft Ujoint grease fittings on my ‘140.
I think the factory original driveshaft U joints had extra long grease fittings, to make it easy for a grease gun to fit on.
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I’ll have to do that for the Mk VII, probably help
for the E-type too.
Back in the days when all cars had grease nipples and I was working at a service station (remember those?) we had a tool for getting at inaccessible zerk fittings, and that tool is still available. The pointy end pushes the little ball out of the way and seals against the inside of the little hole in the zerk.
Something like this grease gun in my '38 SS?
BTW you can still get the long grease nipples at Napa and other places.