11 replies to this topic

[JD8891]

Model: City
Year: 1988
Description of problem (please be as in depth as possible):

Hi all, i tried greasing up the grease points on the mini today and i pumped quite alot in, but it didnt flow out like i expected and a lot squirted out the gun once it was removed like it couldnt come out while attached, i did poke the ball bearing with a screwdriver and they were free to move. Can the exit for the grease get blocked? or do i just need to keep pumping?

Cheers
JD


Any non-standard parts that might be involved with the problem?

None.

[Pauly]

Grease nipples might be blocked.

Paul.

[JD8891]

Any way to confim that? If it is the case how do I unblock them?

Cheers

JD

[Pauly]

Unscrew them and look through them to see if you can see light through the other end, if not then they are blocked. Try un-blocking with a cocktail stick, if not then a wire wheel on the end sometimes opens them up.

Paul.

[JD8891]

Cheers, will try it tomorrow.

Many thanks

JD

[benb12]

I have heard heating it with a lighter can unblock them, I tried it but it just caught fire and didn't really unblock lol.

[JD8891]

Might save that for a last resort then lol

Cheers

JD

[gumball]

You could take the nipples off and wash them in a jar of petrol this will get rid of any Foreign bodies.....

[JD8891]

Yeah might do that been as I'm gonna have to take them off the check if there clear.

Cheers

JD

[liirge]

On the farm when the nipples block we take them off and put them in boiling water, that usually unblocks anything.

[dklawson]

Unscrew them and look through them to see if you can see light through the other end, if not then they are blocked.

That should not be possible. Every grease nipple I've ever seen has a small, spring loaded ball bearing that closes off the entrance hole so no dirt can get into the fitting when the gun is removed.

If you are able to pump the handle of your grease gun and it does not build up pressure... the nipple may not be blocked. You may be pumping into a very empty space OR the grease gun may have a big pocket of air in it. Regardless, try poking the opening of the grease fitting with a stiff wire and repeat trying the grease gun.

Lastly, if you're pumping up the rear radius arms on the suspension, it's not at all unusual for the grease tube INSIDE the arm to split. When that happens, you have to pump, and pump, and pump grease until the whole arm is filled with grease. That's an enormous volume to fill. So... if that's where you're pumping and no grease is coming out... just keep trying and don't be upset if you have to reload the grease gun.

[taffy1967]

Unscrew them and look through them to see if you can see light through the other end, if not then they are blocked.

That should not be possible. Every grease nipple I've ever seen has a small, spring loaded ball bearing that closes off the entrance hole so no dirt can get into the fitting when the gun is removed.

If you are able to pump the handle of your grease gun and it does not build up pressure... the nipple may not be blocked. You may be pumping into a very empty space OR the grease gun may have a big pocket of air in it. Regardless, try poking the opening of the grease fitting with a stiff wire and repeat trying the grease gun.

Lastly, if you're pumping up the rear radius arms on the suspension, it's not at all unusual for the grease tube INSIDE the arm to split. When that happens, you have to pump, and pump, and pump grease until the whole arm is filled with grease. That's an enormous volume to fill. So... if that's where you're pumping and no grease is coming out... just keep trying and don't be upset if you have to reload the grease gun.

I can vouch for this and it once took several grease tubes to fully grease the rear radius arms on the 98' Mini Paul Smith LE that a family member once owned. To be honest, a load of dirty water sprayed out just before the grease did.

So don't be afraid to keep pumping in the grease, as I'm sure it's far better to have a radius arm full of fresh grease than dirty water?