How to grease wheels on Ace!

[pjbowman]

OK, is there a special grease gun/fitting that allows me to grease the front and rear hubs on my Ace? The nipple is so close to the inner edge of the hub that a standard grease gun coupler won't fit as there isn't enough room. In the past I've ground down the edge of a coupler to almost nothing to get it on there, and that invariably breaks after 1 or 2 uses. There must be an alternative. Even the grease gun that came with the car (the push type) won't fit. Anyone know a gun that will actually fit in there??

[Klassik Metall]

Greasing the front hubs using the grease nipple, is as you have pointed out somewhat problematic. Why not just remove the hubs and clean and repack the bearings. Correctly greased and adjusted taper roller bearings last many thousands of miles in most cars without any further lubrication and there are no grease nipples fitted on the majority of cars anyway.
   
   For the outer grease nipple on the rear hub, the easiest method is make up a threaded adapter that screws into the grease nipple hole and extends past the end of the hub with a nipple fitted on the now easily accessible end. Of course the normal nipple should be replaced after greasing.
   
   Regards Luke.

[pjbowman]

Problem solved - I had my 'guy' make up a 2 1/2" long grease zerk that extends past the end of the hub, so when I need to grease I unscrew the stock zerk, screw in my extended one, grease, then replace the original. Should have done this year ago!

[pjbowman]

Here's a couple of pictures of my extended zerk for anyone interested:
   
   
   
   

[alexG]

Wonderful stuff, an extended Zerk...Could have been something out of Startrek!
   Good photos though.

[dkp_cobra]

quote:Originally posted by alexG
   
Wonderful stuff, an extended Zerk...Could have been something out of Startrek!
   

   
   Not Startrek, it's much older:
   
   

[SpqrEddie]

Hello!
Working on an Aceca, but i gues the procedure is the same.

On the fron hubs, i pumped may be to much grease.  I started pumping expecting to stop once the old and then new grease would flow trhough the rollers and then past the large washer under the castellated nut in the center of the hub. But despite pumping quite a lot i couldnt see any grease coming trough.

Should i pumpm more, untill when i dont see it coming trough? it is the right procedure?

I dont know the precise desing of the hub other than the drawing on the manual, and i dont think is the case,  but could i had pumped too much and the grease escaped from the back and floaded the drum inside?

Thanks!!
Eddie

[Klassik Metall]

If you over grease the front hubs or the front kingpins on Ace/Aceca the grease can end up inside the front brake drums.
I removed the drums form an Ace Bristol with exactly this problem, due to a previous owner who had regularly and enthusiastically
been greasing every nipple on the car. The front drums and linings were totally coated with the burnt grease. The car didn't stop
very well either.

[B.P.Bird]

In addition and hardly intuitive, over greasing bearings will cause excessive wear. Really, as noted above, if the hub is correctly packed on assembly (half grease and half airspace) then no further grease is required for thousands of miles.
Barrie

[SpqrEddie]

Thanks...
and indeed the bearings seems ok despite her 60years or more of life..
but i dont know what happened during these years, so i just wanted to make sure they were lubricated. Now yes, i might have put too much grease. But i dont want to touch the bearing. They seems to be perfectly set, and i dont want to alter their cleareance that is always difficult to set!
i will remove the drum to see if anything has passed trough the oil seal.

Eddie