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MG Midget and Sprite Technical - Grease nipple removal

Following on from my previous crawl around the car.

I have a blocked one. Its quite rusty so worried it will snap off. I also have a set of screw extractors. Is there enough 'meat' in the screw part of the nipple to drill out for the extractor to locate? Or is it a drill out and retap jobby?

Thanks in advance, Dave
Dave Squire

Depends on the thread size of the nipple Dave. Some of them are tiny, so no easy answer. Plus the hard part can be getting a drill past the hardened steel ball that closes the grease inlet.
Although if you try to unscrew it and it does shear at least you'll get rid of the ball and you'll know right away if there's enough metal for an easy-out.

Depending on where it is I might be tempted to try PlusGas and/or local heat first.

What do others think?
Greybeard

I have had success with a long reach hexagonal (not 12 sided) socket tapped on. Seems to get a good grip on all of the flats of a small and probably corroded fitting.

Other thing well worth trying is a bit of heat but you need something fairly precise. One of those cookery blowtorch things works well for this sort of thing if you can successfully smuggle it out of the kitchen
GuyW

Good ideas Guy. SWMBO has one of those torches. I don't know why - I don't think she's ever used it, but I've found it a godsend :-)
Greybeard

I'm with my usual method, it has worked on a grease nipple replacement too.


. clean all around nipple
. thoroughly spray with something like PlusGas (not WD40 it's not as good)
. let it soak for a day or at least overnight
. try to slightly tighten first to break rust/muck seal then try to unscrew nipple
. if the nipple won't tighten don't worry but if it won't unscrew then thoroughly spray with something like PlusGas again and leave for a day or at least overnight and try again

Personally this has always worked for me over decades (not that I do much of this) perhaps I've been lucky and/or not had any fittings that badly seized.

I'm with Grey, as long as you've not been impatient with trying to carefully remove the nipple, if it shears the top that *might* help anyway.

The most difficult part I found was getting a good angle to get a spanner on so a six sided socket as Guy suggests would be useful if you have one of the correct size or can borrow one.
Nigel Atkins

Like Nigel said a wee tweak "righty-tighty" first can help freeing it.
Then if it will turn "lefty-loosey" even a little before it stops try a wee touch more the wrong way, then you may get a little more movement the right way. Work it gently and it should get freer all the time. The key is patience.
The good news is that most nipples (though not all) have tapered threads so once it starts moving the way you want you're probably on a winner.
Nigel's also right IMO about PlusGas vs WD40. No contest.

If you are very lucky it's sometimes possible to unblock a blocked nipple. Chances are the sealing ball is stuck tight on its seat so a fine pin punch, a light hammer and a good flush with grease might solve the issue. Might be worth a try.
Greybeard

Right, good stuff. I have a punch that will give it a chance to move first. Plus gas and six sided socket all available.

Thanks to you for your practical experiences. Hopefully it will not need an extract.

Cheers,
Dave Squire

I once had a bleed nipple that was corroded and slightly rounded. The correct size six-sided socket did not work, but I succeeded by using a slightly undersize socket (eased onto the nipple with a hammer, ahem).
Jonathan Severn


'(eased onto the nipple with a hammer, ahem)'

Jonathan, you are not alone!
Jeremy MkIII

Jonathan - we've all been guilty I'm sure.

Dave - easy with the punch mate. Don't overdo it, the spring behind the ball is tiny. You do need a bit of luck but who knows? You won't be any worse off than you are now.

Best o' British.
Greybeard

I always righty tighty...great phraze i lime it

It just cures so many issues
1 Paper

If it's really frozen in, I've had a bit of luck by hacksawing the ball end off the nipple and then with a decent sized punch (1/2" plus)and hammer give the remaining hex part a decent wack and that will loosen it up in the thread and then screw it out with a six sided socked which might need easing on with a hammer as suggested by Jonathan the nipple twister--------lol

willy
William Revit

I always nip suspect bleed nipples etc ever so slightly before undoing but I then use another spanner to tap the spanner on the nipple anticlockwise, The little taps seem to jolt it ever so slightly and loosen it :)

j b biggs

This thread was discussed between 24/04/2017 and 04/05/2017

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