Grease nipple on tiller

[Stilllearning]

The ball bearing at the entrance to a grease nipple can get stuck/rusted in place, so try pushing it with a small pointy tool  to see if it needs freeing.

[ditchcrawler]

55 minutes ago, Tony Brooks said:

May well be the rudder stock angle is such that the nipple can not get grease into the groove around the outside of the outer track. See above posts.

 

If the nipple is on the front of back of the casting try turning it through 90 degrees so the groove although at an angle to the case is central where the nipple is.

I am going to try that

 

[blackrose]

56 minutes ago, Tony Brooks said:

May well be the rudder stock angle is such that the nipple can not get grease into the groove around the outside of the outer track. See above posts.

 

If the nipple is on the front of back of the casting try turning it through 90 degrees so the groove although at an angle to the case is central where the nipple is.

The grease nipple on mine is towards the back of the casting and there's not really much tiller stock angle at all. The rudder goes back to centre by itself so there's enough to do that. 

[Tony Brooks]

And it would not turn through 90 degrees with just a two bolt fixing.

[blackrose]

12 minutes ago, Tony Brooks said:

And it would not turn through 90 degrees with just a two bolt fixing.

The rudder turns through more than 90 degrees? Or do you mean something else? 

 

The transom of the boat acts as the rudder stop

Edited June 8, 2018 by blackrose

[Tony Brooks]

5 minutes ago, blackrose said:

The rudder turns through more than 90 degrees? Or do you mean something else? 

 

The transom of the boat acts as the rudder stop

 

 

See posts 11 & 13.

 

The self aligning bearings have a groove around the centre on the outside of the outer track. This transfers grease from the nipple to the balls. I found that if the rudder stock is set at much of an angler the groove moved out of alignment with the nipple so the nipple was blocked.  If the bearing housing were to be twisted through 90 degree so the nipple came ot of one side then although the groove would be set at an angle it would then be in line with the nipple.

 

As you only have a two bolt fixing you can't turn the bearing housing through 90 degrees. If the groove is out of alignment with the nipple and assuming its a self aligning bearing all you can do is to take the bearing assembly off, twist the bearing in the hosing so you can get at the groove where the nipple sits and grid an extra wide groove in that area.

[PeterF]

I fitted a double lip oil seal on mine to act as a weather guard, checked the ID of the casting and OD of the rudder stock and found one to match. There was enough of a recess between the tpp of the bearing and the top of the casting foe most of the seal to sit in. When I grease it some grease comes up into the oil seal, hence the greasy deposit on the top. Of course I had to remove the tiller to do this, which was more difficult than expected, but eventually came free.

Edited June 8, 2018 by PeterF

[blackrose]

29 minutes ago, Tony Brooks said:

 

 

See posts 11 & 13.

 

The self aligning bearings have a groove around the centre on the outside of the outer track. This transfers grease from the nipple to the balls. I found that if the rudder stock is set at much of an angler the groove moved out of alignment with the nipple so the nipple was blocked.  If the bearing housing were to be twisted through 90 degree so the nipple came ot of one side then although the groove would be set at an angle it would then be in line with the nipple.

 

As you only have a two bolt fixing you can't turn the bearing housing through 90 degrees. If the groove is out of alignment with the nipple and assuming its a self aligning bearing all you can do is to take the bearing assembly off, twist the bearing in the hosing so you can get at the groove where the nipple sits and grid an extra wide groove in that area.

Ok i see what you mean, thanks