Grease

[pstephens46]

Referring to the 5 or so grease points on an F150TXRD.

The typical grease gun moves about a half inch of grease per pump of the handle. Not much. If you add enough grease, it pushes out from around the seals. Do you keep adding until the new, cleaner grease flows out from these areas? Any danger of damaging seals? 2-4 times a year too often?

I have used several brands and it does not take long to turn a nasty brown color in salt water.

[fairdeal]

i like to keep adding until I see some clean grease show.

If I'm putting in a grease that I am not certain is the same brand & type as what is already in there

then I keep pumping until I see all new grease coming out.

(in case they were incompatible grease types)

[TownsendsFJR1300]

I grease (also a F150) the main points, (especially turning-mid section) after every outing (and wash down).

With that rigorous "greasing", for me, it takes one or two squirts to get newer grease coming out. (and I'll see just a tad of salt water come out!!)

*If you can't get grease to come out of say one "end" of the steering (mid section), as if the grease hardened up/clogged, I wrapped an old t-shirt around TIGHT of the section that does flow. That helps force the grease THRU the clogged section.

You can't over grease or hurt with those zerk fittings. It's not like a closed/sealed set up. You'll just have excess grease oozing out..

Better extra grease than NO grease...

[panasonic]

I grease (also a F150) the main points, (especially turning-mid section) after every outing (and wash down).

With that rigorous "greasing", for me, it takes one or two squirts to get newer grease coming out. (and I'll see just a tad of salt water come out!!)

*If you can't get grease to come out of say one "end" of the steering (mid section), as if the grease hardened up/clogged, I wrapped an old t-shirt around TIGHT of the section that does flow. That helps force the grease THRU the clogged section.

You can't over grease or hurt with those zerk fittings. It's not like a closed/sealed set up. You'll just have excess grease oozing out..

Better extra grease than NO grease...

I don't think greasing a couple joints on an outboard 2-3 times a year is much trouble or too much. Water and salt water is the killer of all things metal. If you keep it well greased it only takes a few pumps to push out the water and see good grease. When you leave it go hard and crusty that's when you start blowing out seals trying to push it past the seals.

I used to work on british made BAe-146 that had 100+ grease nipples on the landing gear alone....fun, fun, fun greasing that in the middle of the night.

Greasing the flaps was an all night job for two guys....

[pstephens46]

I don't think greasing a couple joints on an outboard 2-3 times a year is much trouble or too much. Water and salt water is the killer of all things metal. If you keep it well greased it only takes a few pumps to push out the water and see good grease. When you leave it go hard and crusty that's when you start blowing out seals trying to push it past the seals.

I used to work on british made BAe-146 that had 100+ grease nipples on the landing gear alone....fun, fun, fun greasing that in the middle of the night.

Greasing the flaps was an all night job for two guys....

I would hope there was some sort of pressurized grease applicator versus these cheap handle things I have.

[boscoe99]

I don't think greasing a couple joints on an outboard 2-3 times a year is much trouble or too much. Water and salt water is the killer of all things metal. If you keep it well greased it only takes a few pumps to push out the water and see good grease. When you leave it go hard and crusty that's when you start blowing out seals trying to push it past the seals.

I used to work on british made BAe-146 that had 100+ grease nipples on the landing gear alone....fun, fun, fun greasing that in the middle of the night.

Greasing the flaps was an all night job for two guys....

I once helped a guy grease a C-130 flap track mechanism. It was quite a chore. Nothing like applying grease over head on a hot summers day. Lots of screw tracks and ball joints as I recall. We don't realize how often we touch our face during the course of a days event. Only when looking in a mirror at the end of the day.

You might relate to this. We were taking old C-130's in trade for the sale of some new ones. The old planes were supposed to be "air worthy". We discovered a bleed air duct inside the leading edge of one was broken. We told them they had to replace it to make the air plane air worthy. The answer was "the airplane was able to fly around with the broken duct so that meant that the airplane was air worthy".

Can any two people agree on the meaning of "air worthy"? I don't think so.

[panasonic]

I would hope there was some sort of pressurized grease applicator versus these cheap handle things I have.

Nope did it with hand grease guns for years..both hands would ache for days after pumping a couple of grease cartridges into that gear. After much complaining we finally go
t a pressure pot greaser ..what a difference. UNTIL some dummy managed to pump his thumb full of grease with a needle grease fitting. Dam near lost his thumb, off work for month's. Back to the hand grease guns
..

"We discovered a bleed air duct inside the leading edge of one was broken. We told them they had to replace it to make the air plane air worthy. The answer was "the airplane was able to fly around with the broken duct so that meant that the airplane was air worthy".

Can any two people agree on the meaning of "air worthy"? I don't think so."

Had that debate a 1000 times...nothing like getting someone else junk and have to try to make it "airworthy" again.

"It flew in like it, so it must be alright" That's my favorite...

[boscoe99]

I knew an inspector A&P one time who for a six pack of beer, a hundred bucks and a recent photo of the airplane in flight thought that was enough airworthiness evidence for him.

[robert graham]

I'd love to get Bondo's thoughts on this interesting subject....

[pstephens46]

Bondo? He must be hanging out with Postis.

[panasonic]

I knew an inspector A&P one time who for a six pack of beer, a hundred bucks and a recent photo of the airplane in flight thought that was enough airworthiness evidence for him.

I hope that bugger was not the cause of death of anybody, and if he was, I hope he got/gets what he deserves....

Unbelievable really.