Greasey

[birdarchitect26]

Seriously, how many grease fittings does my bus have. I pulled the front tires and pumped all 10 or so on each wheel area. I've climbed under the bus and found around 20 or so mics around the axles, brakes, steering. This week I changed the coolant filter and noticed there were 3 just on my fan pulley box, driveshaft, and U-joint (Book calls this propeller Shaft)  . The manual I have has various locations stated on reg maintenance; is there another publication around that give all the locations. Maybe I'll create my own!
Whats your fav grease, just basic heavy dudy?
How much does the pulley box take? seems endless, I emptied the rest my gun trying to pump it up.

Here is whats listed in the manual, so I'm not just asking a question without research. Hopefully this helps another noob.

Tie Rod Ends (all)
Brake Camshaft (all)
Slack adjusters (each side)
King Pin bushings (2 per side)
Prop shaft (3)
Clutch (mines Auto)
Traling axle Pivot
Steering drag, U-joint, slip (4)

Apply L-5 (Molybdenum Disulphide Grease


J

[Gary Hatt - Publisher BCM]

I had the same bus at one time an MC-7.  Seemed like hundreds of fittings.  I decided to take it to MCI in Los Alamitos, CA once to have it greased because I was afraid I might miss a fitting or two and I thought at least the first time, I should have it done right and have them replace any plugged fitting.  I also figured they would know where all of the fittings were.  I had a couple of other things done at the same time so I didn't just go for a grease job.   It came back and out of curiosity, I crawled underneath to see which ones I may have missed as it was pretty obvious they missed several fittings themselves. My guess is they hire a kid to grease them and they never give them the chart that even I had.  I ended up taking the bus back the next day and told them to have a more experienced guy grease ALL fittings and I watched him and I think they got them all that time. Bottom line, if you want it done right, do it yourself which I did  after that. 

[richard5933]

These are not your father's Oldsmobile, that's for sure. Those you could lube in ten minutes. Not so with an old bus - almost like they run on grease.

I was going to do the lube job on my GMC 4108 until I saw the list of places to grease in the manual. Not only didn't I know what some of the things were that needed grease, there is no way I would find the location even with the photos in the book.

Glad that the Interstate location here in Milwaukee has a 40-year veteran familiar with old buses of all types. Well worth the couple of hour's labor to get it done right.

[luvrbus]

Grease fitting on buses breed like rabbits every time you go back to grease 1 more zerks pop up you missed the last time

[ol713]

   Hi;
   Don't forget the distribution panels.  There should be 3-4 depending on which
   MC-7 you have.   There is one below the driver seat, one each near the two
   tag axels.  Possibly a forth panel just under the alternator, depending on your
   year.  These panels distribute grease to different areas.
                                            Merle. 

[buswarrior]

Every moving part... every one.

Thottle pedal linkages, all 40 feet ofit, bell cranks, ball connectors...

Proudly purchase a powered grease gun, pneumatic or battery powered. Never mind the crap off brands,  I like Lincoln products. Buy it once...keep it clean, take good care of it, don't throw it around...

If greasing by hand, you get tired and start doing a crap job...

Purchse grease by the case when it comes on sale at the Tractor Supply. Name brand, choose a colour, so you can tell the difference between fresh and old.

I like the Cerulum Valvoline, it is blue. For no better or smarter reason...

Happy coaching!
Buswarrior

[chessie4905]

I use that some too. I mainly use Mobile with moly. Consider going to a garage sale and buy a used air operated greasing unit on Dolly's. That way you can buy the grease in 16 gallon drums. Much more economical than buying all those cartridges and not having to mess with changing cartridges constantly, usually when you get to the next to last fitting. Nobody ever bids much on these things as they are usually dirty or.....greasy.

[Utahclaimjumper]

 Some areas can be "overgreased" and cause major problems,,also many take different types of grease,, so a manual is handy & one type does not fit all.>>>Dan

[luvrbus]

I use that some too. I mainly use Mobile with moly. Consider going to a garage sale and buy a used air operated greasing unit on Dolly's. That way you can buy the grease in 16 gallon drums. Much more economical than buying all those cartridges and not having to mess with changing cartridges constantly, usually when you get to the next to last fitting. Nobody ever bids much on these things as they are usually dirty or.....greasy.

The price of grease is expensive I ordered a case (10 tubes) of Mobil XHP the case was over $50.00 I bet buying 16 gals you would need to take out a mortgage,I may look into a 5 gal pail I still know how to load a grease gun from bulk but the tubes are so convenient with less clean up.Face it we all like easy    

[luvrbus]

Some areas can be "overgreased" and cause major problems,,also many take different types of grease,, so a manual is handy & one type does not fit all.>>>Dan

You can over grease if it is sealed part but on a regular open bushing you just make a mess,and with the new greases 1 type will cover it all, gone all the days of needing 3 or 4 types of grease

[chessie4905]

Used grease gun units on a drum always come with drum attached, and usually at least 1/4 or more full. Auctions don't want to bother doing much cleaning, just want it gone.If you need to fill it, just buy a 5 gallon pail to refill. This saving the mortgage. They also make versions that set on a 5 gallon pail. How often when changing cartridges do you have to screw around bleeding the air out of it to get it to pump again? Or, it gets an airlock halfway through a cartridge? Or has the plunger ever come unlocked while changing only to blow grease back out? Or the grease filling bleed out the grease in a tiny stream because check ball stuck open?

[luvrbus]

I have a hand pump that goes on a pail I can load a grease gun with old technology but it works,lol my grease guns are so old they have air bleeder valves,I have one that is so long bulk is the only way you can load it.People buy throw away grease guns now, Lincoln and Alemite are the 2 only brands I have in my war chest and some are 40 years old lol have one Dewalt battery powered that was gave to me as present hate the damn thing 

[Iceni John]

After I bought my bus I greased every Zerk (thank goodness for the chart in my Service Manual showing their locations) and covered each one with a yellow plastic cap to help me find them again and to keep them clean.   When I had my bus towed last year the tow truck driver was impressed to see all those little yellow caps everywhere, and the orange cable ties on my brake cans' pushrods  -  he said he'd never seen that on any privately-owned bus or RV!   Zerk caps definitely make it easier.

John

[chessie4905]

I have an old Lincoln with the bleeder, lever type. Pita, you need three hands sometimes. I usually use one with a hand squeeze for cars, cartridge type. Always wipe off and of grease fitting before connecting hose. Those three clips in the end of coupler can wear over time, causing it not to hold onto fitting. They should be reversible when worn. Just unthread end and turn them around.

[Utahclaimjumper]

 One example of overgreasing would be the brake cams,,very touchy about too much grease, and many others.>>>Dan