I'd like to lube the chassis on the pinto, I think it probably needs it -- I've only lubed a vehicle once before, that was seven years ago, when a mechanic showed me how to do it.
Since then I've forgotten how much lube/grease you're supposed to apply.
Can anybody give me any hints as to how to lube your car?
Hello renton481,
Watch the rubber seal for bulging.
Try not to make the seal pop. Usually 1or 2 pumps with a standard gun will do the trick.
From Pintony
I haven't tried lubing the car yet -- I did find the ball joint seals this afternoon, and when I felt them they felt hollow or empty. I was certain I had the car lubed late last year -- Should I be feeling something underneath the seals?
Are there any other areas of the suspension, aside from the ball joints, that I should lube with grease?
Suspension, not really. Steering and running gear, yes.
Look closely at the outer tie rod ends. Some have Zerk (gresase gun) fittings, other have grease PLUGS that have to be removed before grease in added, then reinstalled afterwards, (those look like the bottom half of a Zerk fitting) and still others (called lubed-for-life) are sealed and have no provision for greasing. The third type is getting more common every year as OEM equipment on the newer cars, and some aftermarket ones follow suit.
Now look at the driveshaft universal joints. Those may also be any of the 3 types.
You could also check the wheel bearings while you're at it, to see if any are loose and need to be snugged up, or worn and need replacing. . That's about it, Pintos are really simple to keep up with in this regard.
Since you're in a grease-it mode anyway, you may want to go over the whole car now and not have to do it piecemeal later. Use white lithium grease on all of the door hinges and striker pins, hood latch and hood hinges, trunk/liftgate hinges, etc., and then squirt some liquid graphite into the the door lock mechanisms. The easiest way to apply the white lithium grease and NOT make a big mess, is by using a light touch and a spray can with a nozzle extension.
When you get to the door hinges, you can check for excessive hinge/hinge pin wear by slowly closing each door while keeping the door handle button pushed in. If the door hinge is worn, the latch will bump into the striker pin before the door is fully closed, instead of sliding completely over it, and the door will be a bit low on the rear end. You can compensate for a little wear by shutting the doors more forcefully, but if there is a lot of wear, the door latch will be carrying a lot of the doors' weight and the striker pin will develop a groove on the top side.
You can usually adjust the hinge somewhat or shim the lower hinge sometimes, but the only sure long term cure for door sag from a worn hinge pin is to replace the hinge or pin if you can find a pin/bushing kit.
thanks for the advice, guys. It's very helpful.
b.t.w. I know about the 'hardpoints' on the rocker panels that are intended for jacking up a Pinto -- but are there also other places you can use to jack the car up?
I just got a floor jack and some jackstands, and don't want to wreck the car. Are the hardpoints the only place you can place jackstands?
Renton, If you need help in the areas of working on your car I would be glad to make a road trip to your place to give you a hand. My pinto needs some hiway miles anyway ;D
Using a common floor jack, you CAN jack from under the lower suspension arms, or from under the spring mounts on the rear axle. The center of the rear axle spring mounts can also be used as reasonably safe jack stand locations when stands are used as a pair. BUT, BE VERY CAREFUL ABOUT JACK PLACEMENT, AS INCORRECT PLACEMENT AT EITHER OF THESE LOCATIONS, ESPECIALLY THE LOWER CONTROL ARMS, CAN ALLOW THE CAR TO SLIP OFF THE JACK OR JACK SATNDS. There is frequently oil, dirt and grease on these areas, and there can be protruding bolt heads that make it difficult to fit a jack saddle into, so a wood block is commonly used on top of the saddle as an adaptor. The wood will crush somewhat to help keep the jack sadle from slipping out of position, but this is a do at your own risk type of operation. If you aren't comfortable doing it, DON'T.
There are a couple of other places that can be used as well, but these are the safest alternate places to use without having a unibody jack adapter.
There is a slotted steel unibody adapter available for under $20. and a flat, thick rubber pad top one as well (that is more expensive) from Eastwood (and probably other places).They have a centered, welded on pin to go where the original saddle was being retained. These can permanently replace or be used as a slip in alternate for the round swiveling saddle on most consumer level trolley type floor jacks. The rubber topped one is to protect paint when lifting something whose finish you might not want to mar.
The bare steel ones are about 6 inches long, made of tough rectangular steel tubing about 2-1/2" wide by an inch or so high and slotted down their length so that they can receive the vertical folded seam of many unibody cars. They don't lift from the edge of the seam, but from the horizontal metal in front of and behind but immediately adjacent to the vertical seam.
Basically, the upper surface of the adapters is flat, so that they can be used on any horizontal surface and when used that way, they spread the load over a larger area than a standard saddle. This is useful for certain specialized applications, such as lifting an engine from the oil pan to help align motor mounts, and safer than placing something loosely on top of a standard jace.
I most often use one of several of the steel type (but deeper ones that I made) to lift cars from other than the manufacturers recomended jacking places and then support the cars from the recommended spots, using the same type of adaptors on top of heavy duty jack stands.
Unbelievably, many repair shops STILL do not have adaptors for their post type lifts (or simply don't use them) or have older lifts or jacks that are not designed for unibody lifting and will commonly lift some unibody cars directly from the rockers, locally distorting or crushing them, or from the standing seam, and then bending the seam to the point that it can't be easily used with the original jack.
An important thing to remember on ANY unibody car (that is one without a separate and accessible frame), is that you can quickly, easily and severely damage the support structure of the car by trying to jack or support it from a place that cannot spread the weight and stress over a large area.
VERY IMPORTANT:
If you ever take your car in somewhere that they will be lifting it, make a big show of inspecting the car along the rockers both BEFORE and afterwards for damage that may be caused by this improper type of lifting/supporting BEFORE you leave their premises. Once you leave, they are off the hook for any damage.
When I first started working on cars, I used ramps much of the time, to minimize jacking. This might be something that would make your life easier for certain jobs that have to be done repeatedly, such as oil changes and for elevation-when a wheel doesn't have to come off. The newer ones are plastic, but some of the better steel ones have removeable inclines (and both front and rear tire "stops"), so that they are easier to work around.
NEVER, EVER LEAVE THE VEHICLE SUPPORTED ONLY BY A JACK WHILE YOU WORK ON IT.
Man just to reiterate what G.O.B.said in his last line of his post.NEVER ,EVER,EVER,RELY ON A HYDRULIC JACK TO SUPPORT THE CAR WHILE YOU UNDER IT.
Years back one of my buddies did just that.When a O-ring failed in his floor jack.Thank god the tires were still on the car.
He was under the rear part of the car checking out the rear seal on the tranny.The car came down on him and the lower mounting bolts on the shock squished his shoulder.There was no way he would ever get out.Luckily for him his girlfriend was in the house.She came a running when she heard him yelping.
She was able to get a bottle jack to lift the car off just enough to slide out.Nothing was broken but man did he have one hell of a six colored bruise.
I cant speak for all you,But when i imagine trying to tell my wife where to find a bottle jack and how to work it with 3000 pnds sitting on my chest it makes my butt pucker.
So next time you say to yourself "It will only take a second" think about if if his fat head was under the shock bolts. R.I.P. Mike
AMEN on jack stands....At a shop in Colorado in the 1970's I was there when a Volvo fell off a jack with a Mech under the car. Bellhousing Crushed his scull. Dead instantly. Since then I have had MANY techs mad at me at work when I make a big deal when they do not use stands.
And yes get some ramps. I know they are a pain in the butt to drive up on...just jack the car up and slide them under the wheels. When in front face the ramps backwards if you need to pull a trans or work in that area....you won't run in to the ramps with your creeper or arms ect.
Don't be afaid of doing this Just use you head and be careful. After the car is up...push a little side ways on the car and make sure it is stable before you get under it. If the stands creak or rock find out why!! Some cheap stands rock back and forth when extended up to far...Get better stands.
I know some of you are rolling your eyes...seeing a dead guy can make you think...It is my pet pieve when working on cars.
Watch Nascar.....Those guys still use stands when tenths of seconds can lose a race...They still use stands.
Well back to the cave...Bye,,Dave
Well, I got a couple of ramps, I figured they'd be safer for me to use right now than the jackstands.
Decided to wait until I get a unibody adaptor before using the jack, if I'm going to do it, I am going to do it right.
Thanks for all your advice guys.
And thanks for the offer, Farmboy. I may take you up on it some time.
I hope that you take to heart paying attention to the safety aspects of car repair/maintenance right from the start. It's easiest to continue if you start out that way. Some people never learn to do that. The lucky ones get away with a lot, but it usually catches up with them.
Doing your own repairs and car maintenance can be very rewarding both financially and in the sense of accomplishment that is derived from doing ANY job that many people these days either can't or won't even attempt, and I try to encourage every person who is interested, to give it an honest attempt.
Many of the folks who have weighed in are giving you some of their hard earned advice, to hopefully prevent mistakes others have made, but part of that advice also comes from the realization that nobody knows it all when they start, AND NONE OF US EVER DO, so try not to feel intimidated when you tackle something new.
I know that sometimes it can be hard to come up money to buy decent tools and safety stuff, and that there will always be some "creative engineering" that happens every time you have to make another tool work when the perfect one isn't available, but as long as you stay alert, aware, and concerned, you'll do fine. It's the cocky ones and old hands who have done something too many times without adverse consequences that get nonchalant and suffer the results when their luck runs out.
My 80 year old, well experienced woodworking step father just proved that a couple of months ago, when he took off the end of his thumb on the same tablesaw that he has used for many years. He was the first to admit how stupid he was for doing something unsafely, just to save time that particular day.
When you get in a hurry, (and it happens a lot, not just when working around cars) and as the years pile up, continue to ask yourself this: Is saving a few minutes or dollars worth not doing it the right or safe way? Bottom line: What is your physical condition, general health, or life itself worth to YOU? It ought to be more than a few minutes or dollars.