Syringe for lubricating crosspieces, bearings and other elements

Quite often, car owners, as well as car service specialists, are faced with the need to lubricate various parts and elements. In addition to the fact that scheduled replacement of technical fluids is often required, many parts also require lubricants. At the same time, it is not always possible to apply lubricant to various elements and areas without additional devices.

In fact, not only the main units (internal combustion engines and gearboxes), but also crosspieces, bearings, etc. need lubrication. If in most cases it is possible to fill the motor and gearbox with lubricating fluid without additional equipment or using an oil syringe, a special syringe is often used for high-quality maintenance of crosspieces, bearings and other elements with grease.

This syringe is designed to work with thick lubricants. However, grease syringes are different. This must be taken into account when selecting. Next, we will look at what types of syringes there are, as well as how to choose the right grease gun, taking into account specific purposes and tasks, how to use such a syringe for lubricant, etc.

Design features

The driveshaft consists of 2 elements (in some types of equipment there are 3 elements), this allows you to transfer force from the gearbox to the axle with minimal losses. The elements are connected to each other by a cross. This hinge connection allows for optimally secure fastening between the nodes. At the same time, minimal wear of the associated elements is ensured.

The crosspiece requires constant lubrication

, so it is tightly stuffed with a plastic substance at the factory. This allows you to avoid problems during operation. But, unfortunately, there is not enough lubricant for the entire service life, so it must be added.

For process continuity, manufacturers have provided the ability to supply lubricant directly inside the crosspiece, without dismantling the cardan. This makes operational work easier. Also, thanks to this, it is possible to quickly perform injection if necessary.

If you do not lubricate the part, it will fail much faster. It is also worth considering that the crosspiece is almost constantly exposed to sand, dirt and reagents. Therefore, only the proper amount of lubrication can avoid many problems with this structural element.

Which grease gun is best?

First of all, there are two types of grease guns:

mechanical;
pneumatic;

These are simple devices; lubricant is simply poured into the gun, after which you need to press the handle. Differences between different guns can be in the pressure when displacing the lubricant, as well as in the total volume of the reservoir for oil or any other lubricant.

It is not difficult to understand that the higher the pressure the gun is capable of creating, the more intense the lubricant will be supplied, the greater the volume of substance that can be pumped in a certain unit of time. It turns out that if you need to work with fluid lubricants, both volume and pressure are important (affects the overall pumping speed).

If work is supposed to be done with thick lubricants (such as grease), in this case the volume of the tank is not so important, but special attention should be paid to the pressure. The fact is that if the gun creates little pressure, the thick lubricant will be more difficult and longer to pump.

A pneumatic grease gun has an air compressor, using compressed air instead of physical force. In fact, for lubricating components and elements for personal use, such syringes are not often found, but they are actively used at service stations, where there is an urgent need to quickly lubricate a large number of parts. Pneumatic syringes are also different; there are differences in the speed of pumping lubricant, pressure, etc.

If we consider the method of supplying lubricant in more detail, oil syringes can be divided into the following types:

Plunger syringe (the body is movable relative to the tube, where the fixed piston and suction part are located).
This allows you to reduce the lever pumping angle. The tube itself passes through the body of the plunger syringe, one end of the tube is inside the body, and there is a stationary piston in the body. At the end of the rod there is a head, in this area there is a cylindrical high-pressure device. We also recommend reading the article on how to lubricate caliper guides. In this article you will learn which lubricant is suitable for caliper guides, as well as how to choose a lubricant for calipers and what to look for.

In fact, the end of the syringe has a high-pressure cylinder, it contains a discharge and suction valve. A lever-plunger mechanism with a tip is installed on the head of the mechanism. For use, lubricant is poured into the housing cavity. When using a syringe, after pressing the button, the tip moves towards the lubricant, then the lubricant is supplied to the high-pressure cylinder.

Electric syringe.
This solution is distinguished by the fact that it has a power source (battery) with an average power of about 18 W. If you decide to purchase such a syringe, it is better to pay attention to models that have fast battery charging, and the charging itself can be done from the car cigarette lighter. This will make it more convenient to use. A screw syringe is suitable for lubricating threads, as well as all kinds of holes. The device has a special fitting. In the front part there is a tip with an internal thread for attachment to the fitting. The pressure in such a syringe occurs as a result of a bolt equipped with a piston being screwed into the body.
The pneumatic grease gun has an automatic drive. In fact, such a syringe is a pneumatic gun; lubricant is supplied when the trigger is pressed. The solution is convenient and productive, but high-quality pistols of this type are usually professional equipment and are expensive.

To understand how to choose a grease gun, you should start from the technical characteristics and specific tasks. As an example, the syringe must be from a reputable manufacturer, have sufficient drive pressure, the device must have a suitable tank volume and sufficient performance indicators.

For this reason, you should research the several types and types of devices available before purchasing. For example, if you need a syringe for crosses, and for personal use, almost any manual plunger syringe with suitable pressure will do. If you need to apply grease a lot and often, it is advisable to buy a pneumatic grease gun with a large reservoir.

When is work required?

It is important to correctly determine when to add lubricant, this will significantly increase the life of the spider. According to the manufacturers' recommendations, this element should be lubricated about once every 10-15 thousand kilometers; more precisely, you need to look at the list of scheduled maintenance work.

But it is not always the case that crosspieces can be used freely for the entire time allotted for this by the manufacturer without lubrication. The reasons for this are very different, most often due to rather harsh operating conditions. Often, SUVs that are operated in harsh conditions require increased attention to the driveshaft. This is due to constant contamination of the joint, which leads to the production of lubricant at an accelerated rate.

What's the result?

As you can see, there are several types of grease guns. It is important to immediately determine how often and for what purposes the device will be used. In some cases, it is enough to purchase a simple plunger pistol grease gun, a manual lever syringe, etc. In others, the optimal solution would be a pneumatic syringe for injecting lubricant, which will speed up the process of lubrication of parts.

One way or another, it is important to buy quality equipment. For this reason, it is recommended to opt for well-known manufacturers (for example, GROZ, Intertool), and not to purchase the cheapest products, focusing only on cost.

We also recommend reading the article on how to lubricate battery terminals. From this article you will learn about why lubricating battery terminals is needed, how to lubricate the terminals, and what lubrication materials are best to use.

It often happens that it is better to buy a simpler and higher-quality version of a well-known brand that is more expensive than a cheap analogue of professional equipment (for example, a pneumatic syringe for the price of a simple manual one). In fact, cheap devices have a short service life and low pressure.

This can make them difficult to use, and you may soon need to buy a new replacement grease gun. To avoid such problems, you should select the equipment correctly, while the desire to save money when purchasing such a device is better relegated to the background.

Necessary tool

So, you have established that it is necessary to lubricate the cardan cross once again. It is worth considering that this work cannot be done without a special tool, so you will have to prepare for the process in advance.

First of all, purchase a special syringe for lubricating cardan shafts; it is inexpensive and will last quite a long time. For this work, a lever-plunger type syringe is used. Please note that different models have different holes for lubricant supply, oil seals or nipples may be used, so check this nuance and purchase the appropriate nozzle.

Another point is the choice of lubricant

. Here it is worth familiarizing yourself with the manufacturer's recommendations. In many cases, modern cars use a specialized lubricant that is designed for a specific brand. The result of mixing it with other types of lubricant is quite difficult to predict. Therefore, if the manufacturer accurately indicated a specific brand of grease, it is better to use that particular one. If there are no clarifications on this matter, then you can use any option designed for such an application.

How to inject?

Let's look at the process of doing this work. It is worth noting that on almost all models it is completely the same, there are only minor differences. So, lubrication is carried out in the following order:

Drive the car onto the overpass. Wheel chocks are placed under the wheels;
Clean the cross. To do this, first wipe it with a rag, then wash it with diesel fuel or carburetor cleaner;
Prepare the syringe for use by pumping the required amount of lubricant into it;
They open access to the slots of the crosspiece, and use a syringe to pump the part with lubricant through an oiler. Be sure to open the oiler on both sides; pump until new lubricant comes out from the other side; it will be noticeably different in color.

At this point the work can be considered completed.

conclusions

. As you can see, there is nothing complicated here. To answer the question of how to inject cardan crosspieces, it is enough to know the technical features of this car unit. In general, neither the selection of tools nor the work process itself should cause any difficulties. It is worth considering that the service life of the crosspieces and cardan directly depends on the quality of the lubricant. Therefore, do not neglect this work.

Grouting the driveshaft spider is a fairly simple job that must be performed regularly to maintain the transmission in working condition. However, many drivers decide to seek such work at a service station, when it is quite possible to do it themselves. The main thing that is required to perform this kind of work is to have the necessary tools and choose the right way to inject the cardan crosspieces with it. In this article we will consider this issue.

What is a cardan shaft

The job of the driveshaft is to transfer force from the vehicle's gearbox to the axle. Most often it consists of two or three elements interconnected by a cross. The crosspiece is a hinge joint that provides reliable fastening between units with minimal wear during operation of the mating elements.

In order for the crosspiece to fully cope with its functions and not lose efficiency, it needs constant lubrication. When the car leaves the factory, the crosspiece is tightly packed with lubricant, which should be enough for a long time of operation of the mechanism, but at a certain time it runs out and needs to be replenished.

When to inject a universal joint on a driveshaft

The list of scheduled vehicle maintenance work should indicate the frequency of injection of the driveshaft crosspiece as recommended by the vehicle manufacturer. On average, the lubricant component must be updated every 10-15 thousand kilometers of the vehicle.

Important: When operating a vehicle in difficult conditions, the service life of 10-15 thousand kilometers is significantly reduced. For example, if we are talking about constant off-road driving, you need to take care of lubricating the crosspiece much more often.

There are several symptoms that indicate that the driveshaft crosspiece needs to be injected:

When the car moves from a standstill, a noise similar to crunching or tapping is heard in the area of the driveshaft;
At high speeds (above 60 kilometers per hour), the vibration of the car and the “shaking” of the cardan are clearly noticeable.

If the above symptoms are observed on the car, you need to inject the driveshaft crosspiece as soon as possible.

How to inject the cardan shaft crosspiece

To carry out the work of injecting the cardan crosspiece, you will need to purchase a special tool - a syringe for lubricating cardan shafts. It can be purchased at almost any specialized automotive store. Such a syringe has a lever-plunger design and can last for many years.

Please note: Depending on the car model, the technological hole through which the lubricant is “poured” differs. Before purchasing a syringe, you need to determine whether seals or nipples are used, since you will need the appropriate nozzle.

You need to choose the lubricant that will be used for injection based on the recommendations of the car manufacturer. Most often, a lubricant specialized for a specific car model is used, and it is better to purchase it. If you pump a lubricant into the crosspiece that is different from what is already present there, there is a high risk of their “incompatibility,” which can lead to various kinds of problems.

Please note: If the vehicle's technical operating instructions do not indicate which specific lubricant to use for injecting the driveshaft crosspiece, this means that any universal grease will do.

How and when to inject the driveshaft crosspiece: instructions

1. What is a cardan shaft 2. When to inject a cardan shaft crosspiece 3. How to inject a cardan shaft crosspiece 4. How to inject a cardan shaft crosspiece

Adding lubricant to the crosspiece is quite simple, and this can be done without removing the driveshaft through the technological hole. Depending on the car model, its location may differ.

Important: The driveshaft crosspiece is almost always exposed to sand, dirt and other harmful factors. If it is operated in such conditions without lubrication, it will quickly become unusable, so it is necessary to correct the situation immediately after identifying the problem of lack or a small amount of lubrication.

When to inject a universal joint on a driveshaft

There are several symptoms that indicate that the driveshaft crosspiece needs to be injected:

When the car moves from a standstill, a noise similar to crunching or tapping is heard in the area of the driveshaft;
At high speeds (above 60 kilometers per hour), the vibration of the car and the “shaking” of the cardan are clearly noticeable.

If the above symptoms are observed on the car, you need to inject the driveshaft crosspiece as soon as possible.

How to inject the cardan shaft crosspiece

Please note: If the vehicle's technical operating instructions do not indicate which specific lubricant to use for injecting the driveshaft crosspiece, this means that any universal grease will do.

How to inject a universal joint on a cardan shaft

To carry out the work of injecting the driveshaft crosspiece, you will need to drive the car onto an overpass and install wheel chocks under the wheels. Next, follow these steps:

Remove dirt from the crosspiece. It is recommended to use carburetor cleaner, special cleaning compounds, or simply white spirit for this;
Next, pump the purchased lubricant into the syringe;
Open access to the slots of the crosspiece and, using the prepared syringe with grease, pour grease into the part through the “oiler”.

Important: When pumping lubricant, open the oil can on both sides. It is necessary to pump in lubricant from one side until grease begins to come out from the other side, then we can assume that it is completely filled with lubricant. Please note that the grease coming out from the other side will be different in color.

How to inject a universal joint on a cardan shaft

To carry out the work of injecting the driveshaft crosspiece, you will need to drive the car onto an overpass and install wheel chocks under the wheels. Next, follow these steps:

Remove dirt from the crosspiece. It is recommended to use carburetor cleaner, special cleaning compounds, or simply white spirit for this;
Next, pump the purchased lubricant into the syringe;
Open access to the slots of the crosspiece and, using the prepared syringe with grease, pour grease into the part through the “oiler”.

After completing the steps described above, you can consider the work completed.

How to remove the cross

In order to carry out the removal, you need to prepare a standard set of keys, then we perform the following series of actions:

We drive vehicles onto an overpass or inspection hole
We take a 13mm wrench and unscrew the bolts that secure the cardan, we do this with one wrench, since the bolts will not turn. During the turning process, you must try to avoid resting the nut on the transfer case and mud rings, since if the spline comes off or deformation occurs, a metallic clinking sound will appear while driving.
When the cardan is removed, it should be syringed, after first cleaning it from dirt with a grease fitting. You should spray until new lubricant comes out from everywhere.
To put the cardan in place, put it in a vertical position and press a little, this must be done so that the excess comes out of the spline joint, and the internal pressure subsides, and it will be difficult to put it back in place.

In order to lubricate the crosspiece bearings, it is enough to remove the protective cap from the grease nipple and pump grease with a syringe, lubricate until grease begins to come out of all four bearings.

Therefore, it is necessary to do this procedure, otherwise the cross will fail and you will have to buy a new one, and this is quite a costly affair.

The absence of lubricant in at least one of the propeller shaft bearings or if traces of rust, water or dirt appear in the lubricant indicate the need to inspect and repair the shaft in a specialized workshop. To avoid possible malfunctions of cardan shafts associated with insufficient lubrication of its elements, it is necessary to correctly and promptly inject all lubricating points of the shaft. The shaft should be lubricated with a grease nipple until the safety valve in the joint is activated or until grease appears from under the seals.