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Grease nipples

Submitted by glenn_collins on Fri, 01/05/2015
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Can anyone advise me of where I can pick up grease nipple to fit the thread on my 1949 ES2? one has dropped out and the only replacements I can find are metric threads and not cycle thread ( as I believe these are) Any comments , particularly amusing , will be greatfully received. Cheers Glenn

Submitted by david_cooper on Fri, 01/05/2015

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Richard - how about the old type without the 'blob' on the end to fix a modern grease gun? I think I may have to search jumbles o replace a couple that are either blocked or damaged or have lost the little ball.The top two on my 16H have a bigger thread size (I think so they could be used to fit the speedo bracket although I have a tank panel). One has a bruised edge so it's hard to get a seal. I just rang Russell Motors and Les said "got rid of all the old type". Seems a shame. He said people couldn't get grease into them. But I use a piece of cloth over the top to get a seal. If really pushed, I swap one out at a time.

Submitted by gordon_johnston on Fri, 01/05/2015

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My local agricultural marchants sells packets of both metric and imperial grease nipples. The do have the blob on the end but they do come in a variety of thread sizes including the bigger ones you need. Don't know of a source of nipples for the old brass guns though. Yes, the cloth over the nipple works quite well, a tip from my Dad.

Submitted by richard_payne on Fri, 01/05/2015

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I know of no sources for the old 'low pressure' nipples. Nortons used straight and 45? around the headstocks of girder-equipped bikes.

They turn up occasionally on e-Bay, or at jumbles (Beaulieu is the best bet).

I have no difficulty pushing grease through my forks using a modern gun. It slots over the original nipples without any problem and I keep it pushed on.

If a speedo bracket is fitted then the top two on the girder forks screw into special reduction nuts. I don't know what they did on the panel tank models.

Submitted by eugene_brolund on Sun, 03/05/2015

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I wanted the original style for my M77 rebuild a few years back, found them on ebay at the time. Fairly certain they were 2BA thread size. I will try to locate the extra stock I bought back then & verify.

2BA has an outside diameter of .185 inches & a thread pitch of 31.4 threads per inch (TPI).

Skip Brolund

Submitted by david_cooper on Mon, 04/05/2015

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Thanks.. but the ones i am looking fit are these.i was looking at another site and various people said they could not get grease in. Nobody sais to put a piece of cotton cloth over the nipple before pushing the gun. One pair(top of forks) are bigger than the othersAttachments 20150504_093708-jpg

Submitted by richard_payne on Mon, 04/05/2015

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David, on bikes with a fork-mounted speedo, the brackets are held by adapters (part no. 3968) :-

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/6-WD-Norton-Grease-Nipples-Manx-International-/141637439467?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_3&hash=item20fa3fcfeb

The small nipples (part no. 3967) appear to be threaded 3/16" x 32tpi - 1/4" across flats.

They seem to be available but the minimum quantity that I've found listed is 5000 !

http://www.kingfisherlubrication.co.uk/catalogue/greasenipples/798_PushType316X32BsfPushType.html

The rest of the nipples on the forks with the exception of lower head race are of the 45? type. All the other chassis nipples seem to be listed as 1/4"

I have no difficulty getting grease into any of these with a high pressure gun, with the exception of the hollow clevis pins for the rebound springs, and they're not really proper nipples.

Submitted by glenn_collins on Mon, 04/05/2015

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Previously eugene_brolund wrote:

I wanted the original style for my M77 rebuild a few years back, found them on ebay at the time. Fairly certain they were 2BA thread size. I will try to locate the extra stock I bought back then & verify.

2BA has an outside diameter of .185 inches & a thread pitch of 31.4 threads per inch (TPI).

Skip Brolund

thanks Skip, these sound like the same as mine. I only need one. DO you have a spare one I could buy from you? Thanks Glenn

Submitted by eugene_brolund on Tue, 05/05/2015

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I will see if I have some left. Here is a 2ba fitting, but with the "blob":

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Rare-Vintage-2BA-Threaded-Bottom-Bracket-Grease-Nipple-/251700950409

or these:

http://velobase.com/ViewComponent.aspx?ID=2b8e9a54-a3d2-458b-9061-a148cac0ddfa&Enum=103

Or, page 164 of the Walridge catalogue:

GREASE NIPPLES British made threads but designed to work with modern grease guns

1/4â BSF Straight L145A $2.911/4â BSF Angled L145B $3.092BA Straight L145C $2.84

 


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