BB Grease Nipple
 

Has anyone considered drilling and tapping the hole on the underside of the bottom bracket (cable guide mounting hole) for a grease nipple? You could seal the holes to the seat tube, chain stays and frame tube (if they aren’t already) and then Jiffy Lube the BB every three thousand miles.

Most BBs are cartridge. If it is cup and ball you would need to take it apart and remove the accordian seal for this to have a chance of working. I like to pull the bearings apart and check for wear my self.

I've got one on the BB of my 63 Flying Scot, which also has one on the headset.

Chewa,
How does that work? Does the whole bb shell get filled with grease? Do you stuff something in the down tube and seat tube to keep the grease from just continuing right up the tubes rather than being forced through the bearings? Ditto the space between steerer and head tube, and the same question about the top tube and downtube?
Thanks,
Raymond

To be honest Rainman I've never used it as I tend not to use the Scot in the rain!, and I would strip and regrease anyway.

From what I can see grease would just pump into the bottom bracket shell and rotation of the crank shifts it to the bearings.

On the headset, the grease pumps between the fork and the headtube and would presumably drift down onto the lower race(which is where it would be needed most anyway).

I'm not sure how well it would work. In an emergency I suppose oil could be used as a get you home.

You can see the headset grease nipple on the lower of the two pictures of my bike on the Flying Scot website. It's just in front of the lug. The one under the BB is the same size.


John's Flying Scot

What bout doin it to your hub seals? Iv seen it done succesfully but dont no how to go about doin it myself

For this to really work you would have to inject the grease through the BB spindle. It would have be drilled with ports that actually put the grease to the bearings. You would grease it with a needle adapter keep pumping till you get clean grease. Suntour (my favorite) did this with their "Grease Guard" stuff way back when.
But I go with Rev Chuck. Take it apart clean check and regrease. Then play with the adjustment till it's just right. Then you're good to go.
Jim

My '59 Raleigh also has a port in the bottom bracket shell, but I believe it's for oil, not grease. Looks similar to the oil port in a Sturmey Archer hub.

I use a modern cartridge bottom bracket though, so I don't inject oil into it.

I had a headset with a port but was not that impressed. For it to work you need to inject fresh grease fequently. Think once a week not after thousands of miles. Pushing grease through the bearing does not replace all the grease and muck. It's also quite messy as the old grease just oozes out over the componant.

Modern componants with good seals don't really need ports. It's easier just to overhall them occasionally instead of fequently injecting grease.