Lubrication of door hinges

[Anfinn]

I have read in earlier posts that a special tip is needed to grease the door hinges.

Has anyone got a spec or picture of this? I have been unable to locate one.

I tried unscrewing this particular grease nipple, but it wouldn't budge. Has anyone successfully changed it to a standard type nipple? Any clearance issues?

The nipples were painted over, and as far as I can make out have never seen a grease gun. Most of the pictures of other Pagodas where the hinge is visible I can not see any sign of grease either. Is this a grease point that is largely ignored?

[mbzse]

I have read in earlier posts that a special tip is needed to grease the door hinges..../...

Here are some M-B door hinge tips:
The hinges of M-B's from the fifties and up to the beginning of the eighties certainly need to be greased.
Neglect will surely lead to creaking doors, worn hinges that result in the door blade sagging, and the mechanism may even seize eventually.
The design is such that the hinge pin has a groove in it, and a ball valve is at the bottom of a small, conical opening in the middle of each hinge.
To grease these hinges, you need a pointed nozzle on your grease gun. I use a separate, small gun for this purpose. The pointed
type of grease gun is used for chainsaws, so you may try such a supplier to obtain one.

The grease injected will travel along the groove in the hinge pin and exit at the top and bottom ends.
Two problems are common:
1) Conical opening is painted over (from factory or by previous restorer)
2) Grease in hinge has hardened from age and neglect
No 1) is handled by cautiously scraping and removing paint layer.
No 2) can be more troublesome. Try heating the hinge with a heat gun or even a hair dryer blower.
This may soften the old, hardened grease. Then try to inject fresh grease, while metal is still hot. Beware of paint going
bubbly or blackening. If this approach does not help, take the hinge off car and disassemble it.

To judge just how worn your hinges have become, you can lift at the rear edge of your door. Play should be minimal.
  /Hans in Sweden

[wwheeler]

I purchased my pointed grease gun tip at a NAPA auto parts. Should be able to find at most larger auto stores. Mine had a fitting on it that fit directly on the standard grease fitting that was already on the gun.

My hinges had not been lubed for awhile and the grease was hardened. I used a heat gun as Hans mentioned and eventually, the old grease loosened up and was able to inject new grease. Be patient and do not overheat to blister paint.

[Mike Hughes]

I'd like to see a picture of that tip, too!

[awolff280sl]

Here's one

[wwheeler]

Here is the adapter and how it attaches to the grease gun. It is the same tip that Andy showed. Works well.

[ramcdonald]

Not sure if this is an "approved" method, but I bought an inexpensive chainsaw grease gun at my local hardware store.  It has a conical tip which fits perfectly into the door hinge grease zerk.   Picture attached (I hope).

Rich
Starkville, MS

[Anfinn]

Thanks for response everybody!

I bought one that looks exactly like W Wheeler's (Alemite Needle Nose Adaptor)

It worked fine, the grease went in no problem

[Desertpagoda]

 When I was starting out working on MBs the w123 was new! I was the oil service boy and among my tasks was the greasing of the door hinges. MB sold a small hand grease pump with a pointed tip for this purpose, the red plastic cap was secured with a short safety chain. I had to clean the old grease from the hinge area with a coffee can of solvent and a stiff brush before greasing. We would also clean, then treat the rubber door seals with a thick German silicone grease, hood& trunk joints as well. This shop (which I know own) also had these cool, heavy, shaped steel rods that fitted into the jack ports to hold the wheels while you did a "ZZZ" service.
 Those were the days, the new cars get an oil/filter, cabin air filter and look over for the "big" 30k service! Trannies are sealed for life!! What a SAD joke MB has become!!
 MB peaked with 108/111/113! The 123/126 were also good cars, but the new stuff is a big pile of blo-molded,computor controlled crap! Who needs an "all activity module" or a " front/rear signal aquisition module" !!!!!   JUNK!!!
                                                                            KB
 

[paults1]

I assume the top of the door hinge pin is where you insert the grease?  Someone on this thread mentioned a Zerk fitting.  Ther is no Zerk fitting on my hinges.

Paul, '63  230SL

[Anfinn]

This is what the hinges look like on my car with the "unusual" nipple:

[paults1]

Thanks for PIC of the door hinge grease fitting.  I guess since my 230SL is a
 early '63, body # 312, it did not come with threse Zerk fittings. There is not even a indent where the fitting should be according to your PIC. I am able to keep them lubed form the top of the hinge pin with oil.  There is a conical hole on the top of the hinge pin where Iam able oil them. I wonder when they changed this lub mehtod to the Zerlk fitting?  Anyone else on this forum not have the Zerk fittings?
Regards, Paul

[jszeman1]

MY car is number 671 and the drivers side door does not have the Zerk fittings.