Finally got around to greasing the from end. Well, I had done the lower fittings before but couldn’t get to the top end until I had a chance to pop the wheels off. Finally made time, but the top 4 fittings were all really hard to get grease into. They seemed to take some grease but it was a struggle to force it in.
Is it hard to do with the suspension “unloaded”?
Do you do it with the car on the ground - can you reach the fittings?
Appreciate any suggestions.

You may need to introduce a bit of heat to loosen up solidified grease. A shop I worked in saw a fair number of 1960's Fiat 850 cars--coupes, sedans and spiders which had kingpin front ends. Cars that weren't serviced regularly would finally come in with frozen steering. It would take extreme heat to melt the old grease out before they would accept fresh grease.
A fact you'll probably never need to know -- Hillmans and Sunbeams of that era have a total of 26 grease nipples to service :-) - Dave

Every other fitting has flowed freely! I’ll be honest - I’m hesitant to apply heat because afraid l could mess up the bushings or rubber inside the top end if I apply too much heat?
How would you categorize it - flame heat like from a torch or a heat from a heat gun?
Maybe I should take those fittings out first and make sure they are flowing freely on their own.
You know, I bet I chipped off 4-5 pounds of caked on old grease and dirt off from around the front suspension as I worked on it - unbelievable amount of gunk in all the nooks and crannies!

I would use a heat gun.

Do try to avoid pointing the heat gun at the rubber sleeves that act as dust boots if they are still present. I would point the heat gun at the head of the metal sleeve where the grease fitting screws in. I suggest removing the grease fitting so you can see when the grease starts to soften. Then re-install the grease fitting, give the sleeve another blast of the heat gun and then see if you can lube the upper pivots.

FYI, there aren't any bushings per se. The upper arm pivots rotate on coarse threads on the stand that is bolted to the crossmemeber and on the threads on the inside of the replaceable metal sleeves so technically they are metal to metal. IN fact all 3 of the upper and lower control arms rotate on threads.

--
Eric
Hi Performance Automotive Service (formerly OVO or Old Volvos Only)
Torrance, CA 90502
hiperformanceautoservice.com or oldvolvosonly.com