RB the nose gear should allways free fall if it wont (at the book airspeed) then something is wrong ,lubrication is not normaly the problem as leaks from the engine normaly supliment the the grease that should do the job.
take a look at the bushes and bolts in the system for play and what is the state of the springs that hold the over center lock in place and do the flex hoses still flex after all these years ?
The system works well but only if it is looked after the problem is that most owners of these aircraft are new to retractable gear and are not prepaired for the extra expence.