Adding grease zerk fittings....

   / Adding grease zerk fittings.... #1  

montejw

Gold Member
Joined
Jun 15, 2006
Messages
330
Location
NW WA State
Tractor
1980 AC 5020
The AC 430 FEL on my AC 5020 has not one grease fitting. Would these be hard to install? The real question being how hard will it be to drill the holes for the fittings? Should I drill the cylinder ends, or the pins? Make grooves or hope the grease just works it's way around the pin?

Thanks,
Monte
 
   / Adding grease zerk fittings.... #2  
Hopefully you have a good drill press to drill on. That would make it a LOT easier than hand drilling.
By cylinder ends, I presume you mean the end allows the pin to slide though it. If so, that would be the easier place to drill and tap for the Zerk. If you decide to drill the pin, you'd have to do it from an end and then cross drill it to where the grease could get to the bushing part. Grease grooves are always better (although both will work) since they allow a body of grease to accumulate and wick into the space between the hole and pin.
 
   / Adding grease zerk fittings.... #3  
montejw said:
The AC 430 FEL on my AC 5020 has not one grease fitting. Would these be hard to install? The real question being how hard will it be to drill the holes for the fittings? Should I drill the cylinder ends, or the pins? Make grooves or hope the grease just works it's way around the pin?

Thanks,
Monte


If you have no fitting on the loader, then they were originally in the ends of the pins. Typically, the pins are drilled from one end and a cross hole is in the center of the pin to lubricate the cylinder bushing. The other end of the pin has a rotation stop (usually a bolt). The pins are either surface hardened or completely hardened after machining. 4140 is a common alloy easy to machine and easy to harden.

If your pins have no zerks, not even broken off ones and there are no other zerks, you should check the condition of the bushings. They may be worn quite a bit from lack of love. Bushings are expensive. Have fun.

jb
 
   / Adding grease zerk fittings....
  • Thread Starter
#4  
john_bud said:
If you have no fitting on the loader, then they were originally in the ends of the pins. Typically, the pins are drilled from one end and a cross hole is in the center of the pin to lubricate the cylinder bushing. The other end of the pin has a rotation stop (usually a bolt). The pins are either surface hardened or completely hardened after machining. 4140 is a common alloy easy to machine and easy to harden.

If your pins have no zerks, not even broken off ones and there are no other zerks, you should check the condition of the bushings. They may be worn quite a bit from lack of love. Bushings are expensive. Have fun.

jb

No zerks, and as far as I can tell it never had any. There's a bit of play in the bucket, but not bad, just don't want it to get worse. I'll have to take a cylinder or 2 off and see what's inside.

Already having fun, 4wd, already have both axles off in front, bearings on the way from Wisconsin, or somewhere like that.

Monte
 
 
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