Stubborn grease fitting

[Natureboy]

Hey everyone, I've been a member since last November, but have been "lurking" since I got my CK20 HST in 2005. This is an incredible site and has taught me alot.
I have a single grease fitting underneath that sits directly to the front of the 2 fittings that are on the steering shafts. It wont take grease. I tried taking the front wheels off the ground to relieve the pressure, still wont take grease. Also, there is a few drips of thick fluid coming from the general area. Can I replace the grease fitting with one from TSC, or is it a dealer item? And should I be concerned about the few drips of fluid? My warranty expires this August.

 

[rimshot]

Hey everyone, I've been a member since last November, but have been "lurking" since I got my CK20 HST in 2005. This is an incredible site and has taught me alot.
I have a single grease fitting underneath that sits directly to the front of the 2 fittings that are on the steering shafts. It wont take grease. I tried taking the front wheels off the ground to relieve the pressure, still wont take grease. Also, there is a few drips of thick fluid coming from the general area. Can I replace the grease fitting with one from TSC, or is it a dealer item? And should I be concerned about the few drips of fluid? My warranty expires this August.

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Just replace the zerk. I believe it's a 10 MM metric straight available at any auto store. Sounds like the front axle has been over filled maybe you better rercheck levels.

Rimshot

 

[Natureboy]

Thanks.

 

[IslandTractor]

As you need to remove it to replace it anyway, I'd start by servicing the zerk to make sure it is not plugged. Soak in diesel and work the spring loaded ball to see if that helps. You might also get a zerk "rejuvinator" from AgriSupply or a number of other vendors. These devices let you force light oil through the zerk without removing it. They work well for zerks that are just clogged with dirt or old grease but wouldn't do anything for a truly malfunctioning zerk.

 

[Natureboy]

I thought about the zerk rejuvenator, just figured it would be easier to replace. I assume they just unscrew, but was unsure about the size.
Rimshot, I think your right about the fluid level. About a month ago I noticed the fluid was just barely showing in the sightglass, so I added a bit . Shortly thereafter I noticed the slight leak. Did'nt put the two together until you mentioned it.
Thanks for the responses.

 

[CurlyDave]

The last time I was in HF, I picked up an assortment of all the SAE zerk sizes, and then another assortment of all the metric ones. Cost was ~$15 total for both.

I have one on my hoe that has failed, and no matter what size it is I can replace it now, and I can also fix any that fail on any machine in the future.

Why anyone would want to putz around with zerk rejuvenators, cleaners, etc. is a total mystery to me. On the upside, you might save 50 cents worth of a zerk, on the downside, you might be able to force dirt and grit through the zerk and into your bearing.

To me, it is worth the small change to not take a chance on doing that.

 

[Highbeam]

Be very careful here. Some of the Kioti zercs are not metric or SAE. They are some goofball british one. For instance, the inside zercs for the steering rams that you mentioned above needed to be replaced on mine since I damaged one on trail debris. Easy I think, unthread and replace. Nope. I ended up finding them at a Kubota dealer after finding dead ends at the local auto places.

Kioti zercs are not standard.

 

[EE_Bota]

What I usually do is remove the zerk, attach it to a grease gun, and pump grease through it to see if it zerk is clogged.

When I was a kid, I would heat them a bit with a torch, and if it was actually the zerk, it would usually fix it. Nowadays, I have stopped heating them, because often the tiny little ball in them is plastic instead of metal. I could be mistaken on this, but at any rate, something happens to them that makes the ball not seal after heating.

Sometimes I find that the little path from the zerk to the actual grease holding area is clogged due to distortion (metal wallowed into the path). I have seen this even on fittings that have never been without grease.

I think this is what has happened to my mid mount mower idler arm. I'll have to take it apart to see, but it is a bear to grease.

 

[IslandTractor]

Why anyone would want to putz around with zerk rejuvenators, cleaners, etc. is a total mystery to me.

For the same reason that someone would putz around on a tractor to begin with.

You are correct that replacement is an option but as Highbeam points out the zerk industry has not seen fit to standardize particularly well. A big collection from HF might help and even HF can probably get zerks right but it is often faster to just use the rejuvinator. I don't worry about pushing through a little grit as the grease will flush that out immediately.

 

[natem]

I have trouble with that same fitting too. I have a pneumatic grease gun that hooks up to the compressor and that gun rarely will put grease in the fitting. I usually end up with a manual pump gun, and even then it takes grease very slowly, it must be a tight space.