Heating a stuck grease zerk

[Vtnewbie]

Something I've done a hundred times.... If the zerk won't take grease with a moderate amount of effort, hit it for a few seconds with the MAPP gas torch to loosen the pressure check ball and allow grease in. Worked like a charm the first 99 times :laughing:

Well the other day I was trying to grease the pivot on my backhoe, and the stuck zerk needed just a little more heat. Unfortunately that was just a little too much, and the check ball popped out with a report louder than a .22, but a little less than a .357. No idea where the little ball was launched to, but I was glad I hadn't had my eye directly over it while heating, which I'm sure I had done in the past. No injuries, but I did jump an inch or two off the ground. :laughing:

Sorry no video, and the only picture is of the boring old zerk after the explosion.

 

[murphy1244]

Bet you tossed out your underwear!

 

[Loadstar]

Yea think I'll stick to pull n clean or changing them lol. Glad your ok

 

[JJZ 109]

I usually have success by pushing in on the ball with a scratch awl or edge of a small screwdriver blade.

 

[Wagtail]

Mate, thanks for posting. :thumbsup: I would never have thought of applying heat to a grease nipple IOT loosen the ball (JJZ said it best) but I reckon it's a 'shop trick' that was passed on by an old-hand.

The heating method sounds like it's in the category of "What Could Possibly Go Wrong?"

Lesson learnt for all of us (who read this thread, anyway).

 

[wolftree]

My preferred method is to unscrew the zerk and pump grease through it, then rescrew it back on. Or even better put a new $0.25 zerk in and throw old one away.

 

[Vtnewbie]

Yep, replacement is now my preferred method too. I even had a multi-pack of zerks sitting in the shed, and coulda/woulda/shoulda replaced the one that went boom instead of heating it in the first place. Heating was a shop trick passed along by an old friend, who still had both eyes, by the way.

 

[Soundguy]

Yep, replacement is now my preferred method too. I even had a multi-pack of zerks sitting in the shed, and coulda/woulda/shoulda replaced the one that went boom instead of heating it in the first place. Heating was a shop trick passed along by an old friend, who still had both eyes, by the way.

i used to pull them and soak in diesel.. or heat em. but with a 100 pack costing 4$ at harbor freight.. .. it's wastefull to do anything other than just repalce them.

 

[dragoneggs]

i used to pull them and soak in diesel.. or heat em. but with a 100 pack costing 4$ at harbor freight.. .. it's wastefull to do anything other than just repalce them.

How have you found the HF zerks to hold up? Do they last? Have any bust off, requiring an easy out or something to remove? Just curious if you have experienced any quality issues before I start going cheap on these.

 

[k0ua]

It might have been interesting trying to explain that check ball "BB" lodged in you at the hospital.