John Deere 375 Backhoe Zerk Fitting Won't Except Grease

[marshallcro]

Can anyone please tell me what to use to clean grease out of a pivot that won't except lube. I checked the grease fitting's alone and they are OK. One is on the lower pivot mount under the seat and the other is horizontal when extending the scoop. Should I purchase a pneumatic grease gun or is that a waste of money for one problem and do you think that will work? Thanks

 

[Rock knocker]

New zerks, and pull the pins if that doesn't work

 

[Gale Hawkins]

We find moving position can help with that when possible. I have one on the back hoe like that the last time I greased but plan to try out the new M12 Milwaukee 12v grease gun this afternoon for the first time. We needed a new grease gun anyway and the hand ones are a pain to my arthritis.

The plan with this new gun is to hit each fitting a few times often instead of waiting until it takes 20 strokes to make grease show. The grease that I make show does little to good other than to help keep the rain out.

 

[buickanddeere]

I have a 10A that had two bucket linkage zerks that would not take grease. After the few what is going on here moments. It was found that somebody at the factory missed drilling the holes deep enough and through the castings.

 

[Gary Fowler]

If the zerks are not stopped up, pull the pin and run a drill thru lengthwise and then thru side wise thru the hole. I have one on my backhoe stabilizer that just wouldn't take grease even with all the holes clean. I took my cut off blade (1/16" thick) and made some spiral grooves around the pin from end to end making sure that the grooves crossed the hole. I also drilled the center hole thru to both sides. It helped but it still is slow to take grease. I guess the bushing is just too tight in that hole or pin is too large but the grooves help.

 

[Sodo]

I suppose you have already unscrewed the zerk and scratched around in there.

Do you think that the pin is loaded up with the weight of the backhoe such that its sealing the zerk hole? Can you off-weight the pin by setting the boom on the ground (or not) and try again?

There is a tool called "grease fitting unblocker" that you fill with grease then whack it with a hammer to force superhigh grease pressure thru to break the blockage. Easy to find, just google "grease fitting unblocker".

Another possibility is that it went ungreased too long and the hole is covered over by a metal burr. Another possibility is running dry caused a bushing to rotate a little, closing the grease passageway. Then you just drill a new hole. Even if you drill slightly into the pin it makes no difference except "a success."

 

[Gale Hawkins]

The Milwaukee M12 electric grease gun was able to make the one fitting on the JD BH to take grease on the second attempt. I learned if I just held the trigger down the nipple would not seal well but it I would kind of slip up on it by just hitting the trigger 3-4 times that the couple jaws would lock on then I could just hold down the trigger with no leaking at the Zerk. We really did not do any real digging last year so I know it had been a while since it was greased.

 

[JasG]

I've had good luck with pulling the zerk and cleaning the hole out. Then filling with PB Blaster putting zerk back in and then greasing it. Usually a lever grease gun will produce more pressure and work well. I have also dropped a grade or 2 on the grease like from, NLGI 2 to a 1 or a zero to see if I can get it to take grease at all. Need to make sure it's going around the part if it does take any and not just in a narrow channel.

If not as others have said pulling the pin.

 

[marshallcro]

Thanks for your help, I'll try that.