Liebherr 621C track loader track expander will not take grease

[jgh]

I have an older 621C loader with less than 5000 hrs, and big track slack on the right side. When I tried to pump grease into the expander zerk (which requires an adapter, German stuff, since the zerk is flat face), it gets to the zerk and I think some of it went in, not sure, but most just pushed out the side, big mess. I had taken the zerk off and tested it with the adapter; grease goes through OK.
When I first opened the box in the track's middle area to get at the zerk I noted that there was a lot of old grease that appears to have come out around the area of the fitting, which I cleaned up. I could not ID an area or place where there was a leak, however, so I think it was from a prior maintenance where some of the grease came out, or maybe the flat face zerk just won't keep grease in, and that it having pushed out, made the tracks loose??

I saw another thread on this subject which mentioned some other problems to check out but I could not match the descriptions to what I see.

The zerk is not outrageously expensive but since grease goes in using it with the adapter, with it off the unit, I cannot see replacing it solving the problem.

A friend just suggested using a red rag or similar to enhance the seal between the adapter and the fitting. Worth a try.

Any other help or suggestions offered would be golden. I have the service manual but it has no suggestions, really.

 

[Sonny580]

I used to run a 621 and the grease fittings are the old style button type like cat and everybody else used before sealed tracks came along. IF you have the right end on a bucket pump they will seal with no problem. You could possibly adapt one down to use regular hand gun, but it would take forever to get the volume in there. The button type and bucket are hi-volume units.

 

[jgh]

I've been advised to replace the Button fitting with an ordinary grease zerk, via some fancy plumbing with nipples and couplings, etc, to go from the metric on the 621C to allow its use. If that does not work, do you think the fitting cleaning tool from Northern Tool (their #403100) would be a good idea, short of disassembling the expander system (in case the piston, etc, is stuck)? It gets good reviews, but I worry about using it where the oil it uses will not be forced out of the fitting, since the Track expander is a closed system compared to ordinary joints.

I am in the process of studying that other thread, too.

 

[mikester]

Is the track at full extension? Have you tried pumping grease while driving the tracks back and forth?

 

[Sonny580]

On my IH 250-c, it has regular standard zerks on it. ---- track slides stuck solid on it too,---- that type tightner was a joke on any brand!

 

[jgh]

Latest discovery: the button adapter is bad. I am going to change out the fittings for JD excavator fittings from that dealer. No more adapters!

 

[jgh]

Is the track at full extension? Have you tried pumping grease while driving the tracks back and forth?

I did try that, but see my most recent discovery.