Cleaning Greasy Zerks and Pivot Points

[jinman]

I think a clean grease fitting is one that can allow dirt into your pivot point. If you pressure wash or clean too much, you will remove the grease dam that keeps dirt out of the joint. Dirty joints with lots of grease are my preference for the joints that come into direct contact with dirt when digging. If it looks nasty and greasy, it's good.:thumbsup:

Yep! I clean the zerks before greasing, but I leave all the grease buildup. If I ever go to sell the tractor, I'll clean those off.

 

[CompactTractorFan]

I just finished greasing the BX25. It had a lot of mud caked on some of the points. So I took one of those round copper pipe brushes and used that to break up the dirt then I used a little WD-40 to flush it. It worked out pretty good. Oh, and lets see who the first is that can figure what WD-40 stands for.

 

[TGF]

I am pretty sure I have posted this elsewhere, but WD-40 stands for Water Displacer 40th attempt, there is no 41 because they got it right on 40. For the most part it is heavy naphtha and other petroleum distillates. Its good stuff.

I've always been a fan of WD40 until recently when I discovered that it absorbs and retains water over time - know how it turns white and kinda gloppy over time? It actually promotes rust in some environments.

So does grease, in fact most grease contains some water naturally like diesel and gas do. It does not actually "promote" rust no more than grease does, the white glop is a combination of dust, and dirt mixing with the WD-40's heavy naphtha. If you are thinking of storing something for such a long time that rust is a concern you should consider a far better solution than keeping dipping your tractor in cosmoline or some other rust preventer, heat it. That is correct, heat the tractor/air around the tractor. What cause environmental rust on steel is a simple process known as condensation. The density of metal compared to the density of air is such that metal has much higher thermal energy capacity, so the air heats up around the metal faster. The now colder metal is below the dew point of the warmer moist air and condensation happens on the metal, followed by pitting and rust.

The other option is a sacrificial anode just bolt huge blocks of zinc all over your tractor in contact with the steel and they will rust instead of the steel.

Anyhow WD-40 is a fantastic and cheap rust preventer, far better than many of its more expensive competitors.

 

[johnrex62]

Rats! You read the post before me and beat me to the answer. :thumbsup:

 

[CompactTractorFan]

I am pretty sure I have posted this elsewhere, but WD-40 stands for Water Displacer 40th attempt, there is no 41 because they got it right on 40. For the most part it is heavy naphtha and other petroleum distillates.

Close TGF! It actually stands for: Water Displacement, 40th attempt. :thumbsup:

 

[skipmarcy]

I think a clean grease fitting is one that can allow dirt into your pivot point. If you pressure wash or clean too much, you will remove the grease dam that keeps dirt out of the joint. Dirty joints with lots of grease are my preference for the joints that come into direct contact with dirt when digging. If it looks nasty and greasy, it's good.:thumbsup:

Yep! I clean the zerks before greasing, but I leave all the grease buildup. If I ever go to sell the tractor, I'll clean those off.

I agree with this reasoning - the wads of grease built-up help keep dirt/debris from getting to the critical areas and when you pump some more grease in it helps flush what little does get in there back out. My tractor has always lived outside and I have absolutely no rust in these greased areas either. I do wipe the zerk before greasing so I don't pump the dirt in when greasing and don't get it all in the tip of my grease gun - my tractor isn't the only thing I use that gun for. I only pressure wash my tractor once or twice a year at most to clean all the heavy stuff off - in fact I just did this the other day for probably the only time for this year. Otherwise I just use my garden hose for quickie washes during the year and don't try to remove any of that heavy grease from the loader joints. You will get dirty if you lean against my tractor too !!!

 

[Jay4200]

If you are thinking of storing something for such a long time that rust is a concern you should consider a far better solution than keeping dipping your tractor in cosmoline or some other rust preventer, heat it.

The ole' Golden Rod approach, eh. I need to seriously upgrade my safe, I guess .

JayC

 

[tommu56]

I intentionally leave a big gob on the Zerk. when done greasing then.
Next time take a rag and wipe the pile off with the dirt on top of grease. put gun on fitting pump in till you see new grease at joints and pull gun off and pump another gob on fitting.

 

[TGF]

The ole' Golden Rod approach, eh. I need to seriously upgrade my safe, I guess .

JayC

Indeed, works great too.