Plugged grease joint

crackerjack222 · Dec 16, 2011

I have a zerk on my JD 555 track loader that will not take grease. I removed the zerk and the pin but found that there is a hard sleeve that the pin rides in. The sleeve has spun part way around. I tried drilling a new hole in the sleeve but my little drill and dull drill bit would not cut it. I will try again soon with a better drill and bit.

Soundguy · Dec 16, 2011

keep in mind that many bushings have a grease channel in them. you may not be drilling into an area wher ethe grease groove is.. ie.. hole opens up to a groove so the grease can travel closer to the edges of the pin.. so I'd investigate it a lil further.

clemsonfor · Dec 17, 2011

Builder said:
This reminds me of some zerks I have that wount take grease and I'm stumped. These fittings are on the leaf spring bushings on my dumptruck. Of course, I've replaced the fittings, only to realize the channels, grooves, whatever are packed with hard grease. I removed the fittings and used a 3&1/2" long #12 screw and actually screwed it into the old crud and kept extracting it to get the oldd crud out, but alas, they still wont take grease. I even squirted penetrant into the holes, still no workie.
Not sure what to do at this point, but the bushings are expensive & time consuming to replace.

Use a toarch to melt it out if there is no rubber bushings to worry about cooking. But with grease i dont think there would be rubber as it would degrade, there must be brass or plastic bushings.

Soundguy · Dec 17, 2011

clemsonfor said:
Use a toarch to melt it out if there is no rubber bushings to worry about cooking. But with grease i dont think there would be rubber as it would degrade, there must be brass or plastic bushings.

you thik no rubber is grase safe?

what do you thik the seals in the grease gun are made of? frog hair?

IslandTractor · Dec 17, 2011

Soundguy said:
you thik no rubber is grase safe?

what do you thik the seals in the grease gun are made of? frog hair?

I presume you guys are using "rubber" broadly. Nitrile, silicone, various other "rubber" substances have different characteristics and some are perfectly stable with grease.

Soundguy · Dec 17, 2011

IslandTractor said:
I presume you guys are using "rubber" broadly. .

yep.. broad usage.

wow.. I just read my prev post. this mobile tablet pc really butchers text..

IslandTractor · Dec 17, 2011

Soundguy said:
yep.. broad usage.

wow.. I just read my prev post. this mobile tablet pc really butchers text..

I figured on a Saturday night you might have had a few.:thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup:

MikeD74T · Dec 17, 2011

Soundguy said:
yep.. broad usage.

wow.. I just read my prev post. this mobile tablet pc really butchers text..

That's OK, it's widely accepted! :laughing: MikeD74T

Soundguy · Dec 17, 2011

no can drink. heart meds kinda don't like it

besides. I work most nights till about midnight anyway...

Johnp33 · Dec 18, 2011

Spring pins, that will not take grease if you can not free them up by replacing the fitting and cleaning out the old grease, Then you have not been greasing it properly. Spring pins front and rear, should be done weekly same as front end components. I know guys that haul pebbles that grease there truck every day, and they never have a component fail.
Remember that Fram commercial, well maintenance is the cheapest overhaul you will not need.
The spring pins, after you clean out as much as posible of the old grease you can either take them out clean them and the bushing. reassemble and grease them often.
Or clean them as much as you can replace the zert, and with a levered grease gun pressurize the pin as much as you can and hit it the spring top leaf with a hammer trying to shock it into releasing, try a little heat, not a lot. Sometimes if you can get it to hold pressure, it will pop the blockage free over the day you may have to grease it every day for a long time to get it opened properly.