Zerk fittings on 54" BX MMM wheels, how to not pull them out

[ds10]

I have a 54" MMM on my BX1860. This is the P deck (finer cut, apparently). The anti-scalp wheels have zerk fittings, screwed or pressed into the plastic. I'm not great at greasing things, but suspect I'll get better with time since this new tractor has a LOT of places to grease. The issue I had today in trying to grease the anti-scalp wheels was the fittings on the rear ones popped out of the plastic wheels. They went back in OK, but this doesn't seem great.

So the newbie question of the day is, when you're done pushing grease into a fitting, how ARE you supposed to get the nozzle back off the zerk without yanking the fitting out?

Need the zerk fittings for dummies book, clearly... Thanks.

 

[kcender]

You are not the first person to have problems with these grease fittings. I had a BX2360 with the fine cut deck for two years and never had a problem with these grease fittings.I did grease them on a regular basis so I guess some stay in and some don't.

 

[dragoneggs]

ds10, I am right there with you. My zerks seat way too tight in the grease gun. Just broke one off on my BX25D BH yesterday. :hissyfit:

Not sure if it was originally torqued too hard but it snapped off and half the threads are still in place! Not sure but looks like I need to try an easy out on it tonight.

 

[Scooby074]

Its not a very good design. Plastic and the shallow threads of a zerk are asking for it. Ive pulled one out.

The best trick is to loosen up the coupling on the gun once the wheel is greased before trying to remove. You can loosen the coupling up so much it almost falls off.

Another method is to avoid the traditional coupling and go with a needle on the gun. I have one and use it instead when Im near the shop. There is no physical lock with
the needle so no way to pull the zerk out.

 

[bellweather]

I have a 54" MMM and was unaware until now that the antiscalp wheels had greese zerks?!!!!

 

[Deano]

Its not a very good design. Plastic and the shallow threads of a zerk are asking for it. Ive pulled one out.

The best trick is to loosen up the coupling on the gun once the wheel is greased before trying to remove. You can loosen the coupling up so much it almost falls off.

Another method is to avoid the traditional coupling and go with a needle on the gun. I have one and use it instead when Im near the shop. There is no physical lock with
the needle so no way to pull the zerk out.

That is what I use!:thumbsup:

 

[94BULLITT]

That is what I use!:thumbsup:

Me too.

 

[Jeff H]

I went to 3 or 4 auto stores until I found one where the stem end of the fitting that pushes into the plastic was a longer that the one that came out and what the other auto stores had.

 

[Coyote machine]

I have a 54" MMM on my BX1860. This is the P deck (finer cut, apparently). The anti-scalp wheels have zerk fittings, screwed or pressed into the plastic. I'm not great at greasing things, but suspect I'll get better with time since this new tractor has a LOT of places to grease. The issue I had today in trying to grease the anti-scalp wheels was the fittings on the rear ones popped out of the plastic wheels. They went back in OK, but this doesn't seem great.

So the newbie question of the day is, when you're done pushing grease into a fitting, how ARE you supposed to get the nozzle back off the zerk without yanking the fitting out?

Need the zerk fittings for dummies book, clearly... Thanks.

Don't beat yourself up too bad...I know guys who have admitted here on TBN to not knowing the end of the grease gun nozzle has crosshatch marks to allow one to tighten or loosen the 3 or four tiny jaws that are inside the end to allow for loosening or tightening clamping force on the zerk fittings, and they've been grease gun users for YEARS!:confused3:
You can do either the needle end or loosen the jaws as available to you and the gun you use, and it's type of nozzle. And who would think of putting a zerk into PLASTIC!? They are a nuisance sometimes in metal, where they belong; plastic is a whole new level of stupidity.

 

[HeLa]

these are also an option:

Mower Deck Axles,Carrera,Cayman,John Deere,Kubota

i've been wanting to pick up a set, but i occasionally break axles on roots around here and these are about 2x the OEM cost of replacement. maybe once i need new wheels ... or get all the roots cleaned up