Old Grease & Siezed Bushings

[rScotty]

I like old machinery, but there are always a few bushings that won't take grease. So I got to wondering - what are some of the favorite ways of dealing with bushings that just won't take grease? What works best? c

 

[Midniteoyl]

Usually pulling the zerk and spraying in the grease hole with brake clean until it runs out, then replacing with a new zerk works for me. Works better if you can manipulate the joint while spraying the brake clean.

 

[nyone]

Usually pulling the zerk and spraying in the grease hole with brake clean until it runs out, then replacing with a new zerk works for me. Works better if you can manipulate the joint while spraying the brake clean.

If that works for you your very lucky. Typicaly I find grease so old I have to dig it out with a pick or drill the old grease out. Typicaly pin removal is needed.

 

[BlueKnife]

If that works for you your very lucky. Typicaly I find grease so old I have to dig it out with a pick or drill the old grease out. Typicaly pin removal is needed.

Hopefully that means you're working on equipment that was "maintained" by someone other than yourself?

 

[5030]

Clogged and crusty grease is typical of cheap clay based grease. Always use a premium synthetic based grease...and Lucas has their Red and Tacky on sale on Amazon for 152 bucks for a 5 gallon pail with free delivery. Have their tubes on there as well...

 

[big bubba]

OP: are you having issues with a specific bearing grease obstruction, or is your question in general about older bearing lube obstruction?
if you have a specific bearing problem in mind, send pics of access to that bearing, etc, regards,

 

[Midniteoyl]

If that works for you your very lucky. Typicaly I find grease so old I have to dig it out with a pick or drill the old grease out. Typicaly pin removal is needed.

Ya, there are those times, though spending another $2 for more brake clean is usually much easier

 

[nyone]

Hopefully that means you're working on equipment that was "maintained" by someone other than yourself?

That's exactly what it means.

 

[5030]

I bought one of those fill with light oil and whack with a hammer tools and it works pretty good most of the time.

 

[rScotty]

I bought one of those fill with light oil and whack with a hammer tools and it works pretty good most of the time.

Any particular brand? I've never used one.

OP: are you having issues with a specific bearing grease obstruction, or is your question in general about older bearing lube obstruction?
if you have a specific bearing problem in mind, send pics of access to that bearing, etc, regards,

It was intended as a general question about a common problem...although today I am having trouble with the bucket tilt cylinder end on the JD 310.
I bought the machine with a few hours on it - about 6000 hrs - & no idea what type of grease the DPO used. Incompatible greases can harden like concrete. I hope that isn't what happened.
The bushing is part 21. The 1/8" NPT zerk tests ok. It is unfortunately situated in a machined recess that can catch & hold water.
rScotty

 

[5030]

Any particular brand? I've never used one

No scotty, I bought it from Amazon a couple years ago. They do work well. You could make one pretty easy with a zerk coupler and 2 short lengths of pipe, where one fits over the other pretty tight/ You'd fill the smaller one with light oil and slide the other over top of it (with a pipe cap on the end and whack it with a hammer, which is really all the one I bought is...