60" MMM Grease Zerks

[robertm]

60\" MMM Grease Zerks

I have a 60" MMM on my Kubota B7500, and wonder if anyone has the same thoughts...

There are grease zerks on the top of the two outboard spindles, with an additional side zerk on the right spindle only (on the discharge side of the mower). Is my deck defective without having the second zerk on the side of the middle and left spindles? The dealer can't explain, and the owners manual says nothing. Sure hope it does not lead to premature failure.

In addition, has anyone experienced the same HARD pumping of grease into the zerks? Only 37 hours on the tractor, and about 15-20 on the deck, and already the zerks are hard to grease? This is for the universals on the drive shaft, as well as the spindle zerks. How many pumps of grease and how often?

Thanks for the help.

 

[Anonymous Poster]

Re: 60\" MMM Grease Zerks

Be careful about over-greasing bearings. You can actually overheat and ruin a bearing by over-greasing.
A high speed ball bearing will normally throw out excess grease as it turns.
But, if you pack grease in to the point that the bearing can't clear the excess the grease will heat up and ruin the bearing. The grease has to constantly be displaced by the balls in the bearing, and this creates friction, producing heat. Remember also that most hand held lever action grease guns can develop 10.000psi. If you get too aggressive and have the bearing already overfilled you can blow the shields off the bearing, allowing dirt to enter. You can also end up breaking the zerk fitting off.
Not greasing enough is usually the cause for bearing failures, but too much TLC can also create problems /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif.
Your manual should give you some idea of a lube interval. If not, use your judgement. And a couple of pumps in most cases will do the trick.
Good luck.
DaveL

 

[frank_f15]

Re: 60\" MMM Grease Zerks

sometimes u get a fitting that won't take grease, i have had some that i actually had to take out, check the hole where it goes(ok) put the zerk on the gun and it took grease fine , put the zerk back in and it work fine /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif sometime u will not have the gun on quite right. how often really depends on how much and how hard the unit is used. in most cases u should be able to see the excess grease come out.

 

[Anonymous Poster]

Re: 60\" MMM Grease Zerks

Re: 1-Hard pumping - I know what you mean - I have the same situation with the 54"MMM. 2-Fittings - I have one one the top of each spindle, and one on the base of the center assembly. 3-U-joints - they have always bothered me - ever since in the 1950's on autos - give a couple of pumps, some grease oozes out of two of the cups, give a coupla more pumps, expecting grease to ooze out of the other bearing cups - NADA! Same with my BX2200 54"MMM!

 

[Tdog]

Re: 60\" MMM Grease Zerks

Speaking of greasing the 60" MMM - - here's a question of ignorance. I just got my new BX22 last week. It is my 1st tractor [other than a Sears Kenmore]. Will I have to remove the MMM in order to grease it? Currently, I don't have a convenient concrete floor to drop it on & roll it out from under the tractor [unless I move my wife's car out of the garage - - fat chance].

I've taken a look, & I don't think I can get to all the fittings to get the gun on them. The two outside spindles are easy, but much beyond that I struck out. I had planned to leave the mower attached, unless it was ablolutely necessary to take it off, but it looks like I may have to take it off just to service the unit.

Thanks.

 

[Charliebrn]

Re: 60\" MMM Grease Zerks

Nah, you don't have to take it off, just go get a grease gun with a hose attached. I bought one at a local store that uses the larger grease cansisters and it had a hose attached that was about 2 feet long. Works great! I can get all the zircs with the exception of the U-joints on the drive shaft without any difficulty even with the mower still on the tractor.

 

[Jimy]

Re: 60\" MMM Grease Zerks

I have the same extra zirk on the right side. Any idea what it is for?

 

[TresCrows]

Re: 60\" MMM Grease Zerks

The lube interval per the manual is every use. J

 

[Anonymous Poster]

Re: 60\" MMM Grease Zerks

The manual says to grease before each use but I only use my deck for an hour each cutting. I grease my deck once per month (4-6 hours of operation). I have a pneumatic grease gun with a flexible tail on it. I can easily reach all of the fittings while the MMM is attached to the tractor. I have to disconnect the PTO shaft to get to one fittings.

 

[Anonymous Poster]

Re: 60\" MMM Grease Zerks

Trescrows,
The book says check, not grease. What that exactly means I don't know. My concern on the earlier post was that he was pumping so much grease in that the bearing cavity was packed solid and the grease had nowhere to go. You can build up some good presure with a grease gun, especially if you are really putting your arm into it, and you can blow oil seals out that way. You can also wreck bearings.
just my .02,
DaveL