Grease gun coupling won't come off

[dustinfox]

I bought a hand operated grease gun from TSC and the coupling will NOT come off the zerk unless I unscrew it. I've heard a few people complain about this problem with new guns (made in China no doubt). Does anyone know whee I can buy a coupling that works? Are there any that are made differently?

Thanks!

 

[smstonypoint]

I bought a hand operated grease gun from TSC and the coupling will NOT come off the zerk unless I unscrew it. I've heard a few people complain about this problem with new guns (made in China no doubt). Does anyone know whee I can buy a coupling that works? Are there any that are made differently?

Thanks!

There have been several threads on this topic, some of which you will find at the bottom of this thread.

Good luck.

Steve

 

[Domush]

I had the same issue with mine at first. Instead of a direct pull, try pushing it side to side. Sometimes it requires some muscles, but I've always had it come off. It also tends to get easier over time. Consider this the break in period.

I replaced my old pneumatic one with a manual trigger squeeze version from harbor freight and I love it! Same easy use, no air needed.

Sent from my SCH-I500 using TractorByNet

 

[k0ua]

I bought a hand operated grease gun from TSC and the coupling will NOT come off the zerk unless I unscrew it. I've heard a few people complain about this problem with new guns (made in China no doubt). Does anyone know whee I can buy a coupling that works? Are there any that are made differently?

Thanks!

I got a new one the other day, I took the coupler apart and stoned the 4 jaws a bit, to smooth them up some. it did not want to come off at all. And on a Kioti Loader the Zerk's are recessed and you cannot push sideways much. It helped it quite a bit. You still need to loosen and tighten on each Zerk to get it on and off though. I may take it apart and smooth it some more.. don't loose the 4 little chuck jaws or the ball bearing or the spring.. easy to do. I did drop one of the jaws on the floor but I found it.

James K0UA

 

[dustinfox]

I got a new one the other day, I took the coupler apart and stoned the 4 jaws a bit, to smooth them up some. it did not want to come off at all. And on a Kioti Loader the Zerk's are recessed and you cannot push sideways much. It helped it quite a bit. You still need to loosen and tighten on each Zerk to get it on and off though. I may take it apart and smooth it some more.. don't loose the 4 little chuck jaws or the ball bearing or the spring.. easy to do. I did drop one of the jaws on the floor but I found it.

James K0UA

Ya... I tried taking it apart and smoothing out the chucks but it didn't help. I've search here in TBN and other internet forums. There does not seem to be any solution to this problem. I'm going to take it apart again and grind the chucks down some more. You would think someone would come up with a better design... like maybe using ball bearings instead of a "one-way" chuck.

 

[k0ua]

Ya... I tried taking it apart and smoothing out the chucks but it didn't help. I've search here in TBN and other internet forums. There does not seem to be any solution to this problem. I'm going to take it apart again and grind the chucks down some more. You would think someone would come up with a better design... like maybe using ball bearings instead of a "one-way" chuck.

The ball bearing idea is not a bad one... Hum.. someone could steal that idea and make a coupler you have to pull back to push it on and then release it. and have at least 3 small ball bearings, maybe 4 to slip behind the head of the Zerk.. then the coupler is on to stay, and when you are done pumping grease just pull back (a natural movement when you want to remove something) on the coupler, and off it comes nice and easy, peazy. Hum.. wonder if that would sell.. heck yeah, I would buy one today for 10 bucks. I will probably grind some more on the new one I got the other day.. all my old ones work OK as is.. I suppose they wear in after a while. But I like your ball bearing idea..

James K0UA

 

[greenmojo]

I had the same problem, the solution for me was leverage. I couldn't get it off at all, until I tipped the whole grease gun to the side and somewhere just before 45 degrees it pops right off.

Try tipping the whole thing to the side, as if you are trying to pry it off and it will pop-off well before the zerk breaks. That will work for a solid nozzle, for hose nozzles, I've read that vice-grips and the same tipping leverage works.

~moses

 

[k0ua]

I had the same problem, the solution for me was leverage. I couldn't get it off at all, until I tipped the whole grease gun to the side and somewhere just before 45 degrees it pops right off.

Try tipping the whole thing to the side, as if you are trying to pry it off and it will pop-off well before the zerk breaks. That will work for a solid nozzle, for hose nozzles, I've read that vice-grips and the same tipping leverage works.
~moses

Only problem with tipping to 45 degrees is you just can't do that with recessed Zerks on a lot of loaders. Maybe 15 to 20 degrees tops.

James K0UA

 

[greenmojo]

I had to be very creative, positioning the loader in just the right spot, even lowering the loader to get the leverage I needed to remove it. Of course, with all appendages safely out of the way.

It was a bit tricky, but I've got the hang of it now.

~moses

 

[dustinfox]

I had the same problem, the solution for me was leverage. I couldn't get it off at all, until I tipped the whole grease gun to the side and somewhere just before 45 degrees it pops right off.

Try tipping the whole thing to the side, as if you are trying to pry it off and it will pop-off well before the zerk breaks. That will work for a solid nozzle, for hose nozzles, I've read that vice-grips and the same tipping leverage works.

~moses

Ya I did that and broke off the end of the zerk.

 

[greenmojo]

wow! that's some serious leverage to break the zerk. I've broke the nozzle on a grease gun, and always figured that was the weakest link. wow.

 

[dustinfox]

I went to the local hardware store (DoItBest) and bought a new coupling. Works fine. I guess it just depends on who makes them.

 

[dustinfox]

wow! that's some serious leverage to break the zerk. I've broke the nozzle on a grease gun, and always figured that was the weakest link. wow.

Ya, and now I am screwed because I can't find a replacement. Even the Kioti dealer doesn't have any.

 

[greenmojo]

Okay, I was told by the local JD dealer that home depot and lowes will often carry little accessory packs of zergs with various thread types.

~moses

 

[BlacknTan]

This is a relatively new problem.. Well, within the past thirty years or so, and I attribute it to the shift in manufacturing capability from our shores to China. Poor tolerances held on the couplings and the zerks themselves. I've gone through lot's of couplers looking for one like the old days, but it's an exercise in futility. One that's good on some fittings are too loose or too tight on others. Overseas junk strikes again! It's becoming a way of life, and very sad to see..

 

[EE_Bota]

Okay, I was told by the local JD dealer that home depot and lowes will often carry little accessory packs of zergs with various thread types.

~moses

Yea, and Harbor Freight, and AutoZone too.
I have not tried it, but after disassembling one a couple of months ago, I have the following idea:

A Lincoln coupler like on my gun is a tiny hydraulically actuated gripper. A cylinder in that thing has flat faces, and a tiny channel is drilled through it for grease flow. Gross flow slides the cylinder outward, and it presses on the grippers forcing an incline to act to close the fingers. Once this is done, gross flow cannot move the cylinder further, so pressure builds enough to force highly restricted flow through the little drilled channel.

I have not tried it yet, but the next time my coupler refuses to let go, I intend to act as if it is very difficult to attach to the zerk, and press it on the zerk harder, with a wallowing motion, thinking that is what is required to release the hydraulics. That cylinder needs to be pushed back again, and more grease must be expelled through that little center drilling to allow room for the cylinder return movement. It may just work. Otherwise, I may very well beat it to a shiny powder and lay a cussing on it similar to the one that dad in "A Christmas Story" used to lay down over that belching oil furnace of his.

 

[dustinfox]

This is a relatively new problem.. Well, within the past thirty years or so, and I attribute it to the shift in manufacturing capability from our shores to China. Poor tolerances held on the couplings and the zerks themselves. I've gone through lot's of couplers looking for one like the old days, but it's an exercise in futility. One that's good on some fittings are too loose or too tight on others. Overseas junk strikes again! It's becoming a way of life, and very sad to see..

Agreed!

 

[k0ua]

I noticed on my new grease gun, there was no mention of loosening of the knurled portion of the coupler in the entire "manual" in any language. and I had to put it in a vise and take a pair of vise grips to the knurled portion to get it to loosen up. It is like they have this gorilla employed to tighten them. If you may remember I was on another thread quite a bit about grease gun couplers. You would think there would be some instruction on this. And even after stoning the jaws my new coupler is still a little difficult to get off, you have to unscrew it a bit.

http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/owning-operating/203295-grease-gun-screwdriver.html

James K0UA

 

[Dadof3]

I have this problem too. Real PITA. I find that if I replace my tip about once a year it helps. Got the last one at TSC for $4.98 and it's doing well.

 

[Chilly807]

I bought a hand operated grease gun from TSC and the coupling will NOT come off the zerk unless I unscrew it. I've heard a few people complain about this problem with new guns (made in China no doubt). Does anyone know whee I can buy a coupling that works? Are there any that are made differently?

Thanks!

The Lincoln couplers are good quality, but still tight fitting. I got mine from Acklands. Made in India I think