Issue with Kubota Grease Zerks?

[otus_branch]

Hi all,

I have a 2006 L-39 that unfortunately has had to spend its whole life outdoors. I have tried to stay religious about regular greasings and lubrication to help offset the problems of weather, but lately have run into some trouble with the zerks on my loader and backhoe. Even at the 10-hour interval, the zerks will often be resistant to accepting grease. For the past few years, a Grease Joint Rejuvenator (the gizmo you fill with penetrating oil and then tap with a hammer) helped open things up, but now even that is not helping enough.

At one zerk, where lower loader arm meets the frame, I was tapping (ok, whacking, with a 16 oz hammer - because it was really clogged!) the Rejuvenator, and rather than open up the zerk, the whole zerk popped out. The zerk itself did not show obvious damage to its threads, so now I am worried that I damaged the internal threads on the loader arm joint. It was too dark by then to look closely, so now I am inquiring to y'all, and will check back on the machine when I have time this weekend.

Have any of you had particular problems with Kubota Zerks? Are there any tricks beyond regular greasing and the Grease Joint Rejuvenator I should be trying? Is it likely that I stripped the threads on my loader arm where the Zerk used to attach?

Besides the loader arm where the Zerk popped oyt, I also have a Zerk at the backhoe that is resisting grease. I decided that night when those two problems cropped up that I needed to figure out the popped Zerk before I go trying to unclog any others.

Incidentally, the Zerk that popped out still seems pretty clogged. Attaching it to the Grease Joint Rejuvenator (while still detached from its hole in the the loader arm) and tapping it some more only let a small amount of oil through. So I am thinking that I might need to clean it/them using a needle or something. Or maybe use a better penetrating oil? So far, I've been using motor oil thinned with a bit of gasoline, but I think I will try straight diesel fuel next time in the Rejuvenator.

My standard greasing practice has been to always clean the Zerk faces with a rag before attaching the grease gun to try to minimize dirt getting in. Grease used has mostly been the John Deere brand of Moly grease, since the Kubota manual calls for Moly and that's the type I could find locally.

Advice welcomed. Thanks,

-otus

 

[JRL305]

Those little fittings are really cheap. Any auto parts store should have the size and angle that you need. I have one on my loader arm that's loose. I looked at my neighbors B3300 the other day and he has two that are loose also. Wouldn't you know, they're in the angled part of the frame. One of these days, I may drop the loader and change the fitting.

 

[little k]

I'am having problems with grease zerks also. Should they screw out of the fitting or are they the pop out type? I have a Kubota L2800 with a front end loader. I cant seem to find the right size wrench.

 

[JasG]

I have issues with any zerks if they came from China, ditto with the grease gun coupler. I just don't remember these issues on older machinery. Where I work we have machinery from all over the world and being in a factory they never see rain. Yet anything made from about 2000 on up zerks stick or grease comes out around the coupler on the gun. Older machinery no such issue.

That being said, your grease also can harden. Need a good quality grease that won't dry out. We use Kendal Super Blu at work, and a friend of mine uses Deere grease on his farm. Both seem to work great for what they are needed for.

If you look under the lube forum here there is a lot of grease threads.

 

[tjkubota93]

Try screwing a new one in. If the threads on loader are stripped, you can drill and tap it for the next size up easily.
Before getting too aggressive with that tool, take the zerk out and check it by forcing grease through it and check the hole by jamming some bailing wire in. I never had luck with those tools.
If both are ok, sometimes a joint gets kinda tight and wont let grease in good. You can run it through its range of motion and try greasing.
Dont get crazy on a grease gun with a whip hose, a guy at work did that and had grease injected into his face.

 

[ovrszd]

I have issues with any zerks if they came from China, ditto with the grease gun coupler. I just don't remember these issues on older machinery. Where I work we have machinery from all over the world and being in a factory they never see rain. Yet anything made from about 2000 on up zerks stick or grease comes out around the coupler on the gun. Older machinery no such issue.

I totally agree. I even bought a new grease gun couple years ago and it always leaked around the coupler. So I bought a new coupler. It leaked too.

So, I went to JD and bought another new gun. Don't remember what I paid but it was twice what I'd paid for the other one. The JD gun is hanging on the wall with a pointed tip fitting on it. I only use it if I have to. It leaks everywhere. After two tubes of grease so much grease had bypassed the plunger that now if you pull the handle all the way back grease squirts out around the rod.......

 

[CalG]

I've had grease fittings that would not take any grease when the pin was loaded against the fitting hole. Repositioning the equipment a bit had the same fitting accept grease readily.

I've also had equipment that was not used often where the grease fitting was removed after service. The hole pluged with a pipe plug until the next time. Then, the plug was removed and a clean Alemite nipple was fitted. Greasing was easily accomplished without head aches.

Zerk fitting? I did a quick inter web search. Not a photo of an authentic Zerk fitting. Alemite get's so little credit, though they dominate the market.

Common usage corrupts the identity ...Poor O.Zerk, the miss application of his name has likely killed him...

PS. Dirt and dust caps on the fittings between greasings will keep the fitting clean AND keep the grease from drying out. Dirt and debris pulls the oil out of grease faster than a cat can kick it's wiskers. The soap that is left behind can dry hard as ...well, a cake of soap!

put caps on the hard ones!

pss
I've had good luck heating the cranky fittings with a propane torch. Softens up the tired old stuff and allow the new grease in.

 

[ovrszd]

The zerk does not fail to take grease because of external dirt/dust. It fails because of metal grindings mixed with old grease that setup into a mixture much harder than the gun has the ability to displace.

When this condition is bad enough, the only fix is to take the assembly apart and clean all pieces.

 

[BeezFun]

Just had a fitting break off, lucky it came out with an easy out. I bought a selection of grease fittings from Grainger or somewhere like that, I just replace them when I have problems. The tricky part is knowing whether they're SAE or metric. Surprisingly on my kubota loader they are SAE. Not sure what's on the tractor itself, never had to replace any.

 

[Fallon]

By the way, you can adjust the clamping force on the nozzle of your grease gun. Tighten or loosen the cap ring at the end. You might need pliers to get a grip and loosen it up. For some reason the tip is always slippery.

 

[ovrszd]

Yep, and the old couplers worked great when properly adjusted. If they started popping off too easy a tweak of the adjuster and you were back in business. Today's junk, not so much. Tighten it enough so it don't pop off and you'll be cussing and yanking of it to get it off the zerk.....

 

[k0ua]

Have any of you tried the new Lock n Lube coupler.. everyone that has bought one has raved about it.. I don't have one so I don't really know.

http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/...nlube-cupler-grease-gun.html?highlight=cupler

 

[rich bx]

yeah, I bought a bx23 with ~300 hrs on it, all the Zerks were blocked, I used 1/2 tank of those little plumber propane tanks to soften up each fitting and joints the fitting is suppossed to be greasing.

I still have a few that are stubborn and require more heat to take grease. I also used a small sized finish nail and tap the little ball down into the Zerk a few times to get it moving again.

I've had grease fittings that would not take any grease when the pin was loaded against the fitting hole. Repositioning the equipment a bit had the same fitting accept grease readily.

I've also had equipment that was not used often where the grease fitting was removed after service. The hole pluged with a pipe plug until the next time. Then, the plug was removed and a clean Alemite nipple was fitted. Greasing was easily accomplished without head aches.

Zerk fitting? I did a quick inter web search. Not a photo of an authentic Zerk fitting. Alemite get's so little credit, though they dominate the market.

Common usage corrupts the identity ...Poor O.Zerk, the miss application of his name has likely killed him...

PS. Dirt and dust caps on the fittings between greasings will keep the fitting clean AND keep the grease from drying out. Dirt and debris pulls the oil out of grease faster than a cat can kick it's wiskers. The soap that is left behind can dry hard as ...well, a cake of soap!

put caps on the hard ones!

pss
I've had good luck heating the cranky fittings with a propane torch. Softens up the tired old stuff and allow the new grease in.

 

[brain55]

Have any of you tried the new Lock n Lube coupler.. everyone that has bought one has raved about it.. I don't have one so I don't really know.

http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/oil-fuel-lubricants/304889-locknlube-cupler-grease-gun.html?highlight=cupler

I'm not usually one for gimmick tools being somewhat of a tool snob, but the locknlube is awesome. I've had mine for a couple of weeks now. It truly works as advertised and makes greasing equipment a breeze. I'm going to buy another for my back-up grease gun.

Brian

 

[Cherokee140]

That lock and lube thing works great. Personally I would not bother with trying to open up old fittings...just not worth the possible damage over something as simple as a grease fitting.

They make these little rubber nipples that cover the end of the fitting. You should be able to find them at summit, jegs, or any off road racing shop. They slip over the fitting and do a good job of staying on there.

 

[ovrszd]

It's usually not the zerk that's plugged, it's a buildup of hardened grease in the assembly being greased.

If you wipe the dirt away before attaching the grease gun you have no need for a nipple.

 

[otus_branch]

Thanks to all who took the time to reply!

I've been busy with work and a potential land sale, but I plan to return to the Kubota (on my new land) soon, armed with some spare zerks in both metric and imperial sizes, a new Lincoln grease gun, a new Lock & Lube fitting, and a torch too, just for good measure.

I did know about adjusting the typical grease gun 2-piece fitting, but have learned much other new & worthwhile information from this tread. Hopefully, I'll put it to work and get my L-39 back into shipshape!

-otus

 

[CowboyRon]

Thanks to all who took the time to reply!

I've been busy with work and a potential land sale, but I plan to return to the Kubota (on my new land) soon, armed with some spare zerks in both metric and imperial sizes, a new Lincoln grease gun, a new Lock & Lube fitting, and a torch too, just for good measure.

I did know about adjusting the typical grease gun 2-piece fitting, but have learned much other new & worthwhile information from this tread. Hopefully, I'll put it to work and get my L-39 back into shipshape!

-otus

I have gotten into the habit that every time I use the tractor I just give every grease fitting a quick shot of grease. It only takes a few minutes and I know that I always have fresh clean grease on all of the joints. When I started doing this little ritual I noticed the zerks accepted grease easier.

Sent from my HTC One Max using TractorByNet

 

[Cherokee140]

It's usually not the zerk that's plugged, it's a buildup of hardened grease in the assembly being greased.

If you wipe the dirt away before attaching the grease gun you have no need for a nipple.

Personally dirty nipples are no fun at all, but some may like them that way......

But yes you should always clean off what you are putting the grease into, grease will attract dirt, dust, and just about everything else. At the best case you are going to push that dirt and such into whatever you are going to be greasing. Getting that surface clean is something I do just out of habit.

Also replacement Zerk's are not that expensive, buy yourself a handful in the most common flavors for your machine, straight, 90, 45, whatever, and keep them on hand....replace them as they start to get a little too nasty looking.