Lower pivot pin sticking on BH77 with thumb

[jim_wilson]

Has anybody found a greasable pivot pin that will fit in the lower pivot for the thumb on a BH77 with the factory thumb?

I just went to use my thumb today, after not having used it for a good year and a half - and the thing seemed like it was welded in place.

After finally beating it open with a 5 pound sledge and a piece of wood ( so I wasn't hitting metal on metal) - what I finally found was that the lower pivot (the one where the locking bar attaches to the thumb) - was pretty much rusted up bad enough that it was sticking the thumb in place. I've got the pin out and I 'm going to grease it up good before reinstalling - but what I would really like to put in there - is a greasable pin.

Looking at the factory parts blowup on the Kubota site - and it doesn't look like the one they supply comes with a grease zerk. Anybody swapped one in that has the grease zerk?

I'd like to avoid this happening again. The pic below has a yellow arrow pointing to the pin I'm referring to.

 

[kcender]

One possibility is to have one made at a machine shop,shouldn't cost too much.Or maybe you could drill and tap the outside piece to accept a grease zerk.

 

[bikerdib]

Find some boat trailer wheel bearing grease. It's water proof and will last much longer in the field. Grease is basically oil suspended in a thickening carrier substance. Some grease uses a carrier that is very similar to soap and thus when exposed to water it will get washed away. Once the carrier is washed away the oil will quickly disappear.

 

[KennyV]

Replace those junk pins with Stainless or a chrome plated cylinder rod piece....