John Joseph McVeigh
Gold Member
One of the required maintenance tasks that we Ventrac Model 4500 owners face is to periodically grease the zerks on the universal joint that couples torque from the engine to the hydraulic pump.
On my Model 4500Y, I have found that the rear zerk is fairly easy to do so long as the zerk is facing upward. The front zerk is more challenging and must be approached from the side, with the zerk in a near- or absolutely horizontal position. Using a flexible hose on a grease gun is challenging because of the flexibility.
So, what I have done is to cobble together a rigid extension. I used three six-inch long galvanized iron pipe nipples terminated at each end with ⅛-inch NPTF threads, three double-female couplers also with ⅛-inch NPT threads, and a grease coupling (to engage the zerk on the U-joint yoke) terminated on the grease-gun side with ⅛-inch NPTF female threads.
At the other end of the assembly (the end nearest the grease gun), I threaded onto the open end of the double-female , ⅛-inch NPTF threaded coupler a zerk with matching ⅛-inch NPTF threads to engage the double-female, ⅛-inch NPTF threaded coupler.
Here are some pictures. I tried using the flash on my camera, but found I had to ramp up the brightness and play with the contrast to improve the visibility. Hopefully, there pictures will give you an idea of what I have done.
I intend to make a second one of these using red brass pipe nipples of the same dimensions as the galvanized ones, and brass couplings with ⅛-inch NPT threads and hex profiles at both ends so that I can use wrenches of the proper sizes to thread the assembly together. Just for the sake of aesthetics.
I used the zerk at the grease-gun end of the assembly to give me the capability of quick connections and disconnections.
After putting the assembly together, I tried it out, and what a pleasure it was to use compared to what used to be involved!
I had investigated ready-made solutions, but did not find what I was looking for. NAPA Auto Parts sells two extensions that a first looked like the might do the trick, but on closer inspection, I found issues.
NAPA Catalog Number 715-1180 is called an Extension Adaptor. It has a zerk at one end and a grease coupling at the other end. Its only drawback for this application is that, near the grease-couping end, there is a bend in the plated-steel tubing., I have not measured the angle of the bend, but by eye, I estimate it at 15 to 20 degrees. For this application, a straight shot seems to work best. Also, the extra several inches of my home-brewed solution comes in handy. The NAPA Catalog Number 715-1180 is 14 long.. several inches shorter than my home-brew solution, which measures 20-ｾ" from end to end. For this application, I find the extra length to be helpful.
NAPA Catalog Number 715-1601 is a Samson Corporation/Balkamp product called a Control Handle Extension. It is 13-⅝" long, and a straight shot. Part of the extension is heavy rubber tubing that is fairly rigid, but obviously not as rigid as metal pipe sections threaded together. The diameter of this Control Handle Extension is a bit more than that of my home brew solution... 20 mm vs. 14 mm at the points of greatest thickness. In this particular application, thinner is better: it helps one get one's fingers closer to the U-joint zerk to help guide the coupling onto the U-joint zerk. The NAPA Catalog Number 715-1601 is 13-⅝" long.. slightly shorter than the NAPA Catalog Number 715-1180, and several inches shorter than my home-brew solution.
The NAPA Catalog Number 715-1601 terminates at the grease-gun end in a ⅛-inch NPTF threaded female receptacle. It would be easy enough to thread a ⅛-inch NPT threaded zerk into that receptacle if one wanted a quick-connect/quick-disconnect capability like those incorporated into both my home-brew solution and the NAPA Catalog Number 715-1180 Extension Adaptor.
My home-brewed solution is considerably less expensive than the two NAPA products, and probably less expensive than other, similar commercial products that may exist.
I hope that some of you will find this post to be food for thought. Proper lubrication is critical if we are to get maximum use and operational lifetime out of our machines, and anything that makes the job easier is worth considering, in my opinion.
On my Model 4500Y, I have found that the rear zerk is fairly easy to do so long as the zerk is facing upward. The front zerk is more challenging and must be approached from the side, with the zerk in a near- or absolutely horizontal position. Using a flexible hose on a grease gun is challenging because of the flexibility.
So, what I have done is to cobble together a rigid extension. I used three six-inch long galvanized iron pipe nipples terminated at each end with ⅛-inch NPTF threads, three double-female couplers also with ⅛-inch NPT threads, and a grease coupling (to engage the zerk on the U-joint yoke) terminated on the grease-gun side with ⅛-inch NPTF female threads.
At the other end of the assembly (the end nearest the grease gun), I threaded onto the open end of the double-female , ⅛-inch NPTF threaded coupler a zerk with matching ⅛-inch NPTF threads to engage the double-female, ⅛-inch NPTF threaded coupler.
Here are some pictures. I tried using the flash on my camera, but found I had to ramp up the brightness and play with the contrast to improve the visibility. Hopefully, there pictures will give you an idea of what I have done.
I intend to make a second one of these using red brass pipe nipples of the same dimensions as the galvanized ones, and brass couplings with ⅛-inch NPT threads and hex profiles at both ends so that I can use wrenches of the proper sizes to thread the assembly together. Just for the sake of aesthetics.
I used the zerk at the grease-gun end of the assembly to give me the capability of quick connections and disconnections.
After putting the assembly together, I tried it out, and what a pleasure it was to use compared to what used to be involved!
I had investigated ready-made solutions, but did not find what I was looking for. NAPA Auto Parts sells two extensions that a first looked like the might do the trick, but on closer inspection, I found issues.
NAPA Catalog Number 715-1180 is called an Extension Adaptor. It has a zerk at one end and a grease coupling at the other end. Its only drawback for this application is that, near the grease-couping end, there is a bend in the plated-steel tubing., I have not measured the angle of the bend, but by eye, I estimate it at 15 to 20 degrees. For this application, a straight shot seems to work best. Also, the extra several inches of my home-brewed solution comes in handy. The NAPA Catalog Number 715-1180 is 14 long.. several inches shorter than my home-brew solution, which measures 20-ｾ" from end to end. For this application, I find the extra length to be helpful.
NAPA Catalog Number 715-1601 is a Samson Corporation/Balkamp product called a Control Handle Extension. It is 13-⅝" long, and a straight shot. Part of the extension is heavy rubber tubing that is fairly rigid, but obviously not as rigid as metal pipe sections threaded together. The diameter of this Control Handle Extension is a bit more than that of my home brew solution... 20 mm vs. 14 mm at the points of greatest thickness. In this particular application, thinner is better: it helps one get one's fingers closer to the U-joint zerk to help guide the coupling onto the U-joint zerk. The NAPA Catalog Number 715-1601 is 13-⅝" long.. slightly shorter than the NAPA Catalog Number 715-1180, and several inches shorter than my home-brew solution.
The NAPA Catalog Number 715-1601 terminates at the grease-gun end in a ⅛-inch NPTF threaded female receptacle. It would be easy enough to thread a ⅛-inch NPT threaded zerk into that receptacle if one wanted a quick-connect/quick-disconnect capability like those incorporated into both my home-brew solution and the NAPA Catalog Number 715-1180 Extension Adaptor.
My home-brewed solution is considerably less expensive than the two NAPA products, and probably less expensive than other, similar commercial products that may exist.
I hope that some of you will find this post to be food for thought. Proper lubrication is critical if we are to get maximum use and operational lifetime out of our machines, and anything that makes the job easier is worth considering, in my opinion.
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