New BX22 owner maintenance question: 2 zerks on BH fail to take grease ?

[LuckyPierre]

I know they work as I removed the offending pair and proofed for blockage by squeezing grease threw them, they were fine. Then reinstalled the pair and again both refused to take any grease. I squeezed my grease gun so hard, that moly shot between then GG head and the hydraulic grease hose !

The tractor appears well maintained and greased properly. BTW: I shut the tractor down and unloaded all the FEL and BH hydraulics

 

[diesel85]

It sounds like the bottom of the zerk is bottoming out. Try slightly loosening one, and shoot some grease and see what you yield.

 

[LuckyPierre]

It sounds like the bottom of the zerk is bottoming out. Try slightly loosening one, and shoot some grease and see what you yield.

One of the offending zerks is on the BH stabilizer piston attach point, same same on the other one the BH stabilizer arm piston. From what I could see it would be impossible for a zerk to bottom out ?

 

[Tractorrr]

It still is worth a shot to back it out a little. I had to do that on a brand new loader and zerk. Other options include:
There is a grease zerk unclogging tool that shoots lighter oil through it.
I seen some on YouTube apply heat to the area which can get grease flowing and uncaked.
Replace the grease zerk.
Change the position of the joint and see if it will then take grease.
Disassemble and clean out the area you are trying to grease.

 

[Deere Dude]

I had a zerk on a trailer jack that wouldn't take grease even when new. I just left it because it was new. Then a couple years later I bought something called a Loc-n-lube grease gun nozzle. I clamped it on and horsed the grease handle a little bit and in the went. Pricey at 30 bucks but well worth it IMHO. Leaves no mess either.

 

[TomSeller]

Try repositioning the cylinder to put load on the pin from different directions. sometimes that gets it to take grease.

 

[KWentling]

I also have a BX22. The zerk is in the end of the pin, so unless they forgot to drill the hole, it's not bottomed out. I would take the zerk out, find a drill bit that will fit the hole and clean it out. Should go to the mid point of the pin. Then spray it full of penetrating oil and screw the zerk back in. Try the grease gun again and see if it will take.

 

[sixdogs]

Try repositioning the cylinder to put load on the pin from different directions. sometimes that gets it to take grease.

I also have a BX22. The zerk is in the end of the pin, so unless they forgot to drill the hole, it's not bottomed out. I would take the zerk out, find a drill bit that will fit the hole and clean it out. Should go to the mid point of the pin. Then spray it full of penetrating oil and screw the zerk back in. Try the grease gun again and see if it will take.

Both good ideas and one or the other will work. I reposition weights and loads and get grease through that way. Only had to spray oil in once.

 

[BX23S-1]

How to Clean Clogged Grease Joints - YouTube

Grease Zerk fitting won't accept grease - YouTube

 

[LuckyPierre]

Thanks all. Stopped by the Kubota parts store and bought 2 oem zerks. On the BH arm zerk that the hydraulic piston is mounted to the new zerk refused to take grease ! Unscrewed it, stuck a thin screwdriver through the opening and pulled out fresh grease. Reinstalled it and was able to get some grease in but realized it's something to do with piston mount as the old grease is not being pushed outer. Was able to get some grease in the stabilizer arm but again old grease is not being pushed out. Tomorrow, I'll uncouple both pistons and cleanup the solidified grease.

 

[repete]

Do you frequently grease it? My experience is the only time fittings fail (unless physically damaged) is when the joint is dry and rust and crud completely jam the opening. Pull the pin and clean the joint and grease it. Even if it takes a hammer and punch to get a pin out.

 

[CalG]

Thanks all. Stopped by the Kubota parts store and bought 2 oem zerks. On the BH arm zerk that the hydraulic piston is mounted to the new zerk refused to take grease ! Unscrewed it, stuck a thin screwdriver through the opening and pulled out fresh grease. Reinstalled it and was able to get some grease in but realized it's something to do with piston mount as the old grease is not being pushed outer. Was able to get some grease in the stabilizer arm but again old grease is not being pushed out. Tomorrow, I'll uncouple both pistons and cleanup the solidified grease.

Keep pumping that grease !

A little today will end up being enough tomorrow.
The squeaky wheel get's the grease! Listen closely!

 

[tshep]

I had one that consistently would not take grease, for a while.
It was one that was locked in place by a bolt so it could not really rotate. (Thus it could only mount in 2 positions, and was already oriented to feed the load.)
It had a half drilled lateral shaft and then another half drilled perpendicular, and that had the dried, hard grease.
Next time I would make a little bent wire, also with an oriented bend on the visual end, and use it to find the orientation of the half perpendicular.
If you cannot make the half lateral hole face down (so gravity would feed any fluid) go ahead pound it half out.

 

[LuckyPierre]

I had one that consistently would not take grease, for a while.
It was one that was locked in place by a bolt so it could not really rotate. (Thus it could only mount in 2 positions, and was already oriented to feed the load.)
It had a half drilled lateral shaft and then another half drilled perpendicular, and that had the dried, hard grease.
Next time I would make a little bent wire, also with an oriented bend on the visual end, and use it to find the orientation of the half perpendicular.
If you cannot make the half lateral hole face down (so gravity would feed any fluid) go ahead pound it half out.

Yup, same problem the hydraulic cylinder on the BH with a bolt on the left side. I'm having a hard time picturing it in your description, it but my WSM arrived yesterday

 

[tshep]

Half drilled down the length, then half drilled from the outside edge to the center hole.
(The absolute minimum you would have to do to get a grease channel.)
If side hole was oriented down at all, gravity would feed penetration after 'picking out', to 'eat' the hard plug.
Otherwise it would just run out...

 

[LuckyPierre]

Ok got it :thumbsup:

 

[AStanton]

Try repositioning the cylinder to put load on the pin from different directions. sometimes that gets it to take grease.

This is a good suggestion. It worked for me with one of the zerks on my B3030's front loader.