Plugged grease joint

[fredhargis]

I can't grease into one of the zerks on my FEL, I was planning on getting one of those tools that blow the joint open by forcing oil into it...those things you hit with a hammer. Does the Harbor Freight cheapie work? The better ones are over twice as expensive....I'll spend it if I have too, but would prefer to go the cheap route for the limited use I'll have for it.

 

[leonz]

Hello Fred,

A lot of it depends upon where the grease fitting is; if it is in the frame arm of the loader and not the center of the pin you should pound the pin out with a piece of brass bar stock, put the pin in the freezer overnight to shrink it
and replace the original fitting.

The problem is clearances with grease fittings as they will quite often butt the fitting against the pin it self and the grease never gets past the space.

You may be better off just removing the fitting and replacing it with a pipe plug and simply grease on an hourly basis as they tend to skimp on these things (The metal holding the pin is thin and not thick enough to allow grease to travel as the fitting bottom is blocked from allowing grease to pass.



I have never bought antthing from Harbor Frieght my self, but with NAPA and TSC you can retutrn things if they do not work

 

[DeeDubya]

The FEL on a recently purchased Branson had about 5 pivot pins that I couldn't get grease into. I had to pull the pins, remove the zerks, drill (yes drill) the dirt out of the weep holes and put them back together. On an ungreased fitting the dirt will pack in like cement and I don't think the previous owner owned a grease gun.

 

[IslandTractor]

I use a zerk cleaner from AgriSupply. Cost about $40 and works well. Clears about 90% of clogged zerks with one or two whacks with a mallet. The others I remove and soak in diesel.

 

[MMagis]

Seems like $40 could buy a whole lot of new zerks. I probably don't have as much need as many of you, so I just remove and clean with a piece of wire. If it's too bad I just replace.

 

[Thomas]

In the long run wouldn't it be cheaper to purchase new fittings w/caps..no chance of pushing dirt thru or hitting.

 

[DeeDubya]

Not on mine. I had already replaced the zerks. The hole from the zerk goes to about the middle of the pin then out to the side where there is a distribution grove cut in the pin. That hole was packed hard with dirt. The zerks were not the problem at all.

 

[IslandTractor]

Seems like $40 could buy a whole lot of new zerks. I probably don't have as much need as many of you, so I just remove and clean with a piece of wire. If it's too bad I just replace.

You are correct. However, having a bunch of different equipment, some metric some SAE and always finding some zerk that you don't have a replacement for is a pain. But, your approach makes a lot of sense too.

 

[Tig]

I've had luck taking a match and heating the zerk. Sometimes the zerk even catches fire. 90% of the time the heat makes it work again.

 

[IslandTractor]

I've had luck taking a match and heating the zerk. Sometimes the zerk even catches fire. 90% of the time the heat makes it work again.

Ye gads, flaming zerks. What is the world coming to?:laughing:

 

[RoMad]

when I got my tractor about half of the zerks wouldn't take grease. I took the entire pins out and wire brushed them and then sprayed the zerks with purple stuff and worked the little ball with a small pointed pick. When I put them back all but one of them worked like new, so I replaced that one. It took be a couple of easy evenings after work to clean them up. Now that I grease it more than the original owner, they are working fine.

 

[MMagis]

You are correct. However, having a bunch of different equipment, some metric some SAE and always finding some zerk that you don't have a replacement for is a pain. But, your approach makes a lot of sense too.

That makes sense. I can see where that would be $40 well spent, just to save time.

Not on mine. I had already replaced the zerks. The hole from the zerk goes to about the middle of the pin then out to the side where there is a distribution grove cut in the pin. That hole was packed hard with dirt. The zerks were not the problem at all.

But isn't the dirt coming through the zerk? A capped zerk would stop that from happening. I think.

 

[davygp38]

Just had to replace 10 zerks on a 3pt disc I bought. The heat trick worked on 3 of them. Just hold a small solder torch up to it, and it was clean. most of the others were broken off. I figure they were all cross threaded. I thought of the hammer cleaner they sell at TSC, but like the other guy said you can buy a lot of fittings for $40.

 

[DeeDubya]

That makes sense. I can see where that would be $40 well spent, just to save time.



But isn't the dirt coming through the zerk? A capped zerk would stop that from happening. I think.

A zerk has a spring-loaded ball that seals it. As long as you wipe the dirt away from the top of zerk before you grease it, all is good.

In my case the dirt came in around the pivot pin simply because there was no grease. Finally it got packed into the grease channel. I had to replace 2 rod-bucket links because they were worn from not being greased.

 

[brucewj]

I can't grease into one of the zerks on my FEL, I was planning on getting one of those tools that blow the joint open by forcing oil into it...those things you hit with a hammer. Does the Harbor Freight cheapie work? The better ones are over twice as expensive....I'll spend it if I have too, but would prefer to go the cheap route for the limited use I'll have for it.

The Harbor Freight unit worked for me. I had two zerks that I was having trouble with. I used the HF unit loaded with transmission fluid. Only took about two whacks with the hammer on the first one and everything cleaed up and I could grease it then.

The second zerk was not so friendly. I could not get it to take anything. I took the zerk off, and it would let grease go though it so I figured it was not the zerk. I had to dig dried grease out with a piece of wire, especially in the channel on the part. I replaced with a new zerk after cleaning and all was well.

The HF tool would be my first "go to" solution. It was much easier than digging out the old grease.

 

[seymojo536]

Ye gads, flaming zerks. What is the world coming to?:laughing:

A Flaming Zerk! I had a couple of those at Moe's last night.

 

[EddieWalker]

I've found that in most cases, it's the grease in bearing that has become hard that stops new grease from coming in. I take out the zirk fitting and clean out what I can get in the hole and then spray break cleaner in there to break down and clean out the remaining grease. I put the zirk back in and pump in new grease.

Eddie

 

[Agrantina]

Might not do this on the tractor but I had 2 stopped up ones on my disc that I couldnt get free with heat.. Took the pressure washer one day cleaning and shinning and buffing the disc. and hit both zerks with it and bang no more stopped up... I then pumped grease into them and flushed all the water out.. Worked great and that was last fall...

AndyG

 

[thatguy]

Just curious.. I have a couple zerks that I can get a pump or two into.. Then the grease starts coming back out of the middle of the zerk..

Is that a stopped up zerk OR just doesnt need grease?

thanks

b

 

[SSdoxie]

If the zerk is stuck with dirt, using that impact tool just drives the dirt into you pivot (the area you are trying to keep clean & lubricated). Personally I would not use one. I have friends at equipment dealers that sell them but do not use them in their shops and not on their presonal equipment.