Proper grease method(s) ?

[schiker]

I get a roll of paper towels and plastic bag put on latex gloves. Clean up all zerks first and wipe off globs when done. If I have time coat any exposed skin on my arms heavy with lotion before the gloves. If your skin is dry oil and grease will soak in much easier and its harder to get off.

When I grease my bushhog tail wheel I lift it up and grease while turning the wheel around as fast as I can spin it kicking it. Seems to take a little more grease and comes out a tad more evenly than when I just have it resting on the ground. But it still finds a path of least resistance.

 

[lightninboy]

I once worked for a guy who wanted me to grease until there was no old grease coming out of the cracks.

Well, the machine would have fresh grease in it every time, but think of the grease bill and the mess the machine would have.

That is what I would call "extreme greasing." I think the right approach is more moderate.

 

[PoorMansCat]

Ya know... one time several years ago, we hired on this new guy as a yard tech.,... basically loading/unloading parts/equipment... taking out the trash, emptying bins, gathering parts..etc.... ANYWAY...

It was time to do some routine maintenance on a big off-road forklift.... So I reminded him to hit all the zerks with some fresh grease... He asked where the grease gun was and how to use it... I showed him where it was and told him to just put about 3 pumps in each zerk....
about 30 minutes later I hear a co-worker dying laughing... as we all gathered around this forklift, the F.N.G. (freakin new guy) had ever so carefully held the end of the grease hose directly over the grease zerk and gave each one exactly 3 pumps of grease!!!!!... It was piled up ontop of the zerks like he had been icing a mineature cupcake!!!..

 

[beppington]

I scoop up big globs of grease with my finger (isn't that what those low areas between the tire lugs are for?) and only use a rag if its in a area that I might rub against.

I wipe the extra into the upper corners of my bucket. That way there's usually a little bit in there if I need some in emergency*. If the glob's big enough, you can even dig down into it to get some clean grease.

* Say if the bush hog tail wheel shaft gets dry, or if the bucket level indicator rod gets dry

 

[9973720wb19]

i prep each zerk with a small wire detail brush and shop rag...i've also seen (although i don't have one) a tool that will loosen stuck zerks

 

[sweep]

i prep each zerk with a small wire detail brush and shop rag...i've also seen (although i don't have one) a tool that will loosen stuck zerks

I posted this on another thread but why don't you just buy those rubber zerk caps?? They keep out mud and water. They are dirt cheap.


I have them on my tractor.

A tip is to take them all off at once and as you grease each fitting replace the cap that way you know the fitting has been greased.

 

[alabama roughneck]

All you need to do is wipe the dirt from the zert and grease until you see some come come out around the pin. Theres no need to worry about wether your getting a good coat or not because pins will slowly turn due to vibrations from operations. Grease works because it turns to oil as it gets hot. As far as clean up that your preference but the way i see it grease and oil on metal prevents rust lol

 

[5030]

I run a bulk air greaser with a 100 foot hose. It pumps from a 150 pound open headed drum. I take my finger, wipe the top of the zerk and grease until I see it pushing the old grease out.

I never remove the old grease, running in the field wipes it off or it falls to the ground of it's own accord. gravity always wins........

Never bought a grease zerk loosener tool. Waste of money and effort. I just replace the fitting if it is the fitting. Most times, a zerk won't take grease because the grease below the zerk has hardened. I pull the fitting and give the grease hole a shot of PB Blaster and reinstall the fitting. That almost always does it on the first go-around.

Zerk's are really Alemite fittings anyway.

 

[90cummins]

I grease my machine with the engine running so I can take the load off the pins. I start with the loader up or and grease all accessible fittings then lower the bucket and lift the wheels slightly which opens up the other side of the loader pins and axle pivot and give it another shot of grease.
I then operate the loader through the full range of motion to work grease into the entire joint. This works the grease around the entire pin.
I also use Moly fortified grease because it plates out and preventing wear.
Moly is the recommended grease for use in (loader/backhoe) pins which operate in a high load slow speed applications.

Tim