Removing old grease around tractor zerk areas

[tstex]

Hello to all,

Saw a post if you need to grease a tractor/FEL every 10 hrs w low usage. I didn't want to hijack that thread so here we go.

I am for sure guilty of not greasing every 10 hrs, esp w a FEL. I did just reload my grease gun yesterday and hit every zerk. Two questions:

• What is the best way of removing the caked-on grease, sometimes in very tight and hard to get places?
• If a zerk gives you resistance, but finally gives way to extra pressure from g-gun, is the zerk bad or area really clogged?

Just guessing, would spraying some kind of solvent work, then hit w power washer [w lower fan/psi setting]? Don't want tp compromise the paint or infuse water where it should not be....

Thank you very much,
tstex

 

[MESSMAKER]

I use a small wire brush.

 

[sea2summit]

No pressure washer on the FEL! Do as I say not as I do....

I does blow water into the pins causing rust and other issues, I don't recommend it and only do my arms not to clean the grease. I do use air to blow off the zerks and excess grease and that seems to work well, wipe unsightly residue off with a dry rag.

 

[WranglerX]

Usually wipe down area around zerk before greasing and after greasing.... And use latex gloves... And NO I don't clean up hospital sterile, just remove bulk of excess grease...

 

[tstex]

Thank you guys....on my upper portion of the three-pt-hth, there are 2 zerks. When I hit them yesterday, grease shot out of 2-3 areas like pinholes bc the rest was caked I guess. Maybe a toothbrush could help...then hit was compresses and shop towels to finish it...I wish I would have taken a few pics...I'm back in Hou.

 

[timbatrader]

I am defiantly not a OCD type I grease until I see fresh grease coming out of the pin area and alway leave that crusty old dried up grease in place as a seal to keep dust grit and water away from getting into the pin area any power washing etc is going to push water grit into where you don't want it .
Wear that crusty grease as a badge showing that you properly maintain your machine

 

[tstex]

That's a good point about keeping out debris in that area w the crusty grease...

I wonder if zerk [plastic] caps would be a good thing? Something you could just push on/pull off while greasing. that would surely keep any XXXX from getting into the zerk.

 

[m1garand762]

Soak it down with wd40 and then wipe it up with a rag. if a zerk is hard to take grease try to replace it first certain grease types do not mix and will harden up research grease comparability before you make a headache down the road

 

[LS Tractor Owner]

I purchased the rubber caps (about 50) and have them on ALL of the grease zerks, even on the mower. They keep them clean enough to just pull off the cap, inject the grease, put the cap back on over the little dab of grease left on the zerk. About once a year, I'll do a real good cleaning of the joints, getting rid of the dirt encrusted grease. Usually use WD40 on paper towels to do the cleaning.

 

[Aquamoose]

Sometimes the position of the pivot points are putting pressure on the internal grease ports. Repositioning it would help. A good example would be loaders which when moved, would make greasing much easier.