Trouble Greasing The Same Specific Fitting On Each Side of FEL - Branson 3620H

[bcs001]

I have greased my 3620H with 45hrs a few times now but have not been able to get any into the upper left or right side fittings where the bucket connects. This is the forward most upper connection just behind the bucket. Ive tried with the bucket on the ground unloaded, and also in a variety of lifted positions. I have verified the ball seal in the zerk is free and clean.

Since it is the same fitting on the left and right side I was thinking it is somehow related to the load on the bolt? Has any one had similar experience and what should I do to fix it.

Bruce.

 

[Roadworthy]

If you can get your grease gun connected to the fitting it obviously should take grease though the angle may be such that you can't get a good connection. I generally have to raise, lower, or curl to get good line up on all my fittings. If it absolutely won't take grease you could try removing the fitting and see if it will allow grease to pass off the loader. You could have a couple of bad fittings.

 

[Cougsfan]

On occasion I have had the same problem with different hinge pins on my Branson loader. What I do to rectify it is to loosen the bolt on the tab that holds the hinge pin in place. I then take a hammer and tap the hinge pin sideways (Just a little, maybe 1/4 or so). You don't have to hit it too hard to do that. It will usually take grease after the pin has been moved. Then you tap the pin back into place and re-tighten the tab's bolt. After that the fitting will usually take grease without having to go through that routine.
I have done the same routine on other loaders that won't take grease. It has worked when replacing the zerk fitting hasn't worked.

 

[oosik]

I have one zerk on the FEL that requires raising the arms. Then it takes grease easily.

 

[Bullwinkle123]

The default grease gun head on my device was incredibly difficult to attach to, or remove from, any of my zerks. I quickly bought a LockNLube grease gun coupler and haven't thought twice about it since.

I also had two zerks on my Kubota loader which were were straight zerks that pointed in such a way that I couldn't position the grease gun coupler on them because of other things in the way. I ordered some 45 degree zerks to replace them and now I can attach to them without any issue. I think that particular problem was maybe an oversight by my dealer, since other dealers it turns out ship with 45 degree zerks to begin with.

The only issue I have left is one zerk which is recessed so far I can't see how I'll get anything to attach to it. But hey, we wouldn't want to run out of puzzles, right?

 

[bcs001]

I'll remove the bucket and try moving / removing / rotating the pin trick and see what happens.

 

[oosik]

Bullwinkle123 - that's exactly what a needle tip was made for. They also have narrow tube tips. I call these soda straw tips.

Besides my standard tips - which by the way - can be adjusted tighter/looser to exactly fit any zerk - I have straight & angled needle tips, straight & angled soda straw tips and the somewhat less than use less LockNLube tip.

 

[bcs001]

The Grease fitting to gun tip is not the issue here because all of Branson's FEL zerks are straight on fittings. The tip on my gun can be rotated to either get a tighter or looser fit on the fitting. It works well and pretty much clicks into place and will stay put while greasing.

 

[oldnslo]

I replaced most of grease zerks on my loader because they would not pass grease even when not screwed into anything. Suspect was bad batch of zerks. On mine they were 6 mm threads