uh oh...the tractor ate my grease gun

[MarshallTractor]

Well, the tractor won't let go at least. I'm using a new pistol pump manual grease gun for the first time. Yes, can you believe my tractor only has 11 hours on it after 4 months of use. Anyway, this is my first time using a grease gun ever.

I first tried greasing a couple of zerks on the 3pt hitch and was successful. Then I moved onto the loader. It's an Kubota LA302 loader (just because I don't know of all loaders are built the same way) and I was attempting to grease the pivot point on left side, near the top of the loader at the rear (near the operator). To access the zerk, you need to go through a hole in the loader frame. So I push the gun onto the zerk. It needed a little force for some reason but that didn't worry me because the gun didn't slip onto any of the other zerks easily either.

Now I can't get it off no matter how I pull and twist. Can anyone give me advice? If the solution is obvious, forgive my lack of tractor experience /forums/images/graemlins/crazy.gif

Thanks.

 

[Junkman]

When problems like this arise, the old adage of "don't force it, get a bigger hammer" apply. The fitting on the end of the grease gun is new and probably just slightly tighter than it should be. I would just exert more force and it should fall off then. I could give you a "smart Aleck answer" and suggest that you grease it, but I guess that it might not go over too well this morning. I know how frustrating a simple thing such as this can be. The worse that can happen is that the hose will bread and then you will need to use a pair of needle nose vice grips to grab it and pull. Hopefully that won't happen. If there is any way to get a small screwdriver between the nipple and the hose end, you can pry it loose. I have had this happen in the past and have never broken anything by brute force being applied. That is either because I didn't have enough brute force to use or the hose gave up before I damaged anything. Sometimes you are in a position where there is no alternative to brute force and I believe that this is going to be one of those occassions........ Junk...

 

[PineRidge]

Junk has given you some good advice. I have had that same problem and on one occasion I even pulled the Zerk fitting out when I pulled sharply on the grease gun hose. My wife was standing close by and heard me curse and asked me what was wrong. When I explained to her that the hose was locked into the Zerk fitting she told me to turn the water hose on it.......... /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif I really don't think that's a feasible solution however.

 

[MarshallTractor]

Thanks Junk & Pine. I don't have the hose on the business end of the gun but a solid metal barrel. I'll give it another tug when I get home. I was afraid of yanking the zerk off, but I guess I could figure out how to fix it. I was also afraid of pulling so hard, breaking the gun or zerk, falling backward with grease flying everywhere in the garage and then having to explain why I didn't change out of my "job" clothes before I decide to grease the tractor. /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif

MT

 

[Soundguy]

Use a screwdriver (flat blade) to lever the nose of the gun away from the loader frame/zerk.

Soundguy

 

[Junkman]

There are two types of Zerk fitting now days that look alike. One is just tapped into a drilled hole and the other is threaded into the tapped hole. I have also seen some that are designed to cut their own new threads when being inserted. If the Zerk pulls out, it isn't the end of the world. If it is tapped, then you will just need to get a replacement and hope that the threads aren't damaged. If the threads are damaged, it is easy to repair them or you could use one of the "drive in" Zerk's. This is a time issue, not a difficult one. There isn't the worry of damage by rethreading like there would be with a part on an engine. The worse thing that can happen is that it will require some disassembly to get to it, but that end of the tractor isn't rocket science, so the average home owner can do it without much difficulty with standard tools. Just remember we are here for you if you need us and we can walk you through any difficulty given enough time. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

PS... before I forget, the tractor manufacturers use either Metric or USS threads for the Zerk's, depending on the brand and where it is manufactured. You might have to remove a good one to know which it is, or ask the dealer. He will probably just give you one to replace it with.....

 

[markct]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( why I didn't change out of my "job" clothes before I decide to grease the tractor.
)</font>

i always make sure to change into my job clothes before i grease anything /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif, of course i pretty much always wear work clothes, my gf cant understand why everywheres we go i wear dickies work pants, i tell he there comftorable and ya never know when your gona get dirty, like when your driving along and happen to see the perfect old greasy whatever at a tag sale, cant run home and change into work clothes!

 

[Junkman]

That is how I lost a very wonderful girl friend over 35 years ago and I have never forgotten it. Now I know better... I carry a jump suit in the trunk... Remember the old advertising slogan, "clothes make the man"??????

 

[Wannafish]

"I could give you a "smart Aleck answer" and suggest that you grease it"
Junkman...you slay me. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

Another alternative may be to actuate the cylinder the zerk is attached to. This may relieve sufficient pressure from the grease to allow the gun to be removed.
BE CAREFUL - The zerk may rotate out of the area of the hole in the loader frame. The zerk could break if it goes too far.
That would solve the first problem... /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif /forums/images/graemlins/mad.gif /forums/images/graemlins/crazy.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[markct]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( That is how I lost a very wonderful girl friend over 35 years ago and I have never forgotten it. )</font>


yea luckly my gf doesnt mind getting greasy as long as she is dressed for it, when we first met i hadnt thought she would ever have any interest in anything country or tractor related, she had lived in suburbia and never been on a tractor in her life, but she did like animals, works for a vet office, so she realy liked the goats and ducks, and much to my surprise has taken a real interest in learning about all the metalworking and fixing type stuff i do, like she was the one who did alot of the grinding on my root rake parts, and when it came time to get the giant dent outa the half inch thick plate on the top of the dozer she was more than willing to hold the oxyacetalene torch on the front side while i held our huge propane torch on the back side and then i would beat the heck outa it with the hammer, took a few times but got it nice and straight so could weld on my mounting brackets, it sure was nice tho to have a helper rather than trying to set down the oxacetelene torch everytime

 

[tillerkiller]

If you look on the grease gun end you will usually see that the fitting is actually two seprate parts that are screwed together in the middle. If you unscrew it a little then it won't put a death grip on your zerks. I doubt that you can unscrew it with it stuck on a zerk but maybe you can unscrew the zerk and the gun together, then loosen the grease fitting on the end of the gun so that the zerk will pop out. I have been where you are and it is no fun /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif

 

[tillerkiller]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( I doubt that you can unscrew it with it stuck on a zerk )</font>

Note that you _can_ unscrew the two parts of the fitting while it is on a zerk, I assumed that you can't get to the two halves because of where it is stuck. If you can get to the two halves then this is your solution.

 

[MarshallTractor]

Thanks TK. Had no idea the end of that grease gun barrel worked that way. I wish the instructions were better. But, this is how we learn things. At least I have you guys.

 

[btolle]

I think I can visualize the situation since I have some grease fittings like that on my Kubota loader.

If you can't pull it off by hand you might try clamping a pair of vise grips on the metal pipe of the grease gun as close to the loader as you can. Then you can use a large screwdriver for leverage between the loader and the vise grips to get a stronger pull on the grease gun.

The other suggestion is if you have any room to "wobble" the grease gun around you might try that while pulling on it. Changing the angle a little often helps to pull the grease gun off the zerk fitting when it is stuck.

Bill Tolle

 

[Deerlope]

The end of most grease guns are adjustable as to how much tension or how tightly they grip the fitting. Sometimes it is possible to do a couple of 360's with the gun and that will releive the tension.

 

[BGL990]

The same thing happened to me the first time I greased my loader. For the upper pivot pins on my loader (JD 430) you need to put the grease gun through a hole in the upright mast to get at the zerk. The zerk itself is attached to the loader arm and therefore moves when you raise or lower the loader. After carefully lining up the zerk with the hole and greasing it, I couldn't get the gun off. Just GENTLY and SLOWLY raise or lower the loader a tiny bit until the end of the grease gun is at an angle on the zerk. Should pop off easier. Of course you need to be careful not to move things too much and bend the gun or rip the zerk off.

Thinking about it, it isn't easy to pull my grease gun straight off any of the zerks, but without having to go through the hole for the others, it is just sort of instinctive to angle the gun over and twist it off without really thinking about it. Took me a couple minutes to realize this the first time.
/forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif

 

[tracdoc]

Just amazing what I have learned on this Forum. I too, just got a new grease gun, and have been wrestling with it to get it off the zerks. Now I know what to do.

Thanks folks...