Zerks that won't grease

[bspeedy]

I've had good luck with a product from Loc Tite called 'Freeze & Release'. It's basically a penetrant spray that rapidly cools the item being sprayed.

My method:

Remove grease fitting, dig hardened grease out of fitting, get grease to flow to grease fitting, set aside.
Use dental pick or other small tool to pick away hardened grease down to the surface of the pin.
Spray penetrant into the hole and allow to penetrate. Also may be helpful to spray penetrant around edges of the joint, anywhere it can enter the area between pin and bushings.
Re-install grease fitting and apply grease with grease gun.
Grease regularly!

I have had a better than 90% success rate with this method without removing pins. Of course, removing pins will allow you to see if they are damaged, but it's a pain in most cases.

Good luck.

 

[California]

... the zerks on the tractor itself took grease just fine, but the zerks on the loader pins won't take any.

Are the problem pins down where the arms meet the bucket and/or at the ends of the hydraulic cylinders?? Its not difficult to remove and replace those pins if you take them out to investigate - at least on account of alignment.

The pins where the arms connect to the tractor are more difficult because the arms need to be supported to remove those. Hopefully you don't have a problem with those. They are up out of the dirt, so less likely to be contaminated or worn.

Removing problem pins will let you check if a spun bushing is blocking the grease path.

 

[Cord]

I have a tool that will inject penetrating oil to open up the zerk. You spray a little oil into a chamber and then insert a piston. Put the tool on the offending zerk and smack it a couple of times with a hammer. Works pretty good. Alemite makes it.

 

[David_Kb7uns]

Got an Alemite 339841 Zerk-Mate Grease Fitting/Joint Cleaner and keep it handy, just fill with light oil and wack hard with the hammer. Have only had to pull one pin out on the backhoe to unclog, everything else on the loader and all the tool blasted out. Performance Tool has one Zerk Zapper is another but I think the Alemite is the best.


Alemite 339841 Zerk-Mate Grease Fitting/Joint Cleaner: Hydraulic Hose Fittings: Amazon.com: Industrial & Scientific


David

 

[sixdogs]

But after you get a stuck fitting and grungy loader pin going, shouldn't you take that loader pin out and clean it out? It would seem that the rusty gunk left behind combined with the grease would act like an abrasive paste to further and continually damage the pin? I don't know but that's what I think and what I have done before.

 

[David_Kb7uns]

My pins were never rusty, just dried hard grease, once I got it unplugged pumped with grease gun until fresh grease came out both ends and then moved joint and greased again. If they are rusted then you really have problems with meeting the 10-15 hour greasing schedule.



David

 

[Fallon]

The grunge crust is usually outside of the pin & bushing where all the grease gets pushed out. If you have contaminants & grit on the bearing surfaces you haven't been greasing often enough. A bit of dried grease shouldn't damage a loader pin unless it's contaminated with some kind of grit.

 

[DJ54]

I've had a lot of success with digging out the hole, the put penetrant in the hole, re-insert the zerk, and pump grease in. Some are tough to get started, just keep pressure on it, and you'll feel it giving way. It normally will push anything out as far as rust & gunk. Grease in different positions, & frequently for a while. I has to be better than nothing at all.

 

[Looking4new]

Before I panic, I have been known to get someone else to flex the offending joint while I pound the grease to the fitting. That is if unloading the weight off the pin doesn't work. 2nd last resort is to replace the fitting. I have lots. Last resort it to pull the pin out and clean, but if you cant get grease in then more than likely the pin will be hard to get out. Think seized here.

 

[sixdogs]

A stuck fitting on my equipment is rare because I grease frequently, but if I buy a tractor with a stuck loader fitting, I'll get it greased and after it works for a while take the pin out and clean out the hole and the pin. Every time I do, there is gunk I remove that I'm glad I removed before it caused other issues. The hard grease isn't the problem so much as the grit that gets attracted to grease and can work it's way into the fitting from neglect.