Zerks that won't grease

[CountFred]

The loader on my tractor has not been greased in quite some time I'm guessing. I've slowly been working through maintenance and repairs since acquiring the tractor. All the zerks on the tractor itself took grease just fine, but the zerks on the loader pins won't take any.

- I've removed a few of the zerks and they feed grease, so they aren't the problem.
- I've tried applying heat to the pin area in the hopes of getting the old grease that may be crusted in there to flow.

Those are the only tricks I've been successful with in the past in getting grease flowing again, anybody have other ideas? I don't really want to start popping pins out because I'm not sure what's supporting the weight and my usual response of "We'll use the tractor to pick up heavy object X" will be an issue in re-assembly.

This is a 460 loader on a John Deere 4500 CUT, not that the model particularly matters.

 

[California]

Did you try holding the loader off the ground so the slack in the pin bushings is on the opposite side compared to when its parked?

 

[Tractor Seabee]

You may have to bite the bullet and remove the pins and clean them up. The oil passages can be fairly small and hardness grease difficult to remove. Not really that hard; block up the joint so both parts are setting on something solid. Use a piece of shaft a little smaller than the stuck pin so you do not mushroom the end. Get out the BFH and punch it out. If there is bounce in the direction of pin get a another BFH and back up the joint. I have also used a porta-power to push pins if backing can be established. You may need to soak the joint in solvent for awhile if the grease is hardened throughout the bore. I used to overhaul large industrial machinery in my younger day and encountered many of these mind challenging situations. Simple mechanics and force principles usually won the day. I have even drilled, tapped, and devised a puller adapter to use impact gear pullers.

Ron

 

[sixdogs]

You may have to bite the bullet and remove the pins and clean them up. The oil passages can be fairly small and hardness grease difficult to remove. Not really that hard; block up the joint so both parts are setting on something solid. Use a piece of shaft a little smaller than the stuck pin so you do not mushroom the end. Get out the BFH and punch it out. If there is bounce in the direction of pin get a another BFH and back up the joint. I have also used a porta-power to push pins if backing can be established. You may need to soak the joint in solvent for awhile if the grease is hardened throughout the bore. I used to overhaul large industrial machinery in my younger day and encountered many of these mind challenging situations. Simple mechanics and force principles usually won the day. I have even drilled, tapped, and devised a puller adapter to use impact gear pullers.

Ron

I would go ahead and remove them now--without using heat. Spray with penetrating oil, take the weight off the pin and get it out. I did a thread on this for a tractor I bought. All the pins looked good except one, and that was a problem. Replace any pin that needs it since they are not pricey. If OK, clean the pin and bushing, grease up and reassemble.

Here's my thread with a picture of the pin that didn't get grease. ix it now before it gets worse.
http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/attachments/368226-heres-why-you-grease-your.html

 

[CountFred]

I have not tried lifting to get at these. When I started digging into it, was while I was waiting for the hydraulic fluid to drain so I could change that. Not the best time to try lifting. Now that it's finished, and back together with clean fluid, I'll see if any of them will take grease when loaded the other way.

But, looking at those pictures... It sounds like removing the pins is the best choice for a used tractor in an unknown state.

I'm tempted to drop the landing gear and remove the front loader from the tractor to give better access for disassembly. Is that likely to make things easier or harder to keep blocked and get reassembled? My first guess is that it shouldn't make any difference, but maybe I'm missing something about how the loader rests. I'll take a look before I start removing anything, but want to hear thoughts from others out there.

 

[oosik]

I have one zerk - the same one - that will not accept grease on my loader. I found a simple solution - rotate the bucket and the zerk will now accept grease easily.

 

[crackerjack222]

I have a zerk on one of my loaders that will not take grease. After pulling the pin, I saw that the sleeve had spun and the hole in the sleeve no longer matched up with the zerk. The sleeve is hardened material and I did not have a drill bit that would drill it. Still that way.

 

[FredH]

I have multiple zerks on my loader and on the B.H. , that require the operator to rotate to a given rotation spot before they will take grease . Some are simply due to access to the zerk , others though , as mentioned before , it shifts the pressure being put on the pins to allow grease flow . I use a Lincoln air gun to make things easier .

Fred H.

 

[90cummins]

The loader on my tractor has not been greased in quite some time I'm guessing. I've slowly been working through maintenance and repairs since acquiring the tractor. All the zerks on the tractor itself took grease just fine, but the zerks on the loader pins won't take any.

- I've removed a few of the zerks and they feed grease, so they aren't the problem.
- I've tried applying heat to the pin area in the hopes of getting the old grease that may be crusted in there to flow.

Those are the only tricks I've been successful with in the past in getting grease flowing again, anybody have other ideas? I don't really want to start popping pins out because I'm not sure what's supporting the weight and my usual response of "We'll use the tractor to pick up heavy object X" will be an issue in re-assembly.

This is a 460 loader on a John Deere 4500 CUT, not that the model particularly matters.

I would remove the grease fitting and use a drill that will fit into the threaded hole and just drill in until you get hit the pin, it won't hurt to drill into the pin slightly.
This will give the grease a path to follow.
90cummins

 

[mykleh]

make sure you get all the chips out after drilling or that will make lapping compound look good...

 

[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.