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Stubborn Grease Zerks/Passages

B

Billy NY

Well-known Member
So, I had some time to work on my backhoe, maintenance etc. I came across 2 fittings that won't take grease.
1st one is the inner and upper pin on one of the stabilizer arms. Nice tight pin, not all that critical, but it'll bug me until it takes grease like it should. Same one on the other side, was really difficult and although I could pump the lever gun, it was hard, it did take some, but did not come out the sides.

The one that won't take it, I actually bent the darned grease gun handle, not thinking, ok, this is not going to go, and you can usually see the back pressure if you look closely, of course something had to give. Newer auto parts store gun, I straightened it pretty good, won't do that again LOL - idiot ! The ball and spring work on the zerk. A bit awkward to take apart but can be done.
I have not dealt with any like these in a long time, usually take whatever is apart, though not all components are so easy.
The next one is the front wheel drive axle pivot/trunnion or whatever it should be called. There is a zerk on either side, front/back. The front one will not take grease. Not so easy to take apart.

I'm wondering, is it likely the grease passage, old hard grease etc. Can they be cleared ? I'm not sure about using heat on this pivot, would have to check the parts diagram to see if any seals, gaskets, but would never use more than propane, plumbers torch, last resort, keep a fire extinguisher within reach. Ball and spring work on this zerk as well.

Like stuck or broken off bolts, wondering what y'all have done to resolve things that won't take grease.

Low hour machine, very low hours actually, everything is tight on it, especially these 2 components.
 
I?d start with taking the zerk off and cleaning out the old grease from under it. Quite often that will get them to working. Otherwise, heat may work, but likely a disassemble and clean.
 
I was finishing up servicing the lawn mower last night, and had two fittings that would not accept grease, as well. One was a front deck spindle, so I popped the whole spindle out, still nothing. I removed the fitting, the ball was there and moved okay, so I ran an awl into the spindle hole, absolutely clear. I installed a brand new Zirk, and grease flowed great! The old one must be plugged up under the ball. Think I'll try some heat on the old fitting today to see if it can be saved.
 

Billy, this is what PB Blaster was invented for- dissolving old, hard grease. I'd remove the zerks, pick around with a wire or something as much as I could and start jetting a little PB in there several times a day. Eventually you can start trying to pressure some grease in there. Once the stuff is dissolved enough you should be able to get it flowing. I've also seen people put diesel in a grease gun and try to pump that in with varying success. It's a messy job, but it will eventually work.
 
One of the dangers of forcing grease in a clogged fitting, if there is a bushing the grease has to pass through, the grease can force it's way under the bushing, tightening the bushing on the shaft, doing more harm than good.

That can happen if the bushing has turned in the housing, misaligning the grease hole.

Just have to make the decision, take it apart and see why it won't grease, or run it until something happens.
 
Billy I just went thru all of that on a ford tractor i recently purchased--most of the fittings i had to remove,put it in a vice and push the old harden grease out with the grease gun, i had heated these in place but no luck. then on a couple i had to dig out the old passage way of hard grease with a tiny screwdriver. and then on 3 pins i had to pull the pins out and clean them good before i could get them to pass grease.
 
"Newer auto parts store gun" doesn't mean much. Not all are rated the same. You should have a good 10,000 psi rated grease gun. It may help keep passages open once you get grease through them.

The gun will not solve all the problems, cleaning the fittings out is the first step. Install a new zerk, or at least check the old one while you have it out. Sometimes the impact tools you hit with a hammer will open them (Yes, there is a risk using them, your choice on trying it). Penetrating oil can be used in those as well.
 
Those kits that have an assortment of new zerks have saved me many hours. Remove replace done in 60 seconds.
 
I flatten a piece of wire just a bit then dig around in there with that . If to hard put some fuel in them or solvent in. They both work pretty well. If it is a bushing bearing I use the solvent it works better. I have also used heat though don't like to. I also just pitch the old fittings if I have to take them out. Now where can you get good fittings these days. Most look to have a flat top on the tip with a sharp looking edge on them now days.
 
Yes on that, I've had better guns, one, a keepsake from our ford tractor dealership, I use for a different grease, keepsake with one of our stickers on it. I'll see if I can get an Alemite or similar ordered, Lincoln, Plews, good name brand, right spec.
I have warned people with the old type of crawler rollers that are lubed with a volume pump like the old Alemite ones, (have a nice one myself) that a 10,000 PSI lever gun will blow out the oil seals if you over lube.

Going to try out all the suggestions later today, see what happens, good point, right tool for the job, can't argue with that.

I've used the rechargeable Lincoln on quite bit of farm equipment, 6 or 537 JD disc harrow, lots of zerks, 6620 combine, and the 315 NH baler, seemed to work great on those, I don't recall how mush pressure they will make though, hand pump probably better.
 
Never knew that about PB, have some of that on the shelf. I use a different brand for a penetrant. I'll definitely remove the zerk, see what is going on, that front axle pivot is critical, my 4630 ford/NH has the same kind of assembly, always takes grease easily. Wear that out, major repair. I did even lift the hoe up with stabilizers and bucket to reduce pressure on the assembly, moved and blocked in different positions, that often works on things like pins or lets grease take a different path, getting more to dry areas.

Nice day to be outside, once done, I've got a little work for it, thing sits most of the time, I just start it and run it around the yard 1x per week.
 
I've got some pieces of stainless steel, old electric fence wire from the 60's, I still find in the old fence lines and take every bit I find, all kinds of uses, I'll probe in there, see what happens. I'd avoid using heat as well, don't recall ever having to resort to that, usually something else works. This is an axle pivot, front wheel drive, Carraro brand on a ford 555C backhoe.
 
Billy NY,

Be careful, please. I knew a mechanic working on a fitting that did not take grease. He removed the zerk, then began to heat the pin/bushing area. It sounded like a twenty two long rifle shot when the grease let loose. He had dirt/crud/old grease injected into his face near his eyeball.

He did not lose his vision, but permanently disfigured his face. The dark spots never went away.

D.
 
I have a tool that you put gear oil or other oil and hit it with a hammer and it drives it into the fitting. Will loosen up old grease and lube it.
 
Did they ever take grease? if not do they have a bushing that is turned the wrong way so no opening for grease to get thru?
 
That?s what I do too, then spray in penetrating oil a couple 3 times then put in a new grease fitting and try again . Heat helps too but sometimes isn?t necessary. If you can leave it and spray penetrating oil over a couple of days so it has a chance to creep in and soften up the old grease it should work.
 
Might consider a mechanical pressure device as shown in this pic. By hitting the end of the device with a regular hammer or similar device..... It creates a high pressure that will clear the likely packed debris in the zert itself.

cvphoto282.png
 
Sorry jacksun65....... I did not see your post. Wasn't trying steal your idea. It is a handy item though.
 
Absolutely, will use care ! Thanks for sharing that. Always remember, heat creates pressure, were eye protection, shield yourself, find another way. I'll avoid using heat on this, I'll bet sooner or later it will give in.
 
I saw one of these tools on you tube, French company, it looked pretty good for a lot of applications, though a maintenance engineer commented not on some other kind of component. I think would be fine for any on this machine, it would flush through and you just want to make sure to clean the zerk completely before using it. Worst case, I would try it ! I'll try my other gun on it as well, that one should be higher PSI.
 

There were two grease zerks that would not flow on the bucket linkage of my JD 10A backhoe.
Took the zerks out and looked/felt around for the hole through the link down to the pin.
Discovered that at the factory somebody forgot to drill the holes through the casting.
 
I have broken a good grease gun trying to force grease in, you are not alone. Plenty of good suggestions here, I've tried many of them. I have an old pneumatic barrel top gun that must have good pressure, it will often inject grease where a hand gun will not. I have been reading your posts about the old D7 in the crawler section, I may try to contact you after the lockdown is over about my old D7 see if you might look at it and voice some opinions. Talk about that another time. Good luck.
 
They may have gotten struck by something and damaged. Remove them and insert them into the grease gun and see if you can get grease through them.
 
I have one of the tools jacksun and wingnut speak of.
After I bought my Allis D-17 I found I couldn't get grease in either front spindle.
I filled that tool with carb cleaner, hit it a few times with a hammer and it finally opened up.
 
I tried to respond last night, lost the post, here goes this morning. We had one of those on the barrel, was Wolfs Head, wish I had one of those barrels today ! I recall they could really push some grease too, like you say. I had to double back into the garage, things are a bit disorganized, the last 5 years of being so busy at work, nothing got done in there. Tools sorted, box organized, found my zerk tool ! I'll see if I can resolve it today, post back with results.

Be glad to help with your D7, I've learned a lot about them over the years, and seem to know them well enough by now. I've got quite a few books in my military technical manual collection on these and other Caterpillar tractors of the same era, which helps.
I worked in your neighborhood for 2 years, finished the job in '18, know the way to Fallsburg/Woodbourne quite well by now. Ironically, I have the time now, figures, world has gone to heck, but regardless, would be a pleasure to take a look, share what I know about them etc.
 
I watched the video on these, I'd definitely try it, looks effective, critical place to keep lubricated. If no results today, will see about ordering one. I've got another project that will be loaded with fittings likely to have the same issue.
 
Saw them demostrated at farm shows and to me usless. I was doing a loy of work on rebuilding junk machinery for resale and I just replaced every fitting, hundred or more per piece of machinery. While out id not dissambling completely would take a small screw driver and dig out the hard as a rock old grease , even used a drill bit to get it out, And many that the brass bushing was not in correct place to let grease in. All that thing could do if you got pressure was blow out the threads in greas hole or break fitting and then you would have big trouble.
 
Thanks for the response. The thing runs but is noisy, I will check the valve train and make sure all is working one day soon. Stay healthy. I'm staying real close to home myself.
 
Makes sense, hard grease is definitely no joke as I can recall some repairs that included removal of same, will take that under advisement Leroy, thanks !
 
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