Grease fittings that you can't grease

Rkh · Apr 16, 2021

I'm sure all of you have grease fitting that you can't squeeze grease into. What options do you have-i've put new grease fittings & you still can't get grease in them. I have just a standard grease gun & another grease gun with the clamp on it.

RCP · Apr 16, 2021

When I have had this problem, it is normally not the grease fitting, it can be a plug in the grease passage or a problem with the assembly. I have on occasion seen grease passages that are not drilled through or where the clearance between the moving parts is so tight that is not possible to push grease into the gap.

Rich

Buddy · Apr 16, 2021

Grease joint Rejuvenator.

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Fawteen · Apr 16, 2021

The most likely problem is hardened grease in the joint.

I've had intermittent luck with one of those impact tools for freeing up plugged zerks. I see Lincoln makes a kit that uses a screw-in ram that allows you to control the pressure better. Lincoln 5805 if you're interested.

Other than that, take the zerk out, remove what you can with a pick and squirt your favorite penetrant into the hole in hopes that it'll soften the grease.

Charlie M · Apr 16, 2021

I've had some I could warm up with a torch and get them to work but sometimes that isn't possible to do.

WAYNE-N-TEXAS · Apr 16, 2021

I bought a grease unplug er at a local auto parts house. It has a plunger , fill the tube with grease set it on the fitting, tap it lightly to the air out, then hit it. Most of the time, that's all it takes.

Mike(NEOhio) · Apr 16, 2021

Best to take out the fitting and clean out the passage. Why force the blockage, dirt, rust into what should have grease.

Jim.ME · Apr 16, 2021

(quoted from post at 07:35:10 04/16/21) I'm sure all of you have grease fitting that you can't squeeze grease into. What options do you have-i've put new grease fittings & you still can't get grease in them. I have just a standard grease gun & another grease gun with the clamp on it.
<img src=https://www.yesterdaystractors.com/cvphotos/cvphoto85234.jpg>

Options depend on what the cause of it not taking grease is.

First do you have good high pressure (10, 000 psi) grease gun to try instead of the common ones that may only be 3,000 to 4,000 psi?

I have had new fittings not pass grease. Apparently the internal clearance was such that the ball moved in and plugged the passage when grease was applied.

If the passage it self is plugged by hard grease and dirt, in beyond the fitting, cleaning the passage with a wire or small drill bit may work to open it. Depending on location heat may help. You can get Impact cleaning tools you fill with fluid (penetrating oil, oil, ATF, etc.) then put on the grease fitting and strike with a hammer to develop a very high pressure, hopefully blowing the passage open. A fluid is better as it will help soften the old material better than grease.

Sometimes you just plain have to tear things apart and manually clean everything, and pump grease through passages while it is apart.

Texasmark1 · Apr 16, 2021

Another reason may be pressure on the point of entry,like you have 2 concentric pipes and the inner one is holding up the outer one and point of contact is at the zerk. In that case jack up the outer pipe to take the pressure off the joint, or rotate one or the other to see if there is a better point of entry and then jack it up to take the pressure off.

On new equipment, since a lot of machining specs have moved from 0.001 tolerances to 0.0001 tolerances, it makes it harder to have room for grease.

On using heat, I'd not only heat the receiver but heat the grease coming out of the gun....like warming up the application coupling with something like the HF 1500 heat gun to get the grease flowing better before you try to install it.

Stephen Newell · Apr 16, 2021

Sometimes the grease dries out and sometimes it gets dirt in it which prevents them from working. You could replace the fitting or you could soak them in a solvent like gasoline or lacquer thinner for an hour or so and then put the grease gun on it. It nearly always will work then spitting out old nasty grease cleaning it out.

Steve@Advance · Apr 16, 2021

Rich, I've seen that too. Sometimes a bushing can turn in the bore misaligning the grease hole.

Forcing grease into the fitting can even make the situation worse if it crushes the bushing.

Bret4207 · Apr 16, 2021

(quoted from post at 08:45:28 04/16/21) The most likely problem is hardened grease in the joint.

I've had intermittent luck with one of those impact tools for freeing up plugged zerks. I see Lincoln makes a kit that uses a screw-in ram that allows you to control the pressure better. Lincoln 5805 if you're interested.

Other than that, take the zerk out, remove what you can with a pick and squirt your favorite penetrant into the hole in hopes that it'll soften the grease.

This is what PB Blaster was originally formulated for. It works pretty good for that.

MARK ROBKE · Apr 16, 2021

I actually just fixed a bushing that had rotated and was blocking the passage on my tractor! It happens. Mark.

the tractor vet · Apr 16, 2021

There are all kinds of ways to get a item to take grease when they get plugged and ya 'll have cover it well . BUT now today the old fun way we use to do it the safety cops , the FBI < ATF Home land Security NSA CIA and god only knows who else would be beating down your door . Back when i was a kid working for a construction company and ya had a grease fitting that stopped taking grease what we did was ( and your going to loose it here on this one ) was the fitting came out and a BLASTING CAP was stuffed in and set off ONE Bang put fitting back in and grease away all done . Everybody that has a company truck had a box of caps and if ya ran out just about every hardware store had them .

Rkh · Apr 16, 2021

Forgot to mention I take grease fittings off & put in grease gun to make sure they are free. Tried taking grease fitting off, then using air compressor, but doesnt help.

mjbrown · Apr 16, 2021

Try a Lincoln grease gun. Much higher pressure.

SVcummins · Apr 17, 2021

I use a lever action grease gun with a regular tip and thin grease itll push most of em I also have a grease buster that you put on and beat with a hammer itll push the ones the lever action gun wont . Some wont go you have to pull the pin or the part apart and drill the old grease and dirt out

Carlmac 369 · Apr 17, 2021

(quoted from post at 09:00:52 04/16/21)

(quoted from post at 07:35:10 04/16/21)

Click to expand...

Hey Jim, I just replied to your post from back in December about your Work Bull backhoe problem.

The reason I mention it here is because if you use classic view I doubt you will ever see it otherwise.

Carlmac 369 · Apr 17, 2021

(quoted from post at 17:58:21 04/17/21)

(quoted from post at 09:00:52 04/16/21)

(quoted from post at 07:35:10 04/16/21)

Click to expand...

Hey Jim, I just replied to your post from back in December about your Work Bull backhoe problem.

The reason I mention it here is because if you use classic view I doubt you will ever see it otherwise.

Click to expand...

Wait, sorry, I got the wrong guy. Carry on.

Grease fittings that you can't grease

Rkh

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RCP

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Buddy

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Fawteen

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Charlie M

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WAYNE-N-TEXAS

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Mike(NEOhio)

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Jim.ME

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Texasmark1

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Stephen Newell

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Steve@Advance

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Bret4207

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MARK ROBKE

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the tractor vet

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Rkh

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mjbrown

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SVcummins

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Carlmac 369

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Carlmac 369

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