Any of you old heads have a solution? Some of the zerks on my D20 aren't taking grease...I tried replacing a couple of the fittings but it didn't help. I'm running the machine a lot right now and don't want to go much longer without getting new grease on these pins. Of course, the bad ones are the hardest to get to...
I get that problem too, I use some degreaser to blast out the grease from the zerk after I removed it, I found one of those little balls that's used to hold the grease back in the zerk lodged on top of the pin, or even something like an air lock, enough hard pumps wih a high pressure gun and you can hear it crack like a fire cracker.
Take the zerk out and with a small screwdriver or a stiff piece of wire root around the hole the fitting came out of, trying to loosen up the dirt or funky grease that's still in there. Squirt some penetrating oil in there to help loosen it up as you're doing it. Maybe blow it out with some air too. Put the zerk back in and try it. It may take a couple of times but really soaking it with juice helps a lot.
You've replaced the zerks and it still won't take grease? Does grease leak out of where the zerk/grease gun fitting connect, or does the gun build pressure and it just stalls, and then you have to fight the connector back off the zerk? If it's the first, I'd replace the grease guns connector fitting. I've a pneumatic gun that'll build alot (too much?) pressure if not careful, and if it won't take grease I've always been able to persaude it after replacing the zerk, if I can get a good seal at the zerk. I've had alot of problems with the guns fittings that connect to the zerks. Other than that?:beatsme
This works sometimes but will be messy. Everytime I work with any grease I get it all over me. http://www.northerntool.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/product_6970_200130974_200130974
worse case scenario could be that your bushings have turned. then the holes dont line up. one method for this is to remove the pin and zerk, then drill through the zerk hole and through the bushing. then reassemble.
I always need a good excuse to get one of those rejuvenatory devices.
what i find works is remove the grease nipple with a socket, then take a welding rod and heat it up so it's good and red, then shove it in the whole for a few seconds. Do this a couple of times and its good as new
Have never tried the welding rod trick, one i'll have to keep i mind next time i encounter that problem.:drinkup
One thing that works for we is to use a hammer.Have someone hold a grease gun on the fitting,and smack the other end of the pin while they are pumping.This will not work in all applications.It does work well on the lower bucket pins on an ASV rc-60!
I carry an oil can,a squirt can like Plews or whatever and if you squirt engine oil or whatever you have in the squirt can on the pins they will generally start taking grease after a few applications.Sometimes it takes a day or two but that has worked for me many times over the years. Of course it does not hurt to pull the fitting and open up the hole when you can.That hot welding rod idea sounds pretty good too.Ron G
This place is incredible. New guy asks a question, gets great advice. In this situation, the even new zerks don't take grease and with a few pump strokes, the hose fitting locks onto the zerk. On one of the two zerks at the back of the blade suupport (the absolute two most impossible zerks to access) it locked on so tightly I thought for a while I'd be doing that day's work with a grease gun banging away on the top of the tracks. When the machine comes back from the current job, I'm going to inflict these remedies on those zerks. They WILL be taking grease before it goes to another job.
Leo, I had the same problem with my "old" JD 690 excavator when first servicing it after acquisition. I took about 12 zerks out and dug the old hard grease out with a drill bit. Then replaced the zerks with new ones and again tried greasing with a high pressure gun with no luck. After some head scratching the zerks were again removed. I purchased a 1/8" NPT 10,000 PSI nipple and screwed it to a 10,000 PSI quick coupling and connected the apparatus to a hand powered Enerpac. The hydraulic oil which is thinner and under extreme pressure pushed the old grease out with no trouble. The zerks were re-installed and followed by alot of grease. 100% success and no looking back.
One more thing... I think the original fittings must be metric. I bought some fittings at NAPA and the threads are the same but the fitting doesn't seat all the way down like the originals do. It makes me think the taper isn't the same and may be a metric pipe taper. Experimenting with an assortment of metric fittings from McMaster-Carr determine the size is prohibitively expensive. Anyone have a guess as to what size they are on a D20P-6?
Blocked grease fittings. Hi, R Leo. You have already received some good advice. Here is another tip that has worked for me a number of times. If the fitting is in a pin, there is often a bend in the grease canal. You can clean out the straight first part of the canal all you like with a wire or a welding rod, it will not get around the bend. In such cases, it often helps to have someone move the controls to turn the pin while you are pumping grease into it. This often forces the solidified grease and dirt beyond the bend out against the bearing surface where it it can get worn away by the rotation of the pin against the bearing. Sometimes this method will not work because the old grease is just too tight. Then you need to resort to degreasers and such like or remove the pin and clean out the grease canal physically. Sometimes also, worn metal from the pin, bush or both will block the hole. Time for new pins and bushes. I would be very surprised if the zerks on your little jigger were anything but metric and I'd guess that 10mm would be the most likely size. Hope this helps.
Ihave heated the offending pin-bushing with gun pressure on it and had success,also have used the enerpac setup.
R Leo I think you will find that they are 1/8 JPT which is the same in this case as 1/8 BPST. I think the holes will be parallel and the fittings tapered.
union4life I WOULD TRY HEATING THEM UP WITH A BUTANE TORCH,JUST STAY AWAY FROM THE FUEL TANK:my2c
R Leo......I got a D21P and some of mine will not take grease.....believe the fellow who mentioned the bushings turning is right on. I can clean out the fitting hole and see steel. Heat, rods, etc....penetrating oil and pressure...beating with hammer.....nothing works.... I decided to let 'er go and am planning to take that stuff apart one day and replace bushings with new. They were wore out when I got it....guess they wouldn't take grease for the previous owner either. It's a 21P and I went to Komatsu to check on bushings, and their book shows different work equipment on a 21P than what I have (my books does too) Anyway, the stuff on mine is listed as on a 21E ! Have no idea why? Lots of slop on mine until one day, hopefully. Good Luck Pete in MS
Please refrain from posting is all caps. It can be considered shouting and also makes it more difficult to read. Further posts in all caps will be removed. Thanks
Leo, How is that grease job going with the Komatsu?
Thanks for asking; the machine is still out on the brush job we talked about the other day. And, because of the ugly weather we've been having up here along with some health issues my stepmother has encountered, I was only able to do about 10 hrs of work all last week. I should be finishing the current job on this coming Wednesday, at which point, the iron is coming home for a while for the grease fitting work, some upgrades to the brush cab screens, additions of some brush sweeps and PM.
R Leo, the grease fittings on our Komatsu's are metric (10mm), I found a package of 8 or 10 assorted fittings at PepBoys auto parts for 5 bucks. With heat/oil/hammering/working I hope you've got those stubborn fittings to take grease MikeK
Thanks...no Pep Boys here but I'll bet our NAPA has the same thing.
An old trick I used when I suspected a fitting to be bad was to remove one like it from someplace else on the machine that I knew to be good and grease the pin or whatever needs the grease so that it does not get dried up and frozen beyond what can easily be greased when you get the new fitting. The old squirt can with oil trick has saved the day many times though. When you work for a company with careless "operators" it is common to find a machine that has not been greased in a week or more so I have been exposed to the problem quite a few times over the years.Ron G
I have a friend that has a old grease gun that is perfect for getting zerks to take,It is made to be placed on the zerk and then smacked with a hammer.He loves it and says it works great. I guess it just sends that quick blast of grease and it forces its way through the blockage,moves the pin etc.
That won't work in this situation because of the locations of some of the problem fittings. Two are right angle fittings that are back behind some structural bracing and can only be reached through a hole in the braces. Another is on the blade pivot trunnion, and is in a tight spot behind the moldboard. Thanks for the tip anyway!
i like one of them northern tools zerk busters, they work well
In my experience as stated earlier, on the most stubborn and often neglected grease points the bushing has indeed turned so there is no port for the grease to follow. Some bushings, if soft can be drilled. Others are hardened and you would have to make a decision as to replacing the bushing and pin set or heat the bushing to in effect lose its hardness and then drill out. Also, if the pin was soft enough I have drilled the pin and countersunk a grease zert in the end, depends on the application. Hope this helps.
Welcome to Heavy Equipment Forums dirtsquirt! :drinkup
Dirtsquirt, Welcome to HEF!
Hi to all , i am new here , it is good palce to exchange the infromation and to seek advice form the great team here . wish u the best . abdul
I always have pretty good luck using a small drill bit if thee is access to use it.
Any ideas on how to repair a flange bearing on a flail mower that wiill not allow grease to enter center part of bearing but only to outside of race
On the subject of the nipple of the grease gun locking on to the fitting. The nipple that locks on to the zerk is adjustable. On a new grease gun the first thing to do is loosen the nipple so you can turn it to adjust it for your particular zerk size. Try that.
Welcome to the Forums stjohnben!:drinkup
Same here, at least on the straight passages
My old post on page two of this thread still applies in my book,it has worked for me for many years,there is something about oil that softens things up so they start taking grease again.Ron G
How does a skil saw help grease fittings Hee Hee???
This can happen on Bobcats (at least the older ones) on the bucket pins. If it's not greased regularly, the bushing will turn in the pin and will not accept grease. I have taken the grease fitting out and either drilled a hole or used a punch and hammer to knock a hole in the bushing. There is a grease groove in the pin that allows you to get through the turned bushing. Probably not the correct way to do it but you can get the pin to take grease again.
Try unthreading the grease nipple, and the threading in an adapter to connect to a Porta-Power. Oil sometimes will push throught the old grease. May have to just tear everything apart and start from scratch.
The outside of the outer cage should have a grove with 2 holes which allows the grease to enter the bearings. If the bearing moves along the shaft then the grease can't get to bearing which indicates the bearing has not been assembled correctly. There should be 1 floating and one fixed bearing. You may have to strip them down to ascertain what is what but do not mix the parts of the two bearing housings(locating rings etc). The fixed bearing should be at the driven end of the shaft. Hope this helps