What is Cat thinking by installing skinny hex zerk fittings on equipment? The kind I can't get out because there isn't enough hex for a socket to get a hold of down in a countersink. Makes a project out of nothing :Banghead Stupid IMO
It's called a Caterpillar Design Feature - "designed to ***k you up" ........... There are many others.
Could be worse, just bought slack adjusters for the lowboy, they have pressed in zerks w/o any hex so I cant take them out to thread in my grease lines... My trailer has a row of fitting on the side so I don't have to crawl under to grease the brakes, unfortunately it doesn't have remote adjust slacks, so you still have to crawl under. I do suppose if I was bored I could drill and tap the slacks for replaceable zerks...
How about the track tensioner on a bobcat 442. Takes a special tip to pump them up with a grease gun. What a great idea so that when you throw a track on the job and you leave the tip in the shop so it doesn't get lost your screwed.
Got my head under the track , can't even see it without a mirror & flashlight, guess I'll knock the tip off with a cold chisel and drill for a EZ out IF , I can get a drill to it, all because of a *&/@#%%! wimpy fitting. It's the zerk on a D6R where the equalizer bar pins to the track frame
if you can get a drill you can reach it with a mig welder, if you can get power... just tack a nut to it an unscrew it.
Can you use a nut driver instead of a socket?
Can you hammer a 16pt socket onto the fitting and back it out? It's sort of hit or miss finding the size that works. It works for wheel lock nuts. I've never tried it on a zerk.
http://www.saeproducts.com/thread-forming-grease-fittings.html Can be had just about everywhere. Napa (for the guys who want to add zerks to their zerkless ball joints, and just plain old service replacements when the threads have been bunged up), Fastenal, Mcmaster. Alex.