Hard time with some zerks.

[Rail Dawg]

I'm having a hard time greasing some zerks on a new L3800. The tie-rod ones especially. I'm using a Lincoln manual grease gun and I tighten it correctly onto the zerk but when I pump a lot of grease comes out through the fitting and not into the zerk.

If I push real hard on the fitting and pump hard it finally "breaks through" the zerk and gets grease in.

Does anyone else have this problem? Should I simply replace the zerks?

Thanks.

 

[Bigfoot62]

Sounds like you just need to replace the coupler on the grease gun.

 

[ritschner]

Ditto on the coupler. Most auto parts stores carry them.

 

[oldballs]

There are several posts on the Kubota zerks. I don't know why but these Kubota zerks have been problematic to a number of us that have greased other cars/trucks and equipment for years. After trying several couplers in my possession, I finally settled on one that works okay. You know that the coupler has jaws that can adjust around the zerk head to hold tight. It's a pain to twist on and off for each zerk but works. As the fittings get more used the greasing works better. Mike

 

[Rail Dawg]

There are several posts on the Kubota zerks. I don't know why but these Kubota zerks have been problematic to a number of us that have greased other cars/trucks and equipment for years. After trying several couplers in my possession, I finally settled on one that works okay. You know that the coupler has jaws that can adjust around the zerk head to hold tight. It's a pain to twist on and off for each zerk but works. As the fittings get more used the greasing works better. Mike

I put the coupler in a vise to make it so it would turn. I then lock that coupler onto the zerk as tight as I can by twsiting yet it still won't pump the grease unless I mash really hard down on the coupler.

I'm listening to you guys... sounds like I should go ahead and replace the coupler and see if that's the culprit. No one suspects it's the Kubota zerks that should be replaced?

Thanks as always.

 

[Bluegill2]

I don't think it's the zerks. When everything is new, there's no room for grease and it takes a lot of pressure to get any in there.

 

[oldballs]

I don't think it's the zerks. When everything is new, there's no room for grease and it takes a lot of pressure to get any in there.

I'm with Bluegill on this. Not being an engineer, I suspect that the tolerance on these new parts is so close that only a little wear and tear will let that grease go in easily....not unless you have some high pressure commercial grease gun. When I asked my dealer about one joint on the MMM, that I couldn't get greased at all, he said to bring it into the shop. On that particular joint, I took it apart and sanded it with emery paper until it could take some with a lot of grunt. There was no grease slot in the middle of that joint. Maybe there should have been.

 

[oldballs]

And speaking of GREASE....I've never had so dam*** many messed up, greasey work clothes in all my life.:laughing: BTW...you can remove a zerk and see that it works okay...and BTW these zerks are metric in case you need some extras.

 

[RoyJackson]

And speaking of GREASE....I've never had so dam*** many messed up, greasey work clothes in all my life.:laughing:

Yeah, you'll get used to that.
Keep a good supply of rags around and carry one when you're greasing. It's a natural inclination to wipe your hands if they get grease on them...and if you don't have a rag handy, you'll use your clothes.

 

[BeezFun]

Probably not applicable to tie rod, but sometimes if an implement is in a bad position it won't take grease because the pin is fully loaded against the inside surface where the grease hole comes through. I find putting my FEL in float for example makes it easier to grease things than if I have it raised up in the air.

 

[RobertBrown]

Yeah, you'll get used to that.
Keep a good supply of rags around and carry one when you're greasing. It's a natural inclination to wipe your hands if they get grease on them...and if you don't have a rag handy, you'll use your clothes.

Isn't that what old white socks are for? I keep old white socks and put them over the pto and loader controls so they don't get grease on them and I always have a handy place to wipe a little grease off my hands. I keep one or two in the box as well, jut the right shape, long and skinny.
Sometimes the new zerks have paint that obstructs the greaseway. New zerks are easy to come-by and replace, either way....

 

[crazyal]

I would try swapping one of the hard zerks with one that the same on the tractor that grease goes into easily. If the problem moves with the zerk then replace it. If not then try to clean out the hole with a drill bit in your fingers, maybe there something in it restricting the grease.

 

[suzy]

Maybe some ice in there? I had a few that didn't want to take any grease after snowplowing for a few hours. Will try greasing in the barn before heading out in the snow next time.