Excess Grease

[ritcheyvs]

What does everybody do about the excess grease that oozes out when greasing the many Zerk fittings? Generally, I ignore it until it gets rally ugly or I think I'll brush against it. Then I try to wipe off the worst of it with a paper towel. What do the pros do?

 

[jem041279]

Wipe off what you can and use wd40 or diesel on rag and clean up the rest. Cleans up pretty well

 

[s219]

I haven't done anything about it, and now my work clothes are showing it. I will definitely wipe up the excess next time around. I will second the idea to use WD_40 or diesel to neatly clean up grease.

 

[kiotiken]

What does everybody do about the excess grease that oozes out when greasing the many Zerk fittings? Generally, I ignore it until it gets rally ugly or I think I'll brush against it. Then I try to wipe off the worst of it with a paper towel. What do the pros do?

The pros, or my dealer anyway, use break cleaner to take it off. They were kind enough to leave me a couple cans, that's just kind of extra service you get from an A1 dealer like Bromley Farm in Douglas Ont. :thumbsup:

 

[tractchores]

They also make gojo wipes that work pretty good.

 

[rimshot]

Those FEL's and backhoes can be a nuiscance to keep free of extra grease. I figure paper towels are cheap and I always try to keep the equipment halfway clean. Who needs to get grease on their seat after walking close to a greasee joint. Don't let it stop you from using enough of the stuff to be assured the joint is taking grease and you are flushing the dirt and moisture out. So I guess if you can't see it you are not using enough of the stuff.

rimshot

 

[Highbeam]

I first go around with a paper towel in my left hand and use my right hand to scoop out the huge amounts of grease/dirt slop into the paper towel. After the hand job I switch to paper towels to try and wipe up more. Then finally I use several diesel soaked paper towels to finish the job.

It's not that I rub clothes onto the excess grease, it is the branches and other greenery that drag across the joints to pick up and then deposit the grease all over the machine.

I have made little tiki torches out of the paper towels loaded with grease. My excess grease is seldom soft and flowing but usually quite firm and mixed with dirt.

 

[jem041279]

I will try the tikki torch thing:thumbsup:

 

[Coyote machine]

The pros, or my dealer anyway, use break cleaner to take it off. They were kind enough to leave me a couple cans, that's just kind of extra service you get from an A1 dealer like Bromley Farm in Douglas Ont. :thumbsup:

Braklean is NOT paint friendly. I wouldn't use it anywhere it could get on my tractor's paint. I would use diluted Spray Nine or other cleaner which will NOT harm paint.
Ten+ years owning/ running a foreign auto shop and no chemicals that have potential to damage paint were anywhere near a customer's painted surfaces. Use the brake cleaner ONLY on bare metal like brake rotors or suffer the consequences of paint softening, destruction.

 

[ritcheyvs]

Braklean is NOT paint friendly.

I would also be concerned about washing grease out of critical areas with break cleaner. But I like the idea of using WD-40 or Diesel, I had not thought of that. Thanks for all the good feedback.

 

[radrock]

What kind of grease do you use? At work we started using black moly. I have noticed that it does not seem to run nearly as much as regular grease. It was recommended by CAT. It is more expensive and I have started using it on my tractor and I don't think it makes as big of a mess.

 

[Kioti Tom]

What kind of grease do you use? At work we started using black moly. I have noticed that it does not seem to run nearly as much as regular grease. It was recommended by CAT. It is more expensive and I have started using it on my tractor and I don't think it makes as big of a mess.

Many aircraft manufacturers recommend black moly grease for the landing gear areas. Struts and associated parts. Usually the base grease has about 5% moly added.

 

[pickeringchris]

While we are on the topic of grease, I have tried 3 different grease gun tips and they all lock onto my zerks like there is no tomorrow. I can't get them off without unscrewing the 2 sections. I have all kinds of equipment with zerks and never had this problem before. The recessed fittings on the loader are the worse but all are terrible. Any tips would be greatly appreciated.

 

[rimshot]

While we are on the topic of grease, I have tried 3 different grease gun tips and they all lock onto my zerks like there is no tomorrow. I can't get them off without unscrewing the 2 sections. I have all kinds of equipment with zerks and never had this problem before. The recessed fittings on the loader are the worse but all are terrible. Any tips would be greatly appreciated.

=========

I agree Chris. I have tried all the barrel type couplers and they all can stick on the zerk. MY SOLUTION;I quit using them and went to a needle point. You get a needle point sitting on the end of a good lincoln pistol grip grease gun and you will cut your time in half that you used to take to lube your tractor. Don't get just any needle point replacement grease tip either. I just got a good quality lincoln needle tip with a 2 or 3" needle tip that you line up with the center spring pin in the center of the grease zerk an push in. With the pistol grip gun you can control the pressure on the grease gun tip with one hand while squeezing the pump handle with the other, It also helps to replace the steel tube on the tip of the gun with a 6-10" length of rubber hose extender.

rimshot

 

[radrock]

I think they are alway hard to get off when they are new. I just jerk them hard and they usually come off. But I wonder if you could use a little drimmel tool and grind the inside just a little. Just a though. I think a little chain saw grinder would fit right in the middle.

 

[Elcid76]

The grease gun connector can be adjusted by rotating the tip. There is a thread addressing that. Be careful with the WD-40, it is a solvent (not a lube) and if you spray where you grease you can defeat the purpose of greasing.

 

[pickeringchris]

They lock on so good if you yank you break the fitting. Don't ask me how I know that.
I've seen needle tips. Never knew what they were for. So you just press the point into the ball of the fitting?

 

[Kioti Tom]

They lock on so good if you yank you break the fitting. Don't ask me how I know that.
I've seen needle tips. Never knew what they were for. So you just press the point into the ball of the fitting?

I also know about that too. having to then get the threaded part out slows down the grease job and then you have to find the correct fitting.

Needle point tips are designed for use with the flush push in fittings. Used where you could get lines, cables etc. caught on them or just because the engineer decided it was a good idea. But, using it on a regular Zerk has become popular.

I adjust the regular fitting to have the hold I want and pull off I want.

 

[k0ua]

They lock on so good if you yank you break the fitting. Don't ask me how I know that.
I've seen needle tips. Never knew what they were for. So you just press the point into the ball of the fitting?

Chris I usually loosen the tip, push it on, and then tighten it a bit, pump in grease, then loosen it a little to get if off easily.. takes just a few seconds to do and ends all of the struggling. here is a link:

http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/oil-fuel-lubricants/222738-grease-guns-5.html

The fun begins on post 49

Or this one:

http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/owning-operating/203295-grease-gun-screwdriver.html

good luck..

James K0UA

 

[s219]

I bought a second gun recently so that I could keep two types of grease on hand -- its a JD pistol grip gun (the green one). The tip is a real bugger to get off, even when the adjustment threads are loosened all the way. I did find that I can pop the tip off the fitting much easier if I pivot the tip at an angle before pulling, but there are a couple fittings on my FEL where there's not enough space to do that. So I end up having to unscrew the tip all the way off.

Next time I have to grease, I plan to take the tip apart first and see why it's so darn stubborn. I may just buy another tip. My old grease gun was never this fussy -- in fact, I never had to fiddle with the tip threads at all on that one. It holds tight and lets go when you want it to.