Grease Couplers for FEL

[Dmorf]

The zerks on my MT345he FEL are recessed. I've tried using multiple brands of the lock n lube style couplers, but they're barely too fat to fit in the hole. I filed one down, and it barely fits, but if there's any left over grease in the recess, it won't go in far enough. Has anyone else had this problem? Any tips? I've had to switch back to a Lincoln coupler because they aren't as fat, but they put me in a bad mood.

I'm thinking about using an annular cutter to widen the recesses.

 

[Bearsixty7]

The zerks on my MT345he FEL are recessed. I've tried using multiple brands of the lock n lube style couplers, but they're barely too fat to fit in the hole. I filed one down, and it barely fits, but if there's any left over grease in the recess, it won't go in far enough. Has anyone else had this problem? Any tips? I've had to switch back to a Lincoln coupler because they aren't as fat, but they put me in a bad mood.

I'm thinking about using an annular cutter to widen the recesses.

I had the same issue. I switched to Macnaught KYPLUS Safety Locking Grease Coupler
and they fit.

 

[Bobrown14]

I had the same issue. I switched to Macnaught KYPLUS Safety Locking Grease Coupler
and they fit.

I switched to that exact coupler and it malfunctioned and the result was a broken coupler and and broken off nipple on my zerk.

Good news was that Macnaught sent me out a replacement free of charge and free shipping.

Bad news is having a huge issue finding the right size zerk to replace the old on. After several trips to tractor supply in town no love. I ordered several in the size I thought was correct with no love. Finally I think I got the right size 10mm not sure of the thread size yet but with the tight recess how do I install the new zerk?

Thinking I gotta get a thin walled 10mm socket that is deep and then figure out a way to get it going into the hole. Maybe there's a spacer I can add to the socket to keep it out far enough to grab the threads. Whata pita. Bad enough getting the correct size zerk then not being able to install it.

I get the reason for resessing the zerks - working in brush etc its very handy as long and nothing goes wrong.

I also tried many couplers and the one I found the easiest to work with was the Macnaught but it malfunctioned. Can win for loosing.

Anyone have a handy tip for installing zerks in recessed fittings??

 

[Dmorf]

I had the same issue. I switched to Macnaught KYPLUS Safety Locking Grease Coupler
and they fit.

Thank you very much!

 

[Dmorf]

I switched to that exact coupler and it malfunctioned and the result was a broken coupler and and broken off nipple on my zerk.

Good news was that Macnaught sent me out a replacement free of charge and free shipping.

Bad news is having a huge issue finding the right size zerk to replace the old on. After several trips to tractor supply in town no love. I ordered several in the size I thought was correct with no love. Finally I think I got the right size 10mm not sure of the thread size yet but with the tight recess how do I install the new zerk?

Thinking I gotta get a thin walled 10mm socket that is deep and then figure out a way to get it going into the hole. Maybe there's a spacer I can add to the socket to keep it out far enough to grab the threads. Whata pita. Bad enough getting the correct size zerk then not being able to install it.

I get the reason for resessing the zerks - working in brush etc its very handy as long and nothing goes wrong.

I also tried many couplers and the one I found the easiest to work with was the Macnaught but it malfunctioned. Can win for loosing.

Anyone have a handy tip for installing zerks in recessed fittings??

Try stuffing paper towels or cotton balls or something into a deep socket to keep the nut/zerk at the tip of the socket. Can also coat the zirk with grease to keep it from falling out of the socket. Basically need to rig up a 10mm sparkplug socket...

 

[brewatthebeach]

I use a Lock-n-Lube grease gun, but recently got their accessory kit for some of the hard-to-reach fittings on my FEL and BH.

LockNLube 8-Piece Quick-Connect Greasing Accessory Kit

Quick-Connect Greasing Accessory Kit. Reach any grease fitting on any machine!Eight quick-connect adapters allow access to hard-to-reach grease fittings. As seen on TruckU on the Motortrend Channel! Includes: Simple 90° Adapter Push-On 90° Adapter 90° Grease Coupler Adapter Narrow Needle Regular...

locknlube.com

 

[Dmorf]

I use a Lock-n-Lube grease gun, but recently got their accessory kit for some of the hard-to-reach fittings on my FEL and BH.

LockNLube 8-Piece Quick-Connect Greasing Accessory Kit

Quick-Connect Greasing Accessory Kit. Reach any grease fitting on any machine!Eight quick-connect adapters allow access to hard-to-reach grease fittings. As seen on TruckU on the Motortrend Channel! Includes: Simple 90° Adapter Push-On 90° Adapter 90° Grease Coupler Adapter Narrow Needle Regular...

locknlube.com

Are any of the fittings in that kit narrower than the regular locknlube and able to lock onto a zerk?

 

[WinterDeere]

I hate these modern recessed zerks used on so many loader pins now. Folks thought I was crazy when I claimed it took me longer to grease my loader (14 zerks?) than to change my oil. I had a chance to time myself doing both just last month, and it was 18 minutes average per machine (3 cars + tractor + mower) for the oil+filter changes, and something like 21 minutes to grease the loader. Like the OP, my main challlenge has been cleaning the recessed zerks of sawdust and wood chips (tractor is used mostly for firewood processing), before applying the grease gun fitting. It was much easier when the zerks stuck out the side of the pin (like the old tractor in my avatar), where you could do a simple and quick wipe with a paper towel, before pushing the grease gun hose onto the fitting.

But there may be another solution. I have a grease gun needle, that has been handy for greasing zerks put on small steel caster axles, where a standard grease gun fitting won't go. I'm thinking that may be the key for the loader, as it simply pushes into the ball-bearing center of the zerk, no outside capture:

https://www.amazon.com/Lincoln-Lubrication-5803-Grease-Needle/dp/B0002SR6XE/ref=asc_df_B0002SR6XE?tag=bingshoppinga-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=80333123589171&hvnetw=o&hvqmt=e&hvbmt=be&hvdev=c&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=&hvtargid=pla-4583932709121434&psc=1

 

[Cycledude]

Those fittings they put on loaders these days look great……….until you attempt to add grease, my regular grease gun tips won’t fit so I bought one of those small grease guns from Harbor Frieght, it fits ok but the refill tubes cost way to much and seems like every time I want to use it the tube is empty. Maybe they sell different and better grease gun tips and guns in different countries for reasonable prices ? I already own a couple Lock N Lube tips they work great for fittings that are out in wide open spaces but are useless for tight spaces and I don’t think I will ever be spending any more money on Lock N Lube stuff.

 

[5030]

McNaught for me too and I'll blow out the recesses with my pressure washer before greasing.

 

[LS Tractor Owner]

You'll never find the correct zerks at TSC.... they are BSPT (British standard pipe thread). I t was real easy for my dealer to mail me a couple of each size used on the LS.

I have broken many a zerk over the years..... until I got these extras from the dealer.... haven't broken one yet on the tractor, going on 4 years now.

I don't know if they enlarged the holes on my loader (LL3300), but the 'long' locknlube fits easily on my loader......

 

[brewatthebeach]

I use a Lock-n-Lube grease gun, but recently got their accessory kit for some of the hard-to-reach fittings on my FEL and BH.

LockNLube 8-Piece Quick-Connect Greasing Accessory Kit

Quick-Connect Greasing Accessory Kit. Reach any grease fitting on any machine!Eight quick-connect adapters allow access to hard-to-reach grease fittings. As seen on TruckU on the Motortrend Channel! Includes: Simple 90° Adapter Push-On 90° Adapter 90° Grease Coupler Adapter Narrow Needle Regular...

locknlube.com

Yes. There is one that has a screwing lock mechanism that I use to get to the burried zerks on my machine. There is also a needle type fitting for extreme situations that can work with zerks. All of the items in the kit have fittings that attach to the standard lock n lube fitting, so you don't need to modify your gun.

 

[Avenger]

I have the long reach lock-n-lube on my grease gun. It works well enough, better than the end that came with it. However, like the OP stated, the fit into the recessed pins can be very tight. Fortunatly, only the 4 pins on the very end of my loader were tight. I could barely squeak the lock-n-lube in there. I decided to hone out that recessed part. I though about pulling the pins, taking them up to my neighbors machine shop, and boring them out on the lathe. Just a few thousandths would be all. But that seemed like overkill.

Instead of removing the pins and using a lathe, I simply removed the zerks, cleaned the recessed portion really well, and used my Dremel tool with grinder drum to remove a bit of material. It took me a bit of doing, but now the lock-n-lube fits like the rest of pins, snug but easy enough to get in and out.

 

[WinterDeere]

Instead of removing the pins and using a lathe, I simply removed the zerks, cleaned the recessed portion really well, and used my Dremel tool with grinder drum to remove a bit of material. It took me a bit of doing, but now the lock-n-lube fits like the rest of pins, snug but easy enough to get in and out.

Maybe okay, assuming they're always slathered in grease, but are you concerned about having removed all the plating which protects the pin from the elements? Around here, tractors rust indoors, due to our high-humidity spring days when everything in a shed or barn is dripping with water.

 

[Avenger]

Maybe okay, assuming they're always slathered in grease, but are you concerned about having removed all the plating which protects the pin from the elements? Around here, tractors rust indoors, due to our high-humidity spring days when everything in a shed or barn is dripping with water.

Nope! I am not concerned about removing plating from the inside radius of the recessed pin do to corrosion. It would take a LOT of corrosion to make the pin head unusable. And if you're really worried about it, paint it.

With our seasons, we have rust too. I'm not near the coast, so I don't have to worry about salt in the air, but even if I did, this would still be a non-issue for me. Those recesses are slathered in grease, but that is no excuse or protectant against corrosion. I never did paint mine, nor do I intend to. I just simply do not care enough about a bit of surface rust in the recessed area.

 

[oosik]

I got a Lock-N-Lube to go on my DeWalt battery powered grease gun. THEN I found that the L-N-L would not fit ANY of the recessed zerks on the FEL, grapple, tractor or rear blade. I said to hell with it and went back to the standard fitting that came with the DeWalt.

 

[MTGreen]

I switched to that exact coupler and it malfunctioned and the result was a broken coupler and and broken off nipple on my zerk.

Good news was that Macnaught sent me out a replacement free of charge and free shipping.

Bad news is having a huge issue finding the right size zerk to replace the old on. After several trips to tractor supply in town no love. I ordered several in the size I thought was correct with no love. Finally I think I got the right size 10mm not sure of the thread size yet but with the tight recess how do I install the new zerk?

Thinking I gotta get a thin walled 10mm socket that is deep and then figure out a way to get it going into the hole. Maybe there's a spacer I can add to the socket to keep it out far enough to grab the threads. Whata pita. Bad enough getting the correct size zerk then not being able to install it.

I get the reason for resessing the zerks - working in brush etc its very handy as long and nothing goes wrong.

I also tried many couplers and the one I found the easiest to work with was the Macnaught but it malfunctioned. Can win for loosing.

Anyone have a handy tip for installing zerks in recessed fittings??

I used a deep socket with a spacer inside that kept the fitting straight to start the threads. I think I used a plastic pen cap that I cut to size with a razor blade knife. I suppose a bit of rubber vacuum hose might work as well

 

[Topzide]

Use a regular grease gun tip, just don't wrench it tight onto the gun hose. That way you can loosen the tip and release the pressure to remove from fitting. Since putting this trick into play, makes greasing equipment much easier and haven't broken a fitting! Or just replace zero with the ball type fitting and use a rubber tip to insert grease. Just remember to wipe all the crud out first.

 

[oosik]

Replace recessed grease zerks. Thin wall - deep socket. I cram paper towel into the socket to bring the zerk up to the face of the socket.

 

[WinterDeere]

Use a regular grease gun tip, just don't wrench it tight onto the gun hose. That way you can loosen the tip and release the pressure to remove from fitting. Since putting this trick into play, makes greasing equipment much easier and haven't broken a fitting!

I thought everyone did this? It's the only way I've ever used them.

Or just replace zero with the ball type fitting and use a rubber tip to insert grease. Just remember to wipe all the crud out first.

Therein lies the problem. I spend 4x more time wiping the stupid crud out of the recessed zerk counterbore, than actually greasing anything.