Loader 300 CX Grease Zerks Plugged, maybe?

[Deere Dude]

On a 2010 JD 300CX loader, there is a 1" solid round between the arms near the bucket. It has zerks on both ends that I really had to put a lot of pressure on the gun for them to work. They almost seemed plugged, I greased them maybe 30 hours ago and they seemed much better. Does that seem normal. The rest of the zerks allow grease a lot easier than these. Am I worried about nothing?

 

[k0ua]

Kubota calls for greasing loader every 10 hours of loader operation I don't know about JD. I am guessing that your grease channels may be plugged with old grease and dirt particles. Keep greasing until grease pops out around the joints. Grease much more often.

James K0UA

 

[Zebrafive]

Any time a grease zerk will not take grease it could be a problem. I would start by putting the bucket in a different postion. Maybe raise the bucket or put down pressure on it and see if that makes a difference. It could be it's just where the bucket is that it is preventing grease from flowing. Taking the weight or bind off the pivot point might help.

Pin is most likely drilled to center of pivot point then cross drilled.

 

[RoyJackson]

Any time a grease zerk will not take grease it could be a problem. I would start by putting the bucket in a different postion. Maybe raise the bucket or put down pressure on it and see if that makes a difference. It could be it's just where the bucket is that it is preventing grease from flowing. Taking the weight or bind off the pivot point might help.

Pin is most likely drilled to center of pivot point then cross drilled.

Try this first...if it doesn't help, the zerks may be clogged with some old dried up grease. Pull the zerks out and take a look. Even if you can't clean 'em up, they're pretty cheap.

 

[jenkinsph]

Good advice by all above, combining the ideas should cover your needs. I have had to change out some of the zerks over time and as Roy mentions these are cheap. Moving the loader changing positions will work sometimes. Greasing more frequently is very good advice, I do this every 10 hours on the clock.

If you can't get a zerk to take grease then get to the root of the problem and find out why and fix it. Waiting and putting off will only cost you more down the road.

 

[JD 4520]

JD also recommends lubing every 10 hours of FEL time. Easy yest important maintenance.

 

[greg_g]

Often it's just the little ball that's stuck. When I encounter a zerk that won't accept grease, the first thing I do is use a pick to free up the little ball. In my experience, nine times outa ten the fitting accepts grease after that.

//greg//

 

[Deere Dude]

Thanks for the advice. It just seemed strange that the pressure needed was about the same on both sides. Maybe I'll drop the bucket or something and try it again and see what happens.

Chuck

 

[Jamming]

Warming the zerk with a heat gun "gently" then greasing also helps. Softened grease flows even when it's old.

 

[samhudson3]

Roy is spot on...I had the exact same trouble a couple of weeks ago, pulled it out and it was full of sludge. Once cleaned and reinstalled, worked like a champ.

 

[bill1369]

Deere Dude....I also have problems with those 2 zerks on my 300CX. I just keep moving the bucket around until it will take the grease. I think when I have the bucket up in the air they don't take grease. I think the last time I did it I had the bucket on the ground with a little down pressure.

Hope this helps

 

[sunnyside360]

All good info above. Those particular grease zerks can be hard to get grease in to. I just recently replaced the rod you are speaking of on my FEL with a new one and had a heck of a time getting the old rod out because it fit so darn tight. Had to hammer it out with a 5 pound hammer and a large brass pin. The old rod had JD green paint on the ends plus it had slight wear ridges. The new rod w/o paint and no wear ridges had to be tapped in place but it was not nearly as tight as the old rod. With this rod being so tight it may help to explain why it is hard to get grease into the zerks --- especially in cold weather when grease is thick.

 

[Jamming]

Again ! Try heat :thumbsup:

 

[e scott]

Hi u all! Try using an air powered grease gun on those fittings.

 

[megaboz]

I once had someone tell me just to replace the fitting. Well, when I took out the fitting, it would take grease (just stuck the fitting in the gun), put it back in, it still wouldn't take grease.

So, as others have said, they are cheap, so I decided to replace the one. The new one took grease without issue. So my advice, replace the fitting might be the best first and easier option.

Obviously pressure keeping the grease from being taken in might cause problems, but just thought I would throw that out there.

 

[Deere Dude]

Thanks for the comments. I will try all these, or some of them anyway. Good ideas all around. Thanks.