Ever wonder how you did that?

   / Ever wonder how you did that? #1  

jfh28

Platinum Member
Joined
Sep 27, 2005
Messages
586
Location
Poconos, PA
Tractor
Power Trac 2425
So I'm doing my 8 hour grease.........on my pt I have 22 grease points.........except when I'm done I've only counted 20 and I've run out of tractor......so I go back to see where I missed two and come across this........sheared two of the zerks right off.......I can't even explain how I could have done it as the location isn't at a place that would be contacted normally when digging but obviously I hit something........so now I've got to get the remnants out so I can install new zerks.......extractor tool just arrived from amazon today......any tips before I have a go at it?......Jack
 

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   / Ever wonder how you did that? #2  
I'd be very tempted to start with a left-hand drill, maybe 3/16 or so. There is a very good chance that the bit will catch instead of cut and walk the whole rest of the zerk right on out for you. Based on 1. the threads are already full of grease, so lubricated and protected from rust, and 2. it was busted off by a side impact, not by trying to turn it while rusted in, so the odds of the threads actually being free to turn once you can get it to spin are pretty good. I'd also try spinning it with a punch or small chisel. Maybe even see if you can get it to spin by lightly jamming a small screwdriver in it.

I prefer left hand drills over most ez-out type things, since they do not wedge inside the hole and jam the fastener tighter, and if it doesn't walk the fastener out, it still drills a hole (though you do have to tighten your chuck more often).

My brother had some extractors that were not tapered, they had very small hardened fins on the sides to just catch the sides of a drilled hole when you drove them into place with a hammer, but I don't know where he got them. This design also let him rock the fasteners, and did not require him to turn them all one way for that wedging action to get them free. Rocking back and forth (like when cutting threads) rather than just keep applying more and more pressure in one direction seems to be one of those things that really helps for rusty stuff.
 
   / Ever wonder how you did that? #3  
Welcome to the club. I'm impressed that you count your grease points- that is a great idea. My method is to start on one side, and work my way around doing each end of a cylinder to make sure that I don't miss.

As a member of the club, I have a zerk extractor. Works like a charm. These are easy compared to sheared bolts.

Out of curiosity, what grease are you using?

All the best,

Peter
 
   / Ever wonder how you did that? #4  
I 2nd the left hand bits. I used to be a toolmaker in a large plant, and I've taken out a lot of broken bolts. The hardened ones, are obiously the hardest, or a tap. There are dedicated tap extractors that make that easier.
 
   / Ever wonder how you did that? #5  
Good to see that I was not the only one to shear those same zerks off. I jammed a small punch in them and they walked right out.
 
   / Ever wonder how you did that?
  • Thread Starter
#6  
Welcome to the club. I'm impressed that you count your grease points- that is a great idea. My method is to start on one side, and work my way around doing each end of a cylinder to make sure that I don't miss.

As a member of the club, I have a zerk extractor. Works like a charm. These are easy compared to sheared bolts.

Out of curiosity, what grease are you using?

All the best,

Peter

I believe the latest in the gun is mobil 1.........Jack
 
   / Ever wonder how you did that?
  • Thread Starter
#7  
well that didn't work........tried the extractor first and it wouldn't budge......in fact it stripped the tip off on the extractor......then went to the punch and no go and then tried screw drivers hex wrenchs and anything else I could get in for a tight fit........but at the moment I still have two sheared zerks firmly wedged inside......guess I will go searching for the left handed drill bits next........there's also a rubber tipped adapter for grease guns I saw to use for when there isn't a zerk that could always be a fall back option.......Jack
 
   / Ever wonder how you did that? #9  
Are they even threaded? Since they make "drive in" zerks as well as the threaded ones...do all the rest of the zerks on the machine have wrench hexes? Or just round?
 
   / Ever wonder how you did that?
  • Thread Starter
#10  
they are all wrench hexes.......I took one out from another part of the machine to make sure and it's threaded.........I'm wondering because of how they sheared off below the hex that I must have hit them pretty good and maybe it distorted whats left inside which is why they are so stubborn to get out........Jack
 

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