FEW curl pins clogging

oosik · Aug 2, 2018

I simply can't wrap my old mind around your problem. I have an FEL - it has a grapple attached now - I've got one zerk that requires that the grapple be rotated slightly so the zerk will accept the grease. What I can't understand - what pins are you removing and cleaning?? Don't you just wipe off the zerks and hit them with the grease gun??

Maybe a picture or two........

duffer · Aug 3, 2018

As requested, here are a few pics.

The first one is a long view of the curling mechanism for the bucket. Obviously I lost the bottom pin, but the pivot pin above my clevis pin, is exactly the same for the bucket.

The 2nd pic is a close up of the outside of the pin itself. The zerk is in the middle of the pin itself, not on the outside of the sleeve, and there is a horizontal canal in the pin to allow grease to flow from the zerk to the mid point of the pin and then another canal that intersects and goes to the outside of the pin, within the housing where the hydraulic cylinder mounts. (so the canal is in the shape of an "L") The canal that goes from the outside of the pin, into the center canal is what is clogging up.

The 3rd pic shows the backside of the pin, with the shear pin/bolt to hold the pin in place. (as you can see, I leave a fair amount of grease/dirt "cap" on the outside of the housing to protect it from additional dirt getting in)

I use a DeWalt power grease gun. Same one my excavator used on his bulldozer and trackhoe when he did some work for me. Puts out plenty of grease, and with sufficient power.

Hope that clarifies things a little.

SPYDERLK · Aug 3, 2018

duffer said:
As requested, here are a few pics.

The first one is a long view of the curling mechanism for the bucket. Obviously I lost the bottom pin, but the pivot pin above my clevis pin, is exactly the same for the bucket.

The 2nd pic is a close up of the outside of the pin itself. The zerk is in the middle of the pin itself, not on the outside of the sleeve, and there is a horizontal canal in the pin to allow grease to flow from the zerk to the mid point of the pin and then another canal that intersects and goes to the outside of the pin, within the housing where the hydraulic cylinder mounts. (so the canal is in the shape of an "L") The canal that goes from the outside of the pin, into the center canal is what is clogging up.

The 3rd pic shows the backside of the pin, with the shear pin/bolt to hold the pin in place. (as you can see, I leave a fair amount of grease/dirt "cap" on the outside of the housing to protect it from additional dirt getting in)

View attachment 565291 View attachment 565292 View attachment 565294

I use a DeWalt power grease gun. Same one my excavator used on his bulldozer and trackhoe when he did some work for me. Puts out plenty of grease, and with sufficient power.

Hope that clarifies things a little.

Are the pins grooved? ... IOW, does the small part of the L shape come out to a smooth pin surface or to a circumferential groove on the pin.

A groove would help but I dont recommend it. Iv had several pins at the bucket crack at the groove and replaced them with solid pins to prevent this.

If you want to preserve through pin lube with as much effectiveness and durability as possible, I think you should grind a smooth shallow flat at the exit hole. Be sure to de burr the hole exit well to inhibit eventual initiation of cracks in use.

Also, are you aware of the grease ram? Im not sure of the correct name but it holds about 2cc of grease driven by a piston that you drive with a hammer blow. This gives a huge pressure pulse and can usually clear a clog. . . Theyre simple and inexpensive.

ruffdog · Aug 3, 2018

So you have the zerk on the end of the pin, then you have the blind center hole in the center of the pin. Then you would have the cross hole at mid point to lube the end of the cylinder or area that needs lube. Does that cross hole go all the way through the pin or does it just go half way to the center feed hole? If it is only half way, it would help to drill through the pin. Sometimes, the pressure on the loader would be right at the cross hole location making it difficult to push grease through. As stated above, a groove would also do the same thing. I would make a shallow groove around the pin by using a dremel stone. To help from future cracking, be sure to make the grind marks (scratches) length wise on the pin, not in the direction going around the circumference of the pin. (spin the pin while the side of the stone makes the groove)

oosik · Aug 3, 2018

Duffer - pic worth 1K words - thanks. So you are having dirt somehow get in the grease channel that is cut into the pin and causing it to become plugged. You are not able to clear the plugged channel with your DeWalt powered grease gun. Your situation is almost identical to what I have - my FEL combined with my grapple has both end of pin zerks and middle of sleeve zerks.

I wonder how dirt is finding its way into the grease channel - that would be my first suggestion. Figure out how dirt is getting in there and do whatever it takes to stop it. 36+ years out here rooting around in the dirt with my tractors and I've NEVER had a problem such as that.

If you correct the - "dirt getting into the grease channel" situation and your grease gun still will not clear the channels. I would go to a "softer" grease and try that. Also the grease ram SpyderLk talks of could clear the channels.

I do have one "sleeve grease zerk" that will not accept grease until I rotate the FEL a slight amount. Then the zerk willingly takes on grease. I have removed one "end of pin zerk" pin and the grease channel surfaces in the center of the pin and has a slight channel cut in the pin - radiating out from the hole about half an inch in each direction - toward the ends of the pin. This channel is so very slight - it is more "visual" than actually much of a slice in the pin surface.

Bottom line - - you must determine what in the world you are doing that makes the dirt get into the grease channels. I would say your situation is certainly not normal.

duffer · Aug 3, 2018

ruffdog said:
Does that cross hole go all the way through the pin or does it just go half way to the center feed hole? If it is only half way, it would help to drill through the pin. Sometimes, the pressure on the loader would be right at the cross hole location making it difficult to push grease through.

I thought about doing that, but didn't want to compromise the strength of the pin. (no grooves on mine). I like that idea better than grinding my own groove around the perimeter of the pin. I think it would definitely weaken it, and as one other poster stated, he's broken a few that had the factory groove machined into it. And I lift a lot of heavy stuff, so I don't want to test the tinsel strength of the pin if I don't have to.

Thanx to all for the ideas.

FWIW, I ordered a new pin from the dealer...$32, and he can't tell me if it includes the zerk or not.

Egon · Aug 4, 2018

Change grease and apply more often.

You could also drill another hole to the pin center but away from the present hole.

SPYDERLK · Aug 4, 2018

Egon said:
Change grease and apply more often.

You could also drill another hole to the pin center but away from the present hole.

YES! This avoids concentrating the weak area at the center. - About 1/2" away. - Further would start to get too near the end of the pin collar/sleeve. That shear area is highly stressed.

:scratchchin:

... Problem is one hole will clog ...... then the other. :confused3:

RickB · Aug 4, 2018

Or you could simply grease the pins more often using just enough to appear at one end of the pin or the other. That is the only change that is necessary.

duffer · Aug 4, 2018

oosik said:
Could be that you might have to give those bottom two pins a shot every time you go play in the dirt. Sure a lot easier than pulling and cleaning them. Thats got to be a challenge getting everything lined up again when reinstalling those pins.

Here's a couple of tips for those of you that might need to pull the pins and clean them, or replace them...
1. Get rid of the bucket before you start (lots of weight hanging on the end of the FEL, applying pressure)
2. Lay up a couple of 2x4 (or 2x6) scrap pieces under the FEL bucket plates
3. Use a clevis pin (1" diameter) to use as a push rod to remove the pivot pin (leave clevis pin in place)
4. ONLY DO 1 PIN AT A TIME !!! Pull/push it out, clean it, grind it, kiss it, grease it, or whatever, but only pull 1 pin at a time. MUCH easier to reinstall.
5. Reinstall by using the pivot pin to push out the clevis you used earlier. Lines right up.

"The difference between education and experience is...education is when you read the fine print". The above tips are the voice of experience...