Grease Zirc problem

[jedens]

On my backhoe I have a grease zirc that doesn't seem to want to take grease. I have a hand pump grease gun and when I put it on this particular zirc I can't seem to pump grease into it. Also when I try to remove the grease gun nozzle it is extremely difficult to remove it. This only happens on this one zirc. I'm pretty new at this so I'm not sure what to do. Any help would be appreciated.

 

[beenthere]

There may be something in the zirc, or the zirc is damaged in some way (this might be why the hose won't come off). If mine, I would replace the zirc with a new one.

 

[Rowski]

You may have pressure on the "joint" your are trying to grease. I know on my hoe I have a hard time greasing my upper pivot (for swinging) joint. Also some times the zirc may be plugged. By adding some heat (slightly) you might be able to un plug it. But if the zirc is easy to get at remove it and stick it into the gun and see if it will flow grease. If it doesn't you may have a plugged/bad zirc.

 

[RoyJackson]

It's probably dried grease in the Zerk fitting passage. The fitting is pretty easy to remove, so take it off and try a little solvent. Or, you can just replace the fitting.

These fittings aren't particularly robust. As they aren't that expensive, it probably wouldn't hurt to keep a ½ dozen on hand.

 

[Inspector507]

A gentle little tap on the ball will most times "un-stick" it.

Jerry

 

[gator]

The way I do mine is take the zirc off, dig the gunk out of the back with a small screwdriver, then squirt wd-40 in it. Push ball in front in with hose on wd-40 and flush the remaining stuff out. If the ball won't reseat and seal, usually a few taps with a wire from the front will get it to reseat. Hope this helps.

 

[jedens]

Thanks everyone for all of the suggestions. Next time I'm at my property (90 miles away) where my tractor is I'll try removing the zirc. How do you remove the zirc? Do they just screw out by using pliers?

 

[radman]

The easiest thing to do is just replace the zerk. If you want to keep it try cleaning it. Remove the zerk and then take a small pointed object like a wire or screwdriver and clean out the junk inside. Then put the grease gun on the zerk and give it one or two pumps to be sure grease will pump through and to clean out any residual junk. Remove the zerk from the grease gun and put it back on your backhoe. As someone else mentioned, be sure there is no pressure on the hydraulics when greasing the zerk.
If the zerk sticks tightly to the grease gun, then the end is probably not perfectly sized right. No easy solution to this but replace the zerk. A new zerk costs less than $2.

 

[radman]

Most screw in and usually takes a 3\8 or 5\16 wrench to remove. Some are pressed in and more difficult to remove - try a visc grip. The pressed in ones have a round, smooth base. The screw in ones will let you use a wrench.

 

[radman]

If you get a new zerk, be sure to remove the old and take it with you to get the right size. They come in various sizes, angles etc.

 

[karmakanic]

Also keep in mind the blockage could be in the passage between the zerk and the bushings. A piece of wire and some solvent will usually loosen up things enough to open up the passage.

I usually just replace the zerk, they're too cheap to mess with trying to clean and get to reseat. It bugs me to grease a bushings and see the grease squirting back out of the zerk. You can buy an assortment of the most popular sizes at most hardware stores.

Then I stick a wire up the passage while dousing it with what ever's handy that will cut grease. (choke & carb cleaner, brake cleaner, ect). After you go back togeather with it, give the pin/bushing a fair number of extra pumps from the grease gun to force any hardened grease, debris, solvent, ect out of the bushing.

I like to see the old grease just a whipping out of the space between bushing and frame, even when I'm doing a standard grease job. Looks tacky but makes me feel like I'm treating the machine right.

HTH,
Dave

 

[OkieG]

re: Rowski-"pressure on the joint you're trying to grease". I have this problem with a fitting on my steering linkage. When I turn the steering wheel and move the joint to a different position, often the grease will flow.

re: Karmakanic-"the blockage could be between the zerk and the bushings" The loader arm-to-bucket pivot pins have this problem on my tractor. After removing and de-gunking the zerk with a scratch awl, I remove the pivot pin and can easily clear the blocked passage leading from the zerk to the pviot pin. You may not want to try this technique if maintaining or regaining alignment for re-insertion of the pin could be a problem.

OkieG

 

[northcreek2624]

What you may have is a drive-in type of zerk.Often the installer fails to use the proper tool which drives them at the base.
So instead they drive them in like a nail which squashes them making the the grease gun hard to get off and can also seal the hole..........Mike

 

[JerryG]

It may be like Derek said, pressure on the joint. Before you replace it, try moving the joint that the zerk is in. If it happens at a pin such as on the loader or backhoe there is a good chance that pressure is the problem. I have a pin or two on my hoe that I have to move to grease. That happens when the pin in the joint is pushed up tight to where the hole for the grease goes in. If moving the joint doesn’t work then change the zerk.

 

[hazmat]

I just paid $0.62 for a zerk at the local harware store. This was the smaller 1/8" size. 5/16 wrench to install.

 

[jedens]

Jerry,
Thanks. I'll try moving it first. I should have thought of that!

 

[frank_f15]

i have had fittings that act like that, i just remove them and repace them, usually u can just remove and put it back and it is fine. one of lifes little mysteries/w3tcompact/icons/hmm.gif

 

[Soundguy]

The grease zirk on the back wheel on my rotarry cutter sometimes won't take grease. I found that by rotating the wheel/ mounting pin,. it cleared it right up... must be good bushings/seales inthere...

Soundguy