Odd grease zerks

[roxynoodle]

I have a grey market Yanmar with a Kanzaki loader. I have had trouble getting the zerks on the loader to take grease. So I decided just to replace them. Here is where I have a problem. I fully expected them to be metric zerks (10mm). Well, the guy at NAPA measured them and says they are 3/8 SAE but have a pitch of 28 threads per inch. I can't find these anywhere and I have been all over online looking. No specialty hydraulics places around here can get them either. Should I try to clean the zerks? Or does anyone have any idea where I could get new ones?

 

[AlanB]

Can you shoot grease through them now? My usual problem is not the Zerk itself, but the pin and hole is full of hardened gunk.

Usually the first step I do is too put the Zerk on the gun after removal and see if it or the hole is the problem.

If Grease shoots through them, and the threads etc. are not beat off them, I would certainly just use them.

You also may be able to re-thread the holes and get to a more "standard" fitting.

 

[cyberknight]

Hi Roxynoodle,
I would try a 1/8 INCH PIPE SIZE ZERT. I am pretty sure that is what you have. The tread on them is very, very close to what your NAPA guy says. A pipe thread is tapered and I have seen many zerts with it.
Glenn

 

[diyDave]

1. Take off old zerk. 2. Clean the area around the hole with a grinder. 3. Weld a 1/4-28 nut over the hole (a good mig welder does a nice job of this, TIP- screw a fine thread bolt through the nut before you weld, it will center the nut over the hole, and keep spatter off the threads.) 4. Once welded, install grease fitting, and grease while its still hot. This clears out any burnt grease, and makes it easier to grease in the future.