I would like to get some experienced input on backhoe pins that have a zerk fitting in the end.
On my model 48 backhoe, the dipper pivot pin was frozen in the boom when I got it and I had to have a guy with a thermal lance blow a hole through the middle of it in order to get it out. Originally, that pin had retainer bolts on each end that went through bosses in the dipper. Those were both sheared off. When I replaced the pivot pin, I bought new TGP stock and machined a small hole down the middle and put in a zerk fitting in the end. Small grease channels were then milled on the outside of the pin to carry grease from the pin center outward over the whole boom area where it had frozen up with the original pin. I could only put one retainer bolt in because of the Zerk in the other end.
Now with work that I'm doing down by the bucket, I'm going to do a similar thing with the pins down there. The original Zerks are hard to get to and have been half plugged and do a very poor job of getting grease distributed. When I pulled the bucket pivot pin, it was beginning to seize up in the dipper because of lack of grease. I was never able to get any grease in there because it was so tight, even though I had replaced the Zerk.
With all of that background, that leads me to a couple questions for those of you with deeper experience:
1. What is your experience with pivot pins that have Zerks in the end? Have you had any issues?
2. On my bucket, two of the pins must have retainers on each end to keep the links in place. If there's a zerk in the end, then a retainer bolt through the pin cannot be used. What kind of retainers do you have in that case? A circle clip? What about a pin that has a larger diameter boss on the end? That can be the end with the Zerk in it.
Wow that ended up being long......
On my model 48 backhoe, the dipper pivot pin was frozen in the boom when I got it and I had to have a guy with a thermal lance blow a hole through the middle of it in order to get it out. Originally, that pin had retainer bolts on each end that went through bosses in the dipper. Those were both sheared off. When I replaced the pivot pin, I bought new TGP stock and machined a small hole down the middle and put in a zerk fitting in the end. Small grease channels were then milled on the outside of the pin to carry grease from the pin center outward over the whole boom area where it had frozen up with the original pin. I could only put one retainer bolt in because of the Zerk in the other end.
Now with work that I'm doing down by the bucket, I'm going to do a similar thing with the pins down there. The original Zerks are hard to get to and have been half plugged and do a very poor job of getting grease distributed. When I pulled the bucket pivot pin, it was beginning to seize up in the dipper because of lack of grease. I was never able to get any grease in there because it was so tight, even though I had replaced the Zerk.
With all of that background, that leads me to a couple questions for those of you with deeper experience:
1. What is your experience with pivot pins that have Zerks in the end? Have you had any issues?
2. On my bucket, two of the pins must have retainers on each end to keep the links in place. If there's a zerk in the end, then a retainer bolt through the pin cannot be used. What kind of retainers do you have in that case? A circle clip? What about a pin that has a larger diameter boss on the end? That can be the end with the Zerk in it.
Wow that ended up being long......
