Zerk Problems
Thread Starter
Burning Brakes
Joined: Nov 2001
Posts: 1,188
Likes: 104
From: Tank sticker? I ain't got no tank sticker! I don't need no tank sticker! I don't have to show any stinking tank sticker!
Zerk Problems
Worked on a friends 59 and thought things were going well until I came across zerk fittings on the right king pin (2) and lower control arm (1)that would not accept grease from either a manual grease gun or a compressed air shop grease gun.
Removed the fittings and determined they were not the issue.
Any suggestions on how to resolve the problem?
Thanks
Removed the fittings and determined they were not the issue.
Any suggestions on how to resolve the problem?
Thanks
Race Director
Joined: Nov 2000
Posts: 10,347
Likes: 673
From: Beverly Hills (Pine Ridge) Florida
Worked on a friends 59 and thought things were going well until I came across zerk fittings on the right king pin (2) and lower control arm (1)that would not accept grease from either a manual grease gun or a compressed air shop grease gun.
Removed the fittings and determined they were not the issue.
Any suggestions on how to resolve the problem?
Thanks
Removed the fittings and determined they were not the issue.
Any suggestions on how to resolve the problem?
Thanks
Have had that problem on some fittings. I find that moving the suspension "around" a bit, opens the pathway for the grease. Just turning the steering wheel may allow grease to flow into the kingpin, but in most cases I find I have to raise the tire and suspension to free it up.
That is assuming it is just metal to metal contact blocking the grease. If it is old hardened grease, that is a different matter, and may need higher pressure or maybe even repair/replacement.
I use an air powered grease gun and have the air at 125 psi minimum. This works "most" of the time.
Plasticman
Last edited by Plasticman; Jul 26, 2009 at 10:28 AM.
Team Owner
Joined: Mar 2003
Posts: 26,118
Likes: 1,874
From: Greenville, Indiana
Sometimes jarring the adjacent area with a two pound hammer will let grease go in. Other times, acetylene torch works. The heat will melt the hardened grease. When I say "heat", a little common sense on what that means goes a long way.
Safety Car
Joined: Dec 1999
Posts: 4,403
Likes: 1,192
From: Lexington,NC,USA
C1 of Year Finalist (track prepared) 2019
What do you mean by "would not accept grease"?
If the grease will just not go into the fitting, then the grease inside the part has probably hardened.
If the grease just oozes out from between the zerk fitting and the fitting on the grease gun, most likely the zerk fitting has a ding around the edge. We have lots of farm equipment with grease fittings and invariably, if the grease oozes from the top of the fitting when trying to lubricate it, there is usually a small dent in the zerk fitting. If you take the fitting off the grease will pass through it, but, under pressure, it will leak. Doesn't take much of a dent to cause leakage.
Charles
If the grease will just not go into the fitting, then the grease inside the part has probably hardened.
If the grease just oozes out from between the zerk fitting and the fitting on the grease gun, most likely the zerk fitting has a ding around the edge. We have lots of farm equipment with grease fittings and invariably, if the grease oozes from the top of the fitting when trying to lubricate it, there is usually a small dent in the zerk fitting. If you take the fitting off the grease will pass through it, but, under pressure, it will leak. Doesn't take much of a dent to cause leakage.
Charles
Thread Starter
Burning Brakes
Joined: Nov 2001
Posts: 1,188
Likes: 104
From: Tank sticker? I ain't got no tank sticker! I don't need no tank sticker! I don't have to show any stinking tank sticker!
Thanks for the info.
A little more info - the fittings in question have taken grease about 3 months ago so I don't think the grease has dried out/solidified.
The tip about moving the suspension and raising the wheel is a good one and I'll give it a try along with a smack with a hammer.
A little more info - the fittings in question have taken grease about 3 months ago so I don't think the grease has dried out/solidified.
The tip about moving the suspension and raising the wheel is a good one and I'll give it a try along with a smack with a hammer.
Team Owner
Joined: Mar 2003
Posts: 26,118
Likes: 1,874
From: Greenville, Indiana
Thanks for the info.
A little more info - the fittings in question have taken grease about 3 months ago so I don't think the grease has dried out/solidified.
The tip about moving the suspension and raising the wheel is a good one and I'll give it a try along with a smack with a hammer.
A little more info - the fittings in question have taken grease about 3 months ago so I don't think the grease has dried out/solidified.
The tip about moving the suspension and raising the wheel is a good one and I'll give it a try along with a smack with a hammer.
Now that I've had a few minutes to think about this, back when I was a grease monkey in a gas station, it used to be quite common to use either or both methods to grease a car. Especially the king pins. Those old cars had a LOT of fittings on them. I'm thinking a late '50's Buick had something like 28 zerks to grease every few thousand miles.
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