favorite zerk fitting cleaner

[Donald]

I was thinking of buying the one for sale at Northern. Its about $30 and forces some oil into the fitting via the impact of a hammer. Good? Bad?

There are some zerk fitting that do not clear even when replacing the fitting and/or heat.

 

[brandini]

Invest more in protecting them from the elements?

 

[Donald]

Originally Posted By: brandini
Invest more in protecting them from the elements?


Maybe so if you bought everything new and had a big barn. But the grease is going to harden inside the zerk fitting whether its outside or an unheated barn. The snowblower in question came with a clogged zerk. Its has never stored outside by me.

 

[George7941]

I haven't needed one so far. I have always been able to unclog by taking off the fitting and then using a pick to pull out as much of the hardened grease as I can out of the grease passage on the vehicle.

 

[Pop_Rivit]

I just keep a couple dozen various zerk fittings in a drawer. When I get one that is stuck I simply replace it. I can usually find one that is angled better that the old one, so it's easier to access after replacing.

 

[George7941]

The clog is not usually in the fitting but in the grease passage in the vehicle component. Most times just replacing the fitting does not help.

 

[doitmyself]

Originally Posted By: George7941
The clog is not usually in the fitting but in the grease passage in the vehicle component. Most times just replacing the fitting does not help.


Correct. Some people need to hone their reading comprehension. Donald knows how to replace fittings, but has circumstances that require more.

I have used an Alemite version of that tool. The Northern Tool model is IPA, made in the U.S. and has a lifetime warranty. I say go for it!

http://www.ipatools.com/

 

[George7941]

Originally Posted By: brandini
Invest more in protecting them from the elements?


I use plastic caps on all zerk fittings. I grease a lot of fittings. Check out my post in the Grease forum
http://www.bobistheoilguy.com/forums/ubb...ler#Post3558992

 

[Doog]

Originally Posted By: brandini
Invest more in protecting them from the elements?


+1 this ^^^^

 

[Donald]

Originally Posted By: Doog
Originally Posted By: brandini
Invest more in protecting them from the elements?


+1 this ^^^^


OK, but the other issue is I got married in Sept and my new wife is intent on turning my(our) garage from a man cave into a place for her car to sit out of the snow and elements. The Bobcat 843 had to go outside. The boat is too tall to bring inside. The snowcat still needs work but no easy way to move it since I have not started it yet.

 

[Kruse]

Most of the time the zerk is okay, but it is plugged after the zerk. So replacing a zerk might make you feel better but the problem isn't solved.
The zerk impact hammers do work, but you can't use them on a 90 degree zerk and you have to be careful on zerks that are pressed in. (E.G., they have no threads) If you use an impact driver on these zerks, you increase the chance of knocking them out. These are seldom used in the automotive industry, however.

 

[George7941]

Does pressing hard on the piston generate enough pressure for light clogs?

 

[mjoekingz28]

Sometimes pumping slow will allow new grease to get in.

 

[Kruse]

Originally Posted By: George7941
Does pressing hard on the piston generate enough pressure for light clogs?


Sometimes, if you've got a good grease gun. As you probably know, there's really nothing to the insides of a zerk. It's just a small ball and a spring pushing behind it.
You really can't do it for suspension parts, but really the best way to loosen up some areas that don't take grease it to hit it with heat.

 

[George7941]

Originally Posted By: Kruse
Originally Posted By: George7941
Does pressing hard on the piston generate enough pressure for light clogs?


Sometimes, if you've got a good grease gun. As you probably know, there's really nothing to the insides of a zerk. It's just a small ball and a spring pushing behind it.
You really can't do it for suspension parts, but really the best way to loosen up some areas that don't take grease it to hit it with heat.


I wasn't referring to a grease gun , I was referring to the unclogger tool. I just wondered if the tool generated enough pressure without using a hammer to force penetrating fluid past a light clog.

 

[Donald]

OK, I received the Zerk-Mate Zerk fitting cleaner. (Amazon). Looks well made and I need get some liquid penetrating oil to fill the tool (1 or 2 tablespoons).

The directions are not 100% clear but it seems like you pump in all the penetrating in the tool into the stuck Zerk fitting.