Grease Zerk Hell....

cdherman · Post by **cdherman** » April 12, 2011, 9:09 pm

So my latest addition to the stable, an 04 Expedition 4x4 with 5.4 V8 (horse trailer for #1 daughter) needed some front end work. Like everything...

So I bought all those praised MOOG parts that have zerks instead of being sealed for life.

Some smart person on another forum said "dont put in the zerks till you are done, otherwise you might bugger them up" and "you can adjust the direction better after the parts are installed".

So.... I put everything together and then... First some of the holes for grease are just in STUPID places. Impossible to use the zerk they sent. And impossible to thread them in after the fact, since everything is so cramped.

So yesterday I bought some 90 and 45 fittings to make things functional. Since the parts are all metric I figured, better buy metric..... When I tried to thread them in, turns out they put standard fittings in there.... Took major parts back apart, tie rod ends, sway bar links.... So back to the parts place for more fittings today.

Grrrrrrr So I got standard fittings today. Got them all on -- more assembly and disassembly...

And now the new fittings are somehow too close to the parts and I cannot get them to take grease....

Ya Know.... I now know why they put sealed for life parts on vehicles. I am in grease zerk HELL.......

ezernut9mm · Post by **ezernut9mm** » April 12, 2011, 9:16 pm

sounds like your grease gun isn't articulated enough. lol. sorry doc, but i have been there too.

cdherman · Post by **cdherman** » April 12, 2011, 9:31 pm

Articulated...

How does that relate to a grease gun? I really like that word thought. Several times today I thought I needed about two more arms and hands and then I might get it to work....

Actually, that may be part of the problem. I bought a "heavy duty" end for my greaser and its a little larger than the standard size. I like hoses on my grease guns, instead of the solid variety. The larger fitting at the end just will not "pop" on to these fittings....

I am going to buy a new fitting tomorrow. Wish I new where to buy the best d@mn fitting in KC tomorrow, because I swear I'd pay $100 to get these fittings to take grease.....

Post by **Greg D** » April 12, 2011, 10:00 pm

If the fitting doesn't "snap" tight on the zerk you won't get enough pressure to push the check ball back and let grease in. A new hose with the right size should fix it just fine Dave.

ezernut9mm · Post by **ezernut9mm** » April 12, 2011, 10:02 pm

there are fittings with elbows and such.

ideas:

http://www.alemite.com/catalog/details. ... s_adapters

slick4x4 · Post by **slick4x4** » April 12, 2011, 10:34 pm

thats a good site

being on the farm i know grease zerks all too well

check out the B6783 Needle Nose Adapter on the above site

learned about them years ago.... they are AWESOME

cdherman · Post by **cdherman** » April 12, 2011, 10:53 pm

I just checked it out and bought a pistol grip one off amazon. I have lived in grease gun purgatory long enough.... maybe this one will work better.

The needle idea is interesting -- you just stick in in the ball and squirt I assume? I have too many zerks around here that misbehave. Might be worth a try....

My dad (farm -- Smith County) curses grease guns more than any other thing I think.... Its a love/hate sort of thing. Zerks are great, till they won't take grease. Then you are left with this sort of ugly hate. You don't know if you are just too stupid to hold the gun right, or maybe there really is a Devil and he is out there right at this instant causing you to curse the world....

ezernut9mm · Post by **ezernut9mm** » April 12, 2011, 11:17 pm

zerks are like women, they must be treated right, but we have no idea what "right" is. lol

slick4x4 · Post by **slick4x4** » April 13, 2011, 7:19 am

yes... the needle just goes in & grease away
will get into hard to fit places ( like u-joints )
and can hit some places ''impossible'' to grease

ICEMAN6166 · Post by **ICEMAN6166** » April 13, 2011, 10:11 am

the needles were designed for the flathead zerks

slick4x4 · Post by **slick4x4** » April 13, 2011, 8:49 pm

well they will work on a regular zerks too....
as long as it isnt ''stubborn''
just put the tip on the little ''ball'' and push

azjake · Post by **azjake** » April 13, 2011, 10:45 pm

The alignment shop I worked at in Illinois was just down the road from one of those quick lube places. Customers would leave them then drive down to us for an alignment. I don't know how many times we found grease all over the brake bleeder on the disc brake calipers...they sure look like a grease zerk, eh?

Jake

Alan Mclennan · Post by **Alan Mclennan** » April 14, 2011, 1:10 am

ezernut9mm wrote:zerks are like women, they must be treated right, but we have no idea what "right" is. lol

Thats why we call them grease nipples down here!

slick4x4 · Post by **slick4x4** » April 14, 2011, 8:28 am

one day my son comes home from school....
he is 13 or 14 years old at the time...
he said 'dad i saw something pretty funny today , the mainantance man at the
school was working on the JD Gator ( an ATV type vehicle )
and he was ''greasing'' the valve stems on the tires'

i said he was messing with you guys......

' no..... we watched him do ALL 4 wheels ! '

Max · Post by **Max** » April 14, 2011, 9:33 am

You know... that just jogged some distant memory of seeing grease all over the valve stems on a fleet of trucks at the pick-n-pull. Just happened to notice that and struck me as weird that all 3 of the same fleet trucks had that and wondered why. And I mean some big globs of it.

poisonivy24 · Post by **poisonivy24** » June 16, 2011, 3:39 am

So yesterday I bought some 90 and 45 fittings to make things functional. Since the parts are all metric I figured, better buy metric..... When I tried to thread them in, turns out they put standard fittings in there.... Took major parts back apart, tie rod end, sway bar links.... So back to the parts place for more fittings today.

I think this is how all noob started, anyway what happened now to your car parts? I am planning to do this but I will definitely ask a friend who has a mechanic skills.