grease fitting stuck

[marko13]

743
only one fitting that won't take grease
the left rear upper lift bar pivot won't take grease
removed zerk and it's fine
do i have to take that pivot pin out to clean?
if i remove pivot pin will that arm fall down, so i would have to prop it up w something to maintain alignment?

 

[laurencen]

if you just remove pin completely it will fall, get a short bar same diameter drift pin out with it, this way you have the arm held when pin is prmoved

 

[mrbb]

if you have the ability to SPIN the pin a little, it might then allow it to take grease, and while grease zerk is out, try and pick the hole clean, or even add a tad bit of heat, not too much as grease can spit back at you once hot! so be safe ! and also, if you raise or lower arm, it may take weight off pin to allow you to rotate it or even add grease, !

many times though just rotating the pin is all that is needed,
if nothing else, maybe worth trying before fully removing things

 

[oiu789]

Lock and Lube makes the Grease Buster. You load it with penetrating oil put it on the zerk and hit it with a hammer. I rattle on mine lightly with my air chisel this works. Best if you soak the pin on the sides and thru the zerk hole for a day or two. I have also just kept using the buster then run the machine then use the buster again keep this up until it takes grease. The above ways of rotating the pin while soaking it or driving it out with a rod or pin the same diameter and cleaning the pin also works. No matter which way you use take the zerk and put it on your grease gun and make sure grease comes out of it.

 

[mdstihl]

MIne does same thing, same fitting. Removed and cleaned, same thing. So I just put down pressure on bucket and it fills right up with grease.

 

[cjcocn]

I had the same issue and it turned out to be that the bushing had spun so that the grease hole wasn't lining up anymore, so wouldn't allow any grease in.

I was redoing those pins and noticed it then. Since the new pin (and bushing) were installed I haven't had any issues.

 

[BL68]

Both of mine (left and right) wouldn't take grease with a lock n lube attachment on a battery powered grease gun. I tried it with my manual grease gun and they took grease no problem. Maybe just a thought if you have been using a battery powered gun, try a manual gun and see if they take grease…

 

[marko13]

thanks all for those ideas. I'll give em a try
is it a tapered bar or will it come out either end?

 

[laurencen]

it is not tapered and will come out either end, as others have mentioned there is a sweet spot to get weight off arms, I just turned a short pin same size and pushed from one end keeping short bar on the one side then pulled the pin out, look at the ends of the pin, if it does not have a chamfer add one it makes life easy when installing

 

[[email protected]]

thanks all for those ideas. I'll give em a try
is it a tapered bar or will it come out either end?

I think, after reading all the good advice. You should be good to go. As for myself, I would first try getting the weight off the pin and then see if you can spin the pin in place. If Not it's going to be a challeng. Take the pin out after supporting the load with Slings etc. Use a pipe or another pin if possible from the other side that way it will help hold the alignment of the holes if the pin comes out. Inspect the bushing if that is bad maybe a good time to change it also. I know, easily said. I found in the early years of my grease days that good zerks that will hold up to the pressure make a difference. Hand pump the grease the battery type are good but may bypass or not have the pressure. Get help so one can hold and another pound if need be. It's Good to have someone around when pins are pulled. I have seen some bad things happen. Also depending on the pin location, access and what's around it, Heat works well but not to the point of being cherry red. If the pin gets hot and expands your toast.
Penetrating oils work sometimes but that takes time so soak the Zerk hole overnight Resoak and try to spin the pin with the weight off the arm or boom. Things do wear and act as a snap ring inside the pin area or bushing.
Maybe this is done already and if and when you get good results, post the method that worked best for you. These things do get challenging. Best to walk away if it does not go well and approach it with more thought. Been there also. If you take the time it will help. Remember to support it if pins are pulled! That is the first thing you MUST do. Good Luck !

 

[marko13]

quick follow up I haven't tried to rotate the pin yet but I did put down pressure on the bucket and was able to tap the pin back and forth a fraction of an inch with a little Hammer. tried to grease again and it did take this time but it's only squirting out a little stream on the right side from the outside of the joint, but I can't tell if it's getting any inside at the pin.
and I think I see some grease coming out on the left at the pin inside but I didn't have a flashlight to tell for sure. I'll try again later when I get back there.

 

[[email protected]]

Sounds like a start. If you twist the pin at some point it may get better. If you do twist it twist in small increments to see if it may take a better amount of grease. Raise the bucket up fully and try it. Support the bucket. Who knows it may be a worn bushing. Good luck. Stay safe no matter what.

 

[marko13]

I took the lock bolt out and then realized I should have marked the position first .
wasn't able to move it very far cuz there's only like a 16th of an inch chamfer to try to get a channel lock on to twist it - unless I tap it out a little bit so I have something to grab on but then I don't want to scar up the surface of the pin with the wrench if that would cause a problem.

 

[[email protected]]

I took the lock bolt out and then realized I should have marked the position first .
wasn't able to move it very far cuz there's only like a 16th of an inch chamfer to try to get a channel lock on to twist it - unless I tap it out a little bit so I have something to grab on but then I don't want to scar up the surface of the pin with the wrench if that would cause a problem.

I woundn't worry about the scaring the pin. How does the lock bolt hold the pin in place or is it snap rings. I don't have mine to look at and wonder what the difference is. Give it a whirl.

 

[laurencen]

its a lock bolt on most I see

 

[mrbb]

also , another tip, some times if you just HIT the pin from one side then the other a few times, to just shock and move it a LITTLE< will also, cause things to loosen up and allow grease to flow again, or allow you to rotate it easier too!
as some times when things DON"T get greased for a long time, old grease gets rock hard, and glue things together some what, and or just plugs things up,
, so a smack on the pin can some times breaks it free and allow flow again!
and can be done without removing the pin, or things to try before any how!

 

[JoeCamel]

also , another tip, some times if you just HIT the pin from one side then the other a few times, to just shock and move it a LITTLE< will also, cause things to loosen up and allow grease to flow again, or allow you to rotate it easier too!
as some times when things DON"T get greased for a long time, old grease gets rock hard, and glue things together some what, and or just plugs things up,
, so a smack on the pin can some times breaks it free and allow flow again!
and can be done without removing the pin, or things to try before any how!

That is why I like to get the zerk out and the passage open then apply heat to boil the old grease out then put zerk and fresh grease back into the warm pin. Works most of the time but I have one I still need to pull and clean on it's own

 

[foton]

on my backhoe I had a stuck pin and I ended up welding a 1-1/4 round by 2 inch long block on the end of the pin so it would swell instad of the pin and make it even harder to remove when beating it out. It also give me more material to beat on so I was able to beat it longer to get it threw the pin brackets. Make sure that you check the pin for being straight ,I ended up putting it in a lathe and taking a few thousanths to take out a slight bend. made installation much easier.

 

[[email protected]]

That's one way to do a pin. When you have clear access to it. In this small case unit it may be hard to do all that. I know what you're saying. It is a good method to keep the pin ends from mushrooming. The pins when stuck like that, no doubt get groved and it makes sense to take some material off after. So Good ideas always help. Thanks