I just bought an air grease gun. I am amazed at how many zircs there
are on a tractor, and how many needed juice. Some wouldn't take any
grease. Do you just put a new one in, or is there a way to soak/clean
these? I know they ain't expensive, I just need to take a couple off,
and take them down to match up, and buy a couple dozen. Is it worth it
messing with the old ones, and does it work, or are they trash once they
are plugged?

Those air guns are sweet, eh?

Steve

SteveB wrote:
I just bought an air grease gun. I am amazed at how many zircs there
are on a tractor, and how many needed juice. Some wouldn't take any
grease. Do you just put a new one in, or is there a way to soak/clean
these? I know they ain't expensive, I just need to take a couple off,
and take them down to match up, and buy a couple dozen. Is it worth
it messing with the old ones, and does it work, or are they trash
once they are plugged?

Those air guns are sweet, eh?

Steve

It might not be the zerk , the area that needs grease or the passage leading
to it may be clogged up with , well , crud .

--
Snag

On Mon, 4 Aug 2014 23:40:54 -0500, "Terry Coombs"
wrote:

SteveB wrote:
I just bought an air grease gun. I am amazed at how many zircs there
are on a tractor, and how many needed juice. Some wouldn't take any
grease. Do you just put a new one in, or is there a way to soak/clean
these? I know they ain't expensive, I just need to take a couple off,
and take them down to match up, and buy a couple dozen. Is it worth
it messing with the old ones, and does it work, or are they trash
once they are plugged?

Those air guns are sweet, eh?

Very!


It might not be the zerk , the area that needs grease or the passage leading
to it may be clogged up with , well , crud .

There is an impact tool which cleans them, but it can also inject
dirt, plus it's expensive. http://tinyurl.com/kwgkeqa 43 bucks?
Fergitit. Replacement it always easier and cheaper in the long run.

http://tinyurl.com/l4u7ege oodles of replacements for $12.

or less at HFT, $5 for 32pc metric, $7.49 for 50pc SAE.
http://tinyurl.com/pw47k8a and http://tinyurl.com/nk64a65

--
Aim for success, not perfection. Never give up your right
to be wrong, because then you will lose the ability to
learn new things and move forward with your life.
-- Dr. David M. Burns

On 8/4/2014 9:40 PM, Terry Coombs wrote:
SteveB wrote:
I just bought an air grease gun. I am amazed at how many zircs there
are on a tractor, and how many needed juice. Some wouldn't take any
grease. Do you just put a new one in, or is there a way to soak/clean
these? I know they ain't expensive, I just need to take a couple off,
and take them down to match up, and buy a couple dozen. Is it worth
it messing with the old ones, and does it work, or are they trash
once they are plugged?

Those air guns are sweet, eh?

Steve

It might not be the zerk , the area that needs grease or the passage leading
to it may be clogged up with , well , crud .

Yeah, there were only a couple, but I used an ice pick and thin bladed
screwdriver to get the mud out of a couple to where the zirc was clear
and accessible.

Steve

SteveB wrote in :

[...]
Yeah, there were only a couple, but I used an ice pick and thin bladed
screwdriver to get the mud out of a couple to where the zirc was clear
and accessible.

Zerk, after its inventor Oscar Zerk. Not "zirc".

On Mon, 4 Aug 2014 23:40:54 -0500, "Terry Coombs"
wrote:

SteveB wrote:
I just bought an air grease gun. I am amazed at how many zircs there
are on a tractor, and how many needed juice. Some wouldn't take any
grease. Do you just put a new one in, or is there a way to soak/clean
these? I know they ain't expensive, I just need to take a couple off,
and take them down to match up, and buy a couple dozen. Is it worth
it messing with the old ones, and does it work, or are they trash
once they are plugged?

Those air guns are sweet, eh?

Steve

It might not be the zerk , the area that needs grease or the passage leading
to it may be clogged up with , well , crud .

Indeed. Some of those may best be shot with some kerosene in a grease
gun..then re greased after the crud is dissolved out


--
"Living in the United States now is like being a Tampon.
We're in a great place, just at a bad time."

On Tue, 05 Aug 2014 14:44:41 -0700, Gunner Asch
wrote:

On Mon, 4 Aug 2014 23:40:54 -0500, "Terry Coombs"
wrote:

SteveB wrote:
I just bought an air grease gun. I am amazed at how many zircs there
are on a tractor, and how many needed juice. Some wouldn't take any
grease. Do you just put a new one in, or is there a way to soak/clean
these? I know they ain't expensive, I just need to take a couple off,
and take them down to match up, and buy a couple dozen. Is it worth
it messing with the old ones, and does it work, or are they trash
once they are plugged?

Those air guns are sweet, eh?

Steve

It might not be the zerk , the area that needs grease or the passage leading
to it may be clogged up with , well , crud .

Indeed. Some of those may best be shot with some kerosene in a grease
gun..then re greased after the crud is dissolved out

I'd call anyone doing that an idiot to their face, unless they removed
it from the vehicle first. And if they're doing that, it's best to
use a new one.

--
Aim for success, not perfection. Never give up your right
to be wrong, because then you will lose the ability to
learn new things and move forward with your life.
-- Dr. David M. Burns

On Tue, 05 Aug 2014 15:25:09 -0700, Larry Jaques
wrote:

On Tue, 05 Aug 2014 14:44:41 -0700, Gunner Asch
wrote:

On Mon, 4 Aug 2014 23:40:54 -0500, "Terry Coombs"
wrote:

SteveB wrote:
I just bought an air grease gun. I am amazed at how many zircs there
are on a tractor, and how many needed juice. Some wouldn't take any
grease. Do you just put a new one in, or is there a way to soak/clean
these? I know they ain't expensive, I just need to take a couple off,
and take them down to match up, and buy a couple dozen. Is it worth
it messing with the old ones, and does it work, or are they trash
once they are plugged?

Those air guns are sweet, eh?

Steve

It might not be the zerk , the area that needs grease or the passage leading
to it may be clogged up with , well , crud .

Indeed. Some of those may best be shot with some kerosene in a grease
gun..then re greased after the crud is dissolved out

I'd call anyone doing that an idiot to their face, unless they removed
it from the vehicle first. And if they're doing that, it's best to
use a new one.

On bushings and other gizmos? Really? Ill have to tell a ****load of
heavy equipment and automotive mechanics that they are idiots

Imagine that....hummmm

Gunner

--
"Living in the United States now is like being a Tampon.
We're in a great place, just at a bad time."

On Tue, 05 Aug 2014 16:53:03 -0700, Gunner Asch
wrote:

On Tue, 05 Aug 2014 15:25:09 -0700, Larry Jaques
wrote:

On Tue, 05 Aug 2014 14:44:41 -0700, Gunner Asch
wrote:

On Mon, 4 Aug 2014 23:40:54 -0500, "Terry Coombs"
wrote:

SteveB wrote:
I just bought an air grease gun. I am amazed at how many zircs there
are on a tractor, and how many needed juice. Some wouldn't take any
grease. Do you just put a new one in, or is there a way to soak/clean
these? I know they ain't expensive, I just need to take a couple off,
and take them down to match up, and buy a couple dozen. Is it worth
it messing with the old ones, and does it work, or are they trash
once they are plugged?

Those air guns are sweet, eh?

Steve

It might not be the zerk , the area that needs grease or the passage leading
to it may be clogged up with , well , crud .

Indeed. Some of those may best be shot with some kerosene in a grease
gun..then re greased after the crud is dissolved out

I'd call anyone doing that an idiot to their face, unless they removed
it from the vehicle first. And if they're doing that, it's best to
use a new one.

On bushings and other gizmos? Really? Ill have to tell a ****load of
heavy equipment and automotive mechanics that they are idiots

Imagine that....hummmm

Yeah. So how would you remove the kerosene from the joint? Why
wouldn't the kerosene continue to break down any grease that came
after it? I stand by my statement because that procedure would cause
the joint to fail prematurely. _Worse_ than not lubing it.

--
Aim for success, not perfection. Never give up your right
to be wrong, because then you will lose the ability to
learn new things and move forward with your life.
-- Dr. David M. Burns

On Tue, 05 Aug 2014 15:25:09 -0700, Larry Jaques
wrote:

On Tue, 05 Aug 2014 14:44:41 -0700, Gunner Asch
wrote:

On Mon, 4 Aug 2014 23:40:54 -0500, "Terry Coombs"
wrote:

SteveB wrote:
I just bought an air grease gun. I am amazed at how many zircs there
are on a tractor, and how many needed juice. Some wouldn't take any
grease. Do you just put a new one in, or is there a way to soak/clean
these? I know they ain't expensive, I just need to take a couple off,
and take them down to match up, and buy a couple dozen. Is it worth
it messing with the old ones, and does it work, or are they trash
once they are plugged?

Those air guns are sweet, eh?

Steve

It might not be the zerk , the area that needs grease or the passage leading
to it may be clogged up with , well , crud .

Indeed. Some of those may best be shot with some kerosene in a grease
gun..then re greased after the crud is dissolved out

I'd call anyone doing that an idiot to their face, unless they removed
it from the vehicle first. And if they're doing that, it's best to
use a new one.
If he's talking a disc-harrow or similar piece of equipment the
kerosene and regrease may be an acceptable solution. On a tractor, if
it is a part that has no seals and the grease keeps the dirt out, it
may also be an acceptable solution - but not on any part that is
sealed , even if only with a rubber gaitor. If the idea is to get
fresh grease in and through the joint to lubricate it, it is often
successfull and beats tearing the assembly down to run a wire through
the hole to knock the crud (dried grease and dirt) out.

DO NOT do this on a high speed bearing.

On Tue, 05 Aug 2014 20:53:52 -0400, wrote:

On Tue, 05 Aug 2014 15:25:09 -0700, Larry Jaques
wrote:

On Tue, 05 Aug 2014 14:44:41 -0700, Gunner Asch
wrote:

On Mon, 4 Aug 2014 23:40:54 -0500, "Terry Coombs"
wrote:

SteveB wrote:
I just bought an air grease gun. I am amazed at how many zircs there
are on a tractor, and how many needed juice. Some wouldn't take any
grease. Do you just put a new one in, or is there a way to soak/clean
these? I know they ain't expensive, I just need to take a couple off,
and take them down to match up, and buy a couple dozen. Is it worth
it messing with the old ones, and does it work, or are they trash
once they are plugged?

Those air guns are sweet, eh?

Steve

It might not be the zerk , the area that needs grease or the passage leading
to it may be clogged up with , well , crud .

Indeed. Some of those may best be shot with some kerosene in a grease
gun..then re greased after the crud is dissolved out

I'd call anyone doing that an idiot to their face, unless they removed
it from the vehicle first. And if they're doing that, it's best to
use a new one.
If he's talking a disc-harrow or similar piece of equipment the
kerosene and regrease may be an acceptable solution. On a tractor, if
it is a part that has no seals and the grease keeps the dirt out, it
may also be an acceptable solution - but not on any part that is
sealed , even if only with a rubber gaitor. If the idea is to get
fresh grease in and through the joint to lubricate it, it is often
successfull and beats tearing the assembly down to run a wire through
the hole to knock the crud (dried grease and dirt) out.

DO NOT do this on a high speed bearing.

Of course not on a high speed bearing! We were discussing pins as I
recall.

Gunner

--
"Living in the United States now is like being a Tampon.
We're in a great place, just at a bad time."

On 08/05/2014 7:53 PM, wrote:
....

If he's talking a disc-harrow or similar piece of equipment the
kerosene and regrease may be an acceptable solution. On a tractor, if
it is a part that has no seals and the grease keeps the dirt out, it
may also be an acceptable solution - but not on any part that is
sealed , even if only with a rubber gaitor. If the idea is to get
fresh grease in and through the joint to lubricate it, it is often
successfull and beats tearing the assembly down to run a wire through
the hole to knock the crud (dried grease and dirt) out.

Never had any issue on any greased bearing, dust seal or not. It used
to be _extremely_ common on much equipment; not so much with the advent
of sealed bearings which aren't greased, anyways...

A typical tractor has gone from something like 20 or 30 to maybe a
half-dozen virtually all in the steering gear and a couple on the 3-pt,
a combine from 100 or more to about the same in the last 50 yr or
so...when a kid would typically use nearly a whole grease gun load every
morning on combine; now it's again a squirt or two on a couple key
places and the steering gear and "good to go"...everything else is now
sealed.

DO NOT do this on a high speed bearing.

Which I would expect to be sealed...

--

On Mon, 04 Aug 2014 21:23:18 -0700, SteveB wrote:

I just bought an air grease gun. I am amazed at how many zircs there
are on a tractor, and how many needed juice. Some wouldn't take any
grease. Do you just put a new one in, or is there a way to soak/clean
these? I know they ain't expensive, I just need to take a couple off,
and take them down to match up, and buy a couple dozen. Is it worth it
messing with the old ones, and does it work, or are they trash once they
are plugged?

Those air guns are sweet, eh?

Steve

I suggest hitting them with a torch, lightly, before doing anything.
it will catch the grease inside on fire and blow the little check ball
out, clears the obstruction that was likely just past the zerk. Plus,
now the zerk is loose so it will screw right off.

If you don't have a spare handy,just grease it this way.

karl

SteveB wrote in :

I just bought an air grease gun. I am amazed at how many zircs there
are on a tractor, and how many needed juice. Some wouldn't take any
grease. Do you just put a new one in, or is there a way to soak/clean
these?

Remove the zerk, and use pliers to hold it into the business end of your grease gun. Cover it
with a rag. One pull on the handle of the gun will blow everything out of the zerk.

Of course that won't help if the obstruction isn't in the zerk itself.

SteveB wrote in news:lrpm7r$mfk$1
@speranza.aioe.org:

I just bought an air grease gun. I am amazed at how many zircs there
are on a tractor, and how many needed juice.

Heh! Just wait 'til you find the other 23 of them you missed! G

An old tractor parts guy I once knew said, "Nothing makes an old tractor
run better than a paint job." I always thought he was just saying it
made the owner FEEL better about the way it ran -- until I repainted an
old 8N.

If you choose to do a good paint job, you have to strip the beast down to
its bones. When you do, you'll find 473 little things that need fixing.

Like, who wants to leave old, cracked plug wires in a nice, newly-painted
wire chase? Who wants a drippy water pump gland smutching up your new
paint? Oil leaks? C'mon! It'll just take a minute.... G

And when you fix them, the tractor actually WILL run better! A heck of a
lot better.

Lloyd

On Tue, 05 Aug 2014 06:21:34 -0500, "Lloyd E. Sponenburgh"
lloydspinsidemindspring.com wrote:

SteveB wrote in news:lrpm7r$mfk$1
:

I just bought an air grease gun. I am amazed at how many zircs there
are on a tractor, and how many needed juice.

Heh! Just wait 'til you find the other 23 of them you missed! G

An old tractor parts guy I once knew said, "Nothing makes an old tractor
run better than a paint job." I always thought he was just saying it
made the owner FEEL better about the way it ran -- until I repainted an
old 8N.

If you choose to do a good paint job, you have to strip the beast down to
its bones. When you do, you'll find 473 little things that need fixing.

Like, who wants to leave old, cracked plug wires in a nice, newly-painted
wire chase? Who wants a drippy water pump gland smutching up your new
paint? Oil leaks? C'mon! It'll just take a minute.... G

And when you fix them, the tractor actually WILL run better! A heck of a
lot better.

Like potato chips, betcha can't fix just ONE!

--
Aim for success, not perfection. Never give up your right
to be wrong, because then you will lose the ability to
learn new things and move forward with your life.
-- Dr. David M. Burns

"Lloyd E. Sponenburgh" wrote:

SteveB wrote in news:lrpm7r$mfk$1
@speranza.aioe.org:

I just bought an air grease gun. I am amazed at how many zircs there
are on a tractor, and how many needed juice.

Heh! Just wait 'til you find the other 23 of them you missed! G

I believe some of the new tractors are coming with central lube systems.
I think the same has been on some construction equipment for a while.
Progress...

"Pete C." wrote in message
. com...


"Lloyd E. Sponenburgh" wrote:

SteveB wrote in news:lrpm7r$mfk$1
@speranza.aioe.org:

I just bought an air grease gun. I am amazed at how many zircs there
are on a tractor, and how many needed juice.

Heh! Just wait 'til you find the other 23 of them you missed! G

I believe some of the new tractors are coming with central lube systems.
I think the same has been on some construction equipment for a while.
Progress...

================================================== ========
[Ed]

Hey, they're catching up to the 1932 Packard, which had Bijur central
chassis lubrication. I think they'd had it for four or five years at that
point in time. d8-)

--
Ed Huntress

On Mon, 04 Aug 2014 21:23:18 -0700, SteveB wrote:

I just bought an air grease gun. I am amazed at how many zircs there
are on a tractor, and how many needed juice. Some wouldn't take any
grease. Do you just put a new one in, or is there a way to soak/clean
these? I know they ain't expensive, I just need to take a couple off,
and take them down to match up, and buy a couple dozen. Is it worth it
messing with the old ones, and does it work, or are they trash once they
are plugged?

Those air guns are sweet, eh?

Steve

They come in standard sizes and threads. Usually a hand full of
various sizes and angles will do you for a while. If you want to clean
them you can take them out, stick them in the grease gun and pull the
trigger. If they don't squirt throw them away. (if they do squirt
you've probably used more grease then a new fitting would cost :-)
--
Cheers,

John B.

On 8/5/2014 4:31 AM, wrote:
On Mon, 04 Aug 2014 21:23:18 -0700, SteveB wrote:

I just bought an air grease gun. I am amazed at how many zircs there
are on a tractor, and how many needed juice. Some wouldn't take any
grease. Do you just put a new one in, or is there a way to soak/clean
these? I know they ain't expensive, I just need to take a couple off,
and take them down to match up, and buy a couple dozen. Is it worth it
messing with the old ones, and does it work, or are they trash once they
are plugged?

Those air guns are sweet, eh?

Steve

They come in standard sizes and threads. Usually a hand full of
various sizes and angles will do you for a while. If you want to clean
them you can take them out, stick them in the grease gun and pull the
trigger. If they don't squirt throw them away. (if they do squirt
you've probably used more grease then a new fitting would cost :-)
--
Cheers,

John B.


I think at the cost of them, I'll just get a bunch of them, and fiddle
with each a little, then put a new one in, or keep the bad ones, and
maybe boil them in a solvent, or something. Maybe make up an air chuck
that will blow air through the zirc that I have removed, and use air to
clean it out instead of using/wasting grease.

Steve

On Tue, 05 Aug 2014 12:59:08 -0700, SteveB wrote:

On 8/5/2014 4:31 AM, wrote:
On Mon, 04 Aug 2014 21:23:18 -0700, SteveB wrote:

I just bought an air grease gun. I am amazed at how many zircs there
are on a tractor, and how many needed juice. Some wouldn't take any
grease. Do you just put a new one in, or is there a way to soak/clean
these? I know they ain't expensive, I just need to take a couple off,
and take them down to match up, and buy a couple dozen. Is it worth it
messing with the old ones, and does it work, or are they trash once they
are plugged?

Those air guns are sweet, eh?

Steve

They come in standard sizes and threads. Usually a hand full of
various sizes and angles will do you for a while. If you want to clean
them you can take them out, stick them in the grease gun and pull the
trigger. If they don't squirt throw them away. (if they do squirt
you've probably used more grease then a new fitting would cost :-)
--
Cheers,

John B.


I think at the cost of them, I'll just get a bunch of them, and fiddle
with each a little, then put a new one in, or keep the bad ones, and
maybe boil them in a solvent, or something. Maybe make up an air chuck
that will blow air through the zirc that I have removed, and use air to
clean it out instead of using/wasting grease.

Steve

Hardly worth it :-)

Way back when I was a boy and cars were greased every 1,000 miles I
worked weekends in a service station. Any zirk that didn't take grease
we removed and threw on the floor and put a new one in free.
--
Cheers,

John B.

On 8/4/2014 11:23 PM, SteveB wrote:
I just bought an air grease gun. I am amazed at how many zircs there
are on a tractor, and how many needed juice. Some wouldn't take any
grease. Do you just put a new one in, or is there a way to soak/clean
these? I know they ain't expensive, I just need to take a couple off,
and take them down to match up, and buy a couple dozen. Is it worth it
messing with the old ones, and does it work, or are they trash once they
are plugged?

Those air guns are sweet, eh?

Steve
Be extra careful. They might be under a high pressure and a small leak
when you unlock it might burn through a hand or finger.

Air would be nice. I have to think of it on my John Deer.

Martin