Grease fitting from hell

[rtoni]

On my MF205 front loader I had some stubborn grease fittings including where the bucket pins onto the lower arms. I managed to clear most clogged fittings by pulling /spinning the pin, using a wire to poke at the grease fitting, etc. but I couldn t clear the last one today after a fair amount of effort so I thought I d just remove that fitting and go from there. To my surprise this fitting appears to have no "flats" for a wrench or socket to grab. I m at a loss. Do I need to grab the vise grips and destroy this fitting to get it out?

 

[used red MN]

Yes, vise grip- drive in zerk. Drill hole out to 7/32 then
start a 1/4 28 tap in a couple threads. Then screw in a
new 1/16 NPT grease fitting. If you do not have a tap if
the part is not super hard it will thread in without the
tap.

 

[Jim.ME]

I don't think I ever saw a 1/16 NPT grease fitting. 1/16 NPT has 27 TPI, not 28. I believe he needs a 1/4-28 grease fitting, which is a common size, if he is using a 1/4-28 tap. Pin removal will likely be needed to get depth enough for the tap.

 

[showcrop]

I have come across a few grease fittings that had the flats just all rusted away.

 

[Mike Groom]

Can you grease it with a needle point grease gun attachment or is the fitting bad also?

 

[rtoni]

Thanks for the replies. I don t think I have the proper tap here, I have the original manuals for this tractor and was hoping to find the exact grease fitting info, to just grab new one same spec and thread right back in without any tap or guesswork. I don t see any detail on zerks in the books here so I ll be looking for 1/4-28 tap and fitting before I pull the bad fitting out and replace with 1/4-28. FYI Both sides / fittings look the same- nothing to wrench on. I was just surprised (disappointed) to find this.

 

[rtoni]

(quoted from post at 05:56:03 08/06/23) Can you grease it with a needle point grease gun attachment or is the fitting bad also?

I can get the regular grease gun on - the fitting seems ok as in not damaged. The other side was similar - couldn t push any grease - but pulling the pin, working a wire in the end of the fitting etc loosened up whatever was blocking it and when that let go the grease went in. On this side it seems there s still too much crud or something.

This post was edited by rtoni on 08/06/2023 at 06:12 am.

 

[DoubleO7]

Drive in fitting.
Just pull it out and drive in a new one.

 

[rtoni]

(quoted from post at 07:14:40 08/06/23)
Drive in fitting.
Just pull it out and drive in a new one.

Sanity check for me - "Drive in" == no threads? Sorry I m a little slow on the uptake here - never saw fittings like this before. Help and patience appreciated

 

[used red MN]

Jim, 28 TPI is close enough to 27 for this application.
Ever replaced a U-joint? I have probably changed a
hundred or more. The new cross rarely comes with
threads for the zerk. Just put it in your 1/4 drive 5/16
socket and screw it in the drilled hole, it is hard
enough to make its own threads. Sorry if that gives a
ME the ..willies.. Same applies for greaseable
replacement suspension components which are
getting fewer and fewer BTW.
FOR rtoni see link for an example of drive or push in
fittings. It just has ribs around it that press fit into the
hole.
Example drive in fittings

 

[centash]

Easier to pull out the pin, clean it, and stuff the hole with grease before
putting the pin back in.

Ben

 

[rtoni]

Thanks again everyone. Found the parts book for the tractor and the fittings shown (steering components etc) are listed as M6-1.0-STR which I assume is 6mm straight. But no parts info for the loader which is a separate option. I m assuming the loader fittings are probably 6mm as well but I guess I ll know when I pull one out. They are tapered with no real collar so the vise grips will have to go on the top of the fitting itself which means with my luck I may have to wrestle with it and mangle it to the point it s not reusable even if I can clean it out.

This post was edited by rtoni on 08/06/2023 at 10:36 am.

 

[timcasbolt]

I've had to warm stuff up a little to get it to take grease.

 

[Jim.ME]

(quoted from post at 13:11:31 08/06/23) Jim, 28 TPI is close enough to 27 for this application.
Ever replaced a U-joint? I have probably changed a
hundred or more. The new cross rarely comes with
threads for the zerk. Just put it in your 1/4 drive 5/16
socket and screw it in the drilled hole, it is hard
enough to make its own threads. Sorry if that gives a
ME the ..willies.. Same applies for greaseable
replacement suspension components which are
getting fewer and fewer BTW.
FOR rtoni see link for an example of drive or push in
fittings. It just has ribs around it that press fit into the
hole.
Example drive in fittings

I have changed a few u-joints and installed at least a couple grease fittings, of a few types, as well. 1/8 thru 3/8 NPT, 1/4-28, SAE drive in ones, small metric threaded and drive-in ones, and self-threading ones (like in some U-joints as you mentioned). I like to see something new. Have you got a link to the 1/16 - 27 NPT grease fitting you mentioned in your first post? I can't find a 1/16 NPT one, even at McMaster-Carr.

 

[rtoni]

(quoted from post at 11:00:17 08/06/23) I've had to warm stuff up a little to get it to take grease.

Few seconds - propane torch? Might try that too.

 

[Jim.ME]

Try some heat as mentioned. If there is a bushing in that arm, it is possible the bushing has turned and blocked the grease hole, I have seen it happen. Can you find the grease hole with a wire when the pin is out? Does it line up with the fitting?

 

[rtoni]

(quoted from post at 11:18:21 08/06/23)
Try some heat as mentioned. If there is a bushing in that arm, it is possible the bushing has turned and blocked the grease hole, I have seen it happen. Can you find the grease hole with a wire when the pin is out? Does it line up with the fitting?

I never would have even thought of trying that. When I take the pin out again I m going to check that for sure. I greased the pin good before I put it back so I could use the machine at least this next little while (light use) but that s very temporary. If the heat doesn t work that can be my next step.

 

[rtoni]

(quoted from post at 11:18:21 08/06/23)
Try some heat as mentioned. If there is a bushing in that arm, it is possible the bushing has turned and blocked the grease hole, I have seen it happen. Can you find the grease hole with a wire when the pin is out? Does it line up with the fitting?

Threw some heat at it, no improvement. I decided to wiggle the fitting out. Very tight / awkward without unpinning bucket but I managed to get it with some damage to fitting. Anyway, Jim you were on the right wavelength with bushing. Not a great pic but you can see it partially covering the grease hole. Probably not enough to block grease since you can still see pin in behind, but proof the bushings might be a factor. The fitting - now that was like a solid chunk of rock, no wonder nothing passed. Don t know when the last time prior owners greased this arm but it wasn t recent.

Dumb question - the old fitting looks like 5/8 or maybe 8mm (since everything on this tractor seems to be metric). It is the outside diameter of fitting I need to measure, correct?

This post was edited by rtoni on 08/06/2023 at 02:40 pm.

 

[rtoni]

Sorry - accidental duplicate post please delete. Thank you

(quoted from post at 11:18:21 08/06/23)
Try some heat as mentioned. If there is a bushing in that arm, it is possible the bushing has turned and blocked the grease hole, I have seen it happen. Can you find the grease hole with a wire when the pin is out? Does it line up with the fitting?

Threw some heat at it, no improvement. I decided to wiggle the fitting out. Very tight / awkward without unpinning bucket but I managed to get it with some damage to fitting. Anyway, Jim you were on the right wavelength with bushing. Not a great pic but you can see it partially covering the grease hole. Probably not enough to block grease since you can still see pin in behind, but proof the bushings might be a factor. The fitting - now was like a solid chunk of rock, no wonder nothing passed. Don t know when the last time prior owners greased this arm but it wasn t recent.

Dumb question - the old fitting looks like 5/8 or maybe 8mm (sine everything on this tractor seems to be metric). It is the outside diameter of fitting I need to measure, correct?

This post was edited by rtoni on 08/06/2023 at 02:42 pm.

 

[DoubleO7]

Stick a drill bit in the hole to determine size.