Outsmarted by zerk fitting - help please

[ad20k]

Certainly feel humbled;

I cant seem to get any grease to flow into the zerks on my TRE. Even after unscrewing the zerk from the TRE and connecting straight to gun, the grease just squirts out at the connection to the grease gun and none flows through the fitting. Thinking it could be plugged, I grabbed a new fitting out of the tool box and had the same result.

After looking at zerks on different parts of the truck, I notice there are 2 types of zerks; a long nipple and a short nipple. My grease gun will pump grease into the long nipple ones, but not the short nipples, like on my TRE. Seems like the problem is that my grease gun won't depress the check valve ball on the short nipple fittings.

I tried to grab some images off the web to try and show the differences between the distance from the tip to the neck. Forum and google searches don't yield much insight to this issue.

Is it my grease gun or do I need to try and find long nipple zerks for my truck?

Thanks

 

[Jokenring]

Are you pressing the gun tip firmly on the short zerk and holding that pressure whilst you pump with the other hand?

 

[hj 60]

Zercs are mostly trouble, keep the gun straight, push, pull, wiggle.

I use this ones and they put a lot of pressure, ideal to use with drive axle as they push dirt away.

To remove a regular grease gun pull sideways, not straight. And then the other thing about grease guns: bleeding the air...

 

[ad20k]

Thanks for the help. Yes, I am putting pressure onto the zerk, but still the grease flows around, instead of through. I have a flexible hose on my grease gun, so pumping the gun and pressing onto the fitting is a bit clumsy. After hunting at several auto stores, I did find zerks that seem to be a bit longer, installed them, and I am able to get some grease in, but still only about half is going in. I'll get the push gun to see if that helps.

Cheers,

 

[Sethro60]

You can by an adapter/fitting for your gun that has a needle point that you press into the ball of the zerk. Works great, especially on those herd to reach ones on tour drive shafts.

 

[SteveH]

You can purchase a device that you apply to zerk and hit with a hammer, to unclog a 'stuck' zerk.

http://toolmonger.com/2008/08/07/rejuvenate-stuck-grease-fittings-and-joints/

 

[cruiserpilot]

I'm glad this question has been brought up. I have the same problem, usually with older components. I'm wondering if there is
a fitting that is a thread in grease fitting. Basically remove the zerk and install something that threads in, applies grease, and is then
removed and replacement of zerk follows?? I replaced the steering column in my 60 a couple of months ago, and found a very old never
greased fitting on the steering column. The old grease was really hardened, I don't think it would accept any grease either.

 

[scrapdaddy]

Your grease gun tip might be bad. They do wear out and will work on some zerks and not others, I've had it happen a lot. I was an oiler at a brewery and used one everyday. Cheap enough to try. Also, it doesn't take much to deform the zerk tip and grease will push out the side. The length shouldn't have anything to do with it. Replace both and you should be good to go.

 

[Crick60]

I've never heard then referred to as zerks..... Is that a brand or something over there? Down here we just call them grease nipples.

 

[scrapdaddy]

Just a generic term for them....Zerk Fittings

 

[rat]

I keep a few long grease nipples in my toolbox for exactly this problem. Remove the useless short grease nipple, insert the long one, grease joint, replace useless short grease nipple...

 

[monstermuleys]

Actually try a needle I've had to on some it works better you can see it goin in and not all over

 

[Howard705]

Grease gun should work on all of them. The end is bad/worn as Scrapdaddy stated. New ones at most auto parts/farm supply stores-less that $5. May have bad zerks too but shouldn't leak around end. If one is stuck you should be able to use a long handled grease gun giving it all you have and not leak-either it takes grease or something gives. Use one with a flexible hose.