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JCB Fluids & Fuel for Mini Excavator

cloves

Active Member
Joined
Mar 11, 2016
Messages
32
Location
NJ
Hi all,

So I just picked a JCB mini excavator and I am reviewing the service manual and service schedule and had a few questions, hopefully i can get some input. Listed in the fluid section I have the following. Looking to find direct equivalents to some of JCB’s critical Fluids.

1. Fuel Tank 23.5 (5.2) Diesel Oil - Fuel: ASTM D975-076 2-D, US DF1, US DF2, US DFA: Is this regular diesel available at any gas station?

2. Engine (Oil) lists 2 JCB 10W/30 Multigrade (above -15°C (above 5°F)) MIL-L-46152, API CC/SF &
5W/20 (-15°C to -25°C (5°F to 13°F)) API CC/SE (recommended)
  • Now the place that just sold me the machine also gave me a list of service they performed. On that list it has 15w40. I don't know why they used the incorrect oil. My driver told me that mini was smoking a bit when he picked it and loaded it up. Could this be a possible cause?
  • Do these machines have to use JCB oil or can I put synthetic oil off the shelf?
3. Track Gearbox - JCB SAE 30 Engine Oil (Not Multigrade)
4. Track Idler Wheels & Track Rollers (bottom) - JCB HD90 Gear oil (API-GL-5, MIL-L-2105D)
5. Hydraulic System - JCB Special Hydraulic Fluid (Up to 30°C (86°F) OR JCB Hydraulic Fluid 46 (Over 30°C (86°F)
6. Slew Ring Gear Teeth - Slew Ring Bearings - JCB MPL Grease - Lithium based no 2 consistency
7. JCB Slew Pinion Grease - JCB MPL Grease

Should I be looking at alternatives or stick to the OEM stuff?
 

007

Senior Member
Joined
Dec 28, 2016
Messages
280
Location
Australia
I have just had to wade through all that same info on a machine i have just bought.
The broad answer is its up to you to use the appropriate oils for the conditions you are using the machine.
The 15w40 is a perfect summer oil and where i am based in AUS probably the thinnest you would like to go.
But NJ does it snow there in winter?, i see a lot of threads where people go to the thinner oils in sub zero conditions for various reasons.
I won't comment on your smoke because this and the use of synthetic oil are subjects all on there own.
Is there final drives in your list some where?.
I think you should choose a grease you are happy with and stick with it.
There are grease compatibility charts which in the past i would have ignored. (I can post one if you like)
On my machine the dealership recommended using Fuchs Poliplex2 which so far seems a good grease but i notice it has reacted with the previous grease which seems to have set hard and giving me problems getting the grease through the canals in the bushes.
Im slowly pulling the pins and cleaning the old grease away.
I personally think other brand lubricants will be equivalent to the JCB brand but choose carefully (no Mistakes).
I am guessing the JCB HD90 is what the main stream would call EP90 Short for Extreme Pressure which is different to straight 90 grade oil.
A simple missing letter or misinterpretation can bring you unstuck.
You will need to research each lubricant and keep a list.
I would have no problems moving away from OEM oils and grease but be aware some OEM oil filters are way better than non genuine on some brand machines.
 

farmboy555

Well-Known Member
Joined
Aug 24, 2006
Messages
191
Location
KY
Occupation
Owner Operator
15w40 diesel oil is what most use. It will ok I run 15w40 shell Rotella in my equipment it great oil, affordable and you can get it anywhere Just buy good oil/ grease off the shelf. I try to use the best hydraulic oil I can find
 

Delmer

Senior Member
Joined
Jan 3, 2013
Messages
8,865
Location
WI
What kind of engine and what kind of hydraulic pump?

All of those are off the shelf specs except maybe the hydraulic fluid.You'll probably find that's a low viscosity hydraulic fluid, which you want, but there are plenty of good ones out there as well.

Some of this depends on what you're doing with the mini also. If you run full time in the the Australian summer, then synthetic 15-40 might not be a bad idea. If you use it half an hour at a time year round in NJ, then I'd go with the 10-30. The dealer used that oil because it's what they put in everything, maybe the only engine oil they keep in bulk. I would not run a synthetic if you don't run enough hours to take advantage of the extended drain interval.
 

cloves

Active Member
Joined
Mar 11, 2016
Messages
32
Location
NJ
Hi guys,
Finally got to the machine and under the hood today. Machine has a Perkins GJ71067U157082Y. Machine had a little light smoke on startup, seemed a bit white pretty hard to see after the machine warmed up. We just unloaded the machine and then I parked it so really only ran it for about 15 minutes or so.

I am in North Jersey average temperature at night during the winter is in the 30's or less sometimes. Hopefully can start working with the machine in the next coming weeks. I want to make sure all maintenance etc is done. I did notice some fluid today when I popped up the cab. Fluid had no smell as far as I could tell. Also saw that a plastic wire harness holder must be too close to the engine because it has melted a bit. Wires in the loom seem ok.

So I opened the hood on the left side I see a leg which I assume is a safety to keep the hood from slamming back down. I couldn't figure out where exactly the heck is goes, and its not in the service manual. See how the bottom wants to connect to something? Any ideas?

IMAG1225.jpg


Shot of some fluid burning on the the exhaust. I believe this is fluid coming from above.

IMAG1224.jpg


This is what is above.
IMAG1228.jpg


Wireloom to close to engine. I also see some fluid on the engine again I wiped and didn't smell anything.


IMAG1230.jpg
 

cloves

Active Member
Joined
Mar 11, 2016
Messages
32
Location
NJ
Hi guys so working on the changing fluid etc. I took a video of the engine running this about 1 minute after startup. This is my first diesel piece of equipment. Do diesels run this rough normally?

 

Rentalstop

Well-Known Member
Joined
Nov 25, 2015
Messages
114
Location
Sunbury, OH
Hi all,

So I just picked a JCB mini excavator and I am reviewing the service manual and service schedule and had a few questions, hopefully i can get some input. Listed in the fluid section I have the following. Looking to find direct equivalents to some of JCB’s critical Fluids.

1. Fuel Tank 23.5 (5.2) Diesel Oil - Fuel: ASTM D975-076 2-D, US DF1, US DF2, US DFA: Is this regular diesel available at any gas station?

2. Engine (Oil) lists 2 JCB 10W/30 Multigrade (above -15°C (above 5°F)) MIL-L-46152, API CC/SF &
5W/20 (-15°C to -25°C (5°F to 13°F)) API CC/SE (recommended)
  • Now the place that just sold me the machine also gave me a list of service they performed. On that list it has 15w40. I don't know why they used the incorrect oil. My driver told me that mini was smoking a bit when he picked it and loaded it up. Could this be a possible cause?
  • Do these machines have to use JCB oil or can I put synthetic oil off the shelf?
3. Track Gearbox - JCB SAE 30 Engine Oil (Not Multigrade)
4. Track Idler Wheels & Track Rollers (bottom) - JCB HD90 Gear oil (API-GL-5, MIL-L-2105D)
5. Hydraulic System - JCB Special Hydraulic Fluid (Up to 30°C (86°F) OR JCB Hydraulic Fluid 46 (Over 30°C (86°F)
6. Slew Ring Gear Teeth - Slew Ring Bearings - JCB MPL Grease - Lithium based no 2 consistency
7. JCB Slew Pinion Grease - JCB MPL Grease

Should I be looking at alternatives or stick to the OEM stuff?

Fuel is diesel from the pump. All ultra-low sulfur these days.
You could go back to the 10W30 or 5W20 at the next oil change if the dealer just changed it.
Don't use synthetic if it doesn't have synthetic now.
Don't mess with all the track rollers/idlers unless they have grease fittings. They are typically sealed.
Final drive oil. This is in the drive sprocket. You could change this. Just take the manual to Napa and cross fluid.
Use any high quality grease for slew, pinion and pins/bushings.
Use AW46 hydraulic fluid. Don't change the fluid, just the filter.
As for the smoke, if its black, it's unburned fuel. Most likely from cold weather starts where the engine cranks longer than in warm weather. Make sure you are using/waiting for the glow plugs. I cycle the plugs a few times on my little Deere excavator. Still puffs a little black smoke.
If the smoke is white, this could be a problem. Most likely this would signal a coolant leak.

Video with the engine running seems very normal to me. No worries.
 

cloves

Active Member
Joined
Mar 11, 2016
Messages
32
Location
NJ
What kind of engine and what kind of hydraulic pump?

Some of this depends on what you're doing with the mini also. If you run full time in the the Australian summer, then synthetic 15-40 might not be a bad idea. If you use it half an hour at a time year round in NJ, then I'd go with the 10-30. The dealer used that oil because it's what they put in everything, maybe the only engine oil they keep in bulk. I would not run a synthetic if you don't run enough hours to take advantage of the extended drain interval.

Engine is a PERKINS 403D-11. Not sure on the Hyrdraulic part but based on what the manual shows its JCB part number 20/925320. I couldn't dig up anything online on specs on it.

Fuel is diesel from the pump. All ultra-low sulfur these days.
You could go back to the 10W30 or 5W20 at the next oil change if the dealer just changed it.
Don't use synthetic if it doesn't have synthetic now.
Don't mess with all the track rollers/idlers unless they have grease fittings. They are typically sealed.
Final drive oil. This is in the drive sprocket. You could change this. Just take the manual to Napa and cross fluid.
Use any high quality grease for slew, pinion and pins/bushings.
Use AW46 hydraulic fluid. Don't change the fluid, just the filter.
As for the smoke, if its black, it's unburned fuel. Most likely from cold weather starts where the engine cranks longer than in warm weather. Make sure you are using/waiting for the glow plugs. I cycle the plugs a few times on my little Deere excavator. Still puffs a little black smoke.
If the smoke is white, this could be a problem. Most likely this would signal a coolant leak.

Video with the engine running seems very normal to me. No worries.

Thanks for all the info rentalshop!
I went to the dealership on Friday and was less then impressed by the info I got. I wish I had read your post on the track rollers and idlers. They sold me a 5 gall bucket but if its sealed I won't be changing that and will have to return on Monday.

Any reasoning behind the the oil? I just went over the specs in the manual and they are massively dated! API CC/SE is old. My thinking was to drop the oil that was just placed in the unit and use Shell Rotella T6 (5w-40) which is CJ-4 compliant. But that is just me thinking out loud. Do you have any recommendations on oils? Locally I also have normal Shell Rotella t4 15w-40 and Mobil Delvar 15w-40.

Final drive aka track gearbox, specs say SAE 30 Engine oil (not multigrade), dealer told me to just use regular oil. That somewhat raised my eye. Shouldn't that oil have additives for wet brakes?

Here are a few more videos with the engine. I see a bit of light white smoke after a few minutes which has me a bit concerned. That and the very rough engine. Again not sure if this is common on diesels.
The unit has fired up without issue so far. I usually turn the key and let the glow plug light for 5 seconds then crank over idle set to low. Its cold here in Jersey 30s or so.

 

Rentalstop

Well-Known Member
Joined
Nov 25, 2015
Messages
114
Location
Sunbury, OH
Any reasoning behind the the oil?

I really don't think you are going to hurt anything with the 15W40 oil if you run it until the next oil change.
Oil viscosity is resistance to flow. Lower numbers flow easier. Number before the W is cold weather viscosity.
Using 5W over 15W would be lighter, thinner and lubricate the moving parts quicker than 15W.
We have used both Shell Rotella and Mobil Delvac. Both are good quality oils.

Final drive aka track gearbox, specs say SAE 30 Engine oil (not multigrade), dealer told me to just use regular oil. That somewhat raised my eye. Shouldn't that oil have additives for wet brakes?

Track drive motors are inside the undercarriage frame. The sprocket is bolted on the motor shaft. The gearbox oil is lubricating the seals between the motor and sprocket as it spins. "No wet brakes" travel stops when you return drive levers to center detent. No need for multi grade or additives in the final drives.

I would suggest cycling the glow plugs longer. Many machines have a temp sensor that runs the plugs longer as the temp goes lower. Try 10 to 15 seconds on the glow pugs. Even a couple 10 second cycles, then crank the engine. I still don't think you have any issues with that engine. Just keep an eye on the coolant level in the overflow bottle. You already own the machine. Just try to relax, no worries. The weather will break soon and you will be throwing dirt in no time !!
 

thepumpguysc

Senior Member
Joined
Mar 18, 2010
Messages
7,445
Location
Sunny South Carolina
Occupation
Master Inj.Pump rebuilder
Definetly LONGER on the glow plugs.. 5 sec isn't long enough.. acouple of 10-15 bursts is usually good enough to warm the cylinders.
The engine "looks" alittle shakey to me.. maybe motor mounts??
You can check them by "goosing" the engine while looking at the motor.. if its MM's the engine will torque/jump HARD to 1 side.
You could narrow down the "puffs" of white to a particular cylinder by wrapping a shop rag around the injector & cracking the nut loose & watch the exhaust pipe.. once you find the suspect cyl. it'll quit puffing.
BE CARFULL its gonna be messy & your gonna get wet..
DO THIS ONLY if its a mechanical injection system, NOT a common rail system.. CR systems build thousands of psi of pressure & you don't want your hands anywhere near that..
IF your not sure what type you have, take a vid of the injection pump, lines & injectors & post.. the engine doesn't have to be running to take the pic or video..
Relax & have fun..
 

Nige

Senior Member
Joined
Jun 22, 2011
Messages
28,984
Location
G..G..G..Granville.........!! Fetch your cloth.
A few random thoughts, starting with .......... the dealership for the brand in question is probably the last place you want to be asking for advice on oil. They will generally (unless there's a special offer on) want to sell you the manufacturer-branded oil at top dollar with no wiggle room regarding possible alternative options.

1. Diesel fuel. #2 diesel from any fuel station will work fine. My only question is regarding the 15ppm ultra-low sulphur diesel (ULSD) sold in the US these days and whether there will be enough lubricity in that fuel for the fuel injection system on this particular engine. Possibly a lubricity additive for the fuel might be required. I don't know the answer to that, I' m not familiar with that engine.
2. Engine oil. If the manual states 10W/30 for ambient temperatures above -15°C then that's what I'd use, but only after the next oil change. With warmer weather just round the corner the 15W/40 that's in there now will do just fine. Anything CG-4 or better will be acceptable. Stick with a good brand, something like Mobil or Shell. The 5W/40 you were thinking about would also work. Synthetic would be an unnecessary luuxury IMHO.
3. The SAE30 engine oil (not multigrade) for the track gearbox is a bit of a puzzler. Why would the OEM specify engine oil when it's a power transmission..? (But then again Hitachi do the same for pump drives when all they are is a big gearbox) The two obvious choices I can think of are to follow the manual and buy an SAE30 engine oil. There are plenty around desgined for older diesel engines that react badly to the detergent/additive package of a modern multigrade oil. However my preference would be an SAE30 oil meeting TO-4 specification. It's designed for power transmissions, final drives, & differentials, so to me it would be ideal in that application.
4. Track rollers & idlers. They are sealed and not lubricateable (not by you anyway) so return the oil you bought for credit.
5. Hydraulic system. You're not going to be above +30°C apart from a few weeks in high summer so go for the other option which is actually an ISO AW32 oil. That oil or SAE 10W hydraulic oil (same viscosity as ISO32) would be the choice. Buy a good brand of oil (Mobil, Shell, or similar) and you'll be fine.
6 & 7. Greases. I'd go for a good NGLI #2 lithium-based grease which would be satisfactory for both applications. Look for something with a minimum of 350kg in the 4-ball weld test result.

Also I would agree with what other posters have said about using the glow plugs for (much) longer than 5 seconds before trying to crank the engine when it's cold.
IMHO the engine needs to be warmed up to full operating temperature for at least a couple of hours and get some decent load on it to blow the cobwebs pout before you can start worrying about the exhaust smoke.
 

cloves

Active Member
Joined
Mar 11, 2016
Messages
32
Location
NJ
Yesterday temp was in the 40's I turned the glow plug on for 10 seconds and started it and no smoke! The operator's manual says not to cycle the glow plug past 15 seconds. Interesting and I will be keeping an eye on the smoke issue, maybe it had just to do with the glow plug not heating up enough, thanks for pointing this out guys! No spark with glow plugs, learning as I go!

Any reasoning behind the the oil?
We have used both Shell Rotella and Mobil Delvac. Both are good quality oils.

Track drive motors are inside the undercarriage frame. The sprocket is bolted on the motor shaft. The gearbox oil is lubricating the seals between the motor and sprocket as it spins. "No wet brakes" travel stops when you return drive levers to center detent. No need for multi grade or additives in the final drives.

I would suggest cycling the glow plugs longer. Many machines have a temp sensor that runs the plugs longer as the temp goes lower. Try 10 to 15 seconds on the glow pugs. Even a couple 10 second cycles, then crank the engine. I still don't think you have any issues with that engine. Just keep an eye on the coolant level in the overflow bottle. You already own the machine. Just try to relax, no worries. The weather will break soon and you will be throwing dirt in no time !!

Thanks Rental, I am think I will run the new oil for another 10 hours then do a change again. Figure its cheap insurance and will give the new oil sometime to cycle well and clean up the engine and any old oil. Then I will dump and run new oil.

Definetly LONGER on the glow plugs.. 5 sec isn't long enough.. acouple of 10-15 bursts is usually good enough to warm the cylinders.
The engine "looks" alittle shakey to me.. maybe motor mounts??
You can check them by "goosing" the engine while looking at the motor.. if its MM's the engine will torque/jump HARD to 1 side.
You could narrow down the "puffs" of white to a particular cylinder by wrapping a shop rag around the injector & cracking the nut loose & watch the exhaust pipe.. once you find the suspect cyl. it'll quit puffing.
BE CARFULL its gonna be messy & your gonna get wet..
DO THIS ONLY if its a mechanical injection system, NOT a common rail system.. CR systems build thousands of psi of pressure & you don't want your hands anywhere near that..
IF your not sure what type you have, take a vid of the injection pump, lines & injectors & post.. the engine doesn't have to be running to take the pic or video..
Relax & have fun..

I see the vibration and the engine mounts moving but no tears in the front mounts. By goosing, you mean to bring the idle up and down or just bring it up one shot?

I'll have to further investigate the fuel injection system. What a great trick for narrowing down the smoke. If it comes back I will investigate this method. So this works by letting more oxygen in at the nut correct?

A few random thoughts, starting with .......... the dealership for the brand in question is probably the last place you want to be asking for advice on oil. They will generally (unless there's a special offer on) want to sell you the manufacturer-branded oil at top dollar with no wiggle room regarding possible alternative options.

1. Diesel fuel. #2 diesel from any fuel station will work fine. My only question is regarding the 15ppm ultra-low sulphur diesel (ULSD) sold in the US these days and whether there will be enough lubricity in that fuel for the fuel injection system on this particular engine. Possibly a lubricity additive for the fuel might be required. I don't know the answer to that, I' m not familiar with that engine.
2. Engine oil. If the manual states 10W/30 for ambient temperatures above -15°C then that's what I'd use, but only after the next oil change. With warmer weather just round the corner the 15W/40 that's in there now will do just fine. Anything CG-4 or better will be acceptable. Stick with a good brand, something like Mobil or Shell. The 5W/40 you were thinking about would also work. Synthetic would be an unnecessary luuxury IMHO.
3. The SAE30 engine oil (not multigrade) for the track gearbox is a bit of a puzzler. Why would the OEM specify engine oil when it's a power transmission..? (But then again Hitachi do the same for pump drives when all they are is a big gearbox) The two obvious choices I can think of are to follow the manual and buy an SAE30 engine oil. There are plenty around desgined for older diesel engines that react badly to the detergent/additive package of a modern multigrade oil. However my preference would be an SAE30 oil meeting TO-4 specification. It's designed for power transmissions, final drives, & differentials, so to me it would be ideal in that application.
4. Track rollers & idlers. They are sealed and not lubricateable (not by you anyway) so return the oil you bought for credit.
5. Hydraulic system. You're not going to be above +30°C apart from a few weeks in high summer so go for the other option which is actually an ISO AW32 oil. That oil or SAE 10W hydraulic oil (same viscosity as ISO32) would be the choice. Buy a good brand of oil (Mobil, Shell, or similar) and you'll be fine.
6 & 7. Greases. I'd go for a good NGLI #2 lithium-based grease which would be satisfactory for both applications. Look for something with a minimum of 350kg in the 4-ball weld test result.

Also I would agree with what other posters have said about using the glow plugs for (much) longer than 5 seconds before trying to crank the engine when it's cold.
IMHO the engine needs to be warmed up to full operating temperature for at least a couple of hours and get some decent load on it to blow the cobwebs pout before you can start worrying about the exhaust smoke.

1. Interesting point on the lubrication, I am going to check the exxon station later today to see what sort of diesel is being offered.
3. Track Gearbox (aka final drive) Just realized I didn't put the specs in my first thread. Specs say API CD/SF, MIL-L-46152, MIL-L-2104D. Oil I picked up at napa is API Service SN. This is still causing me a bit of concern spec wise. Called the USA tech support guys and he couldn't really clarify it for me aside from telling me to use what is listed.

Grease question guys, do all grease fitting holes (Once you remove the zerg) have a hole at the bottom? I have a few grease zergs in the center, took off the zerg, cleaned the hole of old grease, all I see is the shaft at the bottom, no hole for the grease to flow into. Looking at how some of these pins are, they have a lock screws at the end or screws which to me would prevent the hole from turning. I read in one of the other threads that holes can turn sometime.

Some of these I only see grease coming out of half the side. I assume I am going to have to take the full pin out and figure out why.

Below I cleaned this out one out but only half of the grease cam out of the closest side:
IMAG1240.jpg


This one below grease wouldn't come out of either side. Assume I should pull the pin out right? Lots of weight here at the top. Any recommendations on how to not drop and or clean this?
IMAG1239.jpg
 

Delmer

Senior Member
Joined
Jan 3, 2013
Messages
8,865
Location
WI
So this works by letting more oxygen in at the nut correct?
NO, don't worry how it works. It's not smoking now right.

The grease coming out one side only is fine. The pin that didn't have grease come out either side, did that accept grease or was it plugged? If it wasn't plugged then just keep pumping, or put a new tube in if your gun is empty.
 

cloves

Active Member
Joined
Mar 11, 2016
Messages
32
Location
NJ
In the second picture that zerk between the boom and dipper didn't take any grease and it just shot out the side of the zerk. I am going to pull the zerk out clean the inside and see what happens. I had 1 other zerk that I took off and cleaned the hole out and noticed that there was no path for the grease to travel, I could only see the pin at the bottom of the hole.
 

Nige

Senior Member
Joined
Jun 22, 2011
Messages
28,984
Location
G..G..G..Granville.........!! Fetch your cloth.
Thanks for posting the spec of the track gearbox oil. It is a mongorade engine oil that is being called out by the OEM. However, as I posted earlier, I can't for the life of me see why that would be when the unit is in fact a transmission full of gears and bearings that would be far better lubricated by a "proper" power train oil. Again as I said before this is not the first OEM I've seen call out a monograde engine oil for a transmission similar to this. If it was me I would still go for an SAE30 oil meeting TO-4 specification in this instance. Remember that what is published in the manual is only what the manufacturer recommends and don't for a minute assume that they actually know what they are talking about.....

Grease, like any fluid, will always take the path of least resistance. If you have only one grease zerk serving a pin/link assembly and the grease can come out of both sides you will generally find it only comes out of one (path of least resistance) but that doesn't necessarily mean anything is wrong. If it makes you happy pull it all apart, clean it and put it all back together and I'll pretty much guarantee the grease will still only come out of one side... Even though grease is only coming out of one side new grease is getting to the pin/bush interface and that's where you need it to be. Grease is relatively speaking cheap so pump plenty in until clean grease comes out from somewhere and then wipe off the excess. Grease the machine regularly using a good quality grease and you'll have the battle against wear pretty much won.

Regarding your post #14 above if grease is coming out from between the grease gun nozzle and the zerk then you have a problem somewhere. First try replacing the zerk from another grease point that you know takes grease, if that does not work then you are in the "some disassembly required", as they say in the best of service manuals, to find out why. You're going to have to, at least partially, pull the pin between the boom and the stick to see if you can get grease into it. I would expect that the bush in the stick has a grease groove in the outside of it then holes to pass the grease to the pin/bush surface. This type of bush is often difficult to open up for grease to pass because there is no "hole" that you can push a bit of wire directly through. In cases like that often heat is your best friend.
 
Last edited:

Delmer

Senior Member
Joined
Jan 3, 2013
Messages
8,865
Location
WI
Pull the grease fitting/zerk out, spray out the hole with brake cleaner if there's any sign of hardened grease. Use a new grease fitting, if it still leaks, order a locknlube grease coupler. If that fails, hook a porta power hose to the threaded hole, and hold pressure on it while moving the joint.
 

007

Senior Member
Joined
Dec 28, 2016
Messages
280
Location
Australia
Can be a real pain if the grease does not go evenly to both sides.
I keep an eye on the offending joint and if it gets really dry on the un greased side i put a big wood working clamp across the joint when greasing and that makes the grease go to the other side.
Can only do this on minis of course.
Trouble with hand grease guns is the pressure and speed the grease goes in is much slower than shop air driven grease guns which clear the groves and muck out better.
There is a tool which is hard to find but works fantastic. Maybe Ebay?
It looks a bit like an impact driver but it twists apart and you put grease it it.
You hit it with a mallet while holding it on the Zerk and it shocks the grease in the joint so fast and hard it usually clears the blocked grease path.
Been used in the heavy trucking industry for decades.
The problem is with minis is getting it on top of all the zerks.
You might have to fashion a short hose and zerk coupler on the end of it for the hard to get ones.
Found one similar to the ones we use on the net
https://www.zerkzapper.com/product/zerk-zapper-grease-fitting-tool/
 
Last edited:

farmboy555

Well-Known Member
Joined
Aug 24, 2006
Messages
191
Location
KY
Occupation
Owner Operator
I have a zerk hammer. I put penetrating fluid in it for zerks that won't take grease
 
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