rubber track grease nipples

rami1 · May 17, 2011

I havent owned my own machine before and when working with my bosses machine i cant remember this ever happening .
I was greasing the tracks on my kubota today i give it a few pumps then took the gun off the nipple and grease started to come back out of the grease nipple ? i thought well its full. so i cheacked the sag in the track on that side and it was very tight compared to the other side.
is this 'normal' for one side to be tighter or should they both be ajusted to be the same.

or do i sound confused and am geeting things a little mixed up ??:beatsme
cheers

DiamondLTruckin · May 17, 2011

Sounds like it's time for a new grease nipple?

saiphes · May 17, 2011

They're suppsoed to have a ball in the Zerk / nipple to prevent it from flowing back out. I got a box of various new ones from an auto parts store for pretty cheap, though the tensioner one might be a bit different.

rami1 · May 17, 2011

i pushed the balls in with a pin they seem to be springing back ok. ill by some new ones anyway. also is the tensioner one different or does it work on the same one/principal ?

willie59 · May 17, 2011

Can't say for sure about Kubota, but most track adjuster grease valves are just that, a valve. The Alemite fitting itself is a normal grease zerk, but it's typically fitted into a "one way check valve" body that can handle the high pressure of the grease inside adjuster cylinder. The Alemite fitting can't handle that high pressure and will leak grease even if the ball in the zerk appears good. If you have a good flow of grease coming back out of the zerk, chances are something is amiss with the grease valve fitted into the cylinder.

Willis Bushogin · May 17, 2011

WORD of caution DO NOT TAKE THE GREASE FITTING OUT, UNTIL YOU RELEASE THE GREASE PRESSURE
There is alot of pressure in this track adjuster (normally) Back the fitting out slowly, until you see the grease coming out. I think I read somewhere that under normal conditions, there is like 2-3000 psi on that system, be careful

rami1 · May 17, 2011

Willis Bushogin said:
WORD of caution DO NOT TAKE THE GREASE FITTING OUT, UNTIL YOU RELEASE THE GREASE PRESSURE
There is alot of pressure in this track adjuster (normally) Back the fitting out slowly, until you see the grease coming out. I think I read somewhere that under normal conditions, there is like 2-3000 psi on that system, be careful

i undid the grease nipple with ease no preussre behind it at all is this a sign of something wrong ?

rami1 · May 17, 2011

ATCOEQUIP said:
Can't say for sure about Kubota, but most track adjuster grease valves are just that, a valve. The Alemite fitting itself is a normal grease zerk, but it's typically fitted into a "one way check valve" body that can handle the high pressure of the grease inside adjuster cylinder. The Alemite fitting can't handle that high pressure and will leak grease even if the ball in the zerk appears good. If you have a good flow of grease coming back out of the zerk, chances are something is amiss with the grease valve fitted into the cylinder.

it flows a bit out of the zerk for a couple of seconds then stops is this a bad sign ?

willie59 · May 17, 2011

It is possible to pump enough grease in the adjuster to have the track overtightened, which takes a bit of grease pump pressure. In that case, the chamber between zerk and grease check valve is subjected to this high pressure. Since zerk can't handle this pressure, it will vent by the check ball, grease leaking out, until pressure is relieved, then check valve holds pressure inside adjuster cylinder. If all this is the case, is it possible you have the track too tight?

rami1 · May 17, 2011

ATCOEQUIP said:
It is possible to pump enough grease in the adjuster to have the track overtightened, which takes a bit of grease pump pressure. In that case, the chamber between zerk and grease check valve is subjected to this high pressure. Since zerk can't handle this pressure, it will vent by the check ball, grease leaking out, until pressure is relieved, then check valve holds pressure inside adjuster cylinder. If all this is the case, is it possible you have the track too tight?

sounds like this is the problem. the track is too tight but i dont know how to loosen on kubota i have never owned my own machine this is the first one. always left this stuff upto the boss which he usally done veryday before work i should have paid more attention ! any way could you give me idea on how to loosen ?

willie59 · May 17, 2011

Well, like Willis Bushoggin said, be careful working around those things. Again, I don't know what setup Kubota has. Some machines have a grease adjusting valve (with zerk) and a loosening valve. Others, it's all done with the grease adjusting valve. If you have only one valve (grease adjuster), then you fit a spanner or socket on it and loosen it. Slowly screw it out until grease starts exhausting out and track adjuster begins to slacken.

Most tracks on rubber track excavators should not have much droop between front idler and upper track support rollers, but they should not be as taught as strings on a banjo.

rami1 · May 17, 2011

evan with the zerk grease nipple unscrewd i dont think there is change in how tight the tracks are ??? is this right

willie59 · May 17, 2011

rami1 said:
evan with the zerk grease nipple unscrewd i dont think there is change in how tight the tracks are ??? is this right

That's right, in most cases, the zerk is fitted into the grease adjuster valve. The valve should have a much larger hex size than the grease zerk that's fitted into it. Fit a spanner on the hex of the grease valve an slowly loosen it.

rami1 · May 17, 2011

ATCOEQUIP said:
That's right, in most cases, the zerk is fitted into the grease adjuster valve. The valve should have a much larger hex size than the grease zerk that's fitted into it. Fit a spanner on the hex of the grease valve an slowly loosen it.

thanks atco i just relised the tension and the tracks a abit looser now . thanks again for all the help guys

cutting edge · May 17, 2011

Under the grease fitting there is a one way (check) valve that is capable of holding the pressure in the track adjuster cylinder (the grease fitting does not maintain this pressure.

The nut that you removed the grease fitting from is the actual adjuster valve.It will hve a nut that will require a 13/16" wrenc to loosen off in your case (Icould be wrong,but i think that is the size.

Btw,that is not a daily maintenance grease point,just to be sure.

dingo · May 24, 2011

i sat next to a guy in hospital emergency ward that had been hit in the eye by a grease nipple from a track adjuster. Lost his eye and had severe brain damage after they removed the nipple.

rami1 · May 25, 2011

there wasnt much presseure behind mine when i undid it. it seems to undo easy mind you i did it real slow. also when i did undo it it released the tension of the tracks. so it seems to be doing its job. Bummer for that guy

rubber track grease nipples

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