• Thank you for visiting HeavyEquipmentForums.com! Our objective is to provide industry professionals a place to gather to exchange questions, answers and ideas. We welcome you to register using the "Register" icon at the top of the page. We'd appreciate any help you can offer in spreading the word of our new site. The more members that join, the bigger resource for all to enjoy. Thank you!

Cannot screw in new grease nipple

rdavison39

Well-Known Member
Joined
Oct 22, 2012
Messages
183
Location
Toronto, Canada
Occupation
Electrical Engineer, self employed
Hi there - I have a 2015 Bobcat E55 I bought used and I just noticed that one of the grease nipples that greases the pin that holds the bucket was missing. I bought a replacement grease nipple but it would not screw in - almost like the female thread on the arm is stripped. I was thinking there was a reason as to why it was missing....

To check I had the right size grease nipple and to ensure it wasn't a problem with the grease nipple i just purchased I unscrewed another grease nipple and screwed in the new one I bought (it was fine) so its definitely the female thread on the machine. Its a pretty important piece to grease as the bucket is constantly in use.

Anyone else had this problem ? Do you get a tap and try and rethread the female thread on the machine ? Other suggestions

Thx
RongreaseNipple3.jpg greaseNipple2.jpg greaseNipple1.jpg
 

kshansen

Senior Member
Joined
Mar 11, 2012
Messages
11,157
Location
Central New York, USA
Occupation
Retired Mechanic in Stone Quarry
Can't say for sure on your machine but 90% of the grease nipples that thread in are 1/8 inch pipe thread.

So could be the threads in the machine are damaged and just need a bit of cleaning up with a pipe tap. Just in case you are not aware those threads are a tapered thread so I would only turn the tap a couple turns in then try the fitting.
 

OzDozer

Senior Member
Joined
Jan 18, 2007
Messages
2,207
Location
Perth, Western Australia.
Occupation
Semi-Retired ..

kshansen

Senior Member
Joined
Mar 11, 2012
Messages
11,157
Location
Central New York, USA
Occupation
Retired Mechanic in Stone Quarry
Where was your Bobcat E55 made? It may have been manufactured with metric components, including grease nipples. Below is a couple of good web pages for grease nipple thread identification.

https://greaseextensionhoses.com/grease-fitting-thread-identification/

https://www.saeproducts.com/metric-grease-fittings.html
Dang! I've been out of the trade too long, plum for got about that possibility! Forgot about metric grease fittings, I had a small supply of those I believe for the WA600 Komatsu or was it the JCB 185? Been seven years this last April.
 

Pony

Senior Member
Joined
Apr 18, 2014
Messages
364
Location
SE Queensland
Doesn't apply here, but I got caught out the other day with an old seeder, couldn't get imperial or metric to fit, although metric was close just not quite right.
Bloody things ended up being Whitworth thread.
 

56wrench

Senior Member
Joined
Dec 4, 2016
Messages
2,101
Location
alberta
And lets not forget the occasional drive-in fitting that uses almost the same size as a 1/4-28 size but is in a place where you can’t see clearly:(
 

Shimmy1

Senior Member
Joined
Aug 14, 2014
Messages
4,308
Location
North Dakota
Honestly, a few times it's happened where I needed to swap a fitting, and ended up screwing a 1/4" fitting into a metric spot. They fit a bit snug, don't attempt it with an open end wrench. I've never tried installing a metric into a standard, I'm guessing that might not even work.
 
Top