The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Driveline How to re-grease bushings/fittings with old hardened grease?

My '53 sat for 22 years in the eastern oregon sun...
Now that its running and driving again, I want to get the chassis as lubed up as i can, I'm not in a position to start tearing apart and redoing the suspension and steering componets...

I cleaned up the zerk fittings and tried to grease them- but the old grease has pretty much solidified.

Anyone have any tips or suggestions to get the old stuff out w/o removing the bushings?

thanks-
Ben

You can use a small propane torch and warm things up. Just be cautious that you don't melt the rubber boot for the joint. Once things are warm pump lots of fresh grease into joint.

did you actually remove the zerks and clean them out? that's frequently where the 'plug' will be

Bill

I had to use the torch on one of my springs over the weekend. I removed the grease zerk and heated it up good then re-installed the zerk and it pumped in.

Yes, removed the zerks & cleaned them out- pumped grease through them to make sure they were clear, then reinstalled, but no luck other than a half pump to fill the void in end of the zerk.

I have a heavy duty heat gun, may try that on bushing with the zerk out and see if that helps the old gunk flow when i pump in the new.

The heat will soften the hard grease, but leave the zerk in and when it is warm them pump fresh grease in. Once the grease starts going keep pumping until you have nice fresh grease oozing out of the joint. It also helps if you jack it up so the pressure is off the joint also.

Which bushings are you referring to?

Especially if the fitting is in a place I don't want to put a torch on, remove the fitting. Take a drill bit that easily fits in the opening and spin it in your fingers to remove as much grease as possible. Then use PB or WD40 with a straw, spraying and pushing it in as much as you can.
Put on a new fitting (really, they don't cost much and they are the problem most of the time) and pump away. Almost always works. If it doesn't, time to disassemble or replace.

You don't want to use an acetylene torch and get carried away heating things up. You can start fires and melt stuff that way. A little common sense is needed dealing with getting joints / bushings to take grease.

Jim is right on. Try some Kroil, or WD40 and soak it good. I've used it many times over the years to get grease loosened up. Be patient a little though.

Agree with applying mild heat to affected joints, but…..

I had a few zerks that would not pass any grease upon restoral of my 51 panel.

I went out and bought a collection of new zerks in straight, angled, and 90 degree orientations and replaced ALL of them. However, I discovered that the reach of the threads on some of the original zerks was a lot less than on the replacements. Hence, I had to back them up slightly (before bottoming out) to allow the grease to actually pass through and into the joint. This was particularly true on the king pin
fittings. Once the grease got to where it was needed I just snugged them up a turn or so. I found that even with heat …. some of the original zerks were just too clogged to work. my experience, anyway….
mike

That is a good point. I have found the same thing on some farm tractors from that period I have restored. They are usually the straight fittings and have a short thread, about 1/3 less then what they sell today.
I haven't found anyone selling the short thread fittings, so, in the case where the fitting tightens right down against a tie rod ball, I put a thin washer under the new fitting.

SeatGuy;
I have good luck using a Zerk Zapper filled with Kroil or PBlaster. The Zerk Zapper is basically a one shot high pressure grease gun that you smack with a hammer. I hit the offending fitting and let it sit for a day or so and then it usually takes grease from a regular grease gun. As other have said, taking the load off the bushing can also help in clearing out the crud.

SimS