Unclogging Zerk Fittings - Zerk Zapper

[cnm]

I have slowly but surely been reviving my 68 280S over the past year. It was a barn (i.e. garage) find that had been rarely driven the past 15 years. About the only maintenance that was performed was oil/filter changes.

Needless to say, I have had trouble trying to grease the chasis and free up 15+ year old hard grease. In case anyone else has had the same problem, I wanted to give a quick plug to a tool that greatly helped me. Everyone of my zerks that were clogged were easily unclogged with The Zerk Zapper without having to remove the zerks from the car (The Zerk Zapper Tool - The Zerk Zapper Tool). Additionally, I attached the heavy duty coupler that they sell to my grease gun. This greatly helped push the grease into the fittings. Would highly recommend if anyone has clogged zerks.

[TnBob]

For the $30 most want on ebay or higher, a whole bunch of brand new zerk fittings can be bought.

[thorsen]

So you're forcing solvent and dried-out grease into the ball joint/tie rod end/bearing/bushing?

I think I'd rather just replace the zerk...

[strelnik]

Originally Posted by thorsen

So you're forcing solvent and dried-out grease into the ball joint/tie rod end/bearing/bushing?

I think I'd rather just replace the zerk...

This is probably a very handy tool if you are out in the field, and have no spare zerks.

Or, you collect dead zerks, clean and resell/re-use them.

It would seem to be a good tool, but have limited applicaion.

On the other hand, I know a farmer who owns 44 acres and has one tool for everything.

He rents out 40 acres and lives on 4.

But he has a gas tractor, a diesel tractor, a fuel tank underground, an 1800 gallon propane tank above ground, and every tool imaginable.

I told him he needs a Mercedes tractor!

Powered by an OM617, their original NA tractor diesel.

[meltedpanda]

man, you guys are hard on cnm, I have used one and like it fOr those fittings that can't be removed for fear of them snapping off ( much like a brake line) .

Good job, sounds like a purest to me !

[cornemuse]

That tool has been around probably since the day after they invented grease fittings.The old 'zerk' fittings (where you must push the gun HARD against the fitting), didnt have check valves in the fitting, allowing the possibility of dirt/gunge to get in, a little. The more modern fittings with the gun end fitting gripping the grease fitting have check valves, if you wipe the end first, the only thing in the fitting would be grease and 'dried out' grease.

We would use stinky gear oil, the thickest oil we could find. And sometimes a "heavy" hammer was necessary.

[thorsen]

I could see using gear oil, but I don't think I would want to use solvent or anything that would break down grease.

[strelnik]

Originally Posted by thorsen

I could see using gear oil, but I don't think I would want to use solvent or anything that would break down grease.

If you use pure oil, with no detergents or additives, you are ok.

Those little cans of non-detergent lightweight oil from the hardware store will provide hydraulic pressure, they will move past any clogs and only lubricate, not dilute the lube effect of the oil.

And no, we are NOT being hard on the man, we're just telling him what we think.

No one has insulted him, they just explained how they would approach the use of the tool.

I mean, someone just offered me a second electric impact that gives 1028 lbs feet of torquie, and it was so cheap I bought it! Nice steel carrying case too!

I don't need it unless I have two people removing block heater plugs from an MB simultaneously. Oh well. Just sayin'

[cornemuse]

Originally Posted by thorsen

I could see using gear oil, but I don't think I would want to use solvent or anything that would break down grease.

What is grease anways?

Grease (lubricant) - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia