Grease Zirk

[dsmith84]

Hi, new to the forum and new owner of a L3301 and have a quick question I hope someone can answer. The tractor has 38 hours on it, purchased in June, this year. I have tried repeatedly to put grease in the front right zirk on the tie rod end closest to the tire and cannot get it to take grease. Have taken the zirk out, put it into the grease gun and grease flows freely, but when I put it back in I cannot get grease into the fitting. The tractor was supposedly serviced prior to delivery but it does not feel like there is any grease in the seal.
Called the dealer and spoke with the service department and was told I would need to bring it in and they would check it out, and fix if necessary under warranty. The guy I spoke with said its probably just dirt and needs to be cleaned out. I used a small awl to prod around in the fitting and there does not appear to be any dirt inside. We live about 70 miles from the dealer, would have to rent a trailer to haul the tractor (twice) and two trips down and back, since we would have to drop it off and leave it.
Any suggestions as to how to get grease in the fitting? Only solution I can come up with is remove the tie rod end and take it in. Thanks Dan

 

[85Hokie]

You have done everything YOU need to do -
remove zerk
check flow through the zerk while off.

Here is what I think is going on - the zerk while in has no place of the grease to move around the rod. Sometimes this occurs when the rod is frozen, other times it can occur when the two pieces of metal are sooooo close to each other, the grease cannot enter that small of a place.

Had a friend that had the same problem - the pins in the FEL of a 250 hour tractor all took grease except ONE - took the zerk out, and it was fine - but the pin was "locked" in the cylinder so bad that it would not allow grease to enter. After hitting the pin both ways and applying grease repetitively - it finally freed up and the problem ended.

 

[dsmith84]

"Had a friend that had the same problem - the pins in the FEL of a 250 hour tractor all took grease except ONE - took the zerk out, and it was fine - but the pin was "locked" in the cylinder so bad that it would not allow grease to enter. After hitting the pin both ways and applying grease repetitively - it finally freed up and the problem ended."

Not sure I understand. What pin and what do you mean when saying "hitting it both ways"?

 

[Holleyman]

In the heavy duty world when we get a lubed joint that won't take grease we apply the grease while cycling the joint. If it is a tie rod end, get someone to wiggle the steering back and forth. If that doesn't work then we use the porta-power pump and apply several thousand pounds of oil pressure. One way or another the joint will take grease.

 

[85Hokie]

"Had a friend that had the same problem - the pins in the FEL of a 250 hour tractor all took grease except ONE - took the zerk out, and it was fine - but the pin was "locked" in the cylinder so bad that it would not allow grease to enter. After hitting the pin both ways and applying grease repetitively - it finally freed up and the problem ended."

Not sure I understand. What pin and what do you mean when saying "hitting it both ways"?

Ok ....
lets see if this helps:

https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/...upload/images/slideshow/sectione_-_edited.jpg

the pin was frozen - and the pin needed to be freed up (thus tapped both ways to allow grease to ooze in)

Yours may be frozen too - as someone said - jack up the front end and twist the ball joint to see if grease will go in to it.