Greasing spindles

[Clem Clement]

I'm having trouble getting grease into the spindle bearings. Front end redone by me several years ago. Bearing holes aligned properly. Fittings are original style and clear of old grease. Even when I jack up the car and turn the wheels side -to-side, no go. I will t y an air grease gun next.

[Beater]

I have had probs of things not wanting to take grease lots of times if you pull off the nipple and shoot the chanel as full as you can with WD40 or similar, then replace the nipple and grease it usually will take grease

[Clem Clement]

Repair work is about 5 years old. I doubt the grease in there is hard.

No luck tonight with weight on the wheels. I have a plastic/epoxy fitting from BRattons tot make the grease fitting connection. Can it withstand the high pressure of an air grease gun?

[Tom Wesenberg]

Might try a heat gun to get the bushings fairly hot. I'm using a well worn temporary axle on my 28 while I restore the original, and it also has a couple fittings that won't take grease.

You might be able to find a special grease tool that you strike with a hammer to knock the grease into the fitting. I should have bought the one I saw years ago.

[Beater]

I'm telin ya the wd trick works every time

[mshmodela]

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I had the same trouble on one side, I put a very small about of WD.. then push like hell --grease finally got in...

[Bill in SoCal]

Why not put a new fitting in – at least temporally? After the job is done, You can clean and replace the original. Bill

[Tom Wesenberg]

Originally Posted by Bill in SoCal

Why not put a new fitting in – at least temporally? After the job is done, You can clean and replace the original. Bill

I don't find the fitting to be the problem, but just beyond the fitting the grease is rock hard, or the parts are worn enough to block the grease path.

In some cases someone may have installed a bushing and not lined up the lubrication hole.

[Beater]

the WD will soften up the old grease, and if you put a preasure zert on it, it will push through

[Quigley1930]

Clem heat and cold beer are your friends. Put them to use on that thar thing

Sewall

[Clem Clement]

Well Phooey. I removed a grease fitting and cleaned out the hole. I can see the spindle turning so I know the bearing hole is in the right place. Spraying Kriol in the area and tried again and again. I tried a air grease gun as well. I have used up a full tube of grease and a roll of paper towels. No luck an any of the spindle fittings. I did get two of the shock links greased by changing out the fittings. The
Bratton's fitting seem a little loose so maybe it is shot.

Time not all lost: While the car was jacked up I balanced the front t res.

[Tom Wesenberg]

If you can see the spindle move, then stick the grease fitting back in and grease it while someone turns the wheel back and forth. It has to be taking some grease.

[Clem Clement]

I will try using rubber from my rubber gloves to make a thin gasket in the grease gun fitting.

[Clem Clement]

No good.
I dug out a couple of Alemite grease guns I had. I got a little grease in one fitting and that emptied the gun. I used a screwdriver to fill and burp the gun. Then tried the center shaft. No good enough. (I'm using grease I pullout of a refill tube.
I have forgotten how to burp a grease gun.

[scrapiron]

Sounds like you need a NEW good quality grease gun,, or at least a new tip fitting.

[Wick]

I'm working on some cars that have sat for 25 years. I learned real quick to remove the zerk,dig out the grease,choot in some wd40 then prime the zerk (found some bad zerk this way) also I sat the grease gun out in the sun by mistake. .....grease went in very ez then.

[katy]

I have forgotten how to burp a grease gun.

Remove the hose or pipe from the GG and pump it a few times until all the air is out.

[Clem Clement]

thanks the sun idea might work. This gun I'm using is an Alemite gun from the original era. No hose or burp vent. I have one gun working and two fittings pumped. 2 to go. How do I get the spindle fitting behind the drag link?

[Beater]

I'm with wick, we used to put the gun on the dash board in the sun under glass. makes a big diff.
if you cant get it to feed with a modern gun and new zerk something is wrong. as long as things and in good shape they say you can actually put up to about 12,000 psi on things

[Bruce of MN]

Originally Posted by Clem Clement

How do I get the spindle fitting behind the drag link?

I screwed in a right angle zerk fitting and pointed it forward.