Grease

M

Mrowlett

Junior Member
I have a 29 chassis that I want to grease the front end. The grease zerts are not, as some of you know like the modern ones. Do I use a regular grease gun or is there a fitting I need to get?
 
Have 1928 Model A, and the grease zerts are not the modern ones (with little ball bearings), but the ones that are conical shape with a hole in the center. Question: Are these zerts threaded, or or they pressed in. I ordered modern ones from Bratton and they all seem (two sizes they sent) to be threads. Question #2: Since the old zerts don't have shoulders to grasp to unscrew if they are threaded, to remove them how is that done? Just hammer them out?
 
I chiseled and hammered mine out when I mine installed mine with the modern type sold by the venders. What I think you think are threads are scored areas around the part that goes in the hole to hold it in. These are installed with a special tool that usually come with the fitting set I think. I think I used a small socket to fit over the fittings and tapped them in.
 
The new fittings I bought from one of the vendors don’t fit. I have roughly 1/2 old fittings and 1/2 zerks.


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I ordered the "modern" zerts from Bratton, and they sent me two sizes and a tool that is used to hammer in the "new modern" zerts in. I hammered/cursed the old ones out (only two so far), and have tried to hammer in the new ones... won't go in. Do I need a bigger hammer or more strength? They just wont begin to fit in the existing holes. So, I thought the answer would be to buy an air powered grease gun from Amazon, loaded grease cartridge, turned on air compressor, cleared the air from the gun, pressed the nozzel that Bratton sells for use on these "old" zerts... grease went all around the zerts, but none in the fitting. Can someone help me. Either instruct me in use of "old" fitting and leave the "old" zerts in, or how in hell do you get the modern ones in the holes.
Lynn Wright, Scottsdale, AZ. azflatpicker@cox.net
Help!
 
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I had to Google "zerts" and found they are grease nipples. I have a mixture of the old and new types on my cars. I use the appropriate gun for each type. The original ones work quite well so long as you have the gun for them.
I spoke with Sammy Guthrie in Az about them years ago and he has the modern type to replace the old ones. Simply knock the old ones out and tap in the new ones. They have concentric ridges on them to stop them coming out. From what I'm told, they work well too.
 
Buy the adapter, it will save you all the work of changing over to non original parts. I have successfully used a modern gun on original fittings with holding things straight and firmly.
 
If you plan on keeping the original type grease fittings I have found the original Alemite type grease gun works best for me..


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Lynn Wright said:
I ordered the "modern" zerts from Bratton, and they sent me two sizes and a tool that is used to hammer in the "new modern" zerts in. I hammered/cursed the old ones out (only two so far), and have tried to hammer in the new ones... won't go in. Do I need a bigger hammer or more strength? They just wont begin to fit in the existing holes. So, I thought the answer would be to buy an air powered grease gun from Amazon, loaded grease cartridge, turned on air compressor, cleared the air from the gun, pressed the nozzel that Bratton sells for use on these "old" zerts... grease went all around the zerts, but none in the fitting. Can someone help me. Either instruct me in use of "old" fitting and leave the "old" zerts in, or how in hell do you get the modern ones in the holes.
Lynn Wright, Scottsdale, AZ. azflatpicker@cox.net
Help!
Click to expand...

Lynn, you might just have a bunch of old and hardened grease in the fitting and beyond. You can try taking a propane torch and gently warming the zerk and surrounding area to soften the grease and then give greasing it a go again. Has worked for me on A's and other old equipment.
 
1crosscut said:
Lynn, you might just have a bunch of old and hardened grease in the fitting and beyond. You can try taking a propane torch and gently warming the zerk and surrounding area to soften the grease and then give greasing it a go again. Has worked for me on A's and other old equipment.
Click to expand...
Thanks all you folks... I'll crawl under it tomorrow and get it done.
 
A ZERK is a grease fitting, either press-fit or threaded. ZERT is a community of like minded individuals that trains to be prepared for any one of numerous natural or man made disasters that have and will occur.
An original Zerk press fit fitting is easily removed by twisting it with Vise Grip pliers.
 
Lynn Wright said:
I ordered the "modern" zerts from Bratton, and they sent me two sizes and a tool that is used to hammer in the "new modern" zerts in. I hammered/cursed the old ones out (only two so far), and have tried to hammer in the new ones... won't go in. Do I need a bigger hammer or more strength? They just wont begin to fit in the existing holes. So, I thought the answer would be to buy an air powered grease gun from Amazon, loaded grease cartridge, turned on air compressor, cleared the air from the gun, pressed the nozzel that Bratton sells for use on these "old" zerts... grease went all around the zerts, but none in the fitting. Can someone help me. Either instruct me in use of "old" fitting and leave the "old" zerts in, or how in hell do you get the modern ones in the holes.
Lynn Wright, Scottsdale, AZ. azflatpicker@cox.net
Help!
Click to expand...

With the modern Zert's the press in fittings look very similar to the threaded. the easiest way to figure out which is which is to put you fingernail in one of the grooves of the fitting and start turning the fitting. If it is a press in fitting your fingernail will not go up and down but if it is threaded than you finger will move up and down on the threads. I recently used these fittings on my own car and once i figured that out everything went fine.
 
Jak in post 13 hit the nail dead center. If you get a part and it doesn’t work and you can’t figure it out, simply contact the supplier. Let experience be your guide.
 
jak said:
With the modern Zert's the press in fittings look very similar to the threaded. the easiest way to figure out which is which is to put you fingernail in one of the grooves of the fitting and start turning the fitting. If it is a press in fitting your fingernail will not go up and down but if it is threaded than you finger will move up and down on the threads. I recently used these fittings on my own car and once i figured that out everything went fine.
Click to expand...

I wrote of those concentric ridges in post #7 I bet he tried to screw them in.
 
I turned them with a fingernail in the groove and was pretty sure they weren't threads, so I took a couple to Home Depot and tried them in their threat measurer deal, and of course they didn't fit any, confirming they were press-in, not threaded. I've decided the problem is mostly in my lack of strength to hammer them in. Have a shoulder implant in my shoulder which limits my ability. I need a stronger arm to press these zerks in. So, I have learned these are press-in and not screw-in, so I'll get them in.. thank all you folks for your help.
 
Some older reproduction spring shackles had the wrong size press in grease fittings. The new grooved grease fittings will not fit with modification to the grease fitting.
 
I have put the grease fittings in a lathe and turned them down. It’s a hard question to answer. You are looking for the wrong size fitting because of the wrong size hole in the shackle. Now I am confused. Bed time for me.
 
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