Zerks

[Rodney Bullock]

I have been agonizing over this one zerk that the guy at the Jiffy lube just keeps on overlooking because of it not accepting grease. I was reading in one of the trade magazines that when a front end part does not get the grease it needs it will fail:mad: I tried today to grease this zerk and remembered that the last time I was at the supply store I got a box of assorted zerks. They even have the size and are arranged in little compartments:)I got the one for that application and wala it was accepting grease like it should. I got it grease up real nice and took it for a ride.

I hear it's going to snow again so I am glad I got this taken care of before. I wonder how many times we have taken a car in for a oil chANGE AND "lube" WITH THE GUY JUST SKIPPING THE BAD ZERKS. How many of us trust these self lubed front end parts anyway.

[TodFitch]

If your Plymouth is a 1934 or later it should be fitted with "Alemite hydraulic" lubrication fittings. "Zerk" lubrication fittings were used up to 1933 only on Plymouth.

See: http://www.ply33.com/Backmatter/LubricationFittings

But, I think, "Zerk" is used to denote grease fittings in general. Much like "Xerox copies" is used for any copies or "Scotch tape" used for various types of "transparent tape".

Time to change the topic back to "freeze plugs" (welch/welsh/core plugs) where we all agree on the name.

[Young Ed]

Tod care to show how one greases the actual zerk? Until you just mentioned it I always thought it was just another name for what I call a grease fitting.

[P-12 Tommy]

Wow! Interesting. I've also only known them as Zerk fittings since the 60's

Tom

[TodFitch]

Tod care to show how one greases the actual zerk? Until you just mentioned it I always thought it was just another name for what I call a grease fitting.

I often do it by removing the fitting and replacing it with a Alemite hydraulic fitting that works with my grease gun.

The places that sell to Model A Ford types can sell you an adaptor for the Zerk type fitting but I haven't bothered to get one.

[David Maxwell]

...that Zerk fittings are not correct for these cars and... when used, can blow out the seals.

[TodFitch]

...that Zerk fittings are not correct for these cars and... when used, can blow out the seals.

Maybe for the rear axle bearings. But there are a lot of high pressure lubrication fittings on my car: Spring shackles, king pin pivot bearings, steering ball joints, etc.

[Don Coatney]

...that Zerk fittings are not correct for these cars and... when used, can blow out the seals.

Actually I believe any "Alemite hydraulic" fitting (as Tod pictured) has a better chance of blowing a seal as it makes an "hydraucually sealed" connection and will not blow-by, blowing the mechanical seal instead with tons of hydraulic pressure.

[Don Coatney]

I have been agonizing over this one zerk that the guy at the Jiffy lube just keeps on overlooking because of it not accepting grease.

Rodney;

over the years I have had lots of luck simply applying heat (propane torch, mapp gas torch, etc.to a grease fitting that will not accept grease.

[claybill]

ZERK was the guy's name that invented it...

bill

[RobertKB]

Rodney;

over the years I have had lots of luck simply applying heat (propane torch, mapp gas torch, etc.to a grease fitting that will not accept grease.

That is a good tip! Thanks for sharing. I have a couple I will try that on.

[Andydodge]

This is another reason I like this forum.....you LEARN something, I had always wondered why you yanks call these fittings a "zerk".......here in Oz I have only ever heard them called "grease nipples".............I had read in a few US hot rod magazines the term "zerk" used but always thought it must have been a brand name........so, it refers to the type of grease fitting?.......interesting.........thanks, andyd

[Joe Flanagan]

Well, over here in the USA, we're funny about body parts. I don't think you'd walk into a parts store and say you were looking for a "grease nipple." It would be kind of like saying, "A nervous titter ran through the crowd."

I have heard that the man who was instrumental in inventing the modern toilet was named Crapper. Is this true?

Another thread goes down the toilet. Back to grease nipples.

[Rodney Bullock]

You guy's are so wild(Joe) I am familuar with the very early zerks as I worked on a 1934 Buick and the zerks on that car took a needle like extention on the grease gun. I have 2 of these guns in my basement from my grand dads tools. I think he used them on his 30 chevy or the tractors that he had.

Don that is a great idea, I should have known that if I heated the fitting the old grease would run out. It makes sense. I use to try to stick a needle down in it;) What a genous. I was just packing it further.

I have noticed that the zerk(some)have two parts where you can unscrew the nipple:eek:(pause for you wild cats) in case the head of the zerk looses it's spring loaded ball (it just gets worse) I have replaced them many times on older cars. The cars with the shackles, U-joint, rear axle bearings that have zerks need to be very concerned. The old guy's in my past use to have these "grease parties" where they would find all the fittings on each others cars then grease the leaf springs. They let me attend when I finished the Plymouth:) They would even make a special grease for the steering box. On those slow saturday mornings you guy's have got to put in some time with your old car, you will be surprized at how many of those "little sounds" go away.

Edited December 31, 2009 by Rodney Bullock

[Plymouthy Adams]

[quote name=

I have heard that the man who was instrumental in inventing the modern toilet was named Crapper. Is this true?.......Another thread goes down the toilet. Back to grease nipples.[/quote]

the grease nipple sounds like a Saturday night activity, TMI..the crapper..it was Thomas Crapper, always thought it was Johnny (ie the John) but was sitting on the computer as wife had the TV on and overheard this bit of trivia as it was offered up on some show just this week..think it was DIRTY JOBS

maybe his full name was John Thomas Crapper..

[Young Ed]

The old guy's in my past use to have these "grease parties" where they would find all the fittings on each others cars then grease the leaf springs. They let me attend when I finished the Plymouth:) They would even make a special grease for the steering box. On those slow saturday mornings you guy's have got to put in some time with your old car, you will be surprized at how many of those "little sounds" go away.

Rodney don't you fully grease your cars at every oil change? I do. And believe me my pickup has a TON of them. Even my 94 dakota gets grease in 6 fittings at every oil change.

[Joe Flanagan]

My sister and I were wondering the other day about the origins of the word "john." My parents used it all the time to refer to the bathroom but we never knew where the word came from. Of course, we have a brother named John and he was always the first thing to come to mind. An unfortunate association. Of course, he wound up being the black sheep of the family.

Thomas Crapper it is. His invention was so successful he was flush with cash thereafter.

[Young Ed]

Now if you guys want to have some fun pick up a volume of Uncle Johns Bathroom reader. 100s of pages of useless facts like this. Stories are devided into short medium and leg numbing length.

[Joe Flanagan]

I should have known something like that existed. "Leg-numbing length." That's good.

[Don Coatney]

I guess we may as well discuss petcocks and get that out of the way while we are at it. I walked into the auto parts store and ask the girl behind the counter for a petcock. She promptly called the manager and he walked to the shelf and found one.

[Plymouthy Adams]

good thing she did not place a tame rooster on the counter..imagine your surprise at that..the other alternatives are best left to the readers own imagination....

[Joe Flanagan]

To the astonishment of the young lady, I'm sure. I'm surprised the petcock didn't come up sooner. Haven't they changed the name of that device by now? Reminds me of how we used to listen to the Flintstones theme song and never bat an eye when they sang, "We'll have a gay old time."

[JoelOkie]

A name that is in common use around here, (although I don't know how, or why it came to be), is grease "serts". I am guessing either an slur on zerks, or a shortened form of grease inserts. This is not just the new guys working at jiffy lube, either, as I have heard plenty of mechanics calling them that also. Joel

[Don Coatney]

A name that is in common use around here, (although I don't know how, or why it came to be), is grease "serts". I am guessing either an slur on zerks, or a shortened form of grease inserts. This is not just the new guys working at jiffy lube, either, as I have heard plenty of mechanics calling them that also. Joel

I go with the slur...

[Plymouthy Adams]

I believe the name zerk is common to any and all of these "inlets" to apply pressuried grease to a cavity as it was the original named device..it is all that I have ever heard them called....I like the older equipment that has the glass and brass oil filled "oilers"