rudder grease

[racushman]

Does anyone have a technique for unfreezing a zerk fitting? Mine is in very good (outward) physical condition, but when I connect the grease gun it doesn't pass any grease. Heated it a bit with heat gun as suggested by youtube video, but no change. Also tried a bit of PB Blaster.

 

[Kenneth K]

Zerks have a spring-loaded internal ball that closes off the inlet passage when grease is not being pumped in. First I'd see if you can depress the internal ball with a scew/nail-point, etc. After the ball, I suppose you could have dried, hardened grease inside the fitting that might need to get pushed out of the way. Many grease-gun fittings have an adjustable nozzle that allows the nozzle's "teeth" to clamp more tightly around the exterior of the zerk. Tightening this nozzle would allow you to get more pressure out of the grease gun begore it pops off the zerk.

 

[racushman]

Thanks Ken good counsel I will try these suggestions. Based on a few more minutes on the google oracle, it sounds like more heat may also be worth a try.

 

[Dave G.]

Have you tried depressing the little ball in the center of the fitting to see if it moves ? A small flat punch or a small screwdriver will work. You should be able to depress it and it should spring back. Is it an upper or lower fitting, screwed into metal collar or glass ?

 

[67rway]

I spent waaay too much time trying to free the frozen check ball in mine too, and ended up carefully cutting the glass around it to access the zerk body enough to put a small socket on it and remove. Replaced with a quality Alemite zerk, and reglassed.

 

[Christian Williams]

I believe the factory Zerk on my 32-3 rudder post was an automotive part, plated. It died in a closed coffin of rust. I suppose even a mild steel "grease fitting" should not rust in a greasy environment, since cars formerly had a dozen of them on the exposed underbody. Yeah, but.

Some may just need to be replaced.

 

[Doug177]

Well after careful checking, I have concluded that my 1987 35-3 also just has one Zerk fitting. On the aft side of the rudder tube about half way up. Since the rudder was out, I was able to feel all around inside the tube. Mine was dry as a bone, no grease anywhere except a little residue on the lower bearing. The rudder tube is a little larger than the bearing at the bottom and packing gland at the top and has about 12 inches of space that is 1/8" bigger all around that needs to be filled with grease with the shaft in. I can easily imagine it would take a couple of small tubes to fill that annular space and push some into the bearing. BUT if your rudder tube is intact and your top gland and bottom bearing are not too loose, you shouldn't be pumping too much more into that tiny area. Something might be up. Here is my packing gland with packing as it was when I removed it yesterday. As Dr Stephen Maturin in the novels would say, "It is the completest thing" I don't think I will mess with it. Three rings, staggered and in perfect shape.