How much grease do you squirt into u-joints?

[vash]

I go until I hear it , that popping noise of... I don’t know what is making that noise (?). The caps moving? I assume if I am hearing that noise, my joints were dry? Should I be flushing them with new grease? I hate making a mess.

Thx. It’s easy enough to do, plus I have nothing but time.

[john70t]

The popping noises are probably air bubbles between the rollers.

I would go until the new grease is weeping from all sides and wipe off the extra. Blobs absorb dirt.
It might bleed a little more from the heat/motion after that.

[LEAKYSEALS951]

LOL- I was just doing this yesterday with some mower deck bearings. It felt like I put an entire tube of grease into each spindle. An eternity later, I could see the seals become taught, and when hand spinning the blades, a slight bead started to come past the seals.

It may be overfilled/bad on the seals, but if they don't, I'm always scared none/ not enough was going in there. When it leaks somewhat at the zerks insert, it's hard to tell how much is actually getting to where it needed to go unless it glops out the seals.

[cabmandone]

You don't want it to squeeze out. I typically just put one or two shots in with a hand pump grease gun. As I understand it, it is possible to over grease a U joint.

[KFC911]

Originally Posted by LEAKYSEALS951

LOL- I was just doing this yesterday with some mower deck bearings. It felt like I put an entire tube of grease into each spindle. An eternity later, I could see the seals become taught, and when hand spinning the blades, a slight bead started to come past the seals.

It may be overfilled/bad on the seals, but if they don't, I'm always scared none/ not enough was going in there. When it leaks somewhat at the zerks insert, it's hard to tell how much is actually getting to where it needed to go unless it glops out the seals.

So you have leaky seals? Who woulda thunk it

[cabmandone]

Originally Posted by LEAKYSEALS951

LOL- I was just doing this yesterday with some mower deck bearings. It felt like I put an entire tube of grease into each spindle. An eternity later, I could see the seals become taught, and when hand spinning the blades, a slight bead started to come past the seals.

It may be overfilled/bad on the seals, but if they don't, I'm always scared none/ not enough was going in there. When it leaks somewhat at the zerks insert, it's hard to tell how much is actually getting to where it needed to go unless it glops out the seals.

Try new grease zerks. The moment the head on the grease gun doesn't seal to a new zerk is the moment I replace the head on the gun.

[LEAKYSEALS951]

Originally Posted by cabmando

Try new grease zerks. The moment the head on the grease gun doesn't seal to a new zerk is the moment I replace the head on the gun.

I was just thinking that yesterday too, but the zerks are rusted into place. I'm concerned they might break. Happened another deck snap off about a year ago.

[wdfifteen]

For U joints with good seals that are greased regularly just one pump from the grease gun. You can dislodge/damage the seals by pumping a bunch of grease through them. If the seals are bad, pump a lot through it to displace old contaminated grease.

[cabmandone]

Originally Posted by LEAKYSEALS951

I was just thinking that yesterday too, but the zerks are rusted into place. I'm concerned they might break. Happened another deck snap off about a year ago.

Try hitting them with penetrating oil. A broken zerk isn't the end of the world. Just take a chisel, grind a tapered square on the end then drive it into the broken off zerk. You should be able to back out the threaded part by doing this. Something else, bump it with some heat and then try removing the zerk. Just be careful that you don't get things so warm you start melting grease seals.

[wdfifteen]

Originally Posted by LEAKYSEALS951

I was just thinking that yesterday too, but the zerks are rusted into place. I'm concerned they might break. Happened another deck snap off about a year ago.

You know you're behind on maintenance when the grease fittings are rusted.

[Jeff Higgins]

Originally Posted by wdfifteen

For U joints with good seals that are greased regularly just one pump from the grease gun. You can dislodge/damage the seals by pumping a bunch of grease through them. If the seals are bad, pump a lot through it to displace old contaminated grease.

This is how my dad taught me, back when every car and truck had about 37 zerk fittings on it. On anything he had owned for awhile (and had therefor been through the whole thing) it was one pump once a year on all fittings. On stuff new to the stable, it was pump 'em until grease comes out past the seals, then very carefully wipe between the seal and where it seats to regain a good seal. Where possible... Sometimes all you could do was wipe off the excess on the outside.