Is this a grease zerk?

[barzee]

Both rear wheels on my 1987 924S have what I think are grease zerks. See the picture below. Are these grease zerks? How often should I grease them? What type of grease? Are there other zerks on the car?

If it is not a grease zerk, what is it?

[barzee]

[Paul_Heery]

Oh my. That is a bleeder valve for your brakes. Please do not try to put grease in there.

[Lapkritis]

That's a brake bleed valve. Calls for grease at interval of never.

[kolo]

second on that motion

[Bradical]

there are no zerk fittings anywhere on the car, and I am 100% positive this picture is of the bleed valve on one of the rear calipers but the only way to know for sure if you take a few more pictures and upload them

[9FF]

Buy a good book, read it, get a friend who knows about cars to teach you...please please do not touch any tools until then.

[tamathumper]

We have all started from scratch, and we have all had to learn,... the OP's post was a valid question, and responding to him like a bunch of "know-it-alls" isn't constructive, and shame on all of you who did so.

[POPS 83 944]

I applaud the OP for asking before just taking it into his own hands. The only stupid question is one not asked!

[9FF]

Originally Posted by tamathumper

We have all started from scratch, and we have all had to learn,... the OP's post was a valid question, and responding to him like a bunch of "know-it-alls" isn't constructive, and shame on all of you who did so.

Agree on the first part of your post, however I cannot see anything in the posted replies that isn't constructive. It's a brake valve, don't grease, read a book, get a friend to help...all informative and constructive in my book.

Originally Posted by POPS 83 944

I applaud the OP for asking before just taking it into his own hands. The only stupid question is one not asked!

True, but if you don't know what a brake caliper bleed valve is it really doesn't build confidence in your other mechanical aptitude.

OP, I repeat get a manual for your car and read it then work on your car with someone who has some mechanical experience and learn. Isn't that how we all learned.

[barzee]

I have a manual. I read the manual. I have clarks-garage.com I read it. I work on the car by myself and with others. I successfully removed the transmission and the gasoline tank. I took the tank to a radiator shop that repaired the two screw holes in the top of it put there by the stereo amplifier installer that the previous owner hired. I successfully replaced all rubber fuel hoses at the back of the car. I successfully reinstalled the gasoline tank and the transmission. The car runs fine. I'm driving it today. I have never worked on brakes, therefore the question.

[CHICKS]

Dont feed the troll.

[Rasta Monsta]

Originally Posted by tamathumper

responding to him like a bunch of "know-it-alls" isn't constructive, and shame on all of you who did so.

Can I LOL?

[Backyardbodyman]

Grease it. Brakes only slow you down

[Backyardbodyman]

I'm kidding,don't grease it.

[Bukowski]

Wow, quite a popular thread - BTW looks greasy on the trailing arm. Check your CV axles and boots - that's where it comes from... start planning to deal with them, is my impression....

[Jfrahm]

I have been known to put grease around the threads of these, and for sure replace the caps on them or they will give you trouble when you try to use them.

They should get used a lot, as it is important to flush clean, new brake fluid through the calipers and get the old fluid out. The old fluid will cause the calipers to stick. If you are doing the brakes, replace the brake fluid. If not, make sure it gets done every 2-4 years depending on your climate and the extent of your preventative maintenance compulsiveness. Even if it looks clean in the reservoir it could be naaaaasty down there at the rear calipers. It absorbs water from the air and corrodes stuff.

New brake fluid is a whole lot cheaper than rebuilt calipers.
-Joel.

[Bukowski]

Warning - I had too much coffee this AM:

Jfrahm "I ... put grease around the threads of these"

Be careful with this wording: never having done this, because I am a novice, i specifically I would think only at the outer end of the bleeder valve, and even then only like 10% of the threads, and also high-T anti seize or maybe the aluminum AS - reason being petroleum materials in brake systems is very bad.

barzee, I figure - and I mean this all in good nature, no snark - I figure you can understand how the answer to your specific question is "no". So are we all done with this thread? Answer is "no". Can't ask for a clearer response than that. Lets all move on to some new questions.

[Jfrahm]

I doubt there is someone who would confuse putting a dab of grease on the threads of a bleeder valve, which is typically not fully removed from the caliper, with somehow packing grease into the caliper or somewhere that would contaminate the brake system. Considering how often I spray bleeders with PB blaster or similar I think it's OK to get petroleum on the bleeder screw. Just don't remove the bleeder screw, butter it up with grease, and then drop it into the brake reservoir and I think you will be OK.

Anti-seize would work well too.

-Joel.

[ckelly78z]

Originally Posted by barzee

If it is not a grease zerk, what is it?

To answer your question, yes, it does look a bit like a large grease zerk, but it's shaped that way so you can mount a piece of tubing onto the end of it, and then be able to bleed the air bubbles out of the brake lines. The tubing will run down into a container half full of brake fluid. As a helper applies the brake pedal, you can open up the bleeder to allow the bubbles to exit, and then shut it as your helper pulls his foot off of the brake pedal. Usually I have to do this to each wheel a couple times to purge the system of air.

I use clear tubing and a glass mason jar to catch the fluid so I can watch for bubbles easily.