zerk fittings coming out of bearing buddies

[John Glover]

As usual, no one responded on the BFHP to this, so I'll try it on my friendly site. When I lubed the hubs on my bearing buddies a week or two ago, both zerk fittings came off with the hand lube pump, the small kind. I saw there were threads on the zerks, so I tried to thread them back in but they really never snugged down, I could keep turning them even after I should not have been able to. Anyway, went fishing and did 30 mile round trip and they were still in there, no problem.

But the question is, why did that happen? They're the bearing buddies by Redeye and have been fine so far.

Am I doing something dumb or do I need to buy a new set of bearing buddies?

jag

 

[TritonGlenn]

Hard to tell without actually seeing it, but I'd be willing to bet that the threads just are stripped - particularly if they keep spinning after you get them threaded all the way in. You could helicoil them... but for the price of new bearing buddies - it probably ain't worth it. I have used the Redeyes in the past, and I prefer the Stainless Steel with blue ring "Bearing Buddy" brand over the Black ones with the red ring "Redeyes". I find they are a better product.



All the best,

Glenn

 

[Carlos Hathcock III]

I had the same thng happen on my yammaHammer..I hit one of the zerk fitings on the engine and it popped off. When it popped off it stripepd the threads both the zerk and the hole. I chased the hole on the engine with a tap and put a new one into the fixed hole. I was lucky as the majority of the damage was to the zerk (metal was softer then the engine metal).



Hpoe that this helps.



Carlos

 

[Dave Walden]

heli coil???? youve gotta be crazy......use an inexlensive tap and buy some new zerks a little big larger, youll be just fine bud

 

[TOMMY RICH]

Yes you can retap it and use a bigger thread on the new zerk.

Pesronally don't like the buddies...EZ lube is the only way to go.

 

[TritonGlenn]

Yep. I'm a nut. Didn't even think about larger zerk fittings, and I know better also. Doesn't matter though - I still think changing them out to original Bearing Buddies is the way to go if you are using that system. Taping the hole, buying more zerks, etc... aint worth the hassle when you consider how cheap those things are just to buy new ones.



I agree with TEE though - I personally got away from the BB's when I was using a greased system - I went with a Dexter Axle though - lubes front and rear with a zerk fitting on the end of the spindle.



Now I have oil bathed hubs.... Love those things.



All the best,

Glenn

 

[Steve Rizza]

If you change out your bearings yourself every few years, keep an old bearing buddy around. They make a great tool for driving in the new races.



Steve

 

[John Glover]

Once again, thanks everyone. Since I don't know tap from tip, nor what a helicoil is, I think I'll just buy new Buddies...the better ones this time.

Again, thanks.

jag