ORARNG 419 Resto: Broken Zerk tool?Replace rusty Hydraulic Lines with rubber?

[419g]

Howdy all looking for people to weigh in on the Zerks that freightliner used in their "recap" They must have got them at the dollar store? I have never broken a zerk off anything before breaking 1 yesterday and my helper big haus broke 2! Looking for advise and recommendations on those all in one zerk tools that look like a air valve repair tool? The last thing I want to do is get metal shavings in my pins, but might not have that much choice!

Next 'problem' is a good bit of the metal hydraulic lines on the backhoe are pretty rusty pitted and was just thinking of replacing them with rubber hydraulic lines when they go?! anyone know the wall thickness of these metal ones?

 

[Mullaney]

Howdy all looking for people to weigh in on the Zerks that freightliner used in their "recap" They must have got them at the dollar store? I have never broken a zerk off anything before breaking 1 yesterday and my helper big haus broke 2! Looking for advise and recommendations on those all in one zerk tools that look like a air valve repair tool? The last thing I want to do is get metal shavings in my pins, but might not have that much choice!

Next 'problem' is a good bit of the metal hydraulic lines on the backhoe are pretty rusty pitted and was just thinking of replacing them with rubber hydraulic lines when they go?! anyone know the wall thickness of these metal ones?

.
The "other end" of the Zerk fittings are just a pipe thread into whatever they supply grease to.
Most of the time they aren't more than snug into the pin or whatever.
Maybe your situation is different, but an easy-out has been my go to tool for that problem.
There are definitely cheap chinese grease fittings. McMaster Carr over Harbor Freight for sure...

You already know that steel lines are pre-formed and made for a specific application. Steel lines help dissipate heat better than rubber. The steel has a lot less "mounting points" than a replacement rubber hose would - so you will need to create (weld) mounting points. Protection... Have you ever seen steel wrap to go around the hose? On my wrecker for example there are several hoses that lay on the floor. Protection from something being dropped and damaging the rubber hose (think about sharp edges). The most important thing is the INSIDE DIAMETER of the steel line. You want to be certain that you don't restrict flow with a small inside diameter hose.

Just food for thought...
Best on your repairs!

 

[glcaines]

I always take a round wire brush in a drill and clean up around the zerk before trying to remove it to get rid of rust, corrosion and especially CARC. I then soak them in penetrating oil for an hour or so. They usually come out. without difficulty. If one does snap off, I also use an Easy Out. Concerning the rusted hydraulic lines - I haven't replaced any of mine. The inside of the hydraulic lines shouldn't have any rust or corrosion since they are protected. The outside of mine were rusted in places. I wire brushed them, used Rustoleum Rusty Metal Primer, and then used Gillespie 383 paint. If a line ruptures in the future, I'll replace with steel again because they are less likely to suffer damage.

 

[419g]

I always take a round wire brush in a drill and clean up around the zerk before trying to remove it to get rid of rust, corrosion and especially CARC. I then soak them in penetrating oil for an hour or so. They usually come out. without difficulty. If one does snap off, I also use an Easy Out. Concerning the rusted hydraulic lines - I haven't replaced any of mine. The inside of the hydraulic lines shouldn't have any rust or corrosion since they are protected. The outside of mine were rusted in places. I wire brushed them, used Rustoleum Rusty Metal Primer, and then used Gillespie 383 paint. If a line ruptures in the future, I'll replace with steel again because they are less likely to suffer damage.

I was just trying to put lube in them, whatever white gunk they used on the joints has formed a playdoh rubber like substance over the years, tough to even get lube into them manually, going to try a auto 10,000 psi luber for the rest, Thank you for the paint recommendation. On a side note, I have heard the original camo paint is special and impossible to sand and you can only get it at auction sometimes?

 

[419g]

.
The "other end" of the Zerk fittings are just a pipe thread into whatever they supply grease to.
Most of the time they aren't more than snug into the pin or whatever.
Maybe your situation is different, but an easy-out has been my go to tool for that problem.
There are definitely cheap chinese grease fittings. McMaster Carr over Harbor Freight for sure...

You already know that steel lines are pre-formed and made for a specific application. Steel lines help dissipate heat better than rubber. The steel has a lot less "mounting points" than a replacement rubber hose would - so you will need to create (weld) mounting points. Protection... Have you ever seen steel wrap to go around the hose? On my wrecker for example there are several hoses that lay on the floor. Protection from something being dropped and damaging the rubber hose (think about sharp edges). The most important thing is the INSIDE DIAMETER of the steel line. You want to be certain that you don't restrict flow with a small inside diameter hose.

Just food for thought...
Best on your repairs!

Thank you, I took off the hose clamps and to my surprise there was only one significant dimple hiding between the rubber and the hose clamp on the drivers outrigger top line.. The rest of the lines looked like new stainless tubing where it met the rubber .

 

[Mullaney]

I was just trying to put lube in them, whatever white gunk they used on the joints has formed a playdoh rubber like substance over the years, tough to even get lube into them manually, going to try a auto 10,000 psi luber for the rest, Thank you for the paint recommendation. On a side note, I have heard the original camo paint is special and impossible to sand and you can only get it at auction sometimes?

.
If you see the word CARC on the truck (generally those four letters and a date) possibly on the inside of a door it is "special". CARC is Chemical Agent Resistant Coating. You should not sand it. OR maybe I should say don't sand it without a respirator. The Department of Veterans Affairs has a Public Health section under Military Exposures. Spend a minute and get yourself educated! https://www.publichealth.va.gov/exposures/carc-paint/index.asp

The "real CARC" is available sometimes on a popular auction site. Most of us use "normal paint" from all kinds of suppliers. RAPCO even has it in rattle cans. They sell gallons as well. I like it and it seems to do a good job for me. Search that name and read some opinions. Quick way to ID the stuff is that the paint feels like sandpaper almost. Rough feeling and definitely Dull looking...

Lowes, Home Depot, and Glidden have the mixing instructions for the standard Green, Black and Tan colors. I am sure there are others but that came to to mind as I was typing this/

 

[glcaines]

In my opinion here isn't any really good reason to use real CARC and it is very expensive if purchased new. You can purchase it new from Sherwin Williams industrial coatings. Your local Sherwin Williams won't have it. Gillespie paint from Rapco and others is an almost perfect match for the CARC.

 

[419g]

Lowes, Home Depot, and Glidden have the mixing instructions for the standard Green, Black and Tan colors. I am sure there are others but that came to to mind as I was typing this/

I have seen two different brands of rattle can spray paint that conform to the Forest green 34052 spec: Aervoe and GCI gci was sold out on a popular auction site so I got the Aevoe from armysurplus. Thank you for that information!

 

[419g]

In my opinion here isn't any really good reason to use real CARC and it is very expensive if purchased new. You can purchase it new from Sherwin Williams industrial coatings. Your local Sherwin Williams won't have it. Gillespie paint from Rapco and others is an almost perfect match for the CARC.

Yes it look like it swells after a time? Or on the recap they just straight painted it over rust? My loader looks to be a 2005 and still has the same paint cracking at joint problems and or bubbles hiding rust. I would say about 15% so not that bad comparitivly the undercarriage is about 35% understandable on the springs which are a total loss. Maybe it is just a function of salty sea air and flex, done a decent job over the years I guess, dont know if it had been stored outside.

 

[Mullaney]

Yes it look like it swells after a time? Or on the recap they just straight painted it over rust? My loader looks to be a 2005 and still has the same paint cracking at joint problems and or bubbles hiding rust. I would say about 15% so not that bad comparitivly the undercarriage is about 35% understandable on the springs which are a total loss. Maybe it is just a function of salty sea air and flex, done a decent job over the years I guess, dont know if it had been stored outside.

.
I'm not so sure that the CARC swells. I think what you are seeing might be just metal swelling with rust. It is always a frustrating thing when that happens... Only real answer is to chip it off, stop the rust, and paint it back. Ospho is a rust treatment that seems to work. My "tiny bit of non-professional advise" for rust treatment on big green things: Scrape it, Wire Brush it, then Wipe with Acetone, Prime and Paint.

 

[419g]

.
I'm not so sure that the CARC swells. I think what you are seeing might be just metal swelling with rust. It is always a frustrating thing when that happens... Only real answer is to chip it off, stop the rust, and paint it back. Ospho is a rust treatment that seems to work. My "tiny bit of non-professional advise" for rust treatment on big green things: Scrape it, Wire Brush it, then Wipe with Acetone, Prime and Paint.

Scraped it wire brushed it cleaned with alcohol and tried the aervoe and the CRC: discovered my unimog was the Forest green 34079 not the flat green woodland 34094, nice thing about camo is it's hard to tell and 'wrong paint ' is very subjective. Noticed someone before me had used the woodland green in the past for part of the boom. Crc spray paint cans off popular auction site comes with a fan tip aervoe comes with a round spray pattern so guess you could just switch them around if you were in a spot where one would work better than the other.

 

[frank8003]

On front Deuce wheels (many other places on (lots of different equipment too) as per TM one is to remove
the "goes outahh plug" as shown in the photo.
Also here is some of my Zerk fitting stuff.