Grease Zerk Question

[broken line]

During a weekend fishing trip, we found that both of the grease Zerks (located on each side of the wheelhouse where the crank-down assemblys are) fell out. I was able to tap one back in, but the other side seems to be stripped out.

Can I just drill a bigger hole and put a bigger zerk in so it stays put?

The existing holes do not appear to be threaded at all.

[Macgyver55]

Many times zerks are tapered and "barbed" and just installed into a drilled hole with a driver. There are no threads in this style.

[jeffreyd]

what you have are probably 1/8th in taper fittings. you can get bigger sized one from the autoparts store or tractor supply. the one thing is that if you drill them you might as well tap it and put screw in type back in it. good luck

[hydro]

The thread size on the zerk is most likely 1/4-28. If you have a tap you can probably cut threads in the hole and install a threaded zerk. You may need a "bottoming" style of tap if there is an axle inside the hole.

[Tom7227]

When you put in one that is just tapped in do you hit the zerk directly or is there some magic tool? My guess is that you tap it in cause it couldn't take much pounding.

[efgh]

Do like us old farmers do, use a old grease gun end.

[Macgyver55]

Do like us old farmers do, use a old grease gun end.

That'll work, otherwise there is a specific "tool" for it. Its really not much more that a steel dowel with a hole drilled in the end just big enough for the tip of the zerk to fit in, so when you pound, the pressure is down on the shoulder of the zerk, not the tip.

Tapping it (if possible to access) is a better route because it will allow you to use a variety of different fittings like 45 or 90 degree for an easier time greasing it.

The easier it is to get at the more likely you are to do it!

[katophil]

sockets work well also.