grease zerk for U-joint grease cup

[dhosh]

There are grease cups with grease zerks in them for the U-joint grease cup. Will a standard grease zerk fit, or are these cups modified to accept?

Originally, I used wheel bearing grease for all grease cups, including the large one form the U-joint (sorry... I've forgotten the proper period name for it!!). Now, I tend to use Lucas red hi-tac grease for most fittings, in the hope it doesn't get warm and ooze out too quick. Is there a preference for the cups? Especially the U-joint??

[Mark Gregush]

Standard zerk would work after the hole is drilled and tapped.

[GrandpaFord]

Buy Zerk fittings with 1/8 NPT and tap the inside of the grease cup with a 1/8 NPT tap. Clean out the chips and old grease. The cup will look stock and protect the Zerk fitting.

[DanTreace]

Or, just remove the large cup on the U-joint, add pipe fitting for Zerk. Also you can remove the little cup on the driveshaft bushing and put a Zerk instead. Holes for the dope cups are tapered pipe threads.

Grease at uninv joint.jpg (62.69 KiB) Viewed 3163 times

If its oozing grease, you know it is lubed

[Norman Kling]

A problem with replacing those two particular fittings with Zerk would be need to remove the floorboard to grease. With the grease cup and a bit of manual dexterity, one can reach up from under the car to use the grease cups.
Norm

[Dan B]

I simply remove the grease cup, install the zerk, grease and then reinstall the cup.

It takes very little effort and that way everything remains stock.

Here’s the zerk that you need.

[TWrenn]

Orrrrr....you could take the easy way out like I did---or the lazy way if you prefer to call it!---and just buy one of these
from Langs. In the same listing area they also have the smaller cups with zerks for the Drive Shaft bushing, which I believe
also fit on the rear axle. They still look stock, unless some nosey-busy-body opens up the cap and looks into it, and sure makes life easier! I love mine!

https://www.modeltford.com/item/2579BGR.aspx

[Mark Gregush]

RE floor boards; simple install one with a right angle. Grease is going to get to the bushing anyway so should not need as often.

[TRDxB2]

......
Originally, I used wheel bearing grease for all grease cups, including the large one form the U-joint (sorry... I've forgotten the proper period name for it!!). Now, I tend to use Lucas red hi-tac grease for most fittings, in the hope it doesn't get warm and ooze out too quick. Is there a preference for the cups? Especially the U-joint??

Several posting advise not using any grease that may contain an additive that conducts electricity per chance it leaks through the 4th main into your oil and ruins the magneto. So no Molybdenum , zinc etc based grease. A water resistant/proof #2 grease seams to be the most common type used for the u-joint an ball cap. Note that the leakage is necessary to lubricate the ball end on the torque tube (drive shaft tube) and the ball cap. Someone suggested adapting a CV boot like on a VW to catch the spillover. The boot is split and closed with with small bolts

[dhosh]

Thanks all for the suggestions.... And the alert to issues with grease having electrical conducting properties, being a potential issue for magnetos! I hadn't thought of that.....

[Jim Eubanks]

I put zerk fittings on the DS and UJ then cut a hole in the floorboard and made a tin cover with a screw that swings over the hole.

[Original Smith]

Why do people always have to change things? I pack the u-joint area good with chassis grease when I install the driveshaft, or install the engine. I also fill the factory grease cup with grease two or three times to make sure there is plenty of grease in there. I usually do this while laying on my creeper. No big deal.

[Humblej]

I find the grease cups to be totally inadequate to get any reasonable amount of grease where it needs to go, particularly for the u joint and rear axles, and unscrewing the cap to do a repeated filling sucks the grease back out, I end up pumping in and sucking the same grease in and out of the cup. With a zerk and grease gun I know how much is going in and it doesnt come back out.

[Steve Jelf]

No big deal.

Until Arthur comes along and attacks your hands. Arthur Itis makes the work painful after the first few turns.

[dhosh]

I find the grease cups to be totally inadequate to get any reasonable amount of grease where it needs to go, particularly for the u joint and rear axles, and unscrewing the cap to do a repeated filling sucks the grease back out, I end up pumping in and sucking the same grease in and out of the cup. With a zerk and greade gun I know how much is going in and it doesnt come back out.

I agree. Fill up a cup, screw it all the way down, unscrew it .. and 3/4 of the cup is still full of grease. Maybe my grease is too tacky?

[Bud Delong]

Once you install a zerk fitting you need to carry a grease gun! Henrys way was much better!! Bud.

[TWrenn]

Bud...why would you need to carry a grease gun? I pump mine in every time I change my oil in the comfort of my barn. No need to do it any other time. I agree with other comments, the "pain" (often literally per Steve Jelf) of all that cup filling/screwing in, which I initially began doing 8 years ago, just doesn't get it. When I had my engine(s) out, like Larry said, indeed I packed the UJ housing tight full of that red grease, and now when I change the oil it gets 25-30 pumps of the same red grease using the zerk cap. Based on what oozes out after a trip or two, it must be keeping it plenty full. No U-joint failure on my watch!! Just sayin!

[NU2theT]

This will help to easily fill those zerks and ease the pain of Arthur Itis If you have not yet, try Relief Factor.

[dhosh]

Nu2theT .... man ... THAT beast would GIVE me Aurthor itis!