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This year is my first total maintenance of the mower (did break-in oil and filter change last year). I was able to do all of the maintenance except for the grease fittings. My grease gun nozzle (I don't know the proper name for the part that fits over the fitting to inject the grease) will not allow access to the fitting. The length of the barrel will not fit under the pulleys to access the fittings. I need some nozzle to allow access. On line I have seen right-angle nozzles that might work.

I am sure some of you have had this problems. How did you do this task?

I use a pistol-grip grease gun with a flex hose on my mowers. The only issue is the small cartridges that need to be changed frequently.

You missed the point of my post. I have a grease gun similar to yours with a flexible hose. The problem is the length of the end piece on the hose, the part that fits over the grease fitting, it will not fit under the mower deck spindle pulley.

I see. You can change the grease fittings on your machine to ones that allow easier access - different angle. I've done so on my machines. Sometimes you have to wonder what the engineers were thinking by installing grease fittings that are impossible to access. I'm not aware of anything you can do to the grease gun itself.

Would something like this work

https://shop.advanceautoparts.com/p...ease-gun-needle-nose-adapter-w54216/9240029-P

Thank you all for your replies.

I don't think the needle tip would work. I called the John Deere store where I bought the mower and talked to the service manager. He said they use a right angle nozzle for those fittings. I couldn't find anyplace around here that had them in stock. I ordered a kit that includes one from AutoZone.

TRY THIS ........

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct.../pg02-21.pdf&usg=AOvVaw1b5IWE4-JHMDWTaOrge6B9

Just look up Lincoln Grease Fittings on Google to get their info to order.......

Thanks for the reply. I would rather try the right-angle nozzle before change the fittings.

I am back again. I ordered a grease gun accessories kit from AutoZone. The kit included a right angle nozzle. However the nozzle was made without the spring on the fitting end. It appears that the part was not defective, but was made that way intentionally. I wasn't happy with this so I found a right angle nozzle at NAPA auto parts that did have the spring that engages and holds the grease fitting. I didn't buy this item initially because it costs about as much as the AutoZone kit.

After several hours trying both nozzles I am very frustrated. Neither one worked satisfactorily. I could not engage the NAPA part to a fitting even though I used a screw driver as a lever to force it on. I finally wedged the screw driver atop the fitting and tried to pump some grease in. The AutoZone fitting worked no better. I may have gotten some grease in using the NAPA device but not much, if any.

I guess my next move is to try to replace the current fittings with right angle ones. There are two problems with this. One, I need to find the size and thread type. Two, I need to figure out how to remove the current fittings. It is a very tight space and getting a wrench in there will be difficult. I don't think any of my wrenches will do the job.

Help!

eliascm said:

I am back again. I ordered a grease gun accessories kit from AutoZone. The kit included a right angle nozzle. However the nozzle was made without the spring on the fitting end. It appears that the part was not defective, but was made that way intentionally. I wasn't happy with this so I found a right angle nozzle at NAPA auto parts that did have the spring that engages and holds the grease fitting. I didn't buy this item initially because it costs about as much as the AutoZone kit.

After several hours trying both nozzles I am very frustrated. Neither one worked satisfactorily. I could not engage the NAPA part to a fitting even though I used a screw driver as a lever to force it on. I finally wedged the screw driver atop the fitting and tried to pump some grease in. The AutoZone fitting worked no better. I may have gotten some grease in using the NAPA device but not much, if any.

I guess my next move is to try to replace the current fittings with right angle ones. There are two problems with this. One, I need to find the size and thread type. Two, I need to figure out how to remove the current fittings. It is a very tight space and getting a wrench in there will be difficult. I don't think any of my wrenches will do the job.

Help!

Click to expand...

TRY re-reading post # 7 an click on the link I posted .......

OK I went back and saved the fittings and accessories information from the link you posted. Now I will look for information on the fittings I want to replace so I know the size and thread type.

I do appreciate the link you posted. At the time I thought I could use a right angle adapter and I wouldn't need to replace the fittings.

Thanks,

Charles

I use McNaught K7 mini lube with a kinked discharge tube ( can't remember the number of that ) with the K9 super grip coupler.
https://www.colliermiller.com.au/product/k701-macnaught-grease-gun-k7-mini-lube-bulk-2-5kg-tub-12000psi
It fits just about every mower that comes into the shop ( around 200 a year )
Once every now & then a spindle has a nipple fitted pointed towards the deck without enough space to get the gun in.
Previously I dragged out my NcNaught Tricor AMB 450 gun with flexi lube end https://www.graysonline.com/lot/0036-5015190/engineering-and-toolmaking/1-x-new-macnaught-tricor-speedy-grease-gun-model-amb450

However that meant I generally forgot to put it back in the service van so now I bite the bullet and remove the spindle and turn it around so there is enough space for the K9 to get in.
Spindles seem to be fitted randomly and it makes no difference which way they go in so why not rotate the spindle to make life easy for you ?

I also use a yard crane in the workshop so it is no problem to get decks 3' off the ground and that makes a big difference to accessing the nipples.

And I use the Tricors in the van because they have no plunger so never ever leak and the magnet is strong enough for them to stay on the side wall.

Thanks for the reply.

The first item you mentioned is way beyond my price range. I am a home user; not a pro. The second item was sold at auction and was not well described anyway.

eliascm said:

Thanks for the reply.

The first item you mentioned is way beyond my price range. I am a home user; not a pro. The second item was sold at auction and was not well described anyway.

Click to expand...

I just popped the links in so you would know what the numbers looked like.
I paid $ 25 for the K9 and bought a carton ( 24) of the Tricors for $ 50 .
You don't have to buy things new, but you won't get good stuff from places like Auto Zone, Walmart or Harbour Freight.
However the USA is a bloody big place and there is a lot of pro grade gear going for a song on the used grease gun market.
Also thousands of garages going broke every week so lots of clearance auctions ( where I got the first K9 from ) .My first one came from a car dealer who went broke, the second from a farm clearing sale , the third was from a forklift mechanic who went broke. The box of Tircors came from a distributor who went broke.
I use these because they are CLEAN and don't drip out solvent when the oil separates from the soap in the grease.
Every grease gun with a plunger leaks and makes a filthy mess.
This is even more important for home owners where a grease gun might get used twice a year if at all.
I gave away 5 of the same ( or similar ) small guns that Darryl uses some with rigid nozels, some flexible.
I took all of the big guns to a swap meet and sold the lot ( around 10 or so ) for $ 50 which was probably less than the value of the grease in them.

The good thing about using name branded gear is you can get parts for them that actually fit as different from an Auto Zone gun with non standard fittings.


And II go back to my original suggestion, undo the bolts and turn the spindle housing around so you get clean access to it.
If it is hard to access then yo won't grease the spindle.
If it is easy to do then you will do it regularly.

OK, I want to replace the grease fittings with ones allowing easier access. I have much information on available fittings. In order to get new fittings that will fit I need information about the current fittings. Fittings come in different sizes, with straight or tapered threads and different threads per inch. I got on the John Deere website and requested the specifications on the installed fittings, telling them the reason I needed the specs. So far, I have received no reply.

I anyone has replaced the fittings with ones allowing easier access, please tell me the information on the fittings so I can buy a set.

Thanks,

Charles

I found the following information on the installed grease fittings:
------------------------------------------------------------------------
John Deere Straight Grease Zerk
1/4-inch-28 self-forming threads


Specification
Fitting Angle STR
Effective Thread Length (Minimum) 0.00 IN
Shank Diameter 0.259 IN
Shank Length 0.190 IN
Overall Length 0.550 IN
Ball Check / Thread Type Code YES/1
Supplier Number - Stewart Lincoln Warner
Number of Lincoln 205010
Finish
Note A
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The right angle fitting that can replace this is: Lincoln 5410-9

I found a local dealer for Lincoln fitting, but I called too late on Friday to talk to a sales person. I am hoping that they have them in stock or will order them for me. I ordered a set of thin wrenches from Amazon. One of these should make removal and installation easier.

The local dealer for Lincoln fittings has a $50.00 minimum order and does not have them in stock. Surprisingly, Amazon has the 5410 which is the non-stainless steel version. I would rather have stainless, but I have had no luck with that. The price for the two fittings is $19.34.

If I could delete this thread, I would. I am very embarrassed to say that I was mistaken about the fittings access. I was looking in the wrong place for the fittings. Once I found the actual fittings, I found them quite easy to access using a short straight grease gun nozzle. I apologize to John Deere and to this forum for my stupidity.

Charles

eliascm said:

If I could delete this thread, I would. I am very embarrassed to say that I was mistaken about the fittings access. I was looking in the wrong place for the fittings. Once I found the actual fittings, I found them quite easy to access using a short straight grease gun nozzle. I apologize to John Deere and to this forum for my stupidity.

Charles

Click to expand...

Charles,
Thank you.
It is very hartening to find some one willing to admit they made a mistake on an open public forum.
If nothing else it has put some valuable information out in the public and that is always a good thing.
Enjoy your mowing with you nice greasy spindles.
And do not overdo it just a couple of strokes is fine.