big J Posted March 28, 2006 Share Posted March 28, 2006 Ok, I've done over 20k miles on the old girl since I got her a year ago. I've tried every bloody engineers supplies shop and tool shop I can find and I still cannot find a fitting that I can get onto the front grease nipple. What are you guys this side of the pond using? I know that there's a fitting available in 'merickay, but I cant find sod all here. You'd think with all the tractors roaming Ireland that grease nipples would be a national pastime, but I'm totally unable to track anything down. Any info? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
helicopterjim R.I.P. Posted March 28, 2006 Share Posted March 28, 2006 Ok, I've done over 20k miles on the old girl since I got her a year ago. I've tried every bloody engineers supplies shop and tool shop I can find and I still cannot find a fitting that I can get onto the front grease nipple. What are you guys this side of the pond using? I know that there's a fitting available in 'merickay, but I cant find sod all here.You'd think with all the tractors roaming Ireland that grease nipples would be a national pastime, but I'm totally unable to track anything down. Any info? 84093[/snapback] Are there any airports nearby? Most aircraft use the same type fittings and so you could quite likely find out where to get a needle fitting at most airports that have a maintenance facility. It may be called a zirk fitting as well. Good luck!! Jim Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
big J Posted March 28, 2006 Author Share Posted March 28, 2006 Yeah, I used to fix aeroplanes for a living,and I know the ones you're on about but I'd need to get about 10 kinds of clearance to even show my face at the door of the maintainance hangers at Dublin airport. Thanks for the advice,tho, Big Chopper Jim Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
belfastguzzi Posted March 28, 2006 Share Posted March 28, 2006 Like I've posted before BigJ, I've been looking out for such a fitting and haven't seen one yet. Haven't seen anything in catalogues either. There must be something available around the place... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jrt Posted March 28, 2006 Share Posted March 28, 2006 By 'can't get onto the front fitting', do you mean you can't get a grease gun that is small enough or flexible enough to fit onto the front zirk? The most common solutions to this problem are to remove the rear wheel or simply elevate the bike, so the rear wheel drops down. That gives you a bit more space. Some folks have had luck with a rotating or gimballed zirk head and grinding it down so it fits into the space. I'm thinking about grinding a "U" off the safety collar so I can go at it from a straighter angle, but I'm very lazy so I haven't done that yet. BTW, when you do get it greased, tape a piece of paper around that collar to catch the grease that flings off. It's easier to clean up that way. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest redguzziv10 Posted March 28, 2006 Share Posted March 28, 2006 i'm with jrt, did mine recently. By far the easiest way is to take the rear wheel off, a 20 minute job, well, nearly! trouble is, because it is then an easy job, you tend to go a bit overboard. First time i went for a spin afterwards i managed to fling all the excess grease onto any passing pedestrian or vehicle. Must have looked like a silage spreader from behind ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
badmotogoozer Posted March 28, 2006 Share Posted March 28, 2006 You're doing better than me Biggie! I can't even find the nipple... Rj (Yeah yeah, I know, That's what she said!) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
big J Posted March 28, 2006 Author Share Posted March 28, 2006 By 'can't get onto the front fitting', do you mean you can't get a grease gun that is small enough or flexible enough to fit onto the front zirk? The most common solutions to this problem are to remove the rear wheel or simply elevate the bike, so the rear wheel drops down. That gives you a bit more space. Some folks have had luck with a rotating or gimballed zirk head and grinding it down so it fits into the space. I'm thinking about grinding a "U" off the safety collar so I can go at it from a straighter angle, but I'm very lazy so I haven't done that yet.BTW, when you do get it greased, tape a piece of paper around that collar to catch the grease that flings off. It's easier to clean up that way. 84100[/snapback] Yepadoodle,I have 4 grease guns with various fittings but I cant find anything that'll go down the tunnel in the swinger and bend enough to get the grease gun to go on.I've tried so often, I can get the wheel and brake off in a couple of minutes. I have loosened the shroud around the u/j but there's not enough room to bend the fitting onto the nipple behind the footrest plate. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest trispeed Posted March 28, 2006 Share Posted March 28, 2006 I have had success with the needle type fitting on my small grease gun with a flexible hose, as opposed to the steel line. The needle type is available at any auto supply shop here in the States but I still had to bend it to fit, even with the wheel removed and shaft hanging low. Practice getting the needle to open the grease fitting on the most accessible fitting first, just to get a feel for it. If it would help, I'll take a photo and attach it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
big J Posted March 28, 2006 Author Share Posted March 28, 2006 You're doing better than me Biggie! I can't even find the nipple... Rj (Yeah yeah, I know, That's what she said!) 84114[/snapback] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
big J Posted March 28, 2006 Author Share Posted March 28, 2006 I have had success with the needle type fitting on my small grease gun with a flexible hose, as opposed to the steel line. The needle type is available at any auto supply shop here in the States but I still had to bend it to fit, even with the wheel removed and shaft hanging low.Practice getting the needle to open the grease fitting on the most accessible fitting first, just to get a feel for it. If it would help, I'll take a photo and attach it. 84120[/snapback] Yep,I've been looking for one of those needle type thingies,but no luck so far. The only ones over here are dirty great things for tractors and lorries. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
helicopterjim R.I.P. Posted March 28, 2006 Share Posted March 28, 2006 I'm at the hangar today. I'll nick a couple and send you one if you want. PM me with your address. P.S. All I need for clearance here is my Guzzi. They know me well and I give them a few wheelies now and then to keep their favour!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
O2 V11 Posted March 28, 2006 Share Posted March 28, 2006 Big J, you can see what I use to do mine. I've done mine twice now. The first time was when the bike was new, I took the wheel off and greased everything I could, shocky bushes, torque rod ends, all those sorts of things and secondly when I changed the rear tyre. Looking at my tyre, I'll being doing it for a third time at about the 8,000 mile mark. With the wheel and bevel box removed, I lower the driveshaft as far as it can go then force the fitting onto the upwards facing nipple. The hose gets a fair bend to it but it works. If you could find a flexible hose with a shorter fitting anything less than my one at 6cm it would be a lot easier to work with. Rob Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twhitaker Posted March 28, 2006 Share Posted March 28, 2006 Look at the 4 page thread I just bumped to the top called. "I give up on the front u-joint." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hgravelpha@aol.com Posted March 29, 2006 Share Posted March 29, 2006 Look at the 4 page thread I just bumped to the top called. "I give up on the front u-joint." 84134[/snapback] Try www.mcmaster.com. On the "search" field - add "grease needle". It will show you a few pages of this stuff. We ship worldwide. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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