Rocker arm grease nipple

[Belrix]

What do you know - the problem seems to be epidemic...

(the purple feet are my little girl's)

Looks like it doesn't snap off, it must just vibrate out - there's no collar of remaining fitting up there - just dirt.

[Trashman900C]

Originally Posted by Belrix

(the purple feet are my little girl's)

yeah, yeah.......we know those are your hardcore biker pj's........

[Belrix]

So - I'm off to the store this week for replacement grease zerks. Should I just put some in, replace the grease & walk away or remove them afterward and put some bolts in there?

Snapping one off seems very possible considering the location.

[Joram]

If you can get matching SS bolts, I would put them in and grease up then replace with the bolts until the next maintenace. Just remember to add a little blue locktight and maybe a lock washer.

[Joram]

looking at the picture again, I might just take the rocker arm off and give it a good cleaning..

You don't know how long the zerk has been missing and how much mud and grit has been pushed up there. Adding new grease will just make it grind down faster.

[Belrix]

Originally Posted by Joram

If you can get matching SS bolts, I would put them in and grease up then replace with the bolts until the next maintenace. Just remember to add a little blue locktight and maybe a lock washer.

I assume that I can get them at Ace Hardware. They've got a stellar bin collection of bits & pieces. Pricey but I only need three.

[Belrix]

Originally Posted by Joram

looking at the picture again, I might just take the rocker arm off and give it a good cleaning..

You don't know how long the zerk has been missing and how much mud and grit has been pushed up there. Adding new grease will just make it grind down faster.

You've exceeded my wrenching skills with that one, I think. I was going to try to brush the visible grit out with a little wire spark plug brush and just force enough grease in there 'til it comes out clean.

[Joram]

It should not be that hard if you have a Clymor or the Service Manual. Should be same as changing the shock, just a few more bolts.

You will however, have to have the rear tire off the ground. That can be done with a standard garage floor jack and some wood blocks.

[Hardwire]

I was going to replace my middle nipple with a bolt, until I measured the rocker arm which extends down below the frame and the nipple.... Assuming that I really did knock it off originally... with and without the nipple end, it is less than a quarter inch differance... So the odds that I would hit something 3 3/4 inch high and not something 3 7/8 inch high which would hit the nipple but not the bolt, is probably slim....
I bough extra nipples, incase I'm wrong...

[Joram]

I don't think it is as much as hitting something sticking up that counts, but more of bottoming out the suspension on the bike, say going over a speed bump that will rip it off.

It would be harder to break off the head of a bolt verses the zerk fitting.


Just my 2 cents.

[tkuligowski]

Originally Posted by Hardwire

I was going to replace my middle nipple with a bolt, until I measured the rocker arm which extends down below the frame and the nipple.... Assuming that I really did knock it off originally... with and without the nipple end, it is less than a quarter inch differance... So the odds that I would hit something 3 3/4 inch high and not something 3 7/8 inch high which would hit the nipple but not the bolt, is probably slim....
I bough extra nipples, incase I'm wrong...

A bolt head is flush with the surface. so if you hit something it's not going to break off. A grease fitting is hanging down there exposed and if it hits something leverage is going to take over and snap it off.

[Sabre2007/900]

I've had to replace the center one like so many of you. I have noticed that speed bumps and drain depressions in front of driveways are potential problems. I've set the shock as stiff as it can get, not sure I like the way the bike handles that way. My dealer was super nice and replaced the first one for me. I did find that I snapped one of them putting up on the bike lift in the garage. I changed the lifts ramp angle and cured that. That isn't an option with speed bumps and the like. I think I have to agree withe the design flaw possibility. These could have been positioned with two facing forward and more horizontally oriented. The rear one could have been positioned horizontal and aimed to the rear. Just a thought, I might have to see if this could be removed and have the original positions heliarced closed and rebore and tap new positions for the zerks.

[Hardwire]

Originally Posted by Sabre2007/900

I think I have to agree withe the design flaw possibility. These could have been positioned with two facing forward and more horizontally oriented. The rear one could have been positioned horizontal and aimed to the rear. Just a thought, I might have to see if this could be removed and have the original positions heliarced closed and rebore and tap new positions for the zerks.

Relocating is a good idea to save on zerks... I'm more afraid of hittng the rocker arm now...

[Trashman900C]

just dont do what this guy did.........
Grease-gun injury to the *****

[Vulcan900]

Where in the He11 do you guys fing this stuff!!

[Trashman900C]

Originally Posted by Vulcan900

Where in the He11 do you guys fing this stuff!!

LOL......i did a search on grease guns to get an idea of cost and this came up.....

[Belrix]

Well - here's something interesting. If you look at this picture, you can see what looks like dirt on the flat-machined part of the hole...



...it's not dirt - it's where that face has been broken off - it's a divot in the metal. I removed one of the other zerks to get the size and test fitted it into the center hole. It seems very loose but I didn't try snugging it down at all. I'm wondering if the threads are damaged. (The parts diagrams shows all three using the same size nipple - which was my first thought.)

I'm stopping through NAPA on the way home to get a couple nipples and will clean those threads and try to get a new one to fit in there. I'm hoping this doesn't have to be tapped for a new one if these threads are damaged.

For what it's worth, by the way, the shop manual says "nipple", not "zerk".

[needles]

Well here's some good news - not only has the middle nipple snapped off it's taken part of the mold with it:



Silly question but what are the grease nipples for and do you grease the nipples or remove them and grease inside???

Any advice guys

Needles

[Belrix]

Originally Posted by needles

Well here's some good news - not only has the middle nipple snapped off it's taken part of the mold with it:

Any advice guys

Needles

Looks like a more severe version of my problem. Can you shoot a pic straight up? I put my digital camera on "Macro" and laid it below the rocker arm and took a couple photos at slightly different angles.

If it's too far gone to hold a shallow nipple, it may be deep enough for a longer bolt (to seal the hole) and you could drill and tap a new nipple into it.

EDIT: And grease nipples are used to inject new grease into non-sealed systems. If you've got sealed bearings, then the grease just lives in there - if they're not sealed then the nipple is used as an injection point to put new grease in and force old, dirty grease out.

[Belrix]

Required Wiki article.