[VoodooChile]

My Dingo has two grease fittings that are siezed up, the two where the loader arms link up to the attachment plate.

My grease gun works on all the other Digno fittings. I have blown out with an air compressor around the linkage, and used a nail to make sure the ball bearing that seals the fitting gives. It does.

Any suggestions on forcing grease into these fittings? I am thinking I'll need to disassemble them and clean them out...

[Stonehenge]

If it's a typical zerk (sp?) fitting, just use a ratchet and take it out. Most likely you'll find a little bit of dirt either in the fitting or in the grease raceway. Our grease fittings never clog up on our skidsteer, except in that same spot (maybe a couple other spots, too).

[Paul]

Two ways around this, one remove the fitting spray some brake cleaner in to it, then reinstall and grease. See if that fixes the problem. Some places sell a grease fitting cleaner, it's a small adapter that uses oil to free the fitting, you hold it up to the fitting and hit it with a hammer, forcing the oil into the fitting cleaning it out. With either method really put a ton of grease back into the pin, this should force out the dirt that harded to clog it.

As a general rule if you have to do this your not greasing the pin enough.

[Stonehenge]

Originally posted by Paul
As a general rule if you have to do this your not greasing the pin enough.

Amen to that.

[PSUscaper]

At this point, it is probably just as easy to replace the fittings. Real simple and they are what, maybe 75 cents a piece?

Northern Tool has the tool Paul is talking about. I've always thought about getting one, but just keep forgetting to order it.

Are you talking about the fittings on the actual attachment plate???? The ones that grease the 2 small arms that lock the attachments in place? I've always had a little trouble with those ceasing up on my dingo too. Try a little PB Blaster (like wd40 but better)....have had good luck with that thawing things out.

[VoodooChile]

Nope Penn,
the next two back toward the lifter arms that grease the pins that allow the attachment plate to curl forward and back.

We've been real dry here, and running lots of dusty material (mulch, topsoil, limepack) this past week.

Always been lax about maintenance of equipment-- not my best skill set, mechanical things-- and we are trying to transition to having the local rental/repair/sales place take on our mower/loader/machine maintenance.

Delegate, delegate, delegate!

[jwholden]

I agree with the replace the fitting route. I'd kill to have a good zerk set around just in case.

Take the fitting to the auto parts store, they will have one for you. Double or triple check that the trheads match before putting it on. Go easy/careful threading it back on, you don't want to strip it.

I got a super luber (sp?) from lincoln this spring. Makes lubing 'heavy' equipment a game.

Did you ever notice that you have to clean off the attachment plate every time you switch attachments or you'll never get the next attachment on?

[VoodooChile]

Crap building up in the cracks and crevices of the Dingo, especially the front end, is a real nuisance. Mulch causes me the most headaches, getting compacted between the attachment plate and loader arms and limiting the rotational range. Takes about a 1/2 hour with a hammer, chisel and air compressor to blast the compacted wood out.

By the way, anyone tried this method to clean the dreaded Dingo tracks?

[Bill Schwab]

We use pressure and water all the time to clean the Cat tracks. Where you will run into a problem is when the freezes begin. If you leave your Dingo out with mud packed into the tracks, and it freezes, you will immobilize the machine. I can tell you a few times many years ago when we did not clean the 933 tracks. Came to work the next day, fired up the donkey motor, let out the clutch, engine started we warmed it up, moved the bucket and boom....Went to move the machine and it would not drive....Eneded up having to build a wood fire under the machine to build up enough heat to get it to drive. that night we stopped an hour early and dug every hunk of earth away. Did not have any problems like that again.

Don't look at this stuff as costing you time from the job you are currently working at. Look at it as an insurance policy that future jobs will not be delayed from spending too much time on unscheduled maintenance.

[Bamboo]

For packed wood and dirt jammed up in the unit, use an air chisel. That shure beats a hammer.

[Stonehenge]

I always thought those tracked machines were the cat's meow, but seeing all the monkey-motion involved in keeping the thing functioning, maybe rutting up a yard with a skid steer isn't such a bad option.

[jwholden]

I just got my copy of the Bobcat Worksaver. There is a wide track version of the T190 out now. I'm ready to run down there and check that puppy out.

[site]

VooDoo- try warming up the fittings with a plumbers torch for a few seconds. It usually works.

[Bill Schwab]

Given a choice of track vs tires, I'll take track. but then consider everythign we do is on a slope, and tures will fall over backwards on most areas we work. Sure they are more work, but, they work where tires won't, and, there are certain times when in the spring of late fall into winter after the rains where a tire machine will just sink. That is where a track drive shines.

[jwholden]

Just think, I knew Bill back when he thought track machines were only for guys with surplus testosterone.