that bloody farking front UNI joint?

[Motormike]

That front frigging zerk is MISSION IMPOSSIBLE!  Not only can I not get a grease gun tip anywhere near it, I can't even figure out a way to remove the little red dust cap.  My longest needle nose pliers won't even begin to reach into that black hole.  I'll just have to take the whole frigging rear wheel and swingarm off the bike, all for a couple of shots of grease.  I can't believe someone hasn't figured out a way to grind or modify the guard to make the nipple assessable.  Can the uni-joint be reversed so the zerk faces forward?  Then you could reach it through one of the holes in the guard.  What a PITA!  I'm sure mine has never been greased in years, maybe since it left Italy!  Maybe I'll just wait till the uni-joint explodes and takes a big chunk out of the guard....I'll be able to reach it then!

[The Pilgrim]

Jeez? Personally for me there is nothing like the full strip and rebuild, Grease oooozing outa all the proper places while on the bench or in your hand is a proper feeling! Small sacrifice in my opinion.

[dl.allen]

I bought the Ace hardware swivel head like JBBenson, took it apart, screwed it onto a 12 inch flexible line, put it on my grease gun.

Then lift the bike so the back wheel is off the ground to make the most angle on the shaft you can.  Then position the zirk so it is on top. Fish the tip up in there with your left hand and use your right first 2 fingers to guide it on and wiggle a lot until it works its way on. Have some grease just coming out of the tip and wiggle in a small rotational and it will finally pop on.  After about 3 pumps or you can see if coming out lots of gentle wiggling to get it off.

I spent hours trying until I bought the set up and then literally had it on there in less than a minute.  Let me know if you need pics.  I also understand that each one is a little different from manufacture.

[Motormike]

Like I said, the real problem is figuring out a way to remove the little dust cap.  Once I take the thing apart and remove the cap, I'll just leave it off for better access next time.

[Motormike]

Well, I'm just about at strike three.  Removed the rear wheel, still couldn't reach the zerk.  Took off the gearbox and still couldn't get anything onto that zerk.  I don't know where you guys are finding grease guns with rigid metal lines.  Every Ace Hardware and Auto Zone, etc. I've been to only has the flex line ones.  Tried a needle, got lots of grease around the uni, but none in it.  Tried the Ace Hardware swivel fitting with the same abysmal results.  Tomorrow I pull the fucking swing arm off.  Maybe then I can grease the front, uni-joint.  (but I'm not counting on it.)

[Kiwi_Roy]

To pull the front universal you have to completely remove the two pinch bolts not just loosen, they fit into a reduced portion of the shaft.

When you put the it back together be very careful to put the front universal on so the bolt holes line up with the shaft reduced portion or the bolts will get chewed up as you screw them in.

Like The Pilgrim says, it's almost orgasmic to see the grease go in right LOL

[Motormike]

Well, I FINALLY got that sucker!  Ordered a 12 inch extension pipe from McMaster-Carr and bent the tip like Rossi46 did.  Used heat, but was still afraid the tube would crack, but it didn't.  Then I had to file and grind down the bottom half of the coupler for it to slip over the nipple, but I finally got it.  All you need in lieu of a full machine shop is a gas torch and a bench grinder.  Or, like me, you could put blisters on your hands using a metal file for an hour.  Anyway, it's done and back together.  I'd post pics, but I'm on my third celebratory beer, so they'd all be out of focus!

[LowRyter]

 

... Did something similar, getting it off again was also a 'challenge' with much swearing and despair. 

Be carefull! Zerks are brittle. They snap really easy!

 

Hubert

 

there's that and my Greenie that Chuck mentioned.    

 

Anyway, it's greased now.  

[Chuck]

Well, I FINALLY got that sucker!  Ordered a 12 inch extension pipe from McMaster-Carr and bent the tip like Rossi46 did.  Used heat, but was still afraid the tube would crack, but it didn't.  Then I had to file and grind down the bottom half of the coupler for it to slip over the nipple, but I finally got it.  All you need in lieu of a full machine shop is a gas torch and a bench grinder.  Or, like me, you could put blisters on your hands using a metal file for an hour.  Anyway, it's done and back together.  I'd post pics, but I'm on my third celebratory beer, so they'd all be out of focus!

See? Piece of cake.  The 00s? Not so much.

[Scud]

I just figure this out yesterday and posted in another thread, then someone referenced this one. So here are the essential details:

 

Modify the grease gun with little brass fittings from the plumbing section of a hardware store. Get the smallest right-angle bracket you can find.

 

 

Then, with the bike on the sidestand (no parts removed), push it until the fitting is pointing up. Then thread the grease gun's tube through the driveshaft tunnel and pop it on the fitting. Takes 15 seconds. 

 

 

Grease to your heart's content. Let there be no more swearing at the front uni joint.

[JBBenson]

Thats a good mod. You are lucky to have a bike that has enough clearance for the tip, many bikes (including mine) do not, and require grinding down the tip so it clears the surrounding u-joint and snaps on. Seems there is a lot of variance in Italian u-joint castings......shocker.

 

Another note: make sure the tip is not adjusted to snap on super tight. You will have problems getting it back off, and may snap off the zerk which will make for a bad day. Try it out first on a zerk that is more accessible first to get a good level of fit.

 

I adjusted the tip so it was looser, and then had to hold it on with one hand while pumping with the other. It does work, and when you are done the grease gun tip will come off with just a mild pull.

[Scud]

You are lucky to have a bike that has enough clearance for the tip, many bikes (including mine) do not, and require grinding down the tip so it clears the surrounding u-joint and snaps on. Seems there is a lot of variance in Italian u-joint castings......shocker.

 

 

Oh - bummer that it won't work for everyone. Given the apparent frustration with this procedure, I thought maybe I had stumbled across the "holy grail." The simple gun mod makes it super easy for me though; it pops on (and off) easily by hand.

[dangerous]

I just figure this out yesterday and posted in another thread, then someone referenced this one. So here are the essential details:

 

Modify the grease gun with little brass fittings from the plumbing section of a hardware store. Get the smallest right-angle bracket you can find.

 

IMG_2636.jpg

 

Then, with the bike on the sidestand (no parts removed), push it until the fitting is pointing up. Then thread the grease gun's tube through the driveshaft tunnel and pop it on the fitting. Takes 15 seconds. 

 

IMG_2638.jpg

 

Grease to your heart's content. Let there be no more swearing at the front uni joint.

worth a try... trying to sus ya photo, is it upside down and you are comming in from under.. or do you hasve the very rear left hand drive shaft? actually it looks nothing like mine, you are comming in from behind aye following the shaft through the swing arm aye?

[docc]

I've never thought of trying to get at it through that gap from in front of the pork chop and swing arm.

 

Scud's outside the box.

[Scud]

After you get your gun tip modified, thread it up alongside the driveshaft, through the tunnel in the swingarm, pop it on and lube that prostate gland. 

 

 

This one was taken from the final drive, looking forward.