Greasing a KMG!

Troop

Troop

Joined
Oct 26, 2006
Messages
2,898
Hey Guys....How in the heck do you grease a KMG? I bought a flexible hose for my grease gun, but I still can't get at the two fittings...too tight of a fit. What do you guys do?
Do you have to disassemble the whole thing just to grease it?
Thanks millions.
- Mitch
 
birdog4 said:
I believe Rob advises against it. bruce/birdog
Click to expand...

Correct. I dropped Rob a note to let him know that my KMG arrived with one of the zerks laying in the bottom of the crate, and the other one was about to fall out as well. My other gripe was that the bearings are mounted with the zerks down and there's no way to grease them. Here's his reply:

They bearing units are 2 pieces, the outer housing and the actual bearing that is inserted in the housing. The bearings are pre-greased and sealed for life. In this case, the grease fitting is not applicable with the specific bearing used in this housing. It's a standard housing that fits many choices for bearings and by its universal design, has grease fittings. The bearing units are intentionally mounted as such so that they cannot be greased and this practice is discouraged for this application and bearing type. This is a case where excess grease can be more damaging, than if the bearing were to run completely dry.
 
O.K....Thanks, guys. I figured since there were fittings, they have to be greased. Go figure. :confused: Don't ya think life is confusing enough?:o:)
- Mitch
 
Troop said:
O.K....Thanks, guys. I figured since there were fittings, they have to be greased. Go figure. :confused: Don't ya think life is confusing enough?:o:)
- Mitch
Click to expand...
Who would a thunk it. Me, for one.

Fred
 
You'd think for the price they could put plugs in it and avoid the confusion and damage.
 
Putting plugs in the threaded holes instead of Zerk fittings would have been my first instinct in that case...go figure.
 
Maybe Rob will come up with the answer as to why he left the Zerks in, instead of putting in plugs. I was ready to tear the whole thing apart, to get to those fittings.
- Mitch
 
Might be because zerks often have odd threads and are tapered threads to boot. Pipe plugs of those sizes have way finer threads.Interesting note on greasing, many electric motors have zerks. People grease them all the time when most actually call for a pump or 2 a year even when they run continuously.
 
I just saw the zerks on mine the other day and wondered how the hell to get a grease gun on them. If they are not to be used, would be best for Rob to remove the zerks.

Based on post #4, the grease will not pass through the outer race to get into the bearing.
 
By the way hand held grease guns can easily generate a couple thousand psi so they can blow seals with ease. Have used them to pressure test items with small volumes.
 
This is great feedback!! Yes, these bearings are permantly sealed...and pre-greased. ....permanately sealed for the environment that they operate in. The fittings are intentionally mounted on the bottom to discourage re-greasing them.

To "grease or not to grease" can be highly debated with strong support on both sides of the fence. If a little grease is good, then more must be better...right? It is logical thinking.

I've had this discussion with several bearing engineers and for this application, have been advised that additional grease is never required and can actually shorten bearing life. Excess grease in the bearing can elevate it's operating temp. Careless application can push out the seals. Poor shop hygene can intoduce debris during regreasing. The Grease type can affect temp... Mixing grease types... and so on.

For me, I've never had bearing life issues regardless if they were over-greased or neglected. Especially on the KMG which is a very mild use application having relatively low loads and speeds.

I never thought about removing the grease fittings....or plugging them. I guess my thinking was that they are not causing any harm one way or the other. If left in, they keep the holes plugged.

You say "poe-tay-toe" and I say "pah-tah-toe"
My point: it's not an issue...grease them if you want...or neglect them if you want.

There really is no single answer that is correct. And after 5, 10 or 20 years from now when you need to replace them how are you going to know if this was from grease or lack thereof....or it it even going to matter. Bearings are inexpensive..., you might spend more money on grease...(hee hee)

Is Ford Better than Chevy?
Big10 -vs- SEC?
Hollow grind -vs- flat grind?
KMG -vs- Bader?

These questions will always have strong supporters on both sides.
When in doubt, I always refer to the KISS principle for guidance....and I support the no-grease side of the fence.

I'm not sure if this helps or adds to the confusion. It's a tough question to answer.

-Rob
 
As for that KMG vs. Bader question, I have yet to see Steven Bader post answers on this forum. When I have the bucks together I will probably go KMG

-Page
 
My thought as to why Rob left the zerks there, instead of changing to plugs would be simplicity and ease of production. The KMG is already the best grinder on the market for the money, and I would suspect that Rob would need to increase cost of the machine if he were to have to purchase plugs, remove the zerks, and insert plugs. More parts, more labor, more time equals more cost to the end user.

Concerning the Bader machines... when I was looking for a new grinder, I knew exactly what I wanted (some of it custom) and had never heard of Rob and the KMG, so I called Bader. I had the money, and was willing to spend it to get what I wanted. After explaining the custom mods I wanted on my grinder, the folks at Bader flat told me... "If its not on the shelf, your not going to get it from us." They would not even consider my request, even though I was willing to pay for my request. The next day I learned of Rob and the KMG, so I called him. Rob was willing to work with me, and in the end I got the grinder just like I wanted it, for far less than what a basic Bader B3 would have cost. Talk about blessing in disguise! For the money you pay for a KMG, considering the level of customer service from Rob, its just plain and simple.....A BARGAIN!!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top