Just realized Ive been greasing my crane wrong for 2 years

Old timer at the yard saw me doing my morning rounds last Tuesday and stopped me. Said I was putting too much grease on the pins and it was just gonna blow out anyway. Showed me the right amount with a marker line on the grease gun. Wish someone told me sooner. Anybody else get taught something basic you thought you knew?

2 comments

2 Comments

the_rowan15d ago

Huh, is it really that big of a deal though? I mean, sure, you might waste a little grease and make a small mess now and then, but it's not like the crane is going to explode or anything. I've seen guys slather that stuff on like butter on a biscuit for years and their machines still run fine. Unless the old timer is talking about some specific high precision joint or something, I'd take his advice with a grain of salt. Sounds more like a pet peeve of his than a critical safety thing.

the_laura14d ago

You ever see a loader boom snap clean in half? No, neither did I, until my buddy Mike had it happen right in front of him. @the_rowan, Mike was one of those guys who thought a little extra grease never hurt anyone, slathered it on every zerk fitting like it was going out of style. Turned out the old timers were right - all that excess grease built up inside the joint, blew out the seal, and packed the bearing housing solid till the pin seized up. Cost the company thirty grand and a two week shutdown, all because he figured it was just a pet peeve.