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Bus Discussion => Bus Topics ( click here for quick start! ) => Topic started by: belfert on August 19, 2021, 09:39:21 AM
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It looks like I am going to need to grease my own bus this year as the usual shop that does my work is slammed and can't get to it for weeks. It took me two weeks just to talk to someone about an appointment and the shop won't even schedule an appointment at this time.
Who makes a good battery powered grease gun? I have both Ryobi and Makita batteries. It looks like the Makita grease gun is just way too big, but no idea if the Ryobi is any good. I would also need to buy a set of 24 ton jack stands to support my bus. At least I don't have air suspension.
There is a very good chance I will end up cancelling my trip this year as any shop that will work on a coach bus to adjust/fix my front brakes is a month out. I need to have the brakes working properly before using the bus for a 4,000 mile trip.
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I highly recommend a Milwaukee. Mine works super nice, runs more tubes of grease then I count on one battery, and I have the lock and lube coupler which makes greasing any piece of equipment a piece of cake. Easily put 50 pumps of grease in a 2 inch bearing in 30 seconds
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That’s probably not what you wanted to hear 😂
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It turns out that all cordless grease guns are very similar in design. I would buy Milwaukee if it was significantly better than Makita, but I would prefer not to buy into yet another battery system.
I forgot that I have some of the Dewalt 60 volt batteries that also work with 20 volt tools. There is some kind of sale on the 20 volt Dewalt grease gun for $149 right now. Many sellers including Home Depot have it at $149 right now. I don't know if the 60 volt battery would be too heavy.
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I also vote Milwaulkee but you have to go with what batteries you already have pretty much.
Jim
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I have always used a hand pump, the thing that really helps me was to get one of those grease fitting ends that clamp on (Lock Lube was the one I purchased).
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I have one that I bought at a shop auction. Lincoln. Sits on top of a 16 gallon drum. Drum was still 1/2 full of gold metallic grease. They sell really cheap as nobody has use for one. Mine was 30 bucks.Runs on air pressure. Greasing your coach takes a substantial amount of grease. A few of those tubes each time. If you don't have the room, a hand operated one is bottom line cheap, or the battery ones are nice, but costly. Milwaukee are great, but pretty expensive for this menial job. Try to find a decent rated brand that uses the same batteries as your other items.
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Powered grease gun all the way, brand or type doesn't matter as much as powered.
The tired busnut gets skimpy on grease...
Happy coaching!
Buswarrior
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Hi;
I use a commercial lube place at a large truck stop.. They usually have a pit to work in.
They can get the obvious stuff greased, but you will have to get the rest of the fittings.
If you can find a lube diagram for your bus, it will help the grease monkey.
good luck - - - - Merle ;)
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I have the cordless and the pneumatic and wouldn't trade the 40 year old Lincoln pneumatic gun for any cordless grease gun on the market has 3 ways to load and the tubes are my least favorite
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Hi;
I use a commercial lube place at a large truck stop.. They usually have a pit to work in.
They can get the obvious stuff greased, but you will have to get the rest of the fittings.
If you can find a lube diagram for your bus, it will help the grease monkey.
good luck - - - - Merle ;)
I normally take the bus in to a shop to get greased. The problem I am running into is I can't find a shop that has an appointment for the work before I plan to leave on a trip on September 21st. I ran into one shop that flat out won't work on buses. There is a TA about 30 miles away that has a shop, but no idea if they would do the work. Places like Speedco will not work on buses period. ABC Companies could do the work the week of Sept 13, but they are 150 miles round trip. I would need to take a day off work and I don't want to use any more PTO days this year in case I get sick. It would also cost me $75 to $100 in fuel for the drive.
I spent two weeks trying to get an appointment at my usual shop and finally got in touch when them today. I should have started looking for an alternative shop immediately when I couldn't get an appointment at my usual shop two weeks ago. I would be in better shape.
Yes, I have the lube diagram for my bus.
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A well equipped shop with a pneumatic bulk greaser with a retract reel is obviously the first choice, especially with a grease pit. But if you don't have all that... for the money a rechargable is a reasonable alternative for the money.
Jim
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One problem I am running into is I need heavy duty jack stands to support the front axle so I can grease the king pins with no load on them. Good jack stands made in the USA are $600, but they also don't seem to be in stock anywhere.
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I have the cordless and the pneumatic and wouldn't trade the 40 year old Lincoln pneumatic gun for any cordless grease gun on the market has 3 ways to load and the tubes are my least favorite
A lot of tools, other than cordless, were better 40 years ago. Does pneumatic have an advantage over battery if I was buying today? The only greasing I do besides my bus is grease my mower once or twice a year. I plan to use tubes as I don't use enough grease to buy bulk grease.
I am probably going to grab the Dewalt cordless grease gun from Home Depot this evening and not open it in case something better comes up. There is some sort of deal going on with the Dewalt grease gun right now and I don't want to miss saving $70. Home Depot matches the 11% Menards rebate so that also helps.
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One problem I am running into is I need heavy duty jack stands to support the front axle so I can grease the king pins with no load on them. Good jack stands made in the USA are $600, but they also don't seem to be in stock anywhere.
We use wood dunnage under the bulkheads (4 places) then release the air and the axles are unloaded except for their own weight - works great for greasing king pins & air suspension work.
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Brian, do you have any battery tools? Get a grease gun that uses the same batteries. That way it won't poop out halfway through the job and need to wait to recharge.
Jess sells 22 ton pin type jackstands and aren't anywhere close to $600. Should be available at Napa or other places.
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Here you go Brian, pick up tomorrow at Napa in Minneapolis.
https://www.napaonline.com/en/p/NLE7915280?impressionRank=2 (https://www.napaonline.com/en/p/NLE7915280?impressionRank=2)
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With his suspension he doesn't need jack stands,all he has to do is take the weight off 1 wheel at a time to grease the king pins a 12 ton jack will do that.? why 22 ton jack stands for a 12,000 lbs front axle ::)
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Lots of 12 ton bottle jacks at $119. and up at Napa.
Shoot, maybe a 6 ton (12,000lb) would do it?
Be sure to block the bus before getting under!
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Even with the axle raised with a HF air operated bottle jack, is there enough room to slide under and do steering, Pittman arm, etc? Guess he doesn't have ramps.
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Brian, do you have any battery tools? Get a grease gun that uses the same batteries. That way it won't poop out halfway through the job and need to wait to recharge.
Jess sells 22 ton pin type jackstands and aren't anywhere close to $600. Should be available at Napa or other places.
Yes, there are cheaper jack stands, but I buy made in the USA when possible. I found some open box 25 ton Hein-Werner stands on Ebay for under $350. I had the same thought as another poster of just using wood instead of jack stands although I might very well need the jack stands again. I already have an air operated jack that will lift the bus.
I have lots of Makita cordless tools including ten batteries, but I would be willing to go with another brand if their grease gun is significantly better. I also have some Dewalt 60 volt/20 volt batteries and some Ryobi batteries. Dewalts makes a cordless air compressor that Makita doesn't make and Ryobi sold a cordless miter saw long before Makita ever did.
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Even with the axle raised with a HF air operated bottle jack, is there enough room to slide under and do steering, Pittman arm, etc? Guess he doesn't have ramps.
My Dina has torsilastic suspension and it has tons of ground clearance for some reason. People who have seen the bus say the torilastics still have plenty of life because the bus sits so high. There is enough clearance to crawl underneath and get to things.
I have never blocked the bus if it isn't jacked up because there are no air bags to drop the bus on me.
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Yes, there are cheaper jack stands, but I buy made in the USA when possible. I found some open box 25 ton Hein-Werner stands on Ebay for under $350. I had the same thought as another poster of just using wood instead of jack stands although I might very well need the jack stands again. I already have an air operated jack that will lift the bus.
I have lots of Makita cordless tools including ten batteries, but I would be willing to go with another brand if their grease gun is significantly better. I also have some Dewalt 60 volt/20 volt batteries and some Ryobi batteries. Dewalts makes a cordless air compressor that Makita doesn't make and Ryobi sold a cordless miter saw long before Makita ever did.
You should be able to buy OTC for around $200.00 a pair
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We carry a standard hand pump and a pneumatic gun with flexible hoses and 7 tubes of grease plus the coveralls.
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I have a milwaukee 18 v grease gun and it works great in the bush but on the coach I like to use the air grease gun when it is at home
like Dan I made up my own wood blocks screwed together and round all wrapped and screwed around them as well . so easy and inexpensive and all of them are the right height
dave
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I made my own ramps out of 2x12 4 high screwed and glued together. Suggest you put a rope handle on both sides of each one makes it a lot easier to get out and also carry
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OR, have the wife move them around.
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If you only grease the bus once a year, wouldn't a $30 hand grease gun be enough?
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That's my take on lube guns!
If you only grease the bus once a year, wouldn't a $30 hand grease gun be enough?
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I agree but the pneumatic grease gun only needs one hand to grease. A regular conventional grease gun requires both hands on it to grease - major difference - we use both...
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They make one with a hand trigger, so you can use your other hand to guide the hose. I have one. Since I have a pit, I like the pneumatic one on the drum. Hand or hands can get tired sqeezing so many times, especially when in geezer status.
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They make one with a hand trigger, so you can use your other hand to guide the hose. I have one. Since I have a pit, I like the pneumatic one on the drum. Hand or hands can get tired sqeezing so many times, especially when in geezer status.
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Some of the newer buses and trucks have a automatic grease system like the grease jockey just add grease and your done lol you don't even need coveralls
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All I used all my life is a regular old hand grease gun. I also have an air gun that is better in some ways, and you have to drag the hose with you, and it gets stuck under the wheels of the creeper, and so on. When I help with the harvest for a neighboring farmer, there is a lot of greasing every morning. We use Milwaukee electric guns. They are GREAT. Best invention since the wheel. But the price of one is only justifiable if you do a lot of greasing, every day.
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Pistol type guns are ok if the fitting are greased everyday the Lock and Lube heads are really a good invention when using a hand gun ,me I like the bulk loading hand gun,tubes are handy but not much grease in one for the cost IMO and I don't like the air locks with tubes either
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tag axle bushings don't get well greased using hand power.. If they are getting greased at all...
Happy coaching!
Buswarrior
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tag axle bushings don't get well greased using hand power.. If they are getting greased at all...
Happy coaching!
Buswarrior
You can pump a tube of grease into those bushing easy
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You can pump a tube of grease into those bushing easy
Yes, a busnut CAN... the question is whether one is commited to putting a tube into one with hand power...!!!
Couple squeezes, and "that's good enough" happens too often...
Having to remove and replace the bushing might be motivation enough to get pumping??
Happy coaching!
Buswarrior
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I was going to buy some 2x10s to build ramps, but after seeing the cost I decided against it. Lumber costs have come down significantly, but some of the wider boards are still really expensive.
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Try a local or nearby sawmill. Save some money and get the width and thickness you need in rough cut. Save mark up from box stores. Consider hemlock.
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For extreme leveling ramps we have four 6"x6" PT pine that have a diagonal cut in them. They're 4' long with a 3'2" ramp cut then a full 6"x6" full height 10" long flat top. They're not awfully heavy and stack tight inverting the diagonal to store like two full 6"x6". We use them when uneven ground exceeds our manual leveling. Also carry two 8" round & two 6"x6" shorties & use them vertical under far front & rear bulkheads for long term leveling, they double as jack stands too using small steel plates on top to prevent splitting. PT pine is nice, it's strong & never rots.
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Not necessary to lift the front wheels off the ground to grease the lower king pins. Just have a good powered grease gun and it will shoot the grease in just fine. I never did that on my truck and have never done king pins in 1.2 million miles (amazing what greasing will do). And that's with the front of my truck being 13,000lbs on 12,000lbs rated axle. I have an air powered grease gun and is the only way to go. Good Luck, TomC
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The grease will bypass the area on bushings that are tight against the pins and leak out the gaps instead. I'll continue to raise mine off the ground to grease. A regular greasing schedule is the most important thing though. We always used a Mobil grease with moly.
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I am pretty sure I have had my bus greased every year since I bought it. I usually take it to a bus shop that has a hoist that can lift the whole bus by the frame, not by the wheels. This year I am doing it myself as the shop is booked way out.
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give you a chance to see if they are greasing ALL of the fittings. Be sure you have the grease point chart.
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The grease will bypass the area on bushings that are tight against the pins and leak out the gaps instead. I'll continue to raise mine off the ground to grease. A regular greasing schedule is the most important thing though. We always used a Mobil grease with moly.
Ditto on weight off the pins.
Moly is your friend...
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Most king pins bushings have grease groves on OEM for a grease path
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I am looking to use Lucas X-TRA Heavy Duty grease, but I am open to suggestions so long as I can get the grease reasonably easy. This Lucas grease has 5% moly in it.
I wanted to do the greasing on Sunday as dewpoint will be low, but I forgot to order the Lock N Lube coupler I was planning to buy. It doesn't appear anyone local has it. I still have a few weeks yet.
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You could have had it done in half the time you've spent on the computer talking about it.. Get off your butt..>>>Dan
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You could have had it done in half the time you've spent on the computer talking about it.. Get off your butt..>>>Dan
Do you know my life and my other obligations besides greasing a bus? I have a job which limits the time I have to work on my bus. It has also been raining on and off for a week. From Thursday evening to Saturday evening we could get as much as six inches of rain on top of three or four inches earlier in the week. It is supposed to be nice weather on Sunday so I plan to do the work then.
I have SEVERE issues with dewpoints much higher 64 or 65 degrees. If I spend a lot of time doing work in that environment I get very sick the next day even if I drink water by the gallon. I got heat exhaustion twice in 2003 and have had issues with heat ever since. I should move to a dry climate, but I don't want to leave where I am at.
EDIT: It has been a whole week and a day since I started this quest after finding that every shop is booked weeks out. That means one weekend since then. Last Saturday I already had other plans. Last Sunday I chose to work on my bus AC electrical system while I had someone to help with that. It has rained most evenings this week. Wednesday evening a friend and I adjusted the front brakes on my bus instead of doing the greasing.
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I recently bought one of those lock and lube ends. Really well made and does the job. However, when trying to use it in restricted locations it is difficult ro squeeze the little handle to put it on a fitting. Springs too stiff.
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I recently bought one of those lock and lube ends. Really well made and does the job. However, when trying to use it in restricted locations it is difficult ro squeeze the little handle to put it on a fitting. Springs too stiff.
John those come in different lengths buy you a longer one I have 3 in different lengths
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Pneumatic is only nice when you score a used on at a garage auction with a drum of grease. Used Lincoln is nice. Mine is old enough, it has a white cover that goes down over everything. I also have Dads old Alemite grease unit from forties. Has handle and wheels to roll it around.. He bought it to grease his Brockway he drove during WWII. It works great, but need to reduce air pressure to below 90psi or pump just keeps cycling.
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Lock n lube is a lovely thing for those with arthritus, ruining their grip.
It does need some room to fit on the zerks.
As you learn where it fits and where it doesn't, i leave mine only finger tight on the hose, and have either a shorter or a 90 degree assem bly to swap for the tricky ones.
Do the hard ones first, then lock n lube for the rest.
Happy coaching!
Buswarrior
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A semi local NAPA store stocks the LockNLube so I was able to buy one yesterday evening. I didn't buy my grease yet for tomorrow. Is there a real advantage for the Mobil 1 Synthetic grease versus the Lucas X-TRA Heavy Duty grease? I can get either one today. The extra $15 for the Mobil 1 grease certainly wouldn't kill my budget.
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Honestly Brian I don't think it would be worth the extra $ in your application.
No more than your bus gets used the regular grease is fine.
The only place I could see the synthetic being worth it is in an application that has to be greased on a regular basis (daily/weekly)
But that's just my honest opinion which is worth about enough to buy a cup of coffee if you add $2!
;D BK ;D
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Use what is spec on the chart is a good idea most buses use different grease in different areas
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I wouldn't waste the money on synthetic grease in a coach unless it is a Prevost. Any premium grease should be fine. Moly if you can find it.
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I ended up buying the Lucas X-TRA heavy duty grease. No need to spend more money. I am all set to grease the bus tomorrow after I change the oil in my car.
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:^ :^
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It'll work fine.
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Wonder if the new Lucas cakes as bad as their red and tacky they sell,some grease if you don't grease everyday will cake so bad you need to clean the fitting or change if you go 6 months without greasing
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Any grease that cakes that fast (6 mo.) wouldn't be in my gun...
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Any grease that cakes that fast (6 mo.) wouldn't be in my gun...
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Any grease that cakes that fast (6 mo.) wouldn't be in my gun...
I don't use any grease that cakes myself owning heavy equip for years some of the stuff will cake in a short time.I always used Mobil Moly for years and never was a problem but we greased every day also
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Dad swore by it. He had a Chevy Adventureliner with a 3-53 in it on a Chevy 1 ton chassis. Put 130,000 miles on it. Never had to replace any steering components or kingpin bushings. He greased religiously, even out on the road. Mobil moly is all he ever used.
As far as grease goes, there are two bases it is made from and the two mixed can cause issues Cliff mentioned.
Always grease regularly. Cheaper than replacing parts. Use whatever grease gun that makes it the easiest. Buy adapters as needed to help. Always keep a box of tubes in stock. Also available from Amazon so you don't run out or buy something less than ideal.
If you have some fittings that are really difficult to access or plugged, keep an assortment of straight, 45° and 90°. And wrench that fits them. Don't over tighten as easy to snap off. Keep the tool that has an easy out and retread tip incase you have a snapped of one. They also make a little impact tool to clear a plugged one.
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Many manufacturers also recommend a white lithium for the slack adjusters..>>>Dan
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These posts make me question my choice of the Lucas X-TRA heavy duty grease. I use the Lucas Red N Tacky for my commercial lawn mowers and no zerk clogs I am aware of. I think I am going to hold off on greasing for today. I spent quite a few hours working on my car today because it is leaking coolant that I found during the oil change. I have plenty of other stuff to do on my bus today anyhow.
Mobil makes at least three different moly greases so I am not sure which one would be good to use. It looks like they would have to be ordered online or purchased from a Mobil lubrication distributor.
The greasing chart in my maintenance manual is terrible. It doesn't mention the slack adjusters at all and I think it misses other grease points too.
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I've gone to the Lucas green grease for everything. It's waterproof so it won't wash off and is a good high pressure lube. Checked with my owner/operator brother and he had switched to that several years back. Good enough.
Jim
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Lucas buys the grease and adds the additives same with anything they sell the place in CA is just a re packing warehouse with a small lab inside they do have some good marketing
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I am not buying Lucas grease because of the marketing. I am buying it because it is one of the cheaper decent greases out there for someone buying a tube at a time. If I was buying a drum of grease at a time I am sure there are better deals to be had. Walmart Supertech grease is cheaper, but who knows how good that grease is? Home Depot carries the Lucas grease and for a lot less money than an auto parts store.
I could go to the local Mobil distributor and get the Mobil moly grease, but it would be at least two hours out of my day to go there plus I would have to buy a case. I may never lube my bus myself ever again so that all extra grease might go to waste.
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Home Depot sells tubes of grease? I never knew that.
Jim
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Home Depot added a selection of automotive products maybe five years ago.
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those cases of mobil I have hold 12 tunes. you'll use two or three to grease it. did you check Amazon?
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Any grease is better than none Moly grease is tough to beat when parts are metal to metal with high high pressure points for bearings it is not so great.I would like to know what base Lucas uses if it is a soap base which is salt and most cheaper greases are I wouldn't use it a wheel barrow, that would be a place Lithium with is ok for low load and low speed
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I suppose I'll have to call the local Mobil distributor tomorrow and see if they will even sell to the public. Maybe they can suggest which one of various moly greases Mobil makes that will work for the application. I assume they could ship the grease to me to avoid the 60 mile round trip and two hours of time.
Amazon sells some Mobil greases, but the price per tube seems really high to me. Some are $15 per tube with the included shipping.
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Confusing, huh?there is also Mobil Delvac extreme non moly grease.
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Since I acquired a few cases (24 tubes/case) in an earlier time of a product called Premalube moly EP grease and a 5 gal bucket of Kendall Super Blue wheel bearing grease - those products got married to the bus (but are kept in the pit) and haven't had to buy grease for decades. Yep old dried out grease in our bus for 42 years w/o issue... :^
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Moly (Molybdenum) is a not a petroleum product it doesn't dry out it is more like lead and sorta looks like lead in the mines the stuff is used for everything even in food,there are Molybdenum mines everywhere here in Idaho
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I finally got my bus greased today. I had intended to do it a week or two ago, but I got offers from folks to help me with other things on the bus and didn't want to turn them down. There aren't near as many grease zerks as I thought. I used the chart in the maintenance manual and went to town. I looked for any additional grease zerks because the book missed the slack adjusters. I didn't find any other grease zerks not in the book. (It doesn't appear I have radius rod bushings that are supposed to take a lot of grease.)
The strange thing is I only used one tube of grease. I expected to use three or four tubes. It appears others have been greasing to excess. There are layers of old grease on most everything. I simply hit the trigger on the Dewalt grease gun until grease just started to ooze out. Two of the joints in the steering system appear to be missing grease zerks. There seems to be a hole for a zerk, but no zerk.
I found I have to replace one of my rear relay valves as it leaks a bit while the brakes are applied. I got it out and will take it to Fleetpride tomorrow.
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this is the reason I like to do as much of the maintenance on our coach as when you are under there you might see something else that needs attention
there is always something
glad you got it done and it wasn't that bad was it
dave
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The bad part is I backed into my garage and pretty well crushed the gutter. Luckily, I was barely moving or I might have pushed the garage off the foundation. The garage isn't in the best shape and I plan to tear it down in a year or two to build a much larger garage that will hold the bus.
There is a 20 foot concrete pad in front of the garage that I wanted to park the bus on there so I could use my creeper to get under the bus. My bus has a lot more ground clearance than most buses and no air bags to worry about crushing me. I put some large wood blocks underneath when I jacked up the front to grease the kingpins and such.
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Keep the possibility of a blown tire in mind. Block under the axle so it won't come down in a tire failure.
Just saying...
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The front was blocked under the structural member that the maintenance manual says to use for jacking. A tire failure wouldn't have done anything. The rear has three tires on each side so very little chance of three tires blowing at once.
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2 Brian find out if those 2 joints are missing the zerk because it just came out, or if they are broken off. If broken off it might be a little PIA to get the old ones out, but either way you need to replace and grease them. And I agree lots of people OVER grease things badly!
;D BK ;D
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Under drivers compartment on GMC's, expect to find a pile of 3 to 5 pounds of old grease, below clutch and shift linkage. Also the shift rod tower between engine and bulkhead rarely sees grease. Thats why so many 4104's have worn out bellcranks. Those bellcranks btw, have needle bearings in them