Using Brake Line

A few years ago I was bush hogging tall weeds
I looked back and there was smoke coming from the top of the bush hog
I guess I let the weed parts build up and the PTO shaft had rubbed it enough to get things HOT

So I built a simple shield to keep things from building up on top of the PTO shaft

BUT there is a grease zerk under the shield
To get to the zerk I need to unbolt the shield and tip it up

I greased the bushhog today as I want to open up a path through the woods again , as brush is starting to grow

I got to thinking
Take out and move the grease zerk
Run a new pipe to somewhere I could get to a new grease zerk

As I would like to put a about 90 degrees bend in the pipe to where I want the new grease zerk
I got thinking , how about using steel brake line ?

I think I have some 3/16 brake line

But I have 2 questions ( I think I already know ) before I do anything
Any chance the grease gun could over pressure the brake line ?
Would Lithium grease hurt the pipe or fittings ?

I looked and Mc Master lists a 1/4 28 to 3/8 24 adaptor
I have a brake line flaring tool

Also is there anything I am over looking ?

Thanks
John

When we got a new machine the first mod was making grease manifolds and running them. When you do this before you in stall the far end purge the line with grease from the zerk.

Mcmaster car has grease line steel 1/8" od and fittings designed for this.

I'f it works out will be amazing

Brake line is hydraulic line, should withstand whatever a typical hydraulic pump outputs. You could do what you need to do with braided fuel injector line as well.

If that zerk is on a driveline u-joint, you ain't gonna like the end result. You're adding weight on one side of the joint which puts it seriously out of balance (premature failure) and I doubt the brakeline will hold up to vibration and centrifugal force, as well as being exposed means it will be a catchall for the weeds.

Over pressure from a grease gun ain't going to hurt the steel line.

If the process of getting to the grease fitting is too hard, and ya don't have to access it very often, I wouldn't bother.

Without pix it’s hard to tell what you’re asking. If the zerk is on the U-juont then as stated earlier tour pretty much stuck as is.

Remoting a grease zero is common practice I’ve seen it done with copper, steel, brass and some of that reinforced plastic stuff, in the end it’s just plumbing. The common theme is that if it’s hard to get to it will not be done.

Though before going that route can the cover be modified by drilling a hole for access and if need be swapping out to a commonly available 90 or 45 deg zerk?

most heavy equipment uses flexible lines for grease its just small diameter hydraulic lines. 3/16" 0r 1/4" are most common. you can crimp all kinds of ends on them or use a stock line with something like male pipe thread with a swivel fitting on one end and adapters are easy to come find.
this is where I have gotten supplies for years.
https://www.discounthydraulichose.com

I've seen copper used, and it's not something I would mess with. It's acceptable mostly on indoor machinery, but it can blow out. I hate the synthetic/plastic grease lines, mostly nylon. They are common for oil lines too. I'd be a rich man if I got $1 for every one I fixed that that cracked, leaked, or burst. There's no way they would stand up on to hard use like a tractor.

No, for something like this I would use nothing but steel, and I think steel brake line is a perfectly suitable choice. I'm assuming you are greasing something on the tractor or brush hog, not the PTO shaft itself. I would not do any flaring for a grease line like this, use compression type fittings which use a ferrule. You will have to figure out what thread your zerk is currently and buy that thread to 3/16" compression fitting adapter. Then on the other side I would use something like the following in the link. You could use this as a bulkhead fitting through your guard. You would then need a zerk for 1/8 NPT thread to match.

https://www.mcmaster.com/52215K612/

Drill hole in shield or maybe a 90 grease fitting. Most fitting if clear will not use the pressure a grease gun can supply.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Johnch

A few years ago I was bush hogging tall weeds
I looked back and there was smoke coming from the top of the bush hog
I guess I let the weed parts build up and the PTO shaft had rubbed it enough to get things HOT

So I built a simple shield to keep things from building up on top of the PTO shaft

BUT there is a grease zerk under the shield
To get to the zerk I need to unbolt the shield and tip it up

I greased the bushhog today as I want to open up a path through the woods again , as brush is starting to grow

I got to thinking
Take out and move the grease zerk
Run a new pipe to somewhere I could get to a new grease zerk

As I would like to put a about 90 degrees bend in the pipe to where I want the new grease zerk
I got thinking , how about using steel brake line ?

I think I have some 3/16 brake line

But I have 2 questions ( I think I already know ) before I do anything
Any chance the grease gun could over pressure the brake line ?
Would Lithium grease hurt the pipe or fittings ?

I looked and Mc Master lists a 1/4 28 to 3/8 24 adaptor
I have a brake line flaring tool

Also is there anything I am over looking ?

Thanks
John

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I have seen this done before!
Go for it!

If it's not going to cause a balancing problem as others have stated, I'd use NiCopp (nickel/copper) brake line & flare the connections. The stuff is easy to bend without kinking & it will never rust.

I would go with something flexible, because of all the vibration. Go to where the make up hydraulic lines and they can make you up something with the fittings you need on the ends.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by GregLaROCHE

I would go with something flexible, because of all the vibration. Go to where the make up hydraulic lines and they can make you up something with the fittings you need on the ends.

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John, my brush hog has the same grease fitting. mine is a Rhino. except my fitting is flat to allow clearance for the drive line guard. The best idea is to drill a hole in the guard for easier access to the grease fitting. It is also possible to remove the guard for all the time access to the fitting, but beware the spinning drive line and dont get off the tractor until the pto engagement lever is off.

Depending how long of a line you need just buy the rubber grease gun line. Usually not very expensive.

Thanks
I ask a friend that works at a shop that dose brakes
It cost me 2 beers for him to relocate the grease zerk
He used some kind of flexible line and crimped everything
He said I have about 0% chance to damage the line

John

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Johnch

Thanks
I ask a friend that works at a shop that dose brakes
It cost me 2 beers for him to relocate the grease zerk
He used some kind of flexible line and crimped everything
He said I have about 0% chance to damage the line

John

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If its crimped, its probably rubber. It should hold up fine.