free website stats program grease fitting in frame neck | Page 2 | Harley Davidson Forums

grease fitting in frame neck

Would there be a good reason why the grease fitting has been eliminated? (at least on my 2009 I don't see any). And would there be any reason not to install one the next time I have it apart? I do like the idea of having one.

Early Dyna's did not have grease fittings on the neck. It's due to the square backbone frame, and the neck is not fully enclosed. I rember reading about Dyna owners installing a fitting and pumping a bunch of grease in. A while later, the grease was melting onto the rocker boxes. I don't know if there ever was a change to the FXD neck or if the '09's are the same.
 
Last edited:
Consider yourself lucky if you HAVE a zerk fitting or lube access plug. Newer model Sprotsters do not come with one so you have to...eh..."improvise".:bigsmiley15:
 
Harbor Freight sells a air grease gun (cheap) that I use just for the goose neck fitting...works great.

Thorns
 
Change that factory grease fitting to a fitting with a 90 degree. It will make it much easier to lube .
kemo
 
I used the shortest grease connector I could find, added a simple brass 90 degree elbow, and mounted that on the grease gun. Works fine and I didn't have to fight that zerk fitting in and out to replace it with an angled one.
 
Well, the minimal contribution I made to this site shortly after joining has paid off again. After reading these posts about a grease fitting, I went and checked my ’07 geezer glide. Sure enough, it was there, but I couldn’t get my flexible hose to bend tight enough to get on the fitting. I took it out easily enough with an 8mm wrench and went in search of a solution. First stopping by the local Harley shop and asking the service manager if there was a trick to getting the grease into the fitting and he looked at me like I had two heads. We went to a ’08 Ultra Classic on the showroom floor and took a look and it was a straight shot to get to the zerk fitting. I told him mine was at such an angle that I could not reach it with my grease gun. He went to a ’06 that was on consignment and sure enough, it was orientated like mine and almost impossible to get to. He commented, “they must have changed them”. He said they have a 90 degree fitting on their grease gun. That may be the case, but with a 90 degree fitting, they wouldn’t be able to get to the grease fitting that was facing directly where one could see it on the newer models. This confirmed what I had long suspected, we take our bikes into a dealership and pay $80 an hour labor charge for service, which I do not object to if the service is done, then wonder if what is required IS actually done. In my case, the zerk fitting showed no evidence of grease ever having gone through it. I asked the parts man if he had a 90 degree zerk fitting, while showing him the one I had just removed and he almost laughed in my face. I went across the parking lot to ACE Hardware and they had them. As Kemo’s suggestion seemed to be the simplest, that’s the route I went with. Although the working space was minimal, I was able to get the new 90 degree fitting started in the neck hole, but it then hit the bottom piece of the steering assembly. I had to move the handlebars to the left to get the clearance needed, but then I couldn’t see what I was doing. Eventually I got it screwed in and proceeded to pump grease into the new fitting. I had to take a couple of breaks as my hand was cramping up. Sure enough, just like Smitty said, it took over half a tube of grease before any came out. Not a single speck of old grease was squeezed out in the process. That means at the 1K, 5K, 10K and 15K service, not a single drop of grease has ever been put into my bike. If you own a geezer glide with a grease fitting in the steering neck, I would highly recommend you check it, because you may be in the same boat. I’m sure it is psychological, but as I was backing the bike down the six foot ramp to my shed where I had just put the grease in, it felt significantly smoother. I went for a short slow speed ride and it felt 100% better, although it never felt bad before. My sincere thanks to all the great posters on this forum that provide such valuable information.

PS, it is a messy proposition cleaning up, but the Q tip trick helps significantly. A blue Scott shop towel torn into little pieces got the rest of the mess.
 
Pretty sad when a dealer has staff who act so rude to their customers...! Makes you wonder why guys become mechanics in the first place. Some to help others and for the enjoyment, others just collect a paycheck and looking forward to become a social leach on the government's dime.:newsmile055:
 
I asked the parts man if he had a 90 degree zerk fitting, while showing him the one I had just removed and he almost laughed in my face. .

Perfectly legitimate question. Why in the world would he think that question was so funny. I wonder if he does the same thing to his children when they ask Daddy a simple question.
 
Back
Top