2000 - Volume #24, Issue #6, Page #31

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"Shotgun" Loosens Up Frozen Grease Zerks

"Shotgun" Loosens Up Frozen Grease Zerks FARM SHOP Maintenance 24-6-31 "I designed this tool after using another model that's on the market. I didn't like the way it worked so I came up with my own improved version," says farmer-inventor and mechanical engineer John Richardson of New Lothrop, Mich., about the "Shotgun" grease blaster which cleans out plugged zerks. "Striking the knob with a hammer generates pressures in excess of 100,000 psi, which is 10 times more than the 6,000 to 10,000 psi generated by most grease guns," says Richardson. "The Shotgun doesn't require any oil solvent and it doesn't trap air in the grease chamber, which decreases hammer æbounce back' and increases the intensity of the hammer-driven pressure spike. Also, it's far less likely that you'll damage the drive pin. If a clogged zerk doesn't break loose after two or three hits, with that kind of pressure you'll probably need to remove the zerk and clean the obstruction behind it. The "Shotgun" consists of an 8-in. long metal cylinder with a spring-loaded drive pin inside it. An elbow fitting on the side screws onto your grease gun. "You can keep the Shotgun attached to your grease gun all the time and use it even on zerks that aren't plugged. The grease gun functions normally when attached to the Shotgun." Sells for $42 plus $3 S&H. Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, R.E.A.M. Corp., Box 311, New Lothrop, Mich. 48460 (ph and fax 517 743-9148; E-mail: richrdsn@shianet.org).