button head (Alemite) grease fittings

[pisten-bully]

For my 101 Scout project I purchased a fistful of 5/16-32 reproduction button head grease fittings, and they fit every spot on the bike except for three. The brake cross shaft and clutch pedal castings required a larger thread size than the 5/16.

IMG_1614.jpg

I took an old zerk from another bike and found it fit in nicely, it was 3/8-24 but not button head. I looked at several motorcycle suppliers offerings but couldn't find the right size. McMaster Carr listed button head fittings with 3/8" - 24 UNF so I ordered four. They arrived and they threaded right in ...BUT the button head was way, way too big. I hated to do it but I found some on Amazon, but when they arrived I turned them right around and sent them back....huge button head again and threads that were listed as 3/8" but they were NPTF...meaning they were more like 1/2"...who knew, not me!

button heads.jpg

Not certain where to go on this, I've looked for adaptors, nothing yet, and at other suppliers until my head aches...you have to be careful with thread sizes, for some reason many are listed with NPTF threads.

Mark me down as searching for small button head grease fittings with 3/8-24 UNF threads!

[FLFD7]

Harry,
I have two 101s in my basement right now and at the clutch pedal and brake cross over they have the usual 5/16-32 button heads…

IMG_2190.jpeg IMG_2192.jpeg

IMG_2191.jpeg IMG_2193.jpeg
IMG_2194.jpeg

My guess is at some point in time those holes got stripped out on your frame and they got drilled and tapped bigger for the zerk style fittings. I mean, if your bike not being built for judging just use the new style?

I wouldn’t doubt that you can’t find a button head with the 3/8-24 and the right size “button”. What are your other options? Weld up (or braze?) the hole and redrill and tap for the 5/16-32? Make an adaptor? You’d have to use a 7/16 or 1/2 screw to have any wall thickness on the adaptor. Seems like a lot of work for three grease fittings.

Joe

[pisten-bully]

Seems like a lot of work for three grease fittings.

Thanks Joe, I know, but it will bug me so until I run out of options I'm going to keep going with the effort. As you said, regular zerk can go in there if I give up!

At least it wasn't tapped metric, Whitworth, or something else!

[PaulCDF]

Harry nothing at the 101 org?

These are at Crazyhorse:

https://crazyhorsemoto.com.au/produc...c8fd1fb6&_ss=r

https://crazyhorsemoto.com.au/collec...ers-1920-1-2-3

Likely you have checked Partkers.

Then there are these guys:

Indian Engineering Australia Motorcycle Parts | Pre-1954 Specialists

Never done business with these guys but for some Alemite porn:


https://www.huyett.com/

[FLFD7]

Harry,
Well, you can’t even see the one behind the primary, so it’s just two fittings….

[jim d]

What about turning the threads off of the 5/16 one and then build it up with hi temp. silver solder. Turn it on a lathe and thread it to 3/8 x24

[PaulCDF]

Harry I have a similar situation with my 741 frame the seat post zerk is buggered have been thinking of:
-Epoxy in Place
-Green Locktite in Place

jim d's suggestion above sounds possible

[gharper]

Harry, The only way to really do it right is weld the holes up and rethread them. Of course that would destroy any paint, if that's an issue. The next best thing is to drill and tap oversize, then make a small threaded adapter and Loctite that in place. Yes, that's a bit of lathe work but not bad really. Anything else is just a bandaid repair, which will work but not right and will cause you, or the next guy, grief down the road somewhere.

[pisten-bully]

...helpful ideas, thanks! I tried Jim D's idea first because it seemed simple enough. Silver soldered a lot onto the threads of the fitting, then (no lathe here) I put the fitting into the chuck of my drill press and turned it against a file to make it round, then with a 3/8-24 die I threaded it. Worked, ...but it won't work! The hex is smaller than the hole!

IMG_1620.jpeg IMG_1623.jpeg

And Gene's idea of a size reducing threaded insert sounds promising, too...so I'll go there next (I'll need a 5/16-32 tap). I never tried grease fittings in these holes when I mocked up the bike two times...live and learn but I'm not psyched to weld up and re-size the holes...the paint is too nice and too new!

[PaulCDF]

Thanks for the update Harry, Please keep us posted on the threaded inserts. You have brought this machine back a LONG Way. Likely there will always be some minor/insignificant issue that only you as the builder will know.

[T. Cotten]

Harry I have a similar situation with my 741 frame the seat post zerk is buggered have been thinking of:
-Epoxy in Place
-Green Locktite in Place

jim d's suggestion above sounds possible

None of you Folks learned about the ball peen hammer?

I admit it takes skill and care, but it works well with -32" threads..

How much load are you going to put on a zirque?

...Cotten
PS: If you want to make an insert, Harry,
You also need a 11/32"-32 tap and die.

Your local Schebler mechanic should have them...

[PaulCDF]

None of you Folks learned about the ball peen hammer?

Cotton always willing to learn. So how would I repair a buggered zirque hole with a ball peen?
Care/caution I got skill not so much.

[T. Cotten]

I could use a hammer, Paul...

Better than I can beat out words to describe it; Metal moves, or else it would shatter, and the hammer shouldn't pound, but should coax the metal where you want it to go.

I confess to making a circular drift, but abused it similarly.

So I guess its an art, lost to all but the brave. Watchagottolose?

.....Cotten

[jim d]

Maybe put a flat washer over the 5/16 threaded, under the hex and then do the build up to thread it to 3/8x24. Let the OD of the washer bigger to help support the silver solder and turn it down afterwards to supply the shoulder for the zerk to seat on .

[jim d]

Better than I can beat out words to describe it; Metal moves, or else it would shatter, and the hammer shouldn't pound, but should coax the metal where you want it to go.



.....Cotten

Cotton you are correct that a hammer in the right hand can do some pretty fantastic things or trash everything in the wrong hand.
I have a ball peen hammer that I used on a daily basis for 48 years. When I first got it I was a hack and pretty abusive with it but I figured it out. One of the few things I took with me when I retired. All of my good hammers have highly polished faces to keep them from marring anything I am using them on.