Idler lube fittings

[hotratz]

Hi Guys,

Just and observation on my OC-46. The left idler has a button head lube fitting on the outside hub and no fitting on the inside. The right side however has a button head fitting on the outside but curiously also has a Zerk on the inside of that hub.

Also curious is the factory hole for the button heads are tapped either 1/2-20 or 1/4 NPT. but the Zerk hole appears to be 1/8 NPT.
This has me believing the Zerk on the inside hub was added by the P/O.

Was wondering what you guys have on your machines? 1 fitting on the outside or both inside and outside?

[mikegt4]

Both my machines have just one buttonhead per idler, I would say that you are correct that some PO added an extra one. I just spent all afternoon cleaning old hard grease out of 4 rollers and one idler hub. IIRC the threaded hole in the idler is the same as on the end of the roller axle or at least very close in size.

[hotratz]

Thanks for confirming my suspicion. I think I know why the zirk was added. When a PO bolted the two idler haves together they ran the bolts from the inside and nutted on the outside. This made so much bolt stick out to the outside that you couldn't get the gun all the way on the fitting. I just reversed two of those bolts closest to the fitting and now enough room to get the gun on. Seems easier than installing another fitting....weird
!