Greasing with a hypodermic needle?

My new u-joint has no grease zerk, but has a needle hole. I have tried to use one in the past and broke 2 needles before giving up and replacing the u-joint with one with a zerk (or maybe drilled and tapped it, I don't remember).

Anyway, is there some secret to using the needle to grease it up?

How far into the joint do I have to go before it will take grease?

 

cant you pull the caps and grease by hand?

brad

 

I have a steel needle with a grease nipple that goes on the grease gun. No issues been using it for years. Cost me less than 5 bucks. Its also fun for firing grease across the shop.

Looks like this. [ame="http://www.amazon.com/Lincoln-Industrial-5803-Grease-Needle/dp/B0002SR6XE"]Amazon.com: Lincoln Industrial 5803 Grease Gun Needle Nozzle: Automotive[/ame]

You install a grease nipple in the female end.

 

yeah the one darren posted will be easier to get grease out of. i grease the sealed bearings on my mountain bike with a syringe and it is a pain to get the grease through the tighter needle. even went to using a worm pumper needle from fishing stores and it still can be problematic...i use the white teflon bicycle grease which is a little less viscous also...

 

I made sure it was pretty greasy before I installed the caps, but I would like to be able to add grease without taking it all apart.

The needle I have looks like that one (above) but already has the grease zerk ball on it. It is described on the package as 18 gauge tempered stainless steel, but seems to be about twice as long as that one.

So, how far in do I have to shove it before I start greasing? Using marine grade bearing grease, which is fairly thin.

 

Just enough pressure to depress the ball completely in the center of the grease fitting.

 

Oh, I got you, So basically, when the entire angled part of the needle is in the hole, I am far enough!

Mine is cut like a true hypodermic, with an angled cut at the end that inserts. It doesn't look like the one above, with the triangled and blunt tip. Should I shop around and get one like that?

This may be my issue in the past, with breaking them.

 

yeah the type you have is for peircing boots in non- greasable fittings,you need one like darren posted for the other fittings

 

Ah! That explains it.

Thanks.