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Steering neck grease zerk

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Old Feb 25, 2013 | 10:38 AM
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Default Steering neck grease zerk
I can't find any reference about it in the service manual. Do I pump it full or just a few. I was doing all the maintenence gettin her ready for riding season and thought I would ask the evo experts about it. Oh, it's a 1996 flstn. Thanks
 
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Old Feb 25, 2013 | 11:50 AM
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You will have to pump until frame fills with grease enough to force out of bearing,unless you have a sealed neck it may take a whole tube or more.
 
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Old Feb 25, 2013 | 12:28 PM
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Thanks, man. That's kinda what I figured but needed to hear it from someone else
 
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Old Feb 25, 2013 | 12:34 PM
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Don't pump it in until it comes out the bearing. You'll be wiping grease until you sell your bike.
Take my word for this. I'm still wiping grease.
 
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Old Feb 25, 2013 | 04:03 PM
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Originally Posted by RANGER73
Don't pump it in until it comes out the bearing. You'll be wiping grease until you sell your bike.
Take my word for this. I'm still wiping grease.
If you don't, you'll never get grease into the bearing. You pump the grease in until it starts to come out the bearings. Yes, you'll have to wipe up the excess grease about once a week or so. May that be the worst thing you have to deal with.

If it hasn't been done before, you may have to replace the grease zerk before you start. Mine was painted over at the factory.
 
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Old Feb 25, 2013 | 05:48 PM
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Thanks for the responses fellas. im a pretty capable shadetree mech but I've never messed with steering neck
 
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Old Feb 26, 2013 | 05:09 PM
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Fortunately, the Evo Softail steering head is sealed (no passageways into the frame itself). It will take a fair amount of pumping to fill the inside tube with grease the first time so the grease will be forced out through the bearings. Afterward, it will only need a couple of pumps at the recommended service intervals.

I use the grease gun at every 5,000 mile service.
 
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Old Feb 27, 2013 | 08:05 AM
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When I first did mine it took about 4-5 oz. of Grease to fill it. I use the Blue Marine Grease, and it doesn't drip at all.
 
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Old Feb 27, 2013 | 04:50 PM
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given that the quantity is so huge and we still have to wipe it over and over, how often do we have to grease it? Once a year or when it stops dripping?
 
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Old Feb 27, 2013 | 05:42 PM
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The service manual says every 10,000 miles. I did that, and had to replace the steering head bearings at 85,000 miles.

Now I grease them every 5,000 miles, and at 85,000 miles they feel just fine.
 
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