[AT] Bad grease fitting

[Greg Hass]

I'm glad you solved your problem but I will add a couple of things. 
First, with fittings like you have I have seen two kinds; the most 
common one only holds by about one and a half threads so if the threads 
are at all bad they will come out. The other type which are harder to 
find have quite long threads and will hold much better if you have the 
room. Also a big problem in our area is metric fittings getting mixed up 
with standard fittings. So close and yet so far away and can really mess 
you up. Also mentioned was heating up a stubborn fitting. I have done 
that a hundred times but 4 or 5 years ago  I did that and there was this 
loud bang like a shotgun being fired. Scared the ______ out of me. Turns 
out the fitting was really clogged and the grease in the fitting turned 
into steam and blew the ball and spring out the end of the fitting as 
well as blowing off the end of the fitting. Had I been in line with the 
fitting I could have been killed. Just wasn't my time I guess. I still 
heat fittings but I now make sure I am to the side if them and when I 
put the grease gun on to see if it will take grease I make sure I am to 
the side  and put the nozzle on without my hand being in direct line 
with the fitting end. As always, be careful out their.
            Greg Hass