Retrofitting for reliability on a Ford Model A | Kyle's Garage - Ep.3 - Hagerty Media

While the kingpins and spindles are off my 1930 Ford Model A, I figured it was the perfect time to make one minor change that will make my life easier. Specifically, that means replacing the push-in, non-lock-on grease fittings with a modern Zerk fitting. This will allow easier greasing of the front end to make sure all the new parts I am installing will get the grease they need to last many more years.

The process is relatively simple. Use a drill bit to enlarge the grease fitting holes to 21/64-inch diameter, use a tap to cut 1/8-inch NPT threads, and then cinch the new grease fittings into place. The one thing I wanted to be careful about as I hand drilled the holes was not going too deep and damaging the already reamed-to-size kingpin bushings. In a perfect world, I might have used a drill press with a stop for the bit, or even one of the clamp-on stops to prevent me from cutting too deep, but I don’t have either of those things. In this instance, I didn’t need them if I was careful and attentive.

With the new grease fittings installed, I turned to cleaning up all the other parts that will be used in reassembly. The grease inside all these parts had turned into a goo that was acting more like glue than lube. Pushing fresh grease through pushed out the old goo and the parts began to pivot and function again. Luckily, the parts all had an appropriate and usable play and wear, which kept me from having to find replacement parts for anything that was worn out.

With packing the wheel bearings, I had to call it a night. Everything is ready for reassembly though, so be sure to subscribe to be notified when next week’s episode goes live.