Knocked/scraped a grease zerk off my driveline. Help?

I was out at Brewer Lake in the Sierra a couple weeks ago and tried to make it all the way to the water. It gets extremely rocky during the last 50 yards and I got hung up and had to abort. I just discovered that I knocked/scraped a grease zerk right off in the process.

Anyone else ever done this? How in the hell do I even go about fixing this? Rethread it with a tap and die?

 

Can you back out whats left of it in there and then screw in a new zerk?

My concern with tapping it is you'll probably get bits of metal pushed into the bearings, which is no bueno.

 

Those usually are not torqued on there very tightly, my initial idea is to jam a flathead in there and try to get it out. A more sophisticated method may be to use a bolt/screw extractor which is used for stripped fasteners.
https://www.autozone.com/test-scan-...t-neck-screw-extractor-set-5-piece/535518_0_0

 

The metal is all kind of smeared together at this point. Hard to tell what's what lol. I've read I should try an "easy out" extractor, but I'm anxious since I have no experience with anything like that. I don't want to make it worse.

 

Got it! I had a few stray Torx bits laying around. T15 bit and a few taps from a hammer and presto. Thanks yall

 

You got it! Good for you!

 

Try the easy out but spend the $$ on the best one you can buy. Ace or true value have been my choice and you can buy the size you need 1/8 to 1/4 if you are scared it will snap off buy 2 and test what it takes to break in a vise or an old yolk, tie rod end or ball joint. Use a tap and die T bar for best results. A socket wrench in lieu of the T bar. Crescent wrenches, vice locks or pliers snap easy outs due to single side force so stay away from them. It should back out easy enough. Most rock climbers pull all zerks and install recessed allens after lube. The best grease guns come with different size threaded tips to thread into lube points. Adds time to lubes but is well worth the effort.

 

Good job. Now yank the zerks and put allens back.

 

I do this on my motorcycle. Works great on the vulnerable ones.

 

You can actually get a low profile zerk that’s sits inside the shaft, it uses the needle type grease nozzle to fill it up. That way this will not happen again.