Cat water pump bearing

[flagstickfrank]

I have a 2000 Itasca Horizon DP with 3126B Cat 300 engine. I have been very happy with the coach and engine/trans with one exception. The water pump bearing on the engine has a grease serk (sp) that is out of reach for anyone but a monkey. I have reached it by removing the bed and engine cover but surely someone has an easier method? I would like to lube it every 3,000 miles but it's a pain.

[haddy1]

When I owned a 3126, I added an extension hose to that fitting and secured it to the breather pipe so I could lube from the bottom.

[jplante4]

tinkerer wrote:
Just wondering how many hours are recommended to run before greasing? A lot of bearings are ruined by over greasing and blowing out the seal. Not sure on this one though.

Correct. Just a couple of half-pumps every year is what I do. You can tell if you over-greased it when you open the bed and there's flung grease all over the bottom.

[tinkerer]

Just wondering how many hours are recommended to run before greasing? A lot of bearings are ruined by over greasing and blowing out the seal. Not sure on this one though.

[jplante4]

I just lifted the bed and straddled the engine walking on the frame rails until I could reach the fan hub. I can also get a flex hosed grease pump onto the zirc from the driver's side, but that's probably an artifact of the Safari design.

The consequences of not greasing the fan hub will make the contortions getting to it a minor inconvenience. When that bearing fails, the fans is driven aft through the CAC and the radiator. Do yourself a favor; figure out a way to grease it.

[hanko]

wolfe10 wrote:
As posted, it is the fan hub that has the grease zirk on all Caterpillar 3126's built before 1/03.

Accessed only from the top-- so bedroom or closet floor. Just locate the fan and come in toward the engine head. It is facing straight up.

the joys of a rear radiator, no thanks

[wolfe10]

As posted, it is the fan hub that has the grease zirk on all Caterpillar 3126's built before 1/03.

Accessed only from the top-- so bedroom or closet floor. Just locate the fan and come in toward the engine head. It is facing straight up.

[Jim]

Also have a 3126 and I had mine greased last March. Wrote up a story about it on my blog...with pictures. There's even a pic by another DIY'er that shows what that extension looks like after installation.

Maybe this will help: Messing with the waterpump Zerk Fitting

[gfs1943]

I grease mine a couple of times a year. I lift the bed and brace it up, then remove the rear engine cover. I can reach mine that way. I can't see anything in that area, but I'm used to it so I can find it by feel. I use a small grease gun with a rigid nozzle, not a flexible hose. I had to grind one side off the grease nozzle on my little grease gun. This allows me to get the nozzle onto the zerk and push it straight down so it latches on. Then I give it about six pumps. After removing the nozzle, I use a rag to clean around the zerk to avoid getting grease on the serpentine belt.
I wish I could reach the zerk from the ground, but no way. And the place I take the coach for lube/oil change won't touch it, for fear of getting grease on stuff inside the coach. Probably a good thing.

[path1]

Hard-To-Reach Grease Fittings

http://greaseextensionhoses.com/

[sailor_lou]

I believe the 3126 is similar to the C7 and if so, the bearing you are referring to (about in the center of the block and drives the fan on rear rad engines) is not the water pump, but rather an idler/fan pulley. The water pump is mounted low on the engine and most, except for some C7's like mine, have a separate belt. Regardless of that, I have read where others have added additional tubing/hose to extend the zerk fitting to a more accessible location. Another option might be to replace the existing bearing with a seal bearing like many of the the C7 engines have. I'm willing to bet our resident CAT expert Brett (wolf10) will jump in at some point with some specific info on this topic. Good luck.

Lou
05 Travel Supreme Envoy
CAT C7