1931 Chev grease fittings

[Guest]

Did a 1931 Chevrolet come with zerk type grease fittings or Alemite fittings.

The Alemite fitting, being the type with the pins sticking out on each side of the fitting, that holds the grase gun in place when you twist it on.

I've seen 1931 Chevs with both Alemite & Zerk fittings, and each owners believed

their car is correct.

Did different factories just use the fittings that were available to them,

or is only one type correct.

Documentation telling or showing the correct type of grease fitting would be great.

Many Thanks.

[Guest]

Not sure when everyone changed over to "zerk" type, but probably around '35. I too have seen zerks on older vehicles, but think they were changed out. One clue might be when the expensive cars stopped having built in automatic lubrication systems, which was in the mid 1930's.

[novaman]

The AACA Judge's manual says:

1920 First use of Alemite pin-type, bayonet lock grease fittings.

1923 First use of zerk push-type grease fittings.

1933 First use of ball end grease fittings.

As for which type is right on a '31 Chevrolet, I'm not sure.

[rwoods]

My 31 chevrolet has all nickle plated alemite fittings with no hex at the thread area .this car is pretty untouched as far as original parts.The 1931 parts book lists alemite fittings.

[Guest]

And there was a special wrench made for installing the Alamite pin fittings of that era that were made without the hex base.

nvs

[1937hd45]

Did all the vehicles with Alamite fittings use dust caps, or were later cars rolling off the assembly lines without them? Just wondering if cars have been killed for not having them when in fact they never did.

[Guest]

Bob, I discussed this with Hoover last week while we were together in PA and he concurred with my long held understanding that the caps did not come on the cheaper cars, but were used on the higher priced makes. My '31 Cadillac had them, my '31 Chev. does not and I put them on my '24 Buick which may or may not be correct, but I like them. That's all I can add to the discussion.

HV

[1937hd45]

Thanks Howard, that makes three of us with the same view on this, now how do you get this across to the chassis judges?

[Guest]

Lord only knows. That sort of thing is one of the reasons why I am a retired judge.

hvs