Grease gun problem

W

wrndln

Well-known member
This is kind of model A related. I have had problems with reloading the cartridge in a modern grease gun before and now again. My grease gun was working OK until it ran out of grease. I reloaded the grease gun and now when I pump the handle no grease comes out. In the past I have had the same problem but after fiddling around with it for a while, I somehow got it to pump grease. By my age, I should know how to get the gun to work after reloading it, but I don't need to reload it very often. The cartridge is installed correctly and the pull tab seal is removed. I pumped the chrome plunger in and out on the bottom a few times, but it did nothing. If anyone knows the trick to get a newly reloaded grease gun to start working, please post how it is done. I attached a couple of pictures of my grease gun.
Thanks

Rusty Nelson
 

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You need to bleed the air out of the gun just prior to the hose. Loosen up one of the fittings on the end of the cap slowly until you can start to see grease ooze out around the threads. Don't remove it completely or you'll have grease everywhere. Ounce you see grease oozing out from around the threads, tighten the fitting back up and you should be good to go.
 
If this is a button you can press it down to release the air that is trapped at the top of the grease cartridge.
 

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Condition of the plunger on some guns can be problematic. Spring tension against the plunger can also be a bit weak. Pulling out the plunger handle a bit and giving it a slap to seat it back in can apply a bit more back pressure on the grease. Pump piston condition can also be a bit loose but they definitely have to have the air removed.

Some guns are more difficult than others due to design elements that are less than ideal. I try to mound up the grease in the cylinder a bit over the threaded portion of the bore before screwing the pump head back on there. This helps reduce the air space inside after the pump head is all the way on & tight. Thick greases are more difficult than the thinner types but a person can usually get them to pump after all the air is purged out.

Some guns are made for use without the cartridge and they don't work if you put a cartridge in them since the plunger is too large to fit inside the cartrige tube.
 
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I hate to ask, but did you remember to peel the tin tab off the end after you slipped the tube in there? Don't ask me how I know this. LOL
 
some guns the plunger can be pulled out and rotated so it latches into the piston, then with the barrel unscrewed some push on the plunger rod while pumping
 
Expell old tube, lock plunger back install new tube with plunger end open, remove pull tab end, put head on 1 to 2 turns release plunger then put head on the rest of the way, problem solved, at least that seems to always work for me, or drill a small hole in the threaded end of the barrel about 2 threads from the end, this will expell air when plunger is released when you thread the end on the rest of the way it covers the hole, I've seen some new guns this way.
 
Google "How to load a grease gun". There many You Tube instructional videos showing how this is done.
 
Has anyone used the battery powered grease guns sold in the big box stores? Do they work better than the hand pumped ones?
 
I received a Dewalt battery grease gun for Christmas last year and it works really well. The only down fall is it is a little heavy compared to the standard gun. It is fast and makes short work of greasing my car.

Greg
 
If all else fails, remove the hose from the grease gun, pump the lever a few times to get the air out, re-install hose, pump a couple of times to get grease out the business end of the hose.
 
These pump handle grease guns are the messiest, troublesome tool EVER invented. This is sure an over-ripe invention needing to be made!!
 
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