How do grease guns work?

[Mikey]

I've got this cute little grease gun. You unscrew the top, drop the cartridge in, and then do something with this rod at the back. It pulls straight out, but I don't know if I'm suppose to push it back in or what. Any ideas? Here is a pic, the rod I'm refering to is at the bottom. Do I pull it out and leave it out (it's spring loaded) or do I push it in so that there is pressure on the grease? Arrrgh...

[DaveK]

The rod pushes the grease out the other end.

[Mikey]

Ok, so do I pull it back, load the cartridge and then just pump the lever?

[DaveK]

That's typically how they work. The rod pulls out.....grease cartridge goes in...rod pits pressure on other end of cartridge and pushes it out the front. Pretty much the same as a caulk gun but smaller.

Spring loaded.....it will come up on it's own as the great gets used.

Once you can see how it comes apart and loads, you won't need much more help using a grease gun, so read on for the simple procedure...

How to use it

To load a grease gun with grease, first unscrew the barrel from the handle/trigger unit. The barrel is where the grease goes and you've got two options. If you've got a new tub of grease with a large plastic washer in like I have below then you can load the grease directly in to the gun from the tub. Otherwise you're going to have to load the grease in gradually by using something like a spoon. If you do use a spoon, don't use the one you're going to eat pudding with later.

Here you can see I've got the barrel off the gun and I'm getting it lined up with the opening in the middle of the 'washer' in the tub of grease. You can't see the plunger at the end of the barrel as my hand is over it, but it's a long way in to the barrel.

This guy is putting the grease directly in the gun tube. He is using the long handle to SUCK the grease out of the bowl into the gun.

Once you've got the opening in the barrel over the opening in the tub of grease, push down on the barrel and pull up on the plunger at the same time. If you've got a tab that keeps the plunger still, you might need to press it / fiddle with it to get it to release so you can pull the plunger up. As you push down / pull up the grease is pulled in to the gun. When the gun is full or tub of grease is empty, move the barrel sideways to cut off the pillar of grease you've made inside the barrel, then clean off the end of the barrel with a bit of cardboard / rag before screwing it back in to the handle/injector unit.

Below I'm pushing the barrel in to the tub of grease and pulling up on the plunger, which isn't very obvious due to the angle:

[MrBadExxample]

Mikey,

After I reload my grease gun with a new cartridge I have to pump it like 80 times to get it to pump grease again. Last time, I tried a new trick that helped prime it. Pump several times, tap the grease gun on something hard a couple of times, pump it again. repeat as needed.

HTH

[The Krypt Keeper]

Little tip to help you guys.

Pull the plunger back and lock it into posistion

insert new tube into gun

screw the tube back on but only half way

release the plunger and push it all the way up

finish screwing the tube all the way

grease should start coming out withing a few pumps

I have pumped 1000's of tubes at work, we even have some nice electric ones that we use here at work.

Some better grease guns got a air bleed button on the top to help get that little air pocket at the top out.

[runner]

Maybe it's a new topic but what areas of the CBXX should be greased & how often?

Steering head, zerk fittings on swingarm, etc?.

[Mikey]

Little tip to help you guys.

Pull the plunger back and lock it into posistion

insert new tube into gun

screw the tube back on but only half way

release the plunger and push it all the way up

finish screwing the tube all the way

grease should start coming out withing a few pumps

I have pumped 1000's of tubes at work, we even have some nice electric ones that we use here at work.

Some better grease guns got a air bleed button on the top to help get that little air pocket at the top out.

Hold on, I thought we were leaving that rod out? Like DblXX said about likening it to a caulking gun. My problem was as soon as I pushed that rod back, it would push the piston through the grease to the top hense no pressure. No?

[kiwimack]

I've got this cute little grease gun. You unscrew the top, drop the cartridge in, and then do something with this rod at the back. It pulls straight out, but I don't know if I'm suppose to push it back in or what. Any ideas? Here is a pic, the rod I'm refering to is at the bottom. Do I pull it out and leave it out (it's spring loaded) or do I push it in so that there is pressure on the grease? Arrrgh...

the little tube of grease.................before you put the tube into the gun do you remove one or both ends of the tube? or none?

[Mikey]

Little tip to help you guys.

Pull the plunger back and lock it into posistion

insert new tube into gun

screw the tube back on but only half way

release the plunger and push it all the way up

finish screwing the tube all the way

grease should start coming out withing a few pumps

I have pumped 1000's of tubes at work, we even have some nice electric ones that we use here at work.

Some better grease guns got a air bleed button on the top to help get that little air pocket at the top out.

Hold on, I thought we were leaving that rod out? Like DblXX said about likening it to a caulking gun. My problem was as soon as I pushed that rod back, it would push the piston through the grease to the top hense no pressure. No?

Hold on again, I think I figured out my missunderstanding. I thought you were pushing the rod back in, but you were only suggesting that you push the rod to meet the cartridge to reduce the priming time. Right? So the rod will stick out and slowly move in as you run out of grease. Correct?

Next question, does this mean I don't need a cartridge? I could just suck it out of the bigger (cheaper) bowl-o-grease ?

[kiwimack]

Little tip to help you guys.

Pull the plunger back and lock it into posistion

insert new tube into gun

screw the tube back on but only half way

release the plunger and push it all the way up

finish screwing the tube all the way

grease should start coming out withing a few pumps

I have pumped 1000's of tubes at work, we even have some nice electric ones that we use here at work.

Some better grease guns got a air bleed button on the top to help get that little air pocket at the top out.

just outa interest ...........you work in the morgue right?

what do you need all that grease for?

[MrBadExxample]

just outa interest ...........you work in the morgue right?

what do you need all that grease for?

The morgue thing is more like a hobby for him.

[airborneXX]

Little tip to help you guys.

Pull the plunger back and lock it into posistion

insert new tube into gun

screw the tube back on but only half way

release the plunger and push it all the way up

finish screwing the tube all the way

grease should start coming out withing a few pumps

I have pumped 1000's of tubes at work, we even have some nice electric ones that we use here at work.

Some better grease guns got a air bleed button on the top to help get that little air pocket at the top out.

Hold on, I thought we were leaving that rod out? Like DblXX said about likening it to a caulking gun. My problem was as soon as I pushed that rod back, it would push the piston through the grease to the top hense no pressure. No?

Hold on again, I think I figured out my missunderstanding. I thought you were pushing the rod back in, but you were only suggesting that you push the rod to meet the cartridge to reduce the priming time. Right? So the rod will stick out and slowly move in as you run out of grease. Correct?

Next question, does this mean I don't need a cartridge? I could just suck it out of the bigger (cheaper) bowl-o-grease ?

The rod will go in all the way. Correct you don't need a cartridge and can load it from the cheap tub o grease, but cartridges are much cleaner and faster.