A most aggravating reoccurring task

   / A most aggravating reoccurring task #1  

jcummins

Veteran Member
Joined
Jan 14, 2007
Messages
1,636
Location
Creal Springs, IL
Tractor
Kubota M7040, F3680, Mule Pro Fxt
It's not greasing....although that is a pita.....it's refilling the grease gun, THEN MAKING IT WORK AGAIN.

Many years ago after going through endless issues with grease guns ( some of them sailing across my work area) I thought I discovered what the problem was. The plunger doesn't insert well into the cartridge, and gets hung up on the edge of the cartridge. I changed the way I load the gun and it helped a lot.

Now today, both of my grease guns out of grease. The one I use 95% of the time is the pistol grip one in the picture below. I made sure the plunger was completely inside the cardboard grease container, but try as I might, I could not get grease to pump. I purged the air lock thingamajig....even took it off, and grease came spurting out. I finally loaded a new cartridge in the lever grease gun, and although it to was balky, I finished the job with it.

I inverted the pistol grip gun, and slammed the top down repeated on a vise, trying to force grease into the plunger system. I'd get a little spurt out of the gun, then it would stop again. In the past this pretty much work, provided the internal plunder was properly inside the cartridge, and I'm certain it was.

Given the age we live in, surely there's a better way. WHAT AM I DOING WRONG? Seems there is endless threads on here with others having issues with grease guns....but I've yet to read a working solution.

 
   / A most aggravating reoccurring task #2  
It looks like the pistol gun has a bulk-filling fitting on it. Most grease guns you can invert the plunger depending on if you are using cartridges or bulk-filling. I don't think this is your problem, but it is worth a try. The piston should have the narrower end toward the gun IIRC.

I have also been somewhat successful twisting the rod at the base to make it catch the plunger when it is all of the way out, then pushing in to give the piston a little more force and try pumping it while doing that.

BTW... where is Creal Springs?
 
   / A most aggravating reoccurring task
  • Thread Starter
#4  
It looks like the pistol gun has a bulk-filling fitting on it. Most grease guns you can invert the plunger depending on if you are using cartridges or bulk-filling. I don't think this is your problem, but it is worth a try. The piston should have the narrower end toward the gun IIRC.

I have also been somewhat successful twisting the rod at the base to make it catch the plunger when it is all of the way out, then pushing in to give the piston a little more force and try pumping it while doing that.

BTW... where is Creal Springs?

I actually tried using bulk in that gun....did not work. All the grease oozed past the plunger.

Twisting the rod?...I might try that. I wasn't aware the rod "catches" the plunger based upon how it is positioned.
 
   / A most aggravating reoccurring task #8  
Once in a while, you might get a grease cartridge that has air bubbles in the grease. This is no fun.

I can turn my plunger rod and get pressure from the bottom end by pushing on it.
 
   / A most aggravating reoccurring task #9  
When you put the cardboard grease container in only screw the gun body about 2 turns. Pump handle 2 or 3 times and then screw the body on a little more, pump again 2 or 3 times then tighten the body all the way. It should pump now, I never tighten the body down all the way at first. Try that has worked for me many, many years..
 
   / A most aggravating reoccurring task #10  
When you put the cardboard grease container in only screw the gun body about 2 turns. Pump handle 2 or 3 times and then screw the body on a little more, pump again 2 or 3 times then tighten the body all the way. It should pump now, I never tighten the body down all the way at first. Try that has worked for me many, many years..

+1
That's what I do as well. When I was a kid and went to work with my dad everyday in the summer, my job was to check the oil, start the engines and grease all the equipment on the job site. I think I used a grease gun more when I was kid than I do now, but I use the same method.
 
 
Top