Lincoln 1142 grease gun won't prime

IH3444 · Jul 27, 2017

/pine said:
You might try thumping it several times all around with a rubber mallet etc...I have a gun that does the same thing...

been doing this for years on the large tractor tire lug.

TractorGuy · Jul 28, 2017

I have gotten hold of some grease tubes that had air pockets in them. I recently switched from Valvoline moly to the Supertech brand and had one of those refuse to prime on me the other day. I thought my old gun finally bit the dust. I finally switched it to my other gun to have the same problem with it not wanting to prime. Had to stick a long screwdriver in it to get the air out, make sure the plunger is going in the back of the tube, bleed at head and try again. I eventually got both guns to prime and work.

I decided I still do not like the Loc-n-lube over my traditional end. Too may places it won't get on my backhoe and if you get a fitting that doesn't want to take grease it is a total PITA to get off.

tjkubota93 · Jul 28, 2017

I pack grease around the piston on my lincoln pump it a couple times pack more around it, then put on the new cartridge. So it is primed. Doesn't take a lot of grease, you can use the lid you pull off the cartridge so you don't get all greasy.

When I used one at work a lot for bucket truck pm's I would put new cartridge in and beat on workbench or truck tire to get the grease toward the piston.

IslandTractor · Jul 28, 2017

tjkubota93 said:
I pack grease around the piston on my lincoln pump it a couple times pack more around it, then put on the new cartridge. So it is primed. Doesn't take a lot of grease, you can use the lid you pull off the cartridge so you don't get all greasy.

When I used one at work a lot for bucket truck pm's I would put new cartridge in and beat on workbench or truck tire to get the grease toward the piston.

I'm confused. When loading a new cartridge, the piston is locked at the bottom of the gun tube. Can you please describe how you do it in more detail. Thanks.

FredH · Jul 28, 2017

Curious if , When not using grease gun , Do you leave plunger down or do You retract it ? I have had several grease guns over the years , stop working in a similar way . One quit working mid cartiridge , ( worked 1 weekend , then the following weekend , nothing ) . A lesson I learned from my Dad , was never leave plunger down , always retract . To much pressure on plunger face , distorts / warps the face , and although it may look alright , looks are ??? .
Will also second the thought about trying a different brand . Had one manual gun that did not like a certain brand , would work with even the cheapest brands or high dollar stuff , but that brand was a no go , ( never understood that one . so I made that my fifth wheel gun on semi ) .
Now I use mostly my Lincoln air . To old to be trying to wedge grease gun against something to pump while holding tip on fitting .

Fred H.

IslandTractor · Jul 28, 2017

I don't retract the plunger between uses. I hang the gun on the wall with tip pointing up. However, I don't recall having priming problems except when loading a new cartridge. I could be wrong about that as I do recall at least once being surprised that there was still a couple inches of grease in a tube I thought was empty.

prs · Jul 28, 2017

IslandTractor said:
I'm confused. When loading a new cartridge, the piston is locked at the bottom of the gun tube. Can you please describe how you do it in more detail. Thanks.

You did not quote me, but maybe I can 'splain it. Pull the piston rod handle and lock it as you noted. Slip the uncapped end of a cartridge into the barrel as usual. With the head/hose end of the gun still off, look at the hole that feeds the piston and mash some of the residual grease into that hole to get a prime. Assemble the head end onto the barrel either just about a half turn (if there is no air purge vavle) or all the way if there is an air valve to open. Pull the piston rod a bit rearward and to center to unlock it and allow spring pressure to force grease toward the head end and air out the loose threads or air purge valve. On most guns you can push inward on the piston rod handle with the palm of your hand and it will still be locked onto the piston. You can thusly help the spring pressurize the grease and any trapped air. If you turn the piston rod handle a quarter turn it will unlock from the piston and can be pushed into the barrel to be out of the way.

prs

tjkubota93 · Jul 28, 2017

prs said:
You did not quote me, but maybe I can 'splain it. Pull the piston rod handle and lock it as you noted. Slip the uncapped end of a cartridge into the barrel as usual. With the head/hose end of the gun still off, look at the hole that feeds the piston and mash some of the residual grease into that hole to get a prime. Assemble the head end onto the barrel either just about a half turn (if there is no air purge vavle) or all the way if there is an air valve to open. Pull the piston rod a bit rearward and to center to unlock it and allow spring pressure to force grease toward the head end and air out the loose threads or air purge valve. On most guns you can push inward on the piston rod handle with the palm of your hand and it will still be locked onto the piston. You can thusly help the spring pressurize the grease and any trapped air. If you turn the piston rod handle a quarter turn it will unlock from the piston and can be pushed into the barrel to be out of the way.

prs

Yeah what he said. I am speaking of the piston that is connected to pump handle. Pack grease in or around it to keep it from loosing prime.

IslandTractor · Jul 28, 2017

Thanks guys. I'll give it a try in the AM if the bump technique doesn't get the prime started. I never thought of using some grease to jamb into the plunger hole. And I'm glad tjkubota repeated some of prs's instructions as I was about to cram grease into the piston rod hole at the bottom. That would have been an ungodly mess!!!