2 Ways to Fill and Prime a Grease Gun

Spice

Editor

posted on 13 years ago — updated on 1 second ago

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Grease guns are the perfect tool for applying lubricants onto moving mechanical parts so they keep running smoothly. If it’s your first time using one or if you just ran out of grease, refilling the gun is really simple and only takes a few minutes. Whether your grease gun uses cartridges or loads directly into the barrel, we’ll walk you through each step of the way. Keep reading, and we’ll guide you through the proper way to load and prime your grease gun so it’s ready to use.

Things You Should Know

Unscrew the nozzle cap from the grease gun and pull the handle on the barrel out until it locks into place. Slide the old grease cartridge out of the barrel.
Remove the plastic cap from the new grease cartridge and slide that end into the gun’s barrel. Peel off the metal tab on the other end of the grease cartridge.
Screw the grease gun’s nozzle back onto the barrel and push the handle back in. Pump the nozzle’s trigger to prime the grease gun and remove air pockets.

Changing a Grease Cartridge

Unscrew the nozzle cap from the grease gun’s barrel. Grease guns that use cartridges are made of two basic parts: the cylindrical barrel and the dispenser nozzle. Orient the grease gun so the nozzle points up. Then, hold onto the nozzle cap tightly and turn the grease gun’s barrel clockwise to separate the pieces. Set the nozzle cap aside for now since you won’t need it until you reassemble the grease gun.

Pull the barrel’s metal handle back until it locks into place. Locate the T-shaped metal handle on the end of the gun’s barrel, which is the plunger rod that pushes on the cartridge to force grease out. Pull the handle straight out until it’s withdrawn fully from the barrel. The handle will either lock in place immediately with a ratchet clip, or you may have to turn it to the side to secure it. Be careful not to let go of the handle until it’s secured in place because the spring-loaded rod inside could snap forward quickly.

Remove the old cartridge from your grease gun. Once you've secured the handle in place, the empty cartridge will be loose inside the barrel. Tip the barrel over to make the cartridge slide out. If the cartridge doesn’t slide out on its own, hold onto the end and pull it out by hand. Throw away the old grease cartridge in the trash. On some grease guns, pulling back on the handle will make the old grease cartridge eject automatically.

Remove the plastic cap from the new grease cartridge. Choose the type of grease listed in the owner’s manual for the parts you’re lubricating. Pick a cartridge that matches the size of your grease gun’s barrel, which will usually be 14 fluid ounces (410 mL) or 16 fluid ounces (470 mL). Find the end of the cartridge with the plastic cap and pull it straight off of the end.

Insert the open end of the cartridge into the barrel, then pull off the metal seal. Wipe the end of the barrel with a cloth or rag to remove excess grease that may have leaked out when you removed the old cartridge. Insert the end of the cartridge that you just opened into the barrel and push it fully in. After that, remove and dispose of the metal seal attached to the exposed end of the cartridge. Simply peel the metal seal off or use a sharp object to puncture it to make removal easier. If you insert the cartridge backward, your grease gun won’t work properly and will not dispense any grease.

Reattach the nozzle and unlock the handle of your grease gun. Hold the nozzle against the end of the barrel and turn it counterclockwise by 2 full rotations so it’s not completely tight. Then, unlock the handle by twisting it to the center or by pressing down on the release tab on the barrel, and slowly push it in. Once the handle is fully pushed in, finish screwing the nozzle on until it’s hand-tight. Pushing the handle in before you tighten the nozzle completely helps work air through the gun so grease flows through it easier.

Prime the grease gun until grease comes out from the nozzle. Point the end of the nozzle hose at a paper towel or shop cloth so you don’t make a mess. Start pumping the trigger attached to the nozzle to force the grease through the hose. Continue pumping the trigger until you see grease dispense from the end. Wipe the grease away with another paper towel or shop cloth so the grease gun is clean and ready to use. If it’s the first time you’re loading a grease gun, then it may take a minute or two of pumping to push all of the air out. If no grease comes out after several minutes of priming, unscrew the metal plug on top of the nozzle with an allen wrench, then continue priming until grease comes out of the plug. Once that happens, wipe away the excess grease, replace the plug, and continue priming as normal.

Filling from a Grease Tub

Separate the grease gun head from the barrel. Hold your grease gun so the end with the nozzle and hose attached is pointing down. Turn the barrel of the grease gun counterclockwise to loosen and separate the pieces. Set the nozzle head aside for now.

Insert the open end of the gun’s barrel into a grease tub. Choose the type of grease listed in the user’s manual for the parts that you’re lubricating. Push the handle on the end of the barrel all the way in. Then, stick the open end of the barrel down into the container so it’s 2 inches (5.1 cm) deep in the grease. Avoid letting the end of the barrel come above the surface of the grease. Otherwise, you’ll have air pockets inside your grease gun that will make it work less efficiently.

Pull the handle back to fill the grease gun. Slowly pull the handle straight out to draw the grease into the barrel. As you pull the handle, push the end of the barrel deeper into the container of grease so air pockets don’t form. Once you have the handle fully extended, twist it slightly to the side to lock it in place. Some grease guns have clips that will automatically click and lock the handle in place once it’s fully extended.

Remove the barrel and clean off the grease with a shop cloth. Once you have the handle locked in place, lift the open end of the barrel out of the container of grease. Rotate the barrel to shake off any grease that’s still clinging to the barrel. Then, use a shop cloth or paper to wipe away the excess grease that’s still left on the barrel.

Reattach the nozzle to the grease gun and push the handle in. Line up the threads on the nozzle cap and barrel, and screw them back together. Loosen the cap by 1 turn and slowly push the handle back in toward the barrel to push out any remaining air pockets. Once you push the handle all the way in, re-tighten the nozzle.

Pump the nozzle to prime the grease gun. Set the end of the nozzle on a paper towel or shop cloth. Press down on the lever attached to the nozzle to start pushing the grease through the gun. Keep pumping the lever until you see grease coming out from the nozzle. Wipe the excess grease from the nozzle tip so it’s primed and ready to use.