A grease gun is an important tool that is used for lubrication. This tool comes in handy for those who operate heavy equipment and machinery. Grease guns apply lubricant to a specific point through an aperture, usually from a grease cartridge to a grease fitting.
Grease guns can be differentiated by the way they are powered. They can be powered manually, by air, or by electricity. The hand-powered or manual grease guns are manufactured with a lever or a pistol grip. There are also three ways the grease gun can be loaded. They can be loaded by suction fill, cartridges, or bulks.
How To Fill A Grease Gun With A Cartridge? 8 Easy Steps
- First, you have to take the grease gun in your hand and unscrew it from the head by rotating the barrel counterclockwise.
- Then after unscrewing the head, you have to pull the follower rod back and make sure that it’s securely snug so that the follower and the plunger are all the way back into the barrel.
- Then take the cartridge, which has two sides. One is the plastic side, and the other is the cap side. Be sure to store the grease cartridge cap size down so there are no air bubbles.
- After taking the cap off and putting that open side into the barrel, ensure it’s securely fit down there.
- Then pop the top. Sometimes there might be some grease on the cap; make sure to get that into the barrel too.
- Next, you screw the barrel back onto the head of the grease gun. Make sure it’s securely fit and then move it around about half a turn to let out the air. Check and see if the threading is correct because you don’t want to cross thread.
- You’ll be pushing the air bleeder valve while letting the follow rod go back into the gun. Engage the follower rod to start moving around up into the barrel while pushing the air bleeder valve.
- After it’s all the way through, you would want to tighten the barrel. And then, finally, you take the cap off of the piston and get ready to lubricate.
Can You Use A Grease Gun Without A Cartridge?
A grease gun is the most efficient tool to transfer grease to the application level and lubricants to various mechanical and moving parts. Filling a grease gun with a cartridge is the most popular option. But you can also load it by suction fill or by bulk.
Though the process can be a bit complex, it can be made easy by following the right directions.
How Does A Cartridge Grease Gun Work?
Cartridge grease guns are used to apply lubricant through an aperture to a specific point, usually from a grease cartridge to a grease fitting.
After loading a grease gun with a cartridge and letting out the air with the help of the air bleeder valve, your gun is good to use. Now the question is, how does a cartridge grease gun work.
Once the piston is primed, the grease will easily come out from the end. Snap the end of the gun to the grease fitting or the ‘nipple’ of the machine you’re greasing. You can pump grease in here at an angle. You got no reason to worry about it coming off.
Now, for how much grease to put in the machine depends. If you’re greasing your machine regularly, you have to give one pump for a smaller pivot point, and for a bigger one, you have to give two or three pumps.
If you’ve got grease that’s squirting out between the joints, it’s almost too much. Over greasing your machine will only result in wasted grease and your machine getting dirtier. Then when you’re done with the greasing, you can pull it off, and you’re good to go.
How Do You Remove A Grease Cartridge From A Grease Gun?
After finishing up all the grease from a cartridge, you would need to remove it from the grease gun. These are the steps to remove a grease cartridge from a grease gun:
- Take the grease gun with the used up grease cartridge in your hand and pull the follower rod back and release the air. Lock it in place.
- Unscrew the head of the gun off of the barrel.
- Then, pull out the old cartridge and remove it from the gun with two fingers.
What Is The Standard Grease Gun Cartridge Size?
Grease gun cartridges can be of many sizes. There are plenty of variations in the market. You can start with small or large ones to your preference.
But the standard grease gun cartridge size is 14 ounces, 2.03 diameter x 9.25 L.
How Many Ounces Are In A Grease Cartridge?
In a standard grease cartridge, there are about 14 ounces.
Final Words
A grease gun is a popular tool for everyday life. It’s a standard workshop and garage tool that is used for the purpose of lubricating pieces of machinery.
Grease guns are used in auto maintenances, agricultural vehicles, types of equipment, factories, plants, and processing systems. They are also used in gardening and landscaping. To work a grease gun properly, you have to know about its functionalities well. These tools can be loaded by cartridges, suction fills, and bulks.
Cartridges are by far the most convenient and easiest way to load a grease gun. That’s why it’s the most popular option. But you have to follow the steps to fill a grease gun with a cartridge appropriately. You have to make sure that no air gets into the gun. Only then will you be able to use your grease gun to your advantage.