Grease Gun

Once a grease gun is loaded or cartridge replaced then the plunger is released. I'm too dense to see how/why is can fully retract into the gun body with a full cartrdge....?

pgk

Are you talking about the plunger that sticks out the back end that you pull out to load the gun? It doesn't, mine works in as the grease is used.

With a grease gun there is a spring behind the rubber seal that pushes against the grease in the tube however the lever that you pull to load the gun only pulls the seal back and then can be pushed in but the seal/plunger only pushes the grease through the spring pressure and works down as the grease is used

Pgk,

I have two different types of grease gun. One has the nozzle and main body in line, and the grease is expelled by pressing on the end of the body. The other has the nozzle offset at an angle, and a trigger to expel the grease. There may be other styles of grease gun as well.

Could you make clear which type you are asking about, possibly with a picture?

George B.

Hi, just as Derek has said, simple really, your plunger rod just has a small flange on the other side of the plunger to pull it back.

Regards Nick.

Some of the older types og grease gun have a rod that pulls the plunger back and some have a chain. When the body of the gun is full of grease you hitch the rod or chain into the keyhole slot to hold it there temporarily. The halves of the gun are screwed back together and then you can release the chain or rod and stuff the chain or push the rod back into the gun body. The chain type fit with a bayonette fitting. The spring loaded plunger then keeps the grease pressing lightly on the pump mechanism to stop airlocks developing. At work, we used a couple of AEROSHELL greases, 7 and 22 for lubricating aircraft parts. When a gun was empty we used to ask an apprentice whether he knew how to refill the grease gun. Sensible ones asked how and were shown, the bigheads who thought they knew everything were heading for a messy accident.

The cartridge type are nicer to use and load like a mastic gun.

OK I think I get it now. have 2 guns .. one cylinder with single side lever and valve/ air release and nozzle socket in the head and a second small Hilka one-handed trigger gun again with all the bits in the head. Both load similarly
They'd have to work as suggested with the rod that pulls back the sprung plunger allowing the rod to slide through the plunger when released from it's holding mechansim so it doesn't stick out the back (and in the way)..
Of course whenever one disassembles then the spring pushes the plunger up the plunger rod so it looks like it's fixed there - hence my confusion.
Thanks

I've just spent a couple of days intermittently fiddling with the larger gun (and some grease gun cleaning vids) failing to get a good pressurized jet out of it. The flexible 'nozzle' tube is blocked but even wth the straight tube option the pressure achieved is low. After covering myself in grease despite gloves and looking at the price for a new flexi tube I've just ordered a new cheapo gun. Sadly some things aren't worth pursuing. There are a heck of a lot of awkward grease points on my mower (Kubota F3690 with 6ft deck) that old men with back pain find hard enough to get at without an iffy gun.

I have a tecalemit plunger type gun, the spring is strong. If stored with the spring extended the grease will gradually find its way past the piston and fill up the cavity behind it. Next time the spring is compressed , grease is ejected out the wrong end of the gun. You know how I know this !!

It goes against the grain to store it with the spring compressed but that solves the problem and saves a hell of a mess.

Adrian.