How to Prime a Grease Gun (Step by Step Guide)

Today you are going to read the complete How to Prime a Grease Gun (Step by Step Guide). Regardless of the type of machinery you own or service, a grease gun is a handy tool to have at your disposal.

Lubrication protects the moving parts of machinery and can contribute to increasing your equipment’s lifespan.

Whether you use a cartridge grease gun or a reservoir grease gun, you will need to prime your gun to guarantee the continuous flow of your chosen lubricant once you begin greasing.

How to Prime a Grease Gun with a Loading Reservoir

Step 1: Prepare the gun

Unscrew the gun head from the gun barrel by rotating it and remove it. Open your container filled with grease. Insert the opened end of the grease gun barrel several inches into the container full of grease.

Step 2: Prepare the rod handle

As you hold the grease gun barrel in one hand, use your other hand to pull the grease gun rod handle as far as possible until the rod handle is entirely extended out ward. Now lock your rod handle in place.

Step 3: Complete grease loading

Remove the grease gun barrel tube out of the grease container and, using a clean rag or towel, clean any lubricant residue on the gun barrel at the point of submersion.

Step 4: Preliminary Greasing for Gun parts

Prime the barrel rim and the gun head with a small amount of grease

Step 5: Preparing the bleed

Return the gun head to the grease gun barrel and screw it closed. Unlatch the catch plate and proceed to push the plunger inside. Loosen the barrel anew by one turn counter clockwise to enable bleeding the air.

Step 6: Bleeding excess air

With the handle pressed down, pump the grease gun until a small amount of grease emerges from the gun nozzle.

Step 7: Reconnect the gun for operation

Release the handle and screw the gun barrel to the gun head until sufficiently tightened.

Step 8: Complete

You are ready to grease with a fully loaded and primed grease gun.

Tip: If you are loading a grease gun reservoir with a bulk fill pump instead of through direct suction from a grease tub, after you have completed filling the reservoir by attaching the filler nipple of the bulk pump to the grease gun, filling the reservoir, and detaching the bulk filler pump, you can continue with priming by following steps four through nine as indicated above.

How to Prime a Grease Gun with a Cartridge Refill

If you have a brand-new air-powered grease gun, you need to prime it before use on your machinery. New grease guns do not have lubricant in their hoses, and air pockets inside the hose and barrel need to be eliminated to ensure proper functioning.

Because there is not any grease, the piston will continue pumping the air inside when functioning. The goal is to eliminate any air pocket trapped inside your gun barrel or hose.To do this the grease needs to move all the way up into the barrel.

Step 1: Prepare the gun

Begin by unscrewing the barrel container from the grease gun housing.

Step 2: Preliminary Gun parts Greasing

Prime the rim of the grease gun barrel with a little  grease.

Step 3: Prepare the rod handle

Pull out the plunger rod handle entirely and block it into position using the catch plate.

Step 4: Prepare the cartridge

Remove the plastic cap from the cartridge bottom, insert the cartridge of grease into the gun barrel, and remove the metal seal.

Step 5: Bleeding Air

Replace the gun barrel tube in the gun housing and rotate it. Now to loosen, rotate the tube counterclockwise by one turn to facilitate bleeding the air.

Step 6: Reset the Rod Handle

Unlock the gun’s catch plate and push the plunger rod handle inside.

Step 7: Attach the Air Compressor

Connect the hose for the air and check ì the operating pressure. Ideally, the pressure should read anywhere from 30 to 90 PSI for satisfactory functioning.

Step 8: Bleeding Air that Remains Inside

Press the air vent valve. Now pull the gun’s trigger to bleed any excess air that remains inside the gun.

Step 9: Ready to Grease!

When all excess air has been removed from the gun, screw the gun barrel closed. You are now ready to grease with your grease gun.

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A Continuously Primed Gun

If you are reloading a grease gun, you can maintain your gun always primed by avoiding that your gun empties completely. If you pump a gun that is finishing that last bit of grease, as it empties and you are still pumping, air enters the grease hose.

Complete your greasing but leave a small amount of grease is in the gun head and in the hose when reloading. If you need to check how much grease is still in the gun, pull the follower rod downward

Because it will stop as it touches the follower plate positioned at the bottom of the grease load. That will tell you how much grease remains inside the gun.