Filling a grease gun

[Ken G]

I suppose this is a tool question. I'm sorry it's so trivial.

For my 1925 Rover 16/50 I had to obtain an adapter for the 19/32 inch hexagonal grease nipples. Of course, it had a British pipe thread, so I dug out my old British hand grease gun, and the adapter fits perfectly.

However, I don't know how to fill the gun from a can of grease. I must have done so 30-odd years ago, but I cannot remember how. I unscrewed the body of the gun and pulled back the spring-loaded piston with the open end in the grease, hoping to suck it in, but that doesn't work. I tried filling it using a teaspoon and my thumb, but that puts in more air than grease, and it simply won't pump properly. As far as I can see, modern American guns take cartridges of grease, so the problem doesn't arise. I don't think the available cartridges will fit my gun. In any case, cartridges are a new invention (no more than 50 years old), so there must be guns around that need filling.

Clearly I am missing something, but what? I suppose I might try a bag and nozzle designed for frosting cakes. Help!

Ken G, 1925 Rover 16/50

 

[Charles #677556]

<blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><hr>Originally posted by Ken G:
I suppose this is a tool question. I'm sorry it's so trivial.

For my 1925 Rover 16/50 I had to obtain an adapter for the 19/32 inch hexagonal grease nipples. Of course, it had a British pipe thread, so I dug out my old British hand grease gun, and the adapter fits perfectly.

However, I don't know how to fill the gun from a can of grease. I must have done so 30-odd years ago, but I cannot remember how. I unscrewed the body of the gun and pulled back the spring-loaded piston with the open end in the grease, hoping to suck it in, but that doesn't work. I tried filling it using a teaspoon and my thumb, but that puts in more air than grease, and it simply won't pump properly. As far as I can see, modern American guns take cartridges of grease, so the problem doesn't arise. I don't think the available cartridges will fit my gun. In any case, cartridges are a new invention (no more than 50 years old), so there must be guns around that need filling.

Clearly I am missing something, but what? I suppose I might try a bag and nozzle designed for frosting cakes. Help!

Ken G, 1925 Rover 16/50<hr></blockquote>

Ken G;
Not being familiar with the '25 Rover grease gun, I am familiar with the "old style" non-cartridge type of grease gun.
Providing the "pumping action" works properly, you are on the right track with the "teaspoon and thumb" method.. better yet, just get a handfull of grease and, using the gun as a "scoop", shovel it into the hole.
The "trick" to getting the air out is to use a dowel rod to "poke the grease".. this way you are (sorta) "packing" the grease into the gun and "puncturing" the air bubbles to allow more grease into the tube.
It's a messy process to say the least. Have lotsa paper towels or rags around as you will end up wearing a fair amount of grease.. And always check the bottom of your shoes before going into the house.. I don't know how the grease gets there, but it always shows up on the living room carpet :-(
An option is to use a "modern" cartridge grease gun with either a flexible hose or a rigid extension, insert into the Rover's tube and fill the grease gun. This will help reduce the air bubbles as the "string" of grease can be "coiled" as it fills... you will still need to poke it with a dowel, tho.
Once filled, you are going to have to "pump" like crazy to get the thing "primed"..
I have found that putting "pressure" on the spring-loaded plunger while you initially pump/prime the gun seems to help void the air that's between the top of the grease and the pumping mechanism a bit quicker.
Once it starts pushing out grease, you are set until it's time to refill it..
Hopefully this will help. Best of Luck.

 

[Ken G]

Charles,

Thanks for the advice and guidance. It's not an original Rover grease gun, merely one from the 1960s (used with my 1968 Mini), and when it isn't trying to pump air it works well. (On the other hand, I have an original oil can with a thumb-operated pump; I haven't yet filled it to see whether it still works). I hadn't thought of poking the grease to release bubbles, but that makes sense. I think your idea of using a modern gun with a cartridge to fill mine is even better. On the subject of where the grease goes, a few weeks ago I spent a day or two under the car, removing bolts holding on the oil pan, and a day or two later noticed that I had grease on my pillow-case!

Regards,

Ken G, 1925 Rover 16/50

 

[piman]

Hello Ken,
I still fill my own grease gun, which is a lever action type, is yours a straight pump action?
On my gun, to fill, I unscrew the reservoir from the operating end and place the open end into the grease can and pull on the chain to suck the grease in, with very little air. But, the tins I use are designed to fill guns and have an internal metal disc with a hole in the centre.
The reservoir tube rests on this disc, which is the same diameter as the can, and the grease flows through the centre of the disc into the reservoir, and as I pull on the chain which pulls the piston in the reservoir the grease flows in and the tube/disc sinks into the grease can.
Very simple but extremely hard to describe in a few words.
Alec

 

[Charles #677556]

<blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><hr>Originally posted by Ken G:
<Snipped>
On the subject of where the grease goes, a few weeks ago I spent a day or two under the car, removing bolts holding on the oil pan, and a day or two later noticed that I had grease on my pillow-case!
<Snipped>
<hr></blockquote>

Ken G;
To also relate a "story".. When I was in high school in the early to mid-'60's, I rode a "Full Dress Harley" (not a common sight back then)..
One day, I had been "doing maintainance" to my "Hawg", usual stuff of adjusting the valves, cleaning and regapping the plugs, resetting the points, etc.
My cousin rode his Harly over to the house just as I was finishing.. we adjourned to my room and had no sooner started plotting our evenings "adventure" when I heard a blood-curdling scream.. a single word.. "Grease".. carried at full volumn for a full ten seconds.. It was my Mom, not only was there a grease spot on the carpet, but a series on them leading straight to my room!! Busted!!
In later years, My loving wife didn't mind me adjusting the valves on my XK120 Jag's head on the living room coffee table... But she didn't "enjoy" me rebuilding my racing motorcycle in the living room during the winter, at all..

 

[Steve]

There is a true gearhead! If I wore a hat I'd take it off to you right now. It's logical, to bring the machine inside where you can work on it in warmth and comfort, but my wife would not see it that way. What kind of racing motorcycle did you have? Do you still have it?

 

[Charles #677556]

<blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><hr>Originally posted by Steve:

There is a true gearhead! If I wore a hat I'd take it off to you right now. It's logical, to bring the machine inside where you can work on it in warmth and comfort, but my wife would not see it that way. What kind of racing motorcycle did you have? Do you still have it?<hr></blockquote>

Steve;
I raced motorcycle for ten years, three professionally. At one time, I had a dozen motorcycles.. three were Harley's.. one was a 74 cu in "Full Dress" Pan-Head, one was a 74 cu in "Scrambles" bike and the third was a "Chopper", a 1939 "EL", which was the 61 ci in "Knuckle-head" V-Twin.. After I "worked it over" it had 110 cu in and could pull an 18" wheelie! It "idled" at 70 MPH!
Yes, I still have three of my bikes.. the '70 Honda 50 Mini-Trail (pit-bike), a '72 Kawasaki single cylinder 350cc F-9 engined GP RoadRacer, topped out at 165MPH and a '71 Bultaco 250cc Flat-Tracker (goes straight and turns left.. by rule, no brakes were allowed to be fitted to Flat-Trackers!).. this was the bike I was racing when I broke my neck (crushed C-4 & fractured C-5).. I also quit racing that same day ;-}

 

[Ken G]

On the road, but the hotel has free internet access from my room, and I couldn't resist!

From Piman's response:

"But, the tins I use are designed to fill guns and have an internal metal disc with a hole in the centre. The reservoir tube rests on this disc, which is the same diameter as the can, and the grease flows through the centre of the disc into the reservoir, and as I pull on the chain which pulls the piston in the reservoir the grease flows in and the tube/disc sinks into the grease can."

Thank you. Now I remember how it worked (it was 30-odd years ago). I wonder if I can improvise a disk to fit in the American cans of grease. If not, I'll have to get a can (yet another) with the gizmo while I'm in England in September.

Ken G, 1925 Rover 16/50

 

[Guest]

A trick that I use to get the pump primed is to swing the thing around in circles as hard and fast as you can and let angular momentum force the grease to the biz end of the gun.
Watch for spots on the walls.

 

[Dale]

They're here to help you, and boy do you need it!
You had me going for a minute though. !o)