Just when you’re about to use your grease gun, you notice nothing is coming out. There are several reasons why a grease gun won’t pump.
The problem could reside in the plunger, gun spring, pistol rod, or more. Once you identify where the issue is coming from, it’s smooth lubricated sailing from there.
Stick around to learn more about grease gun defects, how you can easily fix them, and some maintenance tips to follow.
Why Your Grease Gun Won’t Pump
Before you try to repair the issue, you’ll want to first find out which component of the grease gun is causing it. Here are some of the possible causes of why your grease gun won’t pump.
1. Plunger Issues
One of the main parts of a grease gun is the plunger. It regulates the pressure of the grease gun from the back when it dispenses grease.
The plunger could malfunction and inhibit the grease gun’s pumping mechanism. It could be too rigid or big. This mostly happens when you purchase new grease guns.
2. Gun Springs Issues
The grease gun’s spring supplies the main pressure to push out the grease. If damaged, your grease gun probably won’t pump.
The gun springs could be out of position making it difficult to pump out any grease from the tube to the coupler.
3. Air Lock Issues
This could be one of the most common issues to face when trying to pump out grease. As the name suggests, an air lock issue indicates that there’s trapped air within the grease tube.
You can identify this issue from how hard it feels when trying to push the pump. How would that air get in there in the first place?
Well, it could happen when you put in a new cartridge or grease. Air becomes packed inside the cartilage, which causes the plunger to create an air lock.
4. Barrel Issues
The barrel is the outer layer of the grease gun. It’s connected to the head and protects the grease container inside.
If the barrel is cross-threaded with the head, the grease gun might not function properly. In other words, you want to make sure that the barrel is perfectly aligned and correctly attached to the head before pumping out the grease.
5. Coupler Issues
A coupler is the connector found between the grease gun’s head and the fixed tube. Any impairment in this component could easily stop the grease gun’s flow. Luckily, this issue can be resolved easily by buying a new coupler.
6. Piston Rod Issues
The piston or the follower rod adjusts the plunger’s mechanism, where it maintains the pressure at the end of the grease gun. This part is also pulled back before installing a new cartridge.
Piston rods can become damaged due to being too old. They can rust and become corrosive which negatively affects their use.
7. Contamination Issues
Dealing with grease can be a messy ordeal. Grease can draw in all kinds of contaminants such as dirt and sand.
Using a contaminated grease gun can put a strain on its coupler and tube. Additionally, it can also pass on to whatever you’re greasing causing even more unwanted complications.
How to Fix Your Grease Gun
There are several root causes of your grease gun malfunction. Most of the issues can be resolved by replacing damaged parts.
For instance, if a gun spring, coupler, or barrel isn’t working well, you can go to your nearest mechanic shop for a replacement. Nevertheless, other problems can be easily solved with little to no extra equipment needed.
Air Lock Solution
One of those easy fixes is the air lock problem. Check out our step-by-step guide below to purge the air from your grease gun.
- Turn the barrel around anti-clockwise twice to allow the trapped air to escape.
- Pump the grease gun several times. It should be releasing any excess air out.
- Once you notice grease coming out of the nozzle, re-attach the barrel to its head.
Now, this method might not work. The grease gun might not pump any grease out. In this case, you will have to manually push the air out by doing this:
- Take out the ends of the cartridge.
- Grab a rag and push the grease out towards the head until you see it popping out.
- Place the head back in place and try pumping again until the grease comes out.
Plunger Issue Solution
Another drawback your grease gun might be having is a stiff or large plunger. Here’s what you can do to fix it.
- Take the plunger out prior to inserting the new cartridge.
- Apply some of the grease within the barrel’s cavity.
- Thrust the plunger back in and out a few times so it can become lubricated and less stiff from the grease.
Grease Gun Maintenance Tips
To prevent any future grease gun problems, you might want to follow some maintenance tips. It’ll increase its lifespan and you’ll avoid constantly having to buy new replacements.
Check out our maintenance tips below.
- Make sure to keep your grease gun clean. You can clean it after each use.
- Try to keep the area you’ll grease clean as well. It’ll avoid trapping in dirt and causing further contamination to your gun.
- Store the grease gun sideways. It’ll avoid putting too much strain on the plunger.
- Ensure that the grease you’re using is not expired.
- Don’t use two different types of grease in one gun. It’ll only worsen your grease gun’s condition and waste grease.
To Conclude
If your grease gun won’t pump, the likely culprit could be an air lock. This issue affects lots of grease gun users. The good news is that you can simply fix it with a few steps that don’t even need extra equipment.
On the other hand, if the issue is caused by some damaged parts, the best thing to do is purchase new ones. By understanding most of the problems that you might encounter with a grease gun, we’re sure you’ll be able to repair them with the help of our simple guide.