How to Load a Grease Gun

Last Updated: August 8, 2021 Approved

Grease guns are used to apply viscous lubricant onto moving mechanical parts, used commonly in machine shops and garages. Properly lubricating moving metal parts helps to increase the service life of machines and avoid abrasions. Grease lubricant is applied with a grease gun, available at most hardware and auto parts stores. Loading one can be a bit messy, but uncomplicated, whether you've got a cartridge loader or a reservoir-style grease gun.

Method 1

Method 1 of 2:

Loading a Reservoir Grease Gun

1
Separate the grease gun head from the barrel. If you have access to bulk grease in large containers, grease guns can be loaded more efficiently. To get started, unscrew the head from the cap. The head is the part with the handle and applicator tube attached. Unscrew the two pieces of the grease gun and separate them.^{[1]
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- Make sure that the handle on the back of the barrel, which is the handle of the piston rod, is fully depressed into the barrel, or you risk sucking some grease through the gun during the process, accidentally.
2
Insert the open end of the barrel into a container of grease. Fill the barrel by holding the open end of the barrel down into the container of grease and slowly drawing back on the plunger rod to fill the reservoir, pulling grease back into the barrel.^{[2]
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- Bulk grease containers are available at hardware stores and auto parts stores, widely, and are commonly used in garages in place of smaller cartridges. If you're a serious mechanic, this might be a good option for you.
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3
Remove the barrel from the grease. When the plunger rod has been fully withdrawn, lift the open end of the barrel out of the container of grease. Rotate the barrel to break it free from grease that may cling to the barrel. Use a cloth or rag to wipe excess grease from the end of the barrel.^{[3]
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4
Reattach the barrel of the grease gun to the head of the grease gun. Different grease guns will work in slightly different ways. For some, it might be a matter of screwing the end cap on, while others need the nozzle screwed on. Either way, engage the threads and turn until the joint is fully seated.^{[4]
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5
Test the dispensing of the grease. Press on the handle of the piston rod and squeeze the trigger of the grease gun until delivery of grease is seen at the end of the grease gun applicator tube. Wipe excess grease from the dispensing tip and the body of the grease gun. Use a cloth or rag to wipe the gun down and clean it to prepare for use.^{[5]
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Method 2

Method 2 of 2:

Loading a Cartridge Grease Gun

1
Unscrew the cartridge cap. Cartridge-loaders are made of two basic parts: the cartridge of grease itself, housed in a similarly-sized and shaped housing, and the dispenser or nozzle, from which the grease is extruded. To remove the cartridge, you'll basically just unscrew the cap that the cartridge is in by turning it clockwise while turning the dispenser nozzle counterclockwise. It might be screwed on kind of tight, so use some elbow grease.^{[6]
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2
Pull back on the metal handle. On the end of the barrel where the cartridge is held, opposite the nozzle, you should see a plunger rod that’s used to push on the cartridge and force the grease out. Continue to pull until the plunger rod is withdrawn fully from the barrel.^{[7]
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- On some grease guns, pulling back should make the cartridge eject automatically. Depending on how much gunk is built up on the inside, it may come out all or halfway. Before you remove it, though, you need to secure the rod in place.
3
Secure the piston rod and remove the cartridge. On most grease guns, you should be able to move the piston rod sideways slightly, into a slot in the barrel so that it cannot move forward. On some grease guns, the retracted piston rod will latch into the fully retracted position, and a release tab is provided on the end of the barrel to allow the piston rod to move again.^{[8]
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- When you've secured the rod in place, you can pull the empty cartridge loose and discard it.
4
Prepare the new grease cartridge for loading. Cartridges are typically available at hardware and auto parts stores. Typical sizes are 14 oz. (414 ml) and 16 oz. (473 ml) cartridges. Before you load one in, it's a good idea to clean up the gun slightly to get it ready for a new cartridge. Wipe the end of the barrel with a cloth or rag. This will remove excess grease that may have leaked out during removal of the spent grease cartridge.^{[9]
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- Before inserting a new cartridge, remove the plastic cap from one end of the new cartridge, so the grease can flow out normally.
- For lots of people, storing grease cartridges upside down is a good way of getting it to settle on the right side, near the nozzle. If it hasn't been stored upside down, shaking it hard once or twice toward the cap can help to settle it in the direction you want, before inserting it.
5
Insert the cartridge into the barrel. Insert the end of the cartridge that had the plastic cap on it first. Push it fully in, so that the end of the cartridge seals with the end of the barrel. Remove the metal seal from the exposed end of the cartridge. Discard the metal seal.^{[10]
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6
Reattach the barrel to the head of the grease gun. Screw it on part way, two full rotations, without screwing it down tightly. Release the piston rod from the retracted position and push it into the barrel while simultaneously pumping the handle of the grease gun nozzle. This helps to work air through the mechanism and get the grease started. Stop when grease begins to appear at the dispensing head nozzle.^{[11]
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- Continue screwing together the head and barrel. Push on the piston rod to ensure that it is fully engaged in the replacement grease cartridge. Pump the handle make sure that grease is being delivered.

Community Q&A

Question

After using a manual grease gun and before storing the gun, should the plunger/pull rod be pulled back to release pressure on the grease?

Community Answer

No. It is not necessary to pull the plunger rod out again until the grease cartridge is empty and needs to be replaced.
Question

Does every grease gun have a rubber gasket?

Community Answer

Yes. The rubber gasket pushes the grease towards the gun head while priming.
Question

What do I do if I can't get the grease to come out of the gun?

Community Answer

Pull back the rod with the spring, and push the rod back into the grease gun again. This should release any air that got locked in the gun while installing the new cartridge.

Warnings

If the grease gun is one that latches the piston rod into the retracted position, be sure not to press the release tab until the grease gun head and barrel are reattached. The piston rod is spring loaded, and will snap forward quickly.

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After removing the metal seal from the end of the replacement grease cartridge, the end of the cartridge and the removed metal seal will have exposed sharp edges.

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