Storing Grease Guns

K

Ken H.

Active member
Sep 9, 2000
19,428
5
38
Someone recently suggested taking the feed spring pressure off of grease
tubes in grease guns to reduce "bleeding".

Yesterday I noticed my primary gun parked with the plunger in, so thought
I'd follow that suggestion. When I yanked the pull handle back to lock the
plunger into the top cap, black moly grease came flooding out the plunger
hole. All over the grease gun, my beautiful white sneakers (only 10 years
old), the perfectly epoxy painted floor (about the same 10 years ago), and
my immaculate hands! Yep, the plunger had been allowing grease to leak
around it ever since I stowed it away a couple of weeks/months ago. :-(

That is not a cheap air-powered gun; I don't recall the brand, but it's
well known and respected. SO, I second the recommendation: ALWAYS store
your grease guns with the plunger retracted -- better the spring take a set
than to squeeze the fluids from your grease, or to cover yourself with
grease.
 
Got any photos of this incident? A video would be even better 😊

Nelson Wright
BTDT
Sent from my iPad

>
> Someone recently suggested taking the feed spring pressure off of grease
> tubes in grease guns to reduce "bleeding".
>
> Yesterday I noticed my primary gun parked with the plunger in, so thought
> I'd follow that suggestion. When I yanked the pull handle back to lock the
> plunger into the top cap, black moly grease came flooding out the plunger
> hole. All over the grease gun, my beautiful white sneakers (only 10 years
> old), the perfectly epoxy painted floor (about the same 10 years ago), and
> my immaculate hands! Yep, the plunger had been allowing grease to leak
> around it ever since I stowed it away a couple of weeks/months ago. :-(
>
> That is not a cheap air-powered gun; I don't recall the brand, but it's
> well known and respected. SO, I second the recommendation: ALWAYS store
> your grease guns with the plunger retracted -- better the spring take a set
> than to squeeze the fluids from your grease, or to cover yourself with
> grease.
> _______________________________________________
> GMCnet mailing list
> Unsubscribe or Change List Options:
 
Ken, you ate not "The Lone Ranger" with that grease gun trick. I have also
made a ungodly mess with Mobile 1 red synthetic grease in the same fashion.
It gets on everything. Clean-up is a difficult task either way.
When I do wheel bearings, I bite the bullet, take off those nitrile
gloves, use clean fingers from one hand to scoop out some of that black,
nasty, wonderful, wheel bearing grease, put into the clean palm of the
other hand, and cup my hand to make a containment well for it. Then I pick
up the religiously cleaned bearing, and pull it through the palm full of
grease until I can see it coming out the other side. Been doing it that way
fourth years or so. Put the freshly greased bearings on a clean blue paper
shop towel and fold it over to keep it absolutely clean until install it.
Jim Hupy
Salem, Oregon

> Got any photos of this incident? A video would be even better 😊
>
> Nelson Wright
> BTDT
> Sent from my iPad
>
> > On Jun 14, 2021, at 7:13 AM, Ken Henderson

> >
> > Someone recently suggested taking the feed spring pressure off of grease
> > tubes in grease guns to reduce "bleeding".
> >
> > Yesterday I noticed my primary gun parked with the plunger in, so thought
> > I'd follow that suggestion. When I yanked the pull handle back to lock
> the
> > plunger into the top cap, black moly grease came flooding out the plunger
> > hole. All over the grease gun, my beautiful white sneakers (only 10
> years
> > old), the perfectly epoxy painted floor (about the same 10 years ago),
> and
> > my immaculate hands! Yep, the plunger had been allowing grease to leak
> > around it ever since I stowed it away a couple of weeks/months ago. :-(
> >
> > That is not a cheap air-powered gun; I don't recall the brand, but it's
> > well known and respected. SO, I second the recommendation: ALWAYS store
> > your grease guns with the plunger retracted -- better the spring take a
> set
> > than to squeeze the fluids from your grease, or to cover yourself with
> > grease.
> > _______________________________________________
> > GMCnet mailing list
> > Unsubscribe or Change List Options:
> _______________________________________________
> GMCnet mailing list
> Unsubscribe or Change List Options:
>
 
I have purchased a ”cup” from LockNLube which fits over the plunger end of my grease gun.
https://locknlube.com/collections/all-greasing-products/products/grease-gun-barrel-cap
It keeps the grease in and prevents the mess. Prior to that I kept it in a plastic bag and had a mess whenever I removed it from the bag. I recommend it

Emery Stora
77 Kingsley
Frederick CO

>
> Ken, you ate not "The Lone Ranger" with that grease gun trick. I have also
> made a ungodly mess with Mobile 1 red synthetic grease in the same fashion.
> It gets on everything. Clean-up is a difficult task either way.
> When I do wheel bearings, I bite the bullet, take off those nitrile
> gloves, use clean fingers from one hand to scoop out some of that black,
> nasty, wonderful, wheel bearing grease, put into the clean palm of the
> other hand, and cup my hand to make a containment well for it. Then I pick
> up the religiously cleaned bearing, and pull it through the palm full of
> grease until I can see it coming out the other side. Been doing it that way
> fourth years or so. Put the freshly greased bearings on a clean blue paper
> shop towel and fold it over to keep it absolutely clean until install it.
> Jim Hupy
> Salem, Oregon
>

>> Got any photos of this incident? A video would be even better 😊
>> Nelson Wright
>> BTDT
>> Sent from my iPad
>>> On Jun 14, 2021, at 7:13 AM, Ken Henderson

>>> Someone recently suggested taking the feed spring pressure off of grease
>>> tubes in grease guns to reduce "bleeding".
>>> Yesterday I noticed my primary gun parked with the plunger in, so thought
>>> I'd follow that suggestion. When I yanked the pull handle back to lock
>> the
>>> plunger into the top cap, black moly grease came flooding out the plunger
>>> hole. All over the grease gun, my beautiful white sneakers (only 10
>> years
>>> old), the perfectly epoxy painted floor (about the same 10 years ago),
>> and
>>> my immaculate hands! Yep, the plunger had been allowing grease to leak
>>> around it ever since I stowed it away a couple of weeks/months ago. :-(
>>> That is not a cheap air-powered gun; I don't recall the brand, but it's
>>> well known and respected. SO, I second the recommendation: ALWAYS store
>>> your grease guns with the plunger retracted -- better the spring take a
>> set
>>> than to squeeze the fluids from your grease, or to cover yourself with
>>> grease.
>>> _______________________________________________
>>> GMCnet mailing list
>>> Unsubscribe or Change List Options:
>> _______________________________________________
>> GMCnet mailing list
>> Unsubscribe or Change List Options:
> _______________________________________________
> GMCnet mailing list
> Unsubscribe or Change List Options:
 
Emery,

That looks like a good way to contain the bleeding, but how does it help
with preventing grease migration past the piston? The grease that I pulled
out all over everything could not have been forced, usefully, out the high
pressure end -- it HAD to come out the end your cup would cover. I'd
expect plunger retraction to still be needed.

Ken H.

On Mon, Jun 14, 2021 at 11:56 AM Emery Stora via Gmclist <

> I have purchased a ”cup” from LockNLube which fits over the plunger end of
> my grease gun.
>
> https://locknlube.com/collections/all-greasing-products/products/grease-gun-barrel-cap
> It keeps the grease in and prevents the mess. Prior to that I kept it in a
> plastic bag and had a mess whenever I removed it from the bag. I recommend
> it
>
> Emery Stora
> 77 Kingsley
> Frederick CO
>

> >
> > Ken, you ate not "The Lone Ranger" with that grease gun trick. I have
> also
> > made a ungodly mess with Mobile 1 red synthetic grease in the same
> fashion.
> > It gets on everything. Clean-up is a difficult task either way.
> > When I do wheel bearings, I bite the bullet, take off those nitrile
> > gloves, use clean fingers from one hand to scoop out some of that black,
> > nasty, wonderful, wheel bearing grease, put into the clean palm of the
> > other hand, and cup my hand to make a containment well for it. Then I
> pick
> > up the religiously cleaned bearing, and pull it through the palm full of
> > grease until I can see it coming out the other side. Been doing it that
> way
> > fourth years or so. Put the freshly greased bearings on a clean blue
> paper
> > shop towel and fold it over to keep it absolutely clean until install
> it.
> > Jim Hupy
> > Salem, Oregon
> >

> >> Got any photos of this incident? A video would be even better 😊
> >> Nelson Wright
> >> BTDT
> >> Sent from my iPad
> >>> On Jun 14, 2021, at 7:13 AM, Ken Henderson

> >>> Someone recently suggested taking the feed spring pressure off of
> grease
> >>> tubes in grease guns to reduce "bleeding".
> >>> Yesterday I noticed my primary gun parked with the plunger in, so
> thought
> >>> I'd follow that suggestion. When I yanked the pull handle back to lock
> >> the
> >>> plunger into the top cap, black moly grease came flooding out the
> plunger
> >>> hole. All over the grease gun, my beautiful white sneakers (only 10
> >> years
> >>> old), the perfectly epoxy painted floor (about the same 10 years ago),
> >> and
> >>> my immaculate hands! Yep, the plunger had been allowing grease to leak
> >>> around it ever since I stowed it away a couple of weeks/months ago.
> :-(
> >>> That is not a cheap air-powered gun; I don't recall the brand, but it's
> >>> well known and respected. SO, I second the recommendation: ALWAYS
> store
> >>> your grease guns with the plunger retracted -- better the spring take a
> >> set
> >>> than to squeeze the fluids from your grease, or to cover yourself with
> >>> grease.
> >>> _______________________________________________
> >>> GMCnet mailing list
> >>> Unsubscribe or Change List Options:
> >> _______________________________________________
> >> GMCnet mailing list
> >> Unsubscribe or Change List Options:
> > _______________________________________________
> > GMCnet mailing list
> > Unsubscribe or Change List Options:
> _______________________________________________
> GMCnet mailing list
> Unsubscribe or Change List Options:
>
 
My grease guns that are loaded with Valvoline VV985 are only messy because I never cleaned them when I changed to this grease. The only that has only
had Valvoline in it is clean except where I got it slimy before I put the LockNLoad coupler on it.
Matt
--
Matt & Mary Colie - Chaumière -'73 Glacier 23 - Members GMCMI, GMCGL, GMCES
Electronically Controlled Quiet Engine Cooling Fan with OE Rear Drum Brakes with Applied Control Arms
SE Michigan - Near DTW - Twixt A2 and Detroit
 
Keep it in the freezer and it will not leak.
--
1977 Kingsley 455 as stock as it gets except lots of Ragusa parts
 
It won’t fit in my motorhome freezer. Besides, my wire would probably kill me if I tried to store it there.

Emery Stora
emerystora

>
> Keep it in the freezer and it will not leak.
> --
> 1977 Kingsley 455 as stock as it gets except lots of Ragusa parts
> _______________________________________________
> GMCnet mailing list
> Unsubscribe or Change List Options:
 
Forgot about the wife issue.

> It won’t fit in my motorhome freezer. Besides, my wire would probably kill me if I tried to store it there.
>
>
> Emery Stora
> emerystora
>
>
>

> >
> > Keep it in the freezer and it will not leak.
> > --
> > 1977 Kingsley 455 as stock as it gets except lots of Ragusa parts
> > _______________________________________________
> > GMCnet mailing list
> > Unsubscribe or Change List Options:
> _______________________________________________
> GMCnet mailing list
> Unsubscribe or Change List Options:

--
1977 Kingsley 455 as stock as it gets except lots of Ragusa parts
 
You don't have a beer fridge in the
garage that has a freezer function????

D C "Mac" Macdonald
Amateur Radio K2GKK
Since 30 November '53
USAF and FAA, Retired
Member GMCMI & Classics
Oklahoma City, OK
"The Money Pit"
TZE166V101966
'76 ex-Palm Beach
k2gkk + hotmail dot com
________________________________
From: Mike Hamm via Gmclist
Sent: Monday, June 14, 2021 13:23
To: gmclist
Cc: Mike Hamm
Subject: [GMCnet] Re: Storing Grease Guns

Forgot about the wife issue.

> It won’t fit in my motorhome freezer. Besides, my wire would probably kill me if I tried to store it there.
>
>
> Emery Stora
> emerystora
 
I don’t take the beer fridge with me in the GMC on trips. I do take the grease gun.

Emery Stora

>
> You don't have a beer fridge in the
> garage that has a freezer function????
>
> D C "Mac" Macdonald
> Amateur Radio K2GKK
> Since 30 November '53
> USAF and FAA, Retired
> Member GMCMI & Classics
> Oklahoma City, OK
> "The Money Pit"
> TZE166V101966
> '76 ex-Palm Beach
> k2gkk + hotmail dot com
> ________________________________
> From: Mike Hamm via Gmclist
> Sent: Monday, June 14, 2021 13:23
> To: gmclist
> Cc: Mike Hamm
> Subject: [GMCnet] Re: Storing Grease Guns
>
> Forgot about the wife issue.
>

>> It won’t fit in my motorhome freezer. Besides, my wire would probably kill me if I tried to store it there.
>> Emery Stora
>> emerystora
>
> _______________________________________________
> GMCnet mailing list
> Unsubscribe or Change List Options:
 
My grease guns hang in the garage garbage can. If they leak, no big deal...drips into the plastic bag liner and goes to the dump with the rest of the
trash. JWID
--
Larry
78 Royale w/500 Caddy
Menomonie, WI.
 
Hey Ken that someone was me. The Mobil 1 red used to look like a crime scene and my shoes suffered as well. But then I noticed it with the Valvoline
as well which started my thread. Now if I can just remember to pull back on the spring when finished, we might get a useful bit of data.
--
John Lebetski
Woodstock, IL
77 Eleganza II
 
John,

I thought I remembered you as the guilty party, but didn't want to risk
accusing you falsely! :-)

Good idea, but we've really got to be conscientious about pulling the
plunger if we have leaky seals like I obviously do. Any ideas for
replacing the seals?

Ken H.

On Tue, Jun 15, 2021 at 8:54 AM John R. Lebetski
wrote:

> Hey Ken that someone was me. The Mobil 1 red used to look like a crime
> scene and my shoes suffered as well. But then I noticed it with the
> Valvoline
> as well which started my thread. Now if I can just remember to pull back
> on the spring when finished, we might get a useful bit of data.
> --
> John Lebetski
> Woodstock, IL
> 77 Eleganza II
> _______________________________________________
> GMCnet mailing list
> Unsubscribe or Change List Options:
>
 
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