How does the "new" grease gun work?

[JAB]

After disassembling and cleaning the cosmoline off of my 6593 grease gun, and prior to filling it, I noticed it was missing the pre-load spring. So, two questions;

1. How does it operate? Do you have to keep constant pressure on the plunger manually to keep grease flowing into the "pump" chamber? Like, queeze the handle, push the plunger, squeeze the handle, push the plunger, repeat...or, with a helper, keep constant pressure on the plunger while operating the grease gun...or is it missing the spring? (Ok, that was like two questions right there.)

2. Did the modern carbboard grease cartridge exist when this was used, or is it only proper to pack "bulk" grease into the empty tube?

Thanx!!!

[d42jeep]

All of the ones that I have seen rely on the pressure of the spring to keep the grease feeding into the lever area. I don’t believe that cartridges were originally being used with those guns. I don’t think the gun will work properly with the spring missing.
-Don
viewtopic.php?f=48&t=309291&p=1798660&h ... n#p1798660

[JAB]

Interesting. Thanks for posting that. I must have done a poor job of searching. Anyway, according to Jonsm114 I may not have the complete set up on my Alemite.

OK...its a Alemite...gun.no spring in use with this. You open pump lever, twist rod handle to lock and push in to purge air. twist rod/T-Handle back the the other way and push in....pump away....operator error......my bad..

You were right Don..T handle locks and you push....

OK....twist and lock into what? I have a very elaborate nut if its only job is holding the plunger seal. I assume I'm missing an important part here, or that I have the wrong head because there's no provision to add something to hook and hold. Anybody got pictures of what I might be missing? Thanx!

[d42jeep]

Sorry, but all my WW2 vintage lever guns have moved on to new owners. The only ones I have left are more modern Lincolns and they all have springs and use cartridges. It looks like if you pull the T handle out and twist it, the pins lock into the slot in the hex. That would allow you to manually push the plunger forward and put pressure on the grease, I guess.
-Don

[JAB]

OK, I think I get it. The plunger was stuck on the end of the shaft with old grease. I thought it was mounted permenantly there. It's supposed to slide, but not too easily. There's even a compression fitting-type gland nut to increase friction so it doesn't just slide out. I thought it looked rather complicated to just hold the plunger on.... I disassembled it and learned how it works. It's not very efficient. If I were to use it on a regular basis I'd add a spring behind the plunger, but for the sake of originality (and all that grease liquid dripping on my fender!) I'm leaving it alone.

So, the operation is as clumsly as we thought; After placing the end fitting on the zerk you pull the plunger handle out and twist it to engage the slotted nut. Then you open the "maw" of the pump by raising the handle, then push the plunger handle in to fill the pump "maw" with grease. Pump the handle once to push the grease through the pipe and into the zerk fitting. Then you raise the pump handle, then push the plunger again to fill the maw, and repeat until new grease comes out of bleeders on whatever you're greasing. When you're all done, you twist the plunger handle to release the rod and push it forward into the grease tube for compact storage. Whew! I wonder who finally decided to add a spring!

[d42jeep]

I’m pretty sure that my WW2 Lincoln had a spring. Probably why they continued making grease guns for so many years.
-Don

[Silly's MB]

I don't know if these are any help ?

[JAB]

WOW!!! 1961! That's amazing!

Thank you! They make it sound like atmospheric pressure will just fill the maw..... with some occasional help from pushing on the plunger handle! No wonder they eventually put a spring in there! Even with the spring it has trouble filling on cold days! Thank you!!! Answers all my questions! Where did you ever find that?!

[Silly's MB]

Glad it helped ! I think in Army Motors somewhere it suggested fitting a Zerk so it could be filled by the compressor powered pressure grease guns. I can't seem to find the article so maybe i made it up

I am not sure where I got it from, I am having to use my old laptop and found it while looking for something else. It was a PDF so I converted it.

[henry501]

Roger,

Those lever action guns have a zerk at the front just under the nozzle for filling (see closeup photos of the grease guns from jeep draw here)

http://jeepdraw.com/G503_TOOLS.html

So your supposition that they could be filled from the 40-G-498-25 pressure guns is very likely. I believe they could also be filled from the 41-G-1425 grease gun bucket 25#.

I know that the 41-G-1330-60 guns can be filled from the 41-G-1425 as the original manual that I have with my 41-G-1425 shows how to do it.

Thank you very much,
Henry

[JAB]

Just as a followup to some of the earlier questions;

Modern cartridges will not work in these. You can remove the ring on the outlet end of the cartridge and insert it in the grease gun tube, but the plunger is too large to fit in the modern cartridge.

As stated, there are several ways to fill the gun, all of them effective.

Once filled and purged of air the darn thing actually works......if you keep pushing the plunger forward between each pumping action.

I can dfinately see why they added a spring in later models!

I'll install it under the hood later ths weekend. Any bets on the date the first drips of oil appear on the fender?

[irakli]

They will appear after the first ride.