How To Change Grease In Greasegun?

[lxskllr]

Ok, this is a dumb question, but I never really used greaseguns before, and I just changed a cartridge today. Taking the top off, there was a big glob of grease left on the tube. Do you all scoop the excess grease off, or just change the cartridge, and mash it all together with the grease glob still in place? I scooped the excess grease out with my finger, and put it in a peanut tin to use for latches and stuff, but it's a lot of grease, and I'm gonna end up with way more grease than I reasonably use.

So... You guys that use greaseguns, what's your grease change procedure?

 

[Stopsignhank]

I ran the maintenance department for 30 years, so I did not change the cartridge myself, but I supervised a lot of guys who did.
You say "there was a big glob of grease left on the tube" Do you mean grease left in the tube? If so I would expect my guys to take out the grease if they need it, but otherwise just throw the used cartridge in the trash. I would want them to give the gun a clean/wipe down when they are changing the cartridge.

 

[lxskllr]

The cartridge itself was clear. The grease was all in the head of the unit. The more I think about it, the dumber the question sounds. I should've dropped a new cartridge in, mashed it together, and clean as necessary.

I'm used to starting from "new" when a consumable is replaced, and that was stuck in my head with the grease. Should've left it in place. Probably would've primed the gun faster.

 

[herm0016]

I leave it. I only use a tube or so per year though, and use the same Lucas x-tra heavy duty green grease.

 

[bbhaag]

Yeah no need to clean out the head. Just put in the new tube and prime it until you see the new grease coming out. Call it good at that point IMO. Been doing it that way for years and so far no problems.

 

[mindless1]

That depends on whether the new and old grease are compatible. Without specifying otherwise it would be easy to assume same type of grease, but that assumption could be wrong.

If compatible I leave the old glob in there, and don't really do an extra amount of cleanup beyond what I'm regularly doing anyway as some random tubes of grease will leak the base oil out so the gun needs wiped down between cartridge changes anyway.

However I have a special use for random globs of grease. I'll mix them into gasoline so I have a liquid grease of low enough viscosity that I can apply it with a pump oil can, that gets the grease into tight areas, then the gasoline evaporates away leaving the grease behind. I could just use rattle can grease instead, but in some cases that's a bit too forceful and messy to apply only where you want it and only as much as you want.

 

[herm0016]

That depends on whether the new and old grease are compatible. Without specifying otherwise it would be easy to assume same type of grease, but that assumption could be wrong.

If compatible I leave the old glob in there, and don't really do an extra amount of cleanup beyond what I'm regularly doing anyway as some random tubes of grease will leak the base oil out so the gun needs wiped down between cartridge changes anyway.

However I have a special use for random globs of grease. I'll mix them into gasoline so I have a liquid grease of low enough viscosity that I can apply it with a pump oil can, that gets the grease into tight areas, then the gasoline evaporates away leaving the grease behind. I could just use rattle can grease instead, but in some cases that's a bit too forceful and messy to apply only where you want it and only as much as you want.

good idea.