OK, I Am Incredibly Stupid Mechanically, But HELP PLEASE!!

P

Pat Anderson

New member
All I want to do is grease the dang bearings on my trailer. But first, DO NOT LAUGH, NO SMART ANSWERS, I cannot get the grease cartridge into my grease gun so it pumps out, and I don't understand why...I pulled the plunger out and moved it to the locked position. I unscrewed the front part with the nozzle and the lever. I put the cartridge in, screwed the nozzle and lever back on, released the plunger...and - it is now supposed to pump grease, isn't it???? No she go...the lever pumps but no grease comes out. What am I doing wrong here?
 
Hey, these can sometimes be a pain. Is there a bleeder on the front of the grease gun? Might be air locked. Give that a try and stick the fitting on a zerk and give her a try.
 
Pat-
Do you have the notches on the plunger turn down so they will catch the trigger when you pump the trigger?

oh wait-- GREASE gun- oh well don't listen to me, I'm a bldg inspector, not a mechanic :roll:
 
OK, worse yet...I fiddled and faddled and the grease finally started pumping, but I am clueless about what I did that made it finally work. Crap.
 
Pat -

If you removed the pull tab cover on the lower end of the cartridge and the cap on the other end, and got the plunger pusher plate inside the cartridge, then you have an air lock preventing the grease from getting into the pump that the handle operates. Oh crap - you're gonna make a mess. With plenty of disposable towels handy, unscrew the handle end of the grease gun again, this time with the plunger under spring pressure. When she comes loose, the first burst will be mostly air, and then comes the grease. Don't pull the end cap away from the gun barrel, just burp the little bugger and try to thread it back on there. Good luck. Maybe have Austin do it. If you can find a bleeder like Doc suggests, try that first, because it usually will work. If you got a cheaper grease gun, you got to go the messy route. Just don't let the end come too far away from the barrel, or you get all the grease on your foot. Please have Patty take pictures.

If it's any consolation to you, the more time I spend around them lawyers, courts and judges, the less I understand the logic.
 
Air lock. tap the hose end of the grease gun on a block, kind of like how you tap a ball point pen to get it to work. Tap it on the edge, some times it helps to unscrew the hose end almost all the way off to purge air.
 
Yes, well, ahem...I don't know if I am typical, probably not, but ever since third grade or so right up to the LSAT they have made me take aptitude tests...and I score in the 99th percentile on most categories - verbal, logic, writing, even math, not bragging, just a fact - but in one category, I swear to God, I have always scored in about the 10th percentile - or lower - spatial relationships, which of course is the key to understanding anything mechanical.


TyBoo":1m80in69 said:
Pat -
If it's any consolation to you, the more time I spend around them lawyers, courts and judges, the less I understand the logic.
Click to expand...
 
Sheesh Pat, you should have just given me a call! ;) After being a mekanik for many a year I decided to clean up and do my problem solving with computers. But I still know a thing or two.

Since you got it working all is well. As stated above I would guess you just had air in the system and needed to burp it out.

Now then, does anyone know where I can rent a gantry crane to pull the motor on my boat? So far it looks like I'm going to have to make one. :(
 
Gee Pat, look at the bright side... My son says, "Nobody is totally useless, they can always serve as a bad example!"

Right here you have opened a door I was looking at how to get through... I have grease AND glue questions and didn't know where to ask them... so here goes:

What grease do you expert mekaniks recommend for the trailer wheel bearings and what for the Honda engine control zerks?

What are you all talking about (other than I comprehend that it is some form of glue) when you mention 5500 and 2200 and 2600 (I don't really remember the numbers and I'm too lazy to glean back through the archives). Can someone tell me the Brand names of these glues and basically what each might be used for?

For now just sign me off as mekanically dumber than Pat... :oops:
 
k3nlind":22p4aktq said:
<stuff clipped>
What are you all talking about (other than I comprehend that it is some form of glue) when you mention 5500 and 2200 and 2600 (I don't really remember the numbers and I'm too lazy to glean back through the archives). Can someone tell me the Brand names of these glues and basically what each might be used for?
Click to expand...

The sealants/adhesives are 3M marine products 4000, 4200 and 5200. They are essentially high performance caulks so they can be used as both adhesives and sealants.
4000 is a fast cure sealant with improved UV resistance, 4200 is a fairly fast cure sealant and 5200 is the strongest but is very slow curing. Info on all of them can be found at the link provided above. I almost always have a tube of 4200 and 5200 on board.

Roger on the SeaDNA
 
As far as what grease to use. I personally prefer to use a synthetic grease formulated for marine use. I have used Mobile 1, Lucas, and Amsoil grease all with good results. I would use the marine grease on both the bearings and the controls. You want to use marine grade grease as it is formulated to combat water better than a non marine grease.

I want the synthetic as it is usually good to a higher temperature than a non synthetic. That is important when dealing with trailer bearings!
 
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