Filling Wanner grease gun

[AlfredHitchcock]

Ive just bought this old Wanner grease gun and need to fill it for use.

 

 

Can anyone tell me the correct proceedure please? And what the 2 screw valves are for? I assume they bleed the air out some way but I cant seem to work it out.

[ctc77965o]

pull out the black handle & lock it, unscrew the grease reservoir from the head. stuff the reservoir with grease...can release the black handle to expel the old grease & help suck in your new grease. Reassemble, release black handle. Pump the gun with bleed valves open, once grease runs clean close the valves....pump grease thru to the tip...thats it. Take the pressure off the grease in storage by pulling & locking the black handle.

[ctc77965o]

pull out the black handle & lock it, unscrew the grease reservoir from the head. stuff the reservoir with grease...can release the black handle to expel the old grease & help suck in your new grease. Reassemble, release black handle. Pump the gun with bleed valves open, once grease runs clean close the valves....pump grease thru to the tip...thats it. Take the pressure off the grease in storage by pulling & locking the black handle.

[AlanT]

Actually you know how the grease cans have a plate in the top with a hole in?

 

You push the empty cylinder, with the chain pulled right out and locked, down onto the plate and the grease will fill the cylinder.

[AlfredHitchcock]

Seems easy enough. Thanks.

 

So when not being used you need to relieve the pressure by locking the chain against the bottom opening?

 

It seems that the one I have is allowing the grease to pass through the piston (which I assume has a one way valve arrangement) because the grease is appearing underneath the piston and not allowing the pressure to build.

 

The springs got some force behind it though

[Peter Cobbold]

Identical to mine- bought ca 1970. Still going strong.

Getting tricky to find grease in tins round here - cursed disposable cartridges .

Grease should not come out the bottom - maybe piston seal has hardened??

The lower of the two screw valves will release any trapped air when the spring is compressing the grease, open it slightly until the grease comes out a smooth worm.

The upper - I think is to release air after the piston - hardly ever needed.

I pull the chain out partially when not in use.

Edited September 11, 2013 by Peter Cobbold

[AlfredHitchcock]

Identical to mine- bought ca 1970. Still going strong.

Getting tricky to find grease in tins round here - cursed disposable cartridges .

Grease should not come out the bottom - maybe piston seal has hardened??

The lower of the two screw valves will release any trapped air when the spring is compressing the grease, open it slightly until the grease comes out a smooth worm.

The upper - I think is to release air after the piston - hardly ever needed.

I pull the chain out partially when not in use.

 

Supposedly they are a quality make.

 

I didnt see a seal on the piston but I will get it all cleaned off and have a look.

 

The grease appears to be filling the underneath of the piston head suggesting there is a leak past a valve on the piston.

 

I'm pretty sure there must be a valve allowing air to enter above the piston when its drawn down. But I could be wrong.

 

At least I know how it should work now anyway.

[John Morrison]

I thought the idea was to pull the chain as you pushed the barrel down onto the hole in the grease top?

 

I have been doing this wrong all these years?

 

John.

[Peter Cobbold]

I'm pretty sure there must be a valve allowing air to enter above the piston when its drawn down.

You pull the piston down to the closed end of the barrel and lock it on the chain, before unscrewing the head!! Then you release the chain slowly so the piston goes fully towards the open end (hopefully its empty) Then invert the open end of the barrel and push it down onto the steel annulus in the tin - easiest with it on the floor I find. Then the tricky bit: keep pushing the barrel down onto the ring and pull the chain and piston upwards at same time. The barrel should fill and the level of grease in the tin drop, if the movements are coordinated.....

 

..... not like with this barrel:

 

[BrianC]

That is similar to the Tecalemit gun I've been using for decades, although mine only has the upper bleed valve.

Make sure you lock the black handle extra securely with a rod or nail through the chain otherwise it can spring back and grease the entire car, garage and anyone in the line of fire. [Another of those 'ask me how I know' life lessons ]

[stuartmac]

I've got a Wanner - it took me years to figure out how to use it, just nipped down to the garage after reading this to pull the chain and lock it off- just in case!

[AlfredHitchcock]

Right sorted...... Ive just been out to the shed and took it apart as per your instructions on here.

 

Before I asked for help on here, I had filled the grease by removing the bottom screw cap instead of the top without realising there was the proper sealed loose piston on top of the spring cap that stays put . Thats why the grease squeezed through the hole in the cap and ended up coming out of the bottom.

 

I assume thats how they should be?

 

Anyway its all good thanks to yous guys.

[Steves_TR6]

My Ebay Wanner arrived today, looking in very good condition and even cleaned out :-)

 

I thought about how best to fill it, following the instructions above.

 

Then i wondered if a disposable syringe would be able to 'pump' grease?

 

yes it does !

 

I inserted the syringe in the grease and pulled out the plunger slowly, the vacuum generated sucking the grease slowly into the syringe.

 

Squirt out the grease into the Wanner and repeat.

 

Worked a treat :-)

 

 

[RogerH]

Hi Steve,

far too civilised. Get a 12" steel ruler. Scoop up a nice wodge on the ruler and smarm it into the gun. The air pockets can be squished to pack more grease in.

 

Roger

[peejay4A]

"Smarm". Now there's a word you don't hear very often. You're erudite you are.

[Lebro]

It seems everyone has their own way of filling a wanner grease gun.

For what it's worth, here is my way:

 

When gun is empty, unscrew the cylinder from the pump part.

remove lid from pot of grease.

place open end of cylinder on the plate with hole in it in the pot

press the cylinder downwards, & at the same time pull the handle & chain upwards

you are then sucking grease up into the cylinder.

When fully up lock the chain into the top of cylinder (in a slot)

remove cylinder from pot, & replace on the pump section.

Release the chain, & lock the black handle back into the cylinder.

quickly loosen, & the re-tighten the small bleed valve at the rear face of the pump to allow any trapped air to escape.

 

All done.

Advise when not using the gun to pull out black knob & chain, & lock into the slot. This prevents any "seepage"

Release chain agaijn before next use.

 

There - simples

 

Bob.

[Fireman049]

I've always done it exactly like Bob's method.

 

Tom.

[Steves_TR6]

My tin of grease didn't have a 'plate with a hole in it' otherwise that sounds like a plan!

[Motorsport Mickey]

Can anybody take a photo and post it of this mythical plate and hole, I normally cover my hand in clingfilm and dig the grease out of a grease tin and squidge it into the grease gun tube. This other method to load the gun sounds brill.

 

Mick Richards

[Grahamgl]

The tapping for the "valve" at the top of the Wanner grease gun can also be used as an alternative location for the metal delivery hose. The valve is then fitted into the tapping where the delivery tube was removed from.

Graham

[Peter Cobbold]

Tins of grease- let alone with the annulus - are becoming tricky to find round here. Damned disposable cartridges.

So dont bin that old annulus.

[snowric]

Just remembered that my grease gun is 'hidden' in the drawing room on top of an antique cupboard....good job Mrs Snow is shorter than me...

[mike3739]

Ebay Wanner on its way, intresting reading chaps many thanks on & all.

 

Now what to fill it with mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm.

 

Cheers

 

Mike

[Lebro]

How can that be - it's on the input side side of the pump ?

 

I have kept some old (empty) pots of grease which I use if a newly purchased pot does not have the top "holed" plate.

I use waterproof grease in the hubs of my boat trailer (as it gets submerged) that comes in plain tubs, so I just transfer it

to an old tub, & mark it as "waterproof". The tub dia is not quite the same, otherwise I could just move the plate over.

 

Bob.

 

 

 

[aardvark]

Hello all.

 

My Wanner 315 grease gun arrived today from ebay with a set of original instructions! It seems that the gun has a 'floating' cap on top of the piston (with the chain attached). I believe this is the Wanner secret grease gun innovation!! With regards to filling, the instructions say to pull on the chain and lock off (this locks the piston to the base of the cylinder). Unscrew the cylinder from the head. The floating cap should now be visible close to the top of the open end. There will be a void between the floating cap and the piston. Invert the cylinder onto the grease tub annulus and push down. The grease will push on the floating cap pushing the cap down the tube. Carry on doing this till the cap reaches the piston. You should now have a full tube with no air. Screw the cylinder back onto the head, release the chain, slightly unscrew the air release valve to bleed, re-tighten and voila.

 

Hope that helps someone

 

If anyone wants a scan of the instructions then pm me.

 

Cheers

 

Dave