Make sure that the handle on the back of the barrel, which is the handle of the piston rod, is fully depressed into the barrel, or you risk sucking some grease through the gun during the process, accidentally.
Bulk grease containers are available at hardware stores and auto parts stores, widely, and are commonly used in garages in place of smaller cartridges. If you’re a serious mechanic, this might be a good option for you.
On some grease guns, pulling back should make the cartridge eject automatically. Depending on how much gunk is built up on the inside, it may come out all or halfway. Before you remove it, though, you need to secure the rod in place.
When you’ve secured the rod in place, you can pull the empty cartridge loose and discard it.
Before inserting a new cartridge, remove the plastic cap from one end of the new cartridge, so the grease can flow out normally. For lots of people, storing grease cartridges upside down is a good way of getting it to settle on the right side, near the nozzle. If it hasn’t been stored upside down, shaking it hard once or twice toward the cap can help to settle it in the direction you want, before inserting it.
Continue screwing together the head and barrel. Push on the piston rod to ensure that it is fully engaged in the replacement grease cartridge. Pump the handle make sure that grease is being delivered.
