It’s important to make sure you’re aware that there are many different types of lubricants and greases for grease guns, as well as various different grease gun cartridge sizes available.
Metric Grease Fittings are available in both regular and stainless steel. Metric Grease Fittings are also referred to as Metric Zerk Fittings, Metric Lubrication Fittings, Metric Hydraulic Fittings, and Metric Zerks.
There are three major thread types for grease fittings: metric, taper or parallel, and unified. M5, M6, M7, M8, and M10 are common metric threads. British standard pipe (BSP), pipe thread fine (PTF), and national pipe thread fine (NPTF) fittings use tapered or parallel threads.
Grease guns get stuck on fittings due to clogged zerk fittings which don’t let the grease pass through and cause a pressure build up that prevents them from releasing. So to get it unstuck unscrews the hose or hardline from the gun which will release the pressure and allow it to come off.
SAE Products 1/8″ pipe thread grease fittings are commonly referred to as 1/8″ pipe thread zerk fittings.
The Zerk design, named after Oscar Zerk, used a fitting much smaller than the Alemite pin-type and did not lock the hose coupler or hand gun and fitting together. Instead, the seal between them was maintained by the pressure of a pushing action when the operator applied the coupler to the fitting.
When choosing a grease gun, there are several things you should consider, including how much grease will be applied and what type of machinery will be lubricated. The most popular grease guns are the manually operated, pneumatic and battery-powered styles.
The most common styles of grease guns include the lever, pistol-grip, hand grip, air-powered and battery-powered. The lever style is the most economic and widely used of all the grease guns.
Pipe Threads (PTF) are larger in diameter than most UNF or SAE-LT threads and also provide additional strength. PTF threads have a taper like SAE-LT threads to provide a leakproof installation. These threads are designated by nominal pipe diameter.
Grease fittings (also known as Zerk fittings or grease nipples) are permanently installed on mechanical systems and bearings to provide lubrication points for feeding lubricants to the systems or bearings without overflow or leaks.
If this is the case, the best tactic is to “feel” the grease into the bearing cavity until slight resistance or back pressure is felt against the trigger, or lever, signaling the bearing cavity is now full.
