How do you modify a grease gun for water?

[SSolomon]

I don't have a pressure washer, so I just filled a bucket with hot water from the shower and funneled it into the tank with a healthy dose of purple power. After rocking the tank back and forth a bunch to stir the solution around and waiting a few minutes, I removed the bottom plug and let it drain out. Some grease clumps came out, but a ton remained. I repeated this process several times (using my whole 2 gallon jug of purple power) and there are still globs of grease left in there - I can feel them with my finger through the bottom drain.

Is there anything that will actually dissolve grease so that it will flush out? It seems like the grease is just floating on top. The water flows out, leaving all the grease behind.

 

[Outlawmws]

Try lacquer thinner and let it soak a while. then do a final with PP or SG

 

[Outlawmws]

If you want to be sure, test whatever you try on a sample...

 

[404]

Naphtha, which is also charcoal lighter fluid.

 

[Outlawmws]

Naphtha, which is also charcoal lighter fluid.

Not always true.. often it is kerosene or a kero Naphtha mix.

Lighter fluid for Zippos, and Coleman fuel/"White gas" (here in the states) IS Naphtha.

 

[404]

Well my bad then. My can of charcoal fluid says Naphtha on it. At least this time I did not suggest Gasoline.

 

[Outlawmws]

Really? What brand? Pretty rare to be 100% if so.

 

[justme-]

just pointing out that as much safer it is to hydro test with a liquid over a gas, proper technique for safety is to submerge the vessel being tested in water for the duration of the test. The submersion will allow the energy to be absorbed and dispersed with relative safety helping to also contain or slow down the shrapnel. I saw a video from a company who does hydro testing of the procedure where they test the vessel in a closed water filled test chamber.

In other words - be careful. Just a few PSI of air pressure (again, realizing gas stores more energy than liquid) can cause a catastrophic rupture in a tank...we're talking a few hundred psi of liquid pressure.

 

[SSolomon]

Yeah, pressurized vessels certainly make me nervous. Fortunately, the test itself went off without a hitch. I obviously don't have a way of doing the submerged method, but filling with water and pressurizing with a grease gun worked reasonably well. I just didn't anticipate the mess of grease I'd be left cleaning after. I thought the grease would just flow out of the tank with the water. That didn't turn out to be the case, and cleaning it has been a tremendous hassle.

 

[Shadowdog500]

I've had tanks hydro testied years ago at a local welding shop and I don't remember it costing enough money for me to even mess with at home. How much is it to get a tank hydroed anymore?

Chris

 

[SSolomon]

I called around a bunch of different air compressor places in town. They all told me the only one they know of that tests tanks is the state inspector. I sincerely doubt the state is going to come by my house and certify a tank, so I decided to do it on my own.

I sure wish I could have found someone in advance to do it. I think next time I may just spring for a brand new tank to avoid the hassle.

 

[Shadowdog500]

I called around a bunch of different air compressor places in town. They all told me the only one they know of that tests tanks is the state inspector. I sincerely doubt the state is going to come by my house and certify a tank, so I decided to do it on my own.

I sure wish I could have found someone in advance to do it. I think next time I may just spring for a brand new tank to avoid the hassle.

I usually took them to a welding supply shop where you get your Argon bottles from. They have to hydro thier bottles, so they usually will hydro yours for a fee.

I just looked up welding supply shops In Your area and got a hit on the second one I looked at. Holston gases hydro tests both high and low pressure tanks.
Thier hydro service is second up from the bottom on the left on this link.
http://www.holstongases.com/all-products-services/

May be too late now, and you have the experience of doing it yourself, but in the future you may want to give them a call if you're u need to do it again.

Chris

 

[SSolomon]

It didn't even occur to me to search welding supply shops. I wish I had thought of that before deciding to do it myself. I'm surprised none of the compressor distributors I spoke with knew this.

 

[Outlawmws]

just pointing out that as much safer it is to hydro test with a liquid over a gas, proper technique for safety is to submerge the vessel being tested in water for the duration of the test. The submersion will allow the energy to be absorbed and dispersed with relative safety helping to also contain or slow down the shrapnel. I saw a video from a company who does hydro testing of the procedure where they test the vessel in a closed water filled test chamber.

In other words - be careful. Just a few PSI of air pressure (again, realizing gas stores more energy than liquid) can cause a catastrophic rupture in a tank...we're talking a few hundred psi of liquid pressure.

I don't think you understand what is going on with this testing; You fill the tank with water (the "hydro" part of the test), and then add pressure, the amount of air or gas is minuscule and if done with a grease gun as most recently described here, even less.

The tank cannot "explode" as it could by testing with compressed gas, or air as the water will not compress. if the tank bursts, the pressure is gone immediately. Sure there is water everywhere on the ground, but no shrapnel...

Could you do the test in a tank of water? Sure, but its not necessary for safety, and it is not to "absorb" the explosion. if there were in fact an explosion (testing with gas or air pressure), THAT would be worse, as again the water does not compress, and will transmit the energy directly to it's own vessel... If anything it's more for keeping the water mess contained instead of manning the mops.

 

[404]

Really? What brand? Pretty rare to be 100% if so.

<style type="text/css">p { margin-bottom: 0.1in; line-height: 120%; }</style> Was GULF. White plastic bottle with orange writing. Got if for free at a recycling center. It might have been sold quite some time ago.

 

[404]

Simplified, the amount of stretch of the tank under test pressure is measured by volume of overflow of the water vat the test tank is placed in. Over a certain amount of stretch expansion tank is not safe.

 

[arz71]

Please consider, compare, and contrast the following two potentially conflicting recommendations for safety:

Recommendation to Oil inside of tank:




VERSUS...

Recommendation to be very cautious about what type of hydrocarbon residues are in a compressed air tank (think compression ignition, like diesels):


Exhibit 6. A piece of the exploded tank showing the inner wall and OILY substance:

Exhibit 5. A piece of the exploded tank:

Exhibit 4. The second air tank inside the equipment room, which did not explode:

Exhibit 3. The inside of the equipment room after the explosion:

Exhibit 2. The car wash tunnel entrance after the explosion:

Exhibit 1. The equipment room after the explosion.

Exhibit 0. On July 23, 2005, at approximately 9:20 a.m., a 46-year-old Hispanic car wash supervisor died when an air tank exploded inside an equipment room.

Looks like a Kawasaki shop I worked in a long time ago, all of the mess on a good day.

 

[Bondo]

How do you modify a grease gun for water?

Ayuh,..... Remove the plunger, it's rod, 'n the end-cap,....

Hold the grease gun, Upside-down,....
Pour water into the barrel, 'n pump the gun,....

Nothin' to it,........

 

[MacMcMacmac]

Ignition could have been provided by a static discharge. All rotary screw separators have some sort of grounding system in them for just this reason. Usually it's a staple through the flange and gaskets.

Carbon deposits in a poorly maintained compressor can get extremely hot when exhausts valves aren't working properly due to carbon build up. The carbon build up itself is a sign of excessive temperatures. Single stage compressors running at too high of a discharge pressure can also generate temperatures well over 400F. Throw in some neglectful maintenance and a few removed safety valves which were "faulty" (i.e. doing their job and being ignored or treated as a nuisance) and you can easily end up with a dangerous situation on your hands. One of my colleagues once took a call from a guy at a shop wondering if we could come by and take a look at his compressor because it was blowing smoke out the hoses and the paint was peeling off the tank. We suggested he shut it down and vacate the shop immediately.

I read at least one OSHA report of a fatality in a compressor room where a screw had filled the air with oil vapour which then ignited and killed the technician working on it.

 

[justme-]

I don't think you understand what is going on with this testing; You fill the tank with water (the "hydro" part of the test), and then add pressure, the amount of air or gas is minuscule and if done with a grease gun as most recently described here, even less.

The tank cannot "explode" as it could by testing with compressed gas, or air as the water will not compress. if the tank bursts, the pressure is gone immediately. Sure there is water everywhere on the ground, but no shrapnel...

Could you do the test in a tank of water? Sure, but its not necessary for safety, and it is not to "absorb" the explosion. if there were in fact an explosion (testing with gas or air pressure), THAT would be worse, as again the water does not compress, and will transmit the energy directly to it's own vessel... If anything it's more for keeping the water mess contained instead of manning the mops.

thinking about it I see what you're saying. All the hydro testing I've been exposed to (from typical gas cylinders to paintball cylinders) are far more scrutinized than what this "test" is intended to do. That all said, I fill propane tanks daily and hardly think about the pressure in the cylinders I've just filled or the storage tank behind me. (tho if the tanks out of date or looks poor condition it's not filled for safety)

 

[Tuga2112]

Sorry for ress an old thread, BUT...

I came across this thread as it was on first page on google when searching about converting a grease gun for pumping water.

From my reading reversing the seal seems to be a plausible solution. but no one actually confirmed this. Im wondering if anyone knows if it did work ?

The reason this information would be useful is because I am currently reconditioning a Automotive Brake calliper that contains 4 pistons.
2 of these pistons are seized in place and i can't get them out neither with 120PSI compressed air nor using the Car's foot brake.
From my research there 2 options.
1 - use a grease gun and pump grease in. as grease guns can pump in a lot of pressure this should work
2 - buy a tool made by mercedesSource that basically pumps in diesel at similar pressure rate,

problems with these approaches are
1 - in a Calliper with multiple pistons, the internal plumbing will be difficult/impossible to clean the grease
2 -this tool is more expensive than buying a reconditioned calliper. (I'm trying to save money, not spend it in shiny new tools.)

So, I'm thinking about using a grease gun filled with brake fluid (or even water) to dislodge the seized pistons.
reason why i ended up here.

PS.
Sorry if it feels like thread hijack. I don't think it is, basically I just want to confirm if reversing the seal works

 

[Outlawmws]

Why not setup over a basin (you will spill some...) and use the diesel in the grease gun? you don't need the grease gun cap on this just fill it half full or so, keep it vertical, and pump.

 

[Bondo]

2 of these pistons are seized in place and i can't get them out neither with 120PSI compressed air nor using the Car's foot brake.
From my research there 2 options.
1 - use a grease gun and pump grease in. as grease guns can pump in a lot of pressure this should work

Ayuh,.... Donno how much more pressure the grease gun will have over the master cylinder, But,....

Pump yer brake fluid through the grease gun, the pressure oughta be close, or the same as with grease,...

 

[Tuga2112]

Why not setup over a basin (you will spill some...) and use the diesel in the grease gun? you don't need the grease gun cap on this just fill it half full or so, keep it vertical, and pump.

Thanks for the quick reply.

When you said "you don't need the grease gun cap on this just fill it half full "
that just made me wonder how an Hydraulic pump works.

After checking youtube for an animation and learning something new.

It certainly makes sense to setup like you said. I used to think an hydraulic pump needed a sealed reservoir in order to somehow regulate pressure.

Now i know for sure my idea will work with brake fluid.