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Grease nipple not taking grease

Updated: 23 October 2026

The gun has just filled the nipple on the next pin, and this one will not move. A grease nipple not taking grease is a sequence, not a pressure problem. You find out whether the coupler, the ball, the passage or the joint is blocked. A planned swap is [how to replace a grease nipple](/hub/diy-supplies/grease-nipple/sub/grease-nipple-how-to-fit). You only need a new part, and the [grease nipple comparison](/hub/diy-supplies/grease-nipple), after this nipple has failed on the gun and you know the thread. Peter F. used Skill Shack, a Screwfix community thread and HSE bulletins, with amazon.co.uk notes from 21 October 2026. A qualifying purchase can earn a commission at no extra cost to you.

The gun has just filled the nipple on the next pin, and this one will not move. A grease nipple not taking grease is a sequence, not a pressure problem.

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Swpeet Swpeet 246-piece metric and inch kit

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TRILINK TRILINK 160-piece metric kit with wrench

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On this page
  1. 1.Check the gun and the coupler first
  2. 2.Free the ball, or replace the nipple
  3. 3.If a new nipple still refuses grease
  4. 4.Do not pump through a doubtful track nipple

Check the gun and the coupler first

Prove the gun on a nipple that you know works. If that head takes grease and this one does not, the cartridge and the pump are cleared. If every head leaks, you are chasing the gun. A leak around the coupler is a different fault from a blocked ball. Grease running over the cone never entered the joint. A MirraSwit review says the seal would not hold on M8 or M10. Wipe the cone, reseat the coupler square, and try again. If the leak stays on a chewed head, replace that nipple with the same thread rather than clamping harder.

Free the ball, or replace the nipple

The ball is the check valve. Clean the head and press the ball in line, not sideways. If the ball springs back and grease still will not pass, the block is likely behind it. If the ball is stuck, the nipple is finished. Take it out and test it on the gun, away from the housing. A nipple that will not pass grease on the bench will not pass grease in the joint. A nipple that passes on the bench tells you the joint is the problem. Buy the replacement only when you can name the thread. M8 on a packet is not M8 x 1, and a nipple near 10 mm might be M10 x 1 or 1/8 BSP. That split is the metric or BSP grease nipple page. Fit the new nipple by hand, and stop if it locks after one turn.
Swpeet Swpeet 246-piece metric and inch kit

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Swpeet Swpeet 246-piece metric and inch kit
7.0/10about £16.99
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If a new nipple still refuses grease

A clear nipple and a silent joint mean the passage or the bearing is blocked. Old grease goes hard, and the gun stops at that plug. Where the deposits are chalky, strip the joint. A flush mentioned in some Screwfix replies is one fitter's suggestion, not a standard, and it is the wrong idea on a sealed boot. Do not pour fuel down a passage because a reply mentioned it.

Do not pump through a doubtful track nipple

Raising the pressure is the mistake these checks are there to prevent. The Health and Safety Executive notes that injection injury may occur from about 7 bar, and that hand guns have been tested at over 600 bar. HSE records a fatal case when a nipple detached during track tensioning. A pinhole in the skin needs urgent medical help. A track adjuster is not a blocked bucket pin. Match the original fitting and do not reuse a part that has detached. If the nipple on a track frame will not take grease, do not fit a cheaper one and lean on the gun to tension the chain. The same refusal covers any ram and any port you cannot trace.

Common questions

How do I know the grease gun is not the problem?
Use it on a nearby nipple that should take grease. If that head fills and this one does not, the cartridge and the pump have done their job. If every coupler leaks, or the gun never firms up, fix the gun first. Air in a new cartridge and worn jaws both look like a blocked nipple until you move one fitting along the linkage.
Should I push the little ball?
Yes, once the head is clean, as a check rather than a repair. Skill Shack and the Screwfix community thread both describe pressing the spring-loaded ball, with a small nail if needed, straight in. It should move and return. A ball that will not move, or a nipple that will not pass grease off the machine, is one to replace.
Grease leaks around the coupler. Is the nipple blocked?
Usually the opposite. Grease outside the cone never went in. The jaws are missing the head, or the cone is damaged. A MirraSwit review describes a coupler that would not seal on M8 and M10. Clean the cone, reseat the gun, and try a nipple you trust. If the leak stays with one chewed head, replace that head.
I fitted a new nipple and it still will not take grease. What next?
The blockage is behind the nipple. Look for dried, chalky grease, which is Skill Shack's sign that the joint needs stripping. Check you have not cross-threaded the hole, and that the new nipple is the thread you removed. If the pin has play or the boot is torn, replace the joint. More pressure on a clear nipple will not dissolve a plug of old soap.
Can I clear it with more pressure?
Not on a fitting you already distrust. Extra strokes are reasonable only on an open pin that is already showing grease. HSE records a fatal detachment during track tensioning. They are the wrong tool for a silent joint, a sealed boot, or a track ram. If fluid has broken the skin, get urgent medical help.
The joint is full of hard grease. Do I strip it?
Strip it when the hole is chalky, the pin is corroded, or the joint knocks. Skill Shack's point is that grease will not restore that metal. Do not use warmth on a sealed boot, and do not flush the passage with fuel. If you cannot split the joint safely, that is the garage, not a longer session with the gun.

Related pages

Grease nipple buying guide

Grease nipple

Best grease nipple kit for a thread you already know

How to replace a grease nipple without a snapped head

M10 grease nipple or 1/8 BSP: tell the threads apart

Sources

Public UK sources and the amazon.co.uk listings compared on this page. Listings captured 21 October 2026. Updated October 2026.

  1. Kingfisher metric hydraulic grease fittings (retrieved 21 October 2026)
  2. Kingfisher BSP hydraulic grease nipples (retrieved 21 October 2026)
  3. Kingfisher 1/4-28 hydraulic grease fittings (retrieved 21 October 2026)
  4. HSE: hydraulic injection injury (retrieved 21 October 2026)
  5. HSE: track tensioning (retrieved 21 October 2026)
  6. Pressol: DIN standards for lubrication (retrieved 21 October 2026)
  7. Skill Shack: how to grease nipples (retrieved 21 October 2026)
  8. UK Planet Tools: Sealey AB009GN assortment (retrieved 21 October 2026)