Hand and floor pumps - reno and/or parts

[BobtheBuilder]

Putting some new tyres and tubes on a bike today and the floor pump was gone - no pressure in the shaft. Took my seldom used hand pump off my main bike and same thing. Rummaged around for two old pumps that have been in storage (I can't remember why I even have them!), only one works, barely, then the pin holding the lever on the head (that makes the washer tighten around the valve) breaks!

Not sure if I replace the O rings and/or the washer in the head (the one that compresses around the valve) if that would solve it.

If anyone has an obvious solution, please post it!

I live remotely, so spares are difficult to get, but if anyone can recommend somewhere to order online, would appreciate.

Lastly, what do people think about the worth of returning under warranty? I'm pretty sure they were all "lifetime warranty", but that doesn't seem to mean much in reality.

One is a Blackburn, the other a "Pro" (? - logo is the word PRO, with a diagonal right arrow through the O), the third I can't see any writing left.

[Duck!]

Remove the head of the pump body & pull the handle/plunger shaft out, and applyn a generous coat of grease to the piston seal.

[BobtheBuilder]

Remove the head of the pump body & pull the handle/plunger shaft out, and applyn a generous coat of grease to the piston seal.

Yeah, no go, took two of them apart, cleaned and applied liberal amounts of grease, still no good. When inserting on valve they both actually de-pressurise the tyre, so maybe those parts in the head are worn / stiff / generally buggered also. Haven't tried the third pump as the pin on the lever on the pump head broke. Was unable to get the floor pump piston out - not sure if it's brute force or I'm missing something else.

If I had a LBS closer than 4 hours away I'd probably try and get new O-rings and try that, but I think I'm going to abandon them as I could put further hours into this for no return.

If anyone wants some old pumps that are probably fairly easily repaired if you know what you're doing, I can send them for the costs of postage. Two of them were working perfectly only last week!

EDIT Just tried the floor pump and it's now working! Did take the valve connection at the bottom off and spray in a bit of lubricant ... maybe that dislodged something that was breaking the seal?

[ValleyForge]

Just as an side, pump spares are not too hard to come by. SIlca, Zefal and Park Tool are the brands I have dealt with and never had trouble with spares. You might need to rely on a good bike shop and AusPost however.

[Duck!]

Add Topeak to the list of brands with good parts backup.

[10speedsemiracer]

Add Topeak to the list of brands with good parts backup.

+1

I like the Joe Blow seies of pumps, have a good two-way nozzle and a surprisingly accurate gauge.

[RobertL]

So what do people recommend as a good floor pump? I've got a giant brand at the moment, and it's OK, but I could always upgrade...

[Uncle Just]

I've had three floor pumps in 40 years. My first was a Silca track pump then I replaced that with an SKS at great expense about 12 years ago to help out a mate with a failing LBS but it cracked on the bottom of the pump after two years! I bought a Lezyne that also malfunctioned. It had a very fiddly chuck as well that always played up. Meanwhile the old reliable Silca was languishing in the shed so I made it more stable by adding some wood to the base and replaced the nozzle with the SKS one. Works a charm.

If I was starting out and money was not a consideration I'd go to the upgraded Pista Silca floor pump (not the very expensive Super Pista Ultimate) which just about has all the refinements I've incorporated apart from a larger barrel and better gauge. They just work and you can get spare parts. It will outlive you.
https://silca.cc/collections/floor-pump ... oor-pump-1

[Mike Ayling]

I also have a Silca like the one in the picture.

I do need a new rubber insert for the nozzle as it sometimes lets air out when in use.

Mike

[WyvernRH]

I've had three floor pumps in 40 years. My first was a Silca track pump <snip>

I too bought a Silca track pump back in the late 70's, cast iron base, wooden handle and all. Has served faithfully in the UK, Europe and Oz with only one replacement (leather) washer. Still going strong. For some reason I bought another Zefal pump when I came to Oz (think I wanted one at work?) but ...stand it next to the Silca and... hmmm they look identical. It also has had a (leather) washer replacement over the years.
I inherited a Specialized track pump in the 2000's that 'was stuffed' but quick clean of the non-return valve in the base and it was fine. Nice pump, very stable, probably not available any more but gets used in the workshop if it is the nearest to hand. Lastly I bought one from Aldi. Why? cos it was cheap ($15) and I couldn't resist. This has been a fantastic pump. It gets used as the 'portable' and get chucked in the back of the van when we travel. It is now 5 years or so old. Never fails, easy to use multi-valve type chuck and can achieve the 120+ psi pressures that I sometimes need for the tubulars - all for $15. I have heard people disparage the Aldi pumps but I think they vary from batch to batch like the clothing, mine is fantastic.

Still like the old Silca best tho... gonna hand it on to my descendants...

Richard

[Bentnose]

I stupidly threw out a Silca pump when a leather washer change didn’t fix a lack of pressure issue, I just didn’t change it properly, in the days before the internet. I bought another and recently changed the washer in this one according to the directions on their website using their pump oil and it worked perfectly. Silca pumps should last for years and spare parts are plentiful.

[Trevtassie]

I managed to score a Rega Ded-Eze pump years ago from a hardware store in PNG, of all places. Back when the Kina was devalued so the price halved in dollar terms. A master piece mostly made of brass, leather and a little bit of plastic. It sort of operates upside down. The plunger is the base and the cylinder has the handle on the end. I even found a place that still sells the leather pump buckets for it!

[Pepsicola]

Hi Trevtassie
I have the rega pump but need the replacement plunger.
Can you tell me where you bought the parts.
Thankyou

[trailgumby]

I have the Topeak Joe Blow II bought from my local bike shop probably a bit over a dozen years ago, and while the pump itself works great and has lasted a long time, the valve head rubber washer wore out much faster than expected, maybe only 3 years or so. I've replaced the entire valve head with a (vague memory) Zefal valve head and that has not needed replacing yet. Weekly use.

When researching an on-bike mini-pump for the "new" carbon commuter, I discovered that Topeak parts support seems pretty comprehensive.

If I was to replace it, I would buy a Silca.