Cycling UK Forum

I have had one of these for many years and it works brilliantly. A few years ago I bought a service kit and replaced the little rubber tubes that bind around the valve when the pump head is applied.

These little parts have worn out again......and are no longer available.

So, I now have a 99.9% perfect pump which will last for very many years if only I can find the replacement parts.

Blackburn would help if I lived in the UK but the UK distributor suggested I buy a new valve head which is about the same price as a new pump.

In an effort to not contribute to the world's ever-growing pile of waste caused by built in obsolescence I though I'd post here and see if anyone can suggest a solution please.

Do you mean the O ring seals?
Usually if you know the diameter and thickness you can buy them for a couple of pounds on eBay.

.... or do you mean the rubber bits that squidge onto the valve.
You probably would need a new head then, assuming you can't get the right sized squidgy bits.
It might be the case that by chance, another makes squidgy bits might fit, but that would be a faff to determine, unless you had easy access to some squidgy bits.
If you need a new head, you could probably fit any make of head, assuming the hose is about the same size. That might open up your choices/prices.
I think you can still get SKS squidgy bits, so might be worth trying for one of their heads? (Don't go for the SKS super squidgy 1 hole head that does PV and SV (doesn't work on SV.....).
You might even find someone with a good head/otherwise knackered pump.

Yes, that's right, I need to squidgy bits that get compressed and grip the valve.

TBH, it's a question of £15 to get a whole new pump but it seems an incredible waste to do so. Everything else on the TPS-2 is serviceable and the metal construction has got another 20 years in it for sure.

The squidgy bits look like they are a simple tube but I suspect that there is a lip on one end which helps with the grip as I can't swap them end for end.

I'll get my measuring calipers out.

you need the seal centre top? I would suggest two things worth trying

1) a topeak seal; there are several different ones, none expensive, and provided the diameter is correct the length can be adjusted to suit (cut or spaced with a suitable washer)
2) the seal out of a poundland pump; this fits a few other pumps.

The latter route doesn't help the 'pile of plastic' problem, since you buy another (albeit smaller) pump just to get a seal.

If you can say the exact diameter of the seal you need, others may be able to tell you what might fit. BTW do you use presta, Schrader, or both?

cheers

I would buy a new Topeak Joe Blow head since they work OK.

Thanks, do you know if the Topeak will fit the pipe on my pump?

Topeak do a super valve that fits into an existing hose with a jubilee clip which is supplied. £8.30 on wiggle.

this is the topeak 'super chuck'. I have not yet bought or used this exact thing but these are my impressions of this design; (please feel free to correct them if I have misunderstood in any way).



IIRC it is a push-fit on presta valves and there is a clever pressure release valve which means that it is possible to avoid pulling the chuck off the valve whilst the hose is still under pressure, which is the thing that causes the worst wear on the seal in similar looking devices. However IME such chucks don't seal equally well on every presta valve stem variation, and the seal still wears as the chuck is fitted and released, even if there is no pressure in the hose. Like most such chucks, I think you won't get a pressure reading on the gauge until after the pump has been used to push air into the tyre; I think the presta valve core is not pushed in by the chuck, so it is best to tap it in to unstick it before the chuck is fitted.

To use this chuck with Schrader valves, you need to use the supplied screw-on adaptor. IIRC the adaptor forces the Schrader valve open, and has within it a check valve with a low opening pressure differential. Thus when the adaptor is used, you need to push a bit of air into the tyre before you get a gauge reading, just like with a presta valve.

As the main seal in the chuck wears, it is (with most similar chucks) possible to tighten the collar to partially compensate for the seal wear. However if you have different presta valve stems in your 'fleet', or the presta stems you have are different from the adaptor, it might be that you will see accelerated seal wear unless you adjust the collar for each different fitting.

In the long term you are of course totally at the mercy of the makers for continued supplies of seals. As of some date in 2019, it says here

https://www.sjscycles.co.uk/pumps/topeak-super-chuck-dual-valve-pump-connector/

that the seal is not available in the UK. D'oh!

cheers

I had a 90° adapter for my silca track pump for using on my disc wheel when I used to time trial. Not sure if it was a proper silca adapter but I had it for about 20 years and it never let me down.