Zefal Frame Pump Woes!

[tnort...@gmail.com]

My pump is in need of some new parts. There is almost no air pressure when I attempt to use it.

Anyone have or know where to buy some parts?

Here is a pic of my pump. BTW, I tried a bit of grease but no go.

Thanks!

Tom

Chardon,Ohio

[Mitchell Gass]

Hi Tom,

The parts shown in the photo all look fine. If there's no obvious wear or damage to the leather washer, try a bit more grease on it (rub it in on both sides and along the edge to soften it up), use your thumbs to open it up and increase its diameter a bit, and then reassemble the pump and try it. That's always worked for me in the rare cases when I wasn't getting pressure.

Mitchell Gass

Berkeley CA USA

[Hahn Rossman]

You can order the parts directly from Legal, or get your LBS to get them from JB importers

--
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "650b" group.
To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to 650b+uns...@googlegroups.com.
To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/650b/ce78a25e-a23c-4054-845a-6677688091b0n%40googlegroups.com.

[Peter Adler]

Whoa, slow down everybody. I think you're making a lot of assumptions fro a single photo without much detail.

Which model of ZEFAL is it? Rubber or leather pump gasket? What's the interior diameter of the pump body?

ZEFAL has been making frame pumps for 100 years. They've used a number of different fittings over the years, first using leather gaskets (a la Silca Impero, mounted with a machine screw) and then using rubber gaskets (first mounted with a machine screw to a threaded hole in the shaft, then to a plastic fitting crimped to the end of the shaft). They often used different diameter gaskets in different generations of the same model/design pump, most notably with the Solibloc which was around for decades.

By coincidence, I've been doing a lot of ZEFAL-sleuthing recently. I have several anodized aluminum-body Solibloc pumps (one red, one gold), and one Solibloc-like pump not branded as Solibloc, done with a near-identical design (in a sort of 7-Up bottle green; I think the pump is older than the others):

1) red anodized, ZEFAL Solibloc Procede Course decal on body, ZEFAL Solibloc molded into 110mm handle, 20mm rubber gasket attached to plastic spearpoint fitting clamped into end of hollow pump shaft

2) gold anodized, ZEFAL Solibloc Procede Course decal on body, ZEFAL Solibloc molded into 110mm handle, missing 20mm rubber gasket for attachment to plastic spearpoint fitting clamped into end of hollow pump shaft

3) 7-Up bottle green anodized, no body decal, ZEFAL molded into 97mm handle, leather gasket screwed to solid pump shaft

Problem is, the most recent variant of the ZEFAL Solibloc doesn't use a 20mm rubber gasket; it uses a 23mm rubber gasket. ZEFAL's site lists several different replacement rubber gaskets for different pump models: 18mm, 22mm, 23mm, 26mm, 29mm, 30mm, 46mm. They may stock other sizes for discontinued models; if so, why don't they tell us about them?

I see that you've also posted this request to BikeForums, where you also haven't identified the model of the pump. You've got to know what you need.

Additional wrinkle: I recently bought three new ZEFAL gaskets in different sizes (18/22/23mm), in the hopes of getting one that fits my old Solibloc pup, in case I've been inaccurately measuring the internal diameter. I have not yet tried any of these gaskets, but at least two of them won't work for my intended purpose. If any of them is the one you need, contact me and assuming I can't use it, I'll pass it on to you for what I paid plus shipping.

Peter "help us help you" Adler

Berkeley, CA/USA

On Sunday, March 6, 2022 at 12:12:17 PM UTC-8 tnort...@gmail.com wrote:

[tnort...@gmail.com]

As for the model of the pump I am not sure. It is not a HPX style. The "washer is rubber not leather.

I have a HPX pump and it definitely has more umph than this one.

Tom

Chardon, Ohio

[tnort...@gmail.com]

Also I am wondering if I have the correct diameter  washer?

Tom 

Chardon Ohio

[Peter Adler]

Do you have a caliper or micrometer to measure the interior diameter of the pump body when the shaft/washer have been removed? Also, if you can take a face-on photo of the washer, that should show how it attaches to the shaft. In the attached photo, the upper shaft is from a ZEFAL Tornade Solibloc (1970s-80s, I'd guess) and the lower one is from a 1960s ZEFAL Solibloc. You can clearly see the plastic (nylon?) fittings; the hole in the rubber gaskets snaps onto the arrow part, with the cupped side facing away from the shaft.

If it turns out that the washer you have is 20mm diameter and you need something a skoshe larger, I think we have the ingredients for a trade.

Peter Adler

Berkeley, CA/USA

[tnort...@gmail.com]

I measured the ID @ 18mm. Cleaned a degreased but not much better.

Here is a pic.

Tom

Chardon,Ohio

[Peter Adler]

Allow me to quote the eBay guy in Florida who sold me three ZEFAL gaskets (the 22mm one works really well in the 20mm interior of the gold ZEFAL Solibloc Procede course):

I am glad that your problem has been resolved. The thing to remember is that for a Rubber "Cup Type" seal
to function... an "Interference fit" is required, The diameter of the Seal must always be larger than the Bore
of the cylinder it operates in. This type of Seal design is also commonly used in Automotive Brake master
cylinders , and Clutch Slave cylinders, but made of a different type of Rubber resistant to Automotive Brake fluid.

That's a useful observation, one that really hadn't occurred to me before he said it. In order to get a complete seal, a flexible gasket has to be a little larger than the tube it fills, otherwise there will be gaps for air to flow past the gasket, wasting your pumping effort. As it is with leather gaskets, so too with rubber.

I would try removing the gasket from that plastic arrow-skewer thingy and measuring the maximum diameter. I'd advise using a caliper, rather than a ruler or measuring tape; you want to be as accurate as you can get. With rulers/measuring tapes, it's easy to measure off-center. My guess is that the largest diameter of the gasket (and the end that goes into the pump body first (is probably over 20mm, in which case the 22mm gasket seems like a reasonable guess. If you're ordering from a source that has multiple sizes, you might try what I did: Order the sizes that you think are a little too big and a little too small. Like you, I have an HPX; I could order the too-small 18mm secure in the knowledge that I can eventually put it in my HPX, for which 18mm is the official size.

In the event you can't find a local source for ZEFAL replacement parts (they have a "search for dealers" function on their website, which doesn't locate any dealers in North America at all 😤), here's the link to the eBay listings of the guy I bought them from. The price is substantially higher than the € 1.63 each listed on ZEFAL's site; but if ZEFAL doesn't give you any way to pay them that price and get the part, fat lot of good their list price does you.

https://www.ebay.com/sch/Sporting-Goods/888/m.html?_nkw=&_armrs=1&_ipg=&_from=&_ssn=eventhorizonindustries

Peter Adler

Berkeley, CA/USA

[David Cummings]

I just bought a gasket for my Zefal Solibloc and had the same issue : none of the gaskets were specifically labeled as compatible for the Solibloc, but it worked. Unfortunately it was last year and I can neither find the real or digital receipt from Zefal. But one of the gaskets they sell works! I just have this sneaky feeling that I bought a gasket larger than the diameter of the pump body because it compresses slightly when inserted into the pump. 

David “full of hot air?” in MT

[tnort...@gmail.com]

I also post on Bike Forum and a fellow is sending me a kit with 2 different gaskets.

Yep it seems to me that the gasket needs to be a bit larger diameter as it doesn't have much resistance as it is.

Will report back!

Tom

Chardon,Ohio

[Hahn Rossman]

Any bike shop with an account with JB importers can order those parts for you. They are one of the biggest wholesalers in USA. 

Hahn " get the rebuild parts for the head a look so"Rossman

--

You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "650b" group.
To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to 650b+uns...@googlegroups.com.

To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/650b/a373cd3b-3e04-4f4c-950d-3314e990bfd6n%40googlegroups.com.

[tnort...@gmail.com]

I work PT in a bike shop and we do order from J&B. Just have to wait until we build an order.

Tom

Chardon,Ohio