Leather Washers for Old Floor Pumps

On Sun, 17 Jul 2005 21:43:44 -0400, Mark Shefrin <[email hidden]>

Quoted message said:

I've got a trusty old Medai/CyclePro floor pump that is losing
compression. I've greased the washer over the years but it feels like
time for a replacement. My LBS's don't have anything close in size.
Any sources? Or instructions on making the cup shaped washers?

Try a hydraulic cylinder repair shop. They can usually get them, if
it's not an exotic size. They'll need to know the dimensions
involved.

There's a source in the UK that might be a better bet than trying to
make one:

http://www.base-camp.co.uk/Cups%20.htm

In the US:

http://www.fortworthgasket.com/Leather%20Spec.htm is in Texas, but
they may have an impractical minimum order.

Ditto for

http://www.northamericanseal.com

If it's a common size, I could probably find it in 15 minutes on the
phone here in Houston; we've got lots of hydraulic cylinder shops in
this city.

To make a leather cup using one method I've seen employed, you need a
tapered cylinder whose exit is of slightly smaller ID than the
cylinder into which the cup will eventually be fitted, and a ram with
an end diameter of the same size at the piston washer in the pump.
The leather disc is cut, the edges are tapered slightly, the leather
is saturated with lanolin, mounted on the end of the ram, and heated
to about 180F (or higher). The ram is then pushed through the taper
(with the disc forming itself around the end of the ram in the
process) and allowed to cool with the cup sitting in the small end.
After cooling, the ram is pushed out and the cup is removed pretty
much ready to install.

Tou *might* get away with forming the cup in place in the pump, but
it's going to depend more on luck than anything else; if even
marginally successful, it'll probably drag like crazy until it wears
into shape, and it won't last as long as one that was the right shape
before it was installed.

--
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Mark Shefrin said:

I've got a trusty old Medai/CyclePro floor pump that is losing
compression. I've greased the washer over the years but it feels like
time for a replacement. My LBS's don't have anything close in size.
Any sources? Or instructions on making the cup shaped washers?

We have 'em

http://www.yellowjersey.org/pumpbits.html

As will most competent LBS. That model was sold under
dozens of brand names for 30 years.
--
Andrew Muzi
www.yellowjersey.org
Open every day since 1 April, 1971

On Sun, 17 Jul 2005 21:43:44 -0400 Mark Shefrin <[email hidden]>

Quoted message said:

I've got a trusty old Medai/CyclePro floor pump that is losing
compression. I've greased the washer over the years but it feels like
time for a replacement. My LBS's don't have anything close in size.
Any sources? Or instructions on making the cup shaped washers?

Check your local hardware store. Mine carries pump washers (useful for
many kinds of pumps) in a number of sizes. You might get lucky.

-
-----------------------------------------------
Jim Adney [email hidden]
Madison, WI 53711 USA
-----------------------------------------------

A Muzi said:

Mark Shefrin said:

I've got a trusty old Medai/CyclePro floor pump that is losing
compression. I've greased the washer over the years but it feels like
time for a replacement. My LBS's don't have anything close in size.
Any sources? Or instructions on making the cup shaped washers?

We have 'em

http://www.yellowjersey.org/pumpbits.html

As will most competent LBS. That model was sold under dozens of brand
names for 30 years.

Thanks. You guys are incredible.

A Muzi said:

Mark Shefrin said:

I've got a trusty old Medai/CyclePro floor pump that is losing
compression. I've greased the washer over the years but it feels like
time for a replacement. My LBS's don't have anything close in size.
Any sources? Or instructions on making the cup shaped washers?

We have 'em

http://www.yellowjersey.org/pumpbits.html

As will most competent LBS. That model was sold under dozens of brand
names for 30 years.

Thanks. You guys are incredible.