Specialized Floor pumps - doing something wrong?

[oldguy00]

Hi all, I have a near new Specialized Pro floor pump, bought new from the LBS less than a year ago.
Ever since getting it, I have always found it very hard to press onto the valves (presta), even if I loosen off the metal cap on the pump head. Then when trying to pump, aside from the fact that it doesn't stay on that well even with the lever in the locked position, I find there is air coming out of that little metal button/valve on top of thew pump handle (I'm not pressing on it when it happens).
Kind of fed up with a pump this expensive not working as well as my 10 year old $30 Pedros pump.........
Any advice??
Thx!

[phoenix]

Bring it back to the shop where you purchased it or any Specialized Dealer and talk to them about what is going on. Best case scenario would be to go back to the shop where you purchased it. They will warranty it if necessary. Sounds like the gasket is faulty. They will either give you a new pumphead or warranty it for you. Specialized has a customer satisfaction guarantee so you should be good. In general they make a really solid floor pump, but not everything can be perfect all the time.

[biker72]

Hi all, I have a near new Specialized Pro floor pump, bought new from the LBS less than a year ago.
Ever since getting it, I have always found it very hard to press onto the valves (presta), even if I loosen off the metal cap on the pump head. Then when trying to pump, aside from the fact that it doesn't stay on that well even with the lever in the locked position, I find there is air coming out of that little metal button/valve on top of thew pump handle (I'm not pressing on it when it happens).
Kind of fed up with a pump this expensive not working as well as my 10 year old $30 Pedros pump.........
Any advice??
Thx!

I have one about the same age and so far have had no problems. Take it back to your LBS. Have them look at it. Should be covered under warranty.

[11.4]

It's a very good pump and you shouldn't be having problems. I do see a fair number of riders not installing the head correctly, and also that head does occasionally have problems with particular valve stems that are slightly over- or under-sized. Sometimes the rubber insert in the pump head starts off a little bit tight because of some flashing in the molding process -- I just pull it out and use a small rattail file to clean it out gently. But having gone through a lot of those pumps, that's a rare occurrence. It should work really well for you and the shop should make sure it does, so to echo what others have said, take it to the shop with your wheel and have them make sure everything is working right -- using your wheel takes out any issues about valve stem differences between what they might test it on and what you have.

I don't know why someone in Thailand decided to make millions of inner tubes (both for clinchers and tubulars) that have the valve stem milled down to a slightly smaller diameter. They seem to be showing up in shops and have the opposite problem that you seem to have -- the pump head won't stay on, and it affects a large number of pump heads.

I have the top-of-the-line Specialized and also a Lezyne CNC (actually both the travel version and the full-sized one). I can't say which I like more -- both do really well, and better than anything else I've tried.

[thirdgenbird]

I really like my specialized pro as well. In several years, I'm not sure it's ever leaked at the stem or bleed valve. Quiet and efficient.

I'm about to buy a matching frame pump as a result. Alloy construction, pretty, and cheaper than some competitors.

[oldguy00]

Thanks all. I'm not sure why I hear that bleed valve on the handle releasing some air with every pump.
I think the main issue I was having was that I couldn't get the pump head to push onto the valve enough to begin with. Last night I tried loosening the metal screw on head almost all the way, and that seemed to help a bit.

I really really miss my Zefal Double Shot pump from way back in the early 90's. Is there anything like that on the market now?? :(

[oldguy00]

Probably a dumb question, but whats the purpose of the pressure release button on the pump handle? Just seems to leak air with every stroke, even at low pressures...

[oldguy00]

Oh, one last thing - I have looked at Lezyne pumps too, but my understanding after reading about them and watching a few youtube vids, is that they do not work that well with valve extenders, since the pump head requires threads on the valve to properly attach. I don't want a pump that I have to use one hand to hold the pump head on to the valve...
Given that most wheelsets need valve extenders these days, why would anyone want a Lezyne??
I've also tried Silca....again, pump head is hard to get to stay on the valves without holding it on. Don't care how rebuildable it is, its a PIA to use!! :)

[druptight]

I'm on year 5ish of my specialized (I think I've got the comp, the one below yours), and it's by far the best pump I've ever used. Pressurizes nicely, leaks no air, goes on super easy - literally never had an issue. I love the pressure release hiss you get when you unlock it and pull it off. Probably one of my best cycling related purchases ever.

They sell replacement heads at the LBS near me for like $10, maybe worth taking your pump over there and seeing if swapping the head fixes your problem.

[merckx]

I have a SBI pump that works well except that I was not fond of the chuck so I binned it and installed a proper Silca brass head. It is lovely now.

[ultraman6970]

My advice... change the chuck for a simpler and better design. Almost all the floor pumps I have seen have those plastic multi purpose chucks with levers and crap that are a pita, not like any silca chuck that pretty much is a hole, you put the thing in the valve and ready to go... if you need shradder valve you can get an adaptor for that.

Even if you have a crappy pump you get a lot of more performance out of them with a silca chuck... for the record never used the japanese ones that come with a lever, they say are super good too.

[oldpotatoe]

My advice... change the chuck for a simpler and better design. Almost all the floor pumps I have seen have those plastic multi purpose chucks with levers and crap that are a pita, not like any silca chuck that pretty much is a hole, you put the thing in the valve and ready to go... if you need shradder valve you can get an adaptor for that.

Even if you have a crappy pump you get a lot of more performance out of them with a silca chuck... for the record never used the japanese ones that come with a lever, they say are super good too.

Tanaka, Hirame-esque. New Silca heads are nice, QR type, two ended, nice.

[bobswire]

If your pump has both the schrader and presta heads buy one of these, not only does it work better using the schrader you won't bend or break off the tip of the presta valves any more.

Ever since I've been using this no problems at all, no leaks or stripped pump heads,like night and day.

http://i60.tinypic.com/2eewh9k.jpg

[thirdgenbird]

If the head. On mine wears out, I will probably install this one:
http://i280.photobucket.com/albums/kk177/thirdgenbird/bike%20parts/2011-01-03203607.jpg

[oldguy00]

Thanks all. I've since realized that my valve extenders have (I think) threads that will work with the Lezyne pumps. Gonna take my wheels to another local LBS that stocks them to try on my wheels. :)