pump repair - Schwinn 1500
 

I think I read that someone wanted to repair a Schwinn 1500 tire pump and was advised parts are no longer available. I also have a Schwinn 1500 tire pump made in the mid-1970s. When I attached the hose to a valve stem, there was the sound of rushing air, but nothing happened. I feared something inside the pressure gage chamber might be leaking, but it was only the rubber doughnut in the clamp on hose end that attaches to the valve stem. I could not find the rubber doughnut or a piece of rubber tubing that would do the job. A local hardware store has braided pump hoses with clamp on ends for about $4. I found one for more money plus shipping charges at Amazon.com, too. The threaded end on the one at the hardware store did not match my pump, but a brass connecting tube was included. Cut both hoses and splice them with the brass tube. The cable ties included to hold the connection were junk, but I used my own and the hose connection holds very well for pressures in excess of 100 pounds. My pump works well again. It does a better job with Presta valves, but the head must be positioned very precisely on the stem with Shrader valves, or one of two conditions occurs: no air enters the tube because the valve pin was not pushed open, or air leaks out of the tube because you cannot get the head off of the stem fast enough. Over the years I did need to oil the leather washer in the pump chamber.