Following a discussion down the beach about F*%$king pumps, I though about this post, I've been meaning to make it for ages. I've never had an issue with a pump, probably because I clean them when I can feel them starting to jam up. Seems to me its impossible to keep sand out of them and in the end they are disposable (and recyclable).

The Blue pump is a Cabrinha from approx 2013/14, still works well, I've cleaned it and re lubed it approx 5-6 times. The inside of the pump body is scored from sand but with enough lube it still seals against the piston and pumps a kite to full pressure.
The white pump is the new Ozone pump, which looks like most of the new brands have now. It pumps much faster and with less friction, and is about 10% bigger in volume.

All the pumps I've seen and opened up to look inside had most of the lube pit in them when they were new, pooled in the bottom of the pump. I recommend that if you buy a new pump, before you use it, open it up and use a steel ruler or something to collect all that lube at the bottom and spread it all over the cylinder and the piston and the shaft of the pump between the lid and the piston. Anytime your pump feels dry, grinding or makes any weird noises other than sounding like an asthmatic chain smoker, pull the lid off, pull the piston out, clean with a rag (old t-shirts work well) or newspaper, then apply a liberal finger full of vaseline to the inside of the cylinder, all around the black seal on the piston, and on the shaft between the lid and piston. Clean the seal on the inside of the lid too, the handle screws off so it can be removed.

Good advice on the new Ozone pump

Differences in size. The new pumps definitely pump faster and with less effort, the design inside is different to all the older style pumps.

The piston from the blue pump, I had cleaned it last summer and it has pumped a lot of kites since then, but the lube was contaminated with lots of sand and I'm careful with my pump! Took a few minutes to wipe it clean with an old t-shirt and put some vasso on it, good as new again.

Quite a lot of scoring evident on the inside of the pump, balls of lube and sand on the bottom.

Inside of a near new Ozone pump, most of the factory lube is on the bottom of the pump.

Remove the cover plate and clean this seal everytime you clean the pump.

Thanks that is really useful but what we really want to know is which pump is the biggest boosting??

I always have problems with my pumps.
Have about four and none work properly.

Anybody know of a heavy duty or long life pump.
I'd be willing to spend the bucks for something alloy rather than plastic.

Never seen one but surely somebody makes one??

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TerryMcTool said...
Following a discussion down the beach about F*%$king
I've never had an issue
I can feel them starting to jam up.
Seems to me its impossible to keep sand out of them and in the end they are disposable.


I recommend that you lube the bottom and spread it all over the shaft.
Anytime you feel dry, apply a liberal finger full of vaseline all around the black seal and on the shaft

Good advice

Wow Steve
A happy Mardi Gras weekend to you too

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Ragzilla said...
I always have problems with my pumps.
Have about four and none work properly.

Anybody know of a heavy duty or long life pump.
I'd be willing to spend the bucks for something alloy rather than plastic.

Never seen one but surely somebody makes one??

I have the same problem mine , theyusually **** out after a shot life span. You can buy a heavy duty pumps that are used for inflatable SUP's they are rated to a higher psi and go for about $100 for example naish make this type.

@ The Doctor - classic, I knew someone would pump up the innuendo !!

@Markus86, just clean them, be careful not to drop your pump in the sand and and drag it around the beach, I usually put my one in my bag, or back in the car especially on windy days. But like I said its impossible to keep sand out of them so clean them at least once each season. That blue one is at least 3 seasons old, still going strong.

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TerryMcTool said...
@ The Doctor - classic, I knew someone would pump up the innuendo !!

@Markus86, just clean them, be careful not to drop your pump in the sand and and drag it around the beach, I usually put my one in my bag, or back in the car especially on windy days. But like I said its impossible to keep sand out of them so clean them at least once each season. That blue one is at least 3 seasons old, still going strong.

Ive just cleaned my 3 pumps as you said also added 2 screws to clamp tight the small valves (which tend to pop out )on the main piston head . They go like new , cheers.

I used to try and get old pumps going again and found bike chain oil works well, but silicone spray or wd-40 deteriorates the rubber piston rings.

I am an electric pump convert now having got sick of pumps failing after 20 odd uses, probably not best to use on sand but still OK and very handy when in a hurry to get out, get your kite pumped while you are putting on your wetty etc.

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TerryMcTool said..
@ The Doctor - classic, I knew someone would pump up in ur endo !!

Zip tying a piece of dish cloth to the inlet valve to stop most of the sand works well, then the odd relube and they perform for years

Hey T mctool. regarding Vasoline, it is Petroleum based, hence unfriendly to rubber (seals). Silicone Grease has been the go for us, assembling o-rings and rubber seals, in my trade, as it wont deteriorate

btw Im a mechanical fitter, in case your wondering about my in depth knowledge of rubber rings and vaso
not an ex polley

P.S use rubber grease from repco or the like, 5 bucks for a life time of lube

Hi
Been toiling with pumps for years ,tried using filter on intake to fix sand intake,help 90%. Once chased up a water water rafting pump
which is totally rebuildable.
got to price then didn't worry about it anymore $240.
was nice pump though.
Guy on Ebay who works with Bravo sold me ($90)high pressure tall pump,has round seal in it.
no quicker to use but will pump to high pressure.
Spoke to him with no service when seal was rolling off plunger even after 2 uses and well lubed.
He said a none internal seal version is coming soon
if you need link for expensive pump ,let me know.

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techtonic said..
Hey T mctool. regarding Vasoline, it is Petroleum based, hence unfriendly to rubber (seals). Silicone Grease has been the go for us, assembling o-rings and rubber seals, in my trade, as it wont deteriorate

btw Im a mechanical fitter, in case your wondering about my in depth knowledge of rubber rings and vaso
not an ex polley

No worries, lube is an essential part of our daily lives, we should be able to talk openly about it!
I think the seals in the pumps we use, in fact I'm sure of it, are not rubber at all, they are a synthetic plastic compound and thats was vasso has no negative effect on them.
Something about the solvents in spray lubes like WD40 and Silicon sprays, definitely affects them though and will ruin any kite pump.

@Nigelw2 and techtonic- I'll head down to repco or super cheap today and check that out, theres an industrial supplies place nearby too, will go an have a chat to the guys there about silicon greases too, and I'll take a pump so they don't freak out.

ive been useing 1 pump with silicone spray going on....4 years ......6 countrys....black white gold and like literally shiny gold sand

zero evidence of any wear on the rubber skirting of the cabrinha pump etc or the valves.... i am super anal about my equipment tho....

what makes you think silicone spray eats away at the rubber/rubberylike **** in the pumps steve?

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Kozzie said..
ive been useing 1 pump with silicone spray going on....4 years ......6 countrys....black white gold and like literally shiny gold sand

zero evidence of any wear on the rubber skirting of the cabrinha pump etc or the valves.... i am super anal about my equipment tho....

what makes you think silicone spray eats away at the rubber/rubberylike **** in the pumps steve?

It must be that the contents of cans of "Silicone spray" vary a lot. I've definitely had the synthetic rubber seal on some pumps expand and go soft, but this was a few years ago. I have never used silicone spray on any pump since. The one I used was CRC brand, and some other cheapy from bunnings.

The new Ozone pump is a cracker. The air inlet filter should see them last much long between services to remove sand. +1 for light silicone grease which kept my old pump going for 3 seasons.

Now that we took care of the pumps - where do you get replacement hose?
Have a few working pumps but have not had much luck with the hose - most of them splitting at the top....

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Satti said...
Now that we took care of the pumps - where do you get replacement hose?
Have a few working pumps but have not had much luck with the hose - most of them splitting at the top....

Dude , use your noggin
Arghh well I'll talk you through it
Cut off hose at split,
Then run Stanley knife along shaft/ hose/ pump and seperate remainder of hoae
Lightly sand off
A liberal coating of pipe cement to inside of hose and shaft/ pump and push on
Due to hose length you can do this dozens of times
Maybe try disconnecting pipe from pump at pack down, as this is when and where it kinks
Struggling to understand?
I'll brake it down in photos, just yell out

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Mark50 said...
The new Ozone pump is a cracker. The air inlet filter should see them last much long between services to remove sand. +1 for light silicone grease which kept my old pump going for 3 seasons.

Got a 2011/12 pump with a gen 1 catalyst
Never touched it apart from hose repair still going strong, it actually has done Double the work as my buddy grabs it for his kites,
Only drama I've had
I sucked in my laces from my boardies waist once into the deflate , looked a knob end trying to seperate myself

This ad has been brought to you by Ozone

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theDoctor said..

TerryMcTool said...
Following a discussion down the beach about F*%$king
I've never had an issue
I can feel them starting to jam up.
Seems to me its impossible to keep sand out of them and in the end they are disposable.


I recommend that you lube the bottom and spread it all over the shaft.
Anytime you feel dry, apply a liberal finger full of vaseline all around the black seal and on the shaft

Good advice

Wow Steve
A happy Mardi Gras weekend to you too

The Doctor sees through to the hidden meaning in your post McTool!!

I may be just be an old fool adding something to this possibly gay thread.
TerryMctool you are definitely anal probably even bleached
Perhaps ur just a Sheldon
Anyways you don't have to lube ur shaft just the cylinder and seal.
You want your shaft to be dry so it doesn't attract sand when it's exposed and it does get exposed.
I use silicone spray not sure about the breaking down of the seal, my pumps seem fine.
But thanx for showing me the new ozone pump, looks great.

Haven't had a problem with pumps for years then I lend my new Ozone pump to someone to pump up their kite.

They break it, can't see what they did but it's f**'d now.

Its always a tough crowd here, damned if you do and damned if you don't. I have 2 pumps up here in wonderland, I posted pics of them. Maybe I should restart the thread with the title "Don't show us your pump"

Tried to buy hoses a few times, none of the brands will see us the hoses, weird? Easy to repair and if you do just this one thing your hose will last as long as your pump, TAKE it OFF the PUMP, before you pack it away, then it does not kink.