Topeak’s JoeBlow pump has flaws

Stripped threads in aluminum base caused JoeBlow pump to fail. Poor design.

(Update, Nov. 28, 2022: I moved my 20-year-old Joe Blow pump hose to the new pump and that fixed the bent valve tips issue. The old hose has what I think is a better pump head design. The old hose is a perfect match to the new one as well, except it’s a foot longer — even better!)

(Update, Sept. 9, 2022: Ever since I purchased this pump I’ve had problems with presta valve tips bending, and even breaking. I think the pump head is to blame. Try unthreading the piece at the tip just a small amount to reduce the risk of bending. I bought some schrader adapters and screwed them over the presta.)

(Update, July 20, 2021: I didn’t say how my operation turned out because I wanted to give the pump time to recover fully. Like people, pumps need time to settle in after an overhaul/disassembly. The operation was a success. The pump works as well as can be expected for its age. It’s suitable as a back-up pump.)

I’ve been using the JoeBlow Sport pump since around 2000, and it has been a workhorse. The only other floor pump I owned was a Silca.

The Silca got old and died, which happens to all pumps. It served me well for about 20 years.

I bought the JoeBlow Sport III and now I wish I hadn’t. I should have bought a Park or Levitan. They support their product with replacement parts and show how to maintain them on YouTube. Topeak, not so much.

But on to the flaw. My floor pump failed for a simple reason. The base plate is held by three socket-cap screws. They’re too small for the job.

My new JoeBlow has the same problem, puny bolts, and it looks like the design has not changed in 20 years. I tightened them down, and they needed it, even though the pump was new.

Before I go any farther, to get the most life out of those screws tighten them every few months or so with an allen key. They need to be tight. Had I known when I bought the pump, I probably wouldn’t be writing this column.

The screws keep the floor plate attached to the tube. Standing on the floor plate and jerking on the pump when inflating strains the screws,

Now for a deep dive that explains how to fix the problem. Only do this if your pump’s screws are stripped out and you have nothing to lose.

I know about tapping stripped threads, but I’ve never tried it. Adam Savage of MythBusters fame has a fun and educational guide on how to tap threads on YouTube.

The part that needs tapping is the round plug that sits inside the base of the pump tube. It’s machined aluminum. Aluminum is much softer than steel bolts, so it’s easy to see why the hole threads stripped.

JoeBlow sport pump disassembled, minus the base plate.

After checking the bolt diameter, it turned out that a 1/4 inch 20 (thread count) one inch socket cap screw would work, barely. I say barely because the aluminum plug and its holes are perilously close to the outside edge.

I pressed on because I had nothing to lose. My tapping experience went as well as could be expected for a newbie. I didn’t break the tap and the threads were as vertical as I could make them. That’s crucial. They need to be vertical.

Before you tap, be sure you tap in the right direction. The aluminum disk has a raised lip that faces down. An O ring rests in the lip notch inside the base of the tube. Drill up, the screw’s orientation.

Topeak uses screws with only a small amount of thread. The rest of the screw is smooth. I didn’t find anything like it, so I had to tap the pressure gauge plastic and the base plate, both trivial but be sure they’re as vertical as possible because the thread goes through three parts. Using fully threaded screws makes for a much stronger base.

I purchased the Azuno 17-piece tap and die set in US standard thread measurement. English is less expensive and parts are more readily available than metric.

Note that not all taps are alike. Ideally, you would use a tap that begins its threads at the tip. The Azuno has a void area at the tip. That meant I had to drill clean through the aluminum disk. I don’t think it matters. I can’t imagine air escaping through the threaded screw. If you’re concerned, plug the holes with something.

Disassembly and assembly of the pump is a pain. Removing the pump shaft requires using a screwdriver to press in a plastic tab in two holes at the top of the pump shaft, hidden by a piece of plastic. It’s a terrible design. (That was 20 years ago. The new pump doesn’t use that design today.)

Getting out the aluminum disk requires a long stick or pole. Another O ring sits loose on top of the aluminum disk. Weird.

While you’re at it, clean and lubricate the parts, using heavy oil, but not car grease.

A one-inch screw will work better than the 6/8″ screw length the pump comes with. That’s another reason the Topeak base screws failed. They had only five or six threads in the aluminum. Terrible engineering.

After going through this nonsense, I realize that Topeak’s product offering is inferior to other pumps on the market. I’m not saying they’re terrible, just mediocre. Lesson learned.