Classic cars forum & vehicle restoration.

Wild thing · Joined: 10 Nov 2010 Posts: 2

Hey there

I've got a brass cylinder foot pump which was made by PCL AIR TECHNOLOGY in shefield i think, its a more modern pump than the Kismets and Dunlops mentioned previous and uses a simple piston and O-ring for the seal.

I've upgraded the hose, gauge, and valve adapter to a Hirame Yoko. When I bought the pump it was working fine but I couldn't resist taking it apart to see how it works and to lube the metal to metal parts with a high Moly paste and the piston seals with silicone grease (Molykote dow55).

I ended up polishing the brass with brasso too, both inside and out of the cylinders. The brass seemed to have a coating of something like it had been dipped and was quite dull at first until I broke through that to get to the shiney.

After reassembling the pump i've found that it doesn't hold air and leaks from the cylinders.....d'oh

Has anybody got any suggestions what it may have been coated with? I don't think it was lacquer by the way.....?

Any help would be appreciated.

Can't figure out how to put photos in the post? but they can be seen here and note the picture before I polished the brass:

http://s1010.photobucket.com/albums/af228/wild_thing_berry/foot%20pump/

Wild thing · Joined: 10 Nov 2010 Posts: 2

Ok,

So a very kind gentleman took the time and effort to sign-up on a forum and email me with a possible solution to the problem.

I'm glad to say that due to his excellent advise, I have finally got the pump functioning correctly as i had given up and its been gathering dust since i made my previous post above.

It was simply a case of finding a suitable sized circular rubber washer/disc (7 x 2mm) and placing it in the hole on the manifold, between that and the alloy gauge adapter which screws in and it acts as a non return valve but the gauge is still inline with the pressurised air....... Can't believe i didn't think of that!!!

kismet · Joined: 04 May 2011 Posts: 71 Location: South Staffs

If this works it will be the first image I've ever posted on an internet forum!
It shows a couple of my restored footpumps, A Kismet Garage and a Kismet Scooter-flator to give you an idea of the range of sizes they made.
I'll add more pictures sometime to show some of my more interesting pumps, one of them pre 1900!

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buzzy bee · Joined: 23 Nov 2007 Posts: 3382 Location: South Cheshire

Hey they look posh! I look forward to seeing the others and the early one included! Smile

Jeeves · Joined: 04 Oct 2010 Posts: 69 Location: Blandford, Dorset

Good to see the two pumps, very interesting. I assume it would be possible to apply a guage with the connector still fastened to the tyre valve.

kismet · Joined: 04 May 2011 Posts: 71 Location: South Staffs

Churchill Johnson · Joined: 11 Jan 2011 Posts: 359 Location: Rayleigh Essex

Those clip on style tyre inflater's are no longer used as some idiots i say some because some are dead, when they have clipped them on to a tyre cable tied the lever down on the inflater walked away then come back, just in time to be bending over the tyre when it burst,goodbye mechanic, more so if its a tractor or lorry one, so now one has to hold the valve end on all the time.

kismet · Joined: 04 May 2011 Posts: 71 Location: South Staffs

RotaryBri · Joined: 20 Dec 2007 Posts: 465 Location: Warwick

Kismet

Could you tell me where you obtained the new hose and clips?

I need some for a couple of old pumps.
_________________
Keep Torqueing,

RotaryBri

1976 NSU Ro80

kismet · Joined: 04 May 2011 Posts: 71 Location: South Staffs

BigJohn · Joined: 01 Jan 2011 Posts: 954 Location: Wem, Shropshire

I have picked up 3 Kismet pumps in the last year at car boot sales, the Kismet Duplex Master has War Dept? arrows cast into the frame

Duplex Master arrows

kismet · Joined: 04 May 2011 Posts: 71 Location: South Staffs

The Ministry 'Broad Arrow' marks indicate that it is an ex RAF pump supplied to the air ministry and painted in RAF blue.
On the end of the cylinder where it pivots on the frame on the top half under the paint is an air ministry stamp and the date. All these pumps had the base plate drilled for mounting on maintenance carts or sometimes on airframes, and many have the brass plate removed to give a hook hole.
I've got 4 of these RAF pumps, one of which has the A & M initials instead of the Broad Arrow marks and the government crown.

BigJohn · Joined: 01 Jan 2011 Posts: 954 Location: Wem, Shropshire

I had to go and look! Base of the barrel has A&M and crown with 1952 date stamp. The brass plate is also missing. It pumps tyres up quicker than firing up my compressor, but you don't want to get a crack on the ankle from the foot plate if your foot slips off it, it has a mean spring!
Many thanks, John.

Roger-hatchy · Joined: 07 Dec 2007 Posts: 2135 Location: Tiptree, Essex

The broad arrow is a war ministry emblem for all three services, a lot of the equipment with the artillery had that broad arrow, a lot of the tools I inherited from my father have it on.
Some of the ordnance on the Mary Rose has it on as well

Must get around to renovating the foot pump my grandfather had