Bontrager Turbocharger HP leaking around pressure gauge - repairable?
#1
Full Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Aug 2020
Posts: 244
Mentioned: 1 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 206 Post(s)
Liked 38 Times
in
27 Posts
Bontrager Turbocharger HP leaking around pressure gauge - repairable?
Bontrager Turbocharger HP pump has developed a leak that can be felt escaping around the pressure gauge sight glass. Any insights as to what broke and the viability of repairing it?
Thanks!
P.S. I gained a new appreciation for the design of this Bontrager pump when I went to my spare Walmart pump that I have on hand for just such an occasion. It's got a fatter cylinder and moves more air initially but that last 20 psi or so is much more of a chore. I will say the pressure gauge on the Walmart pump is surprisingly accurate as tested against my digital pressure gauge.
Thanks!
P.S. I gained a new appreciation for the design of this Bontrager pump when I went to my spare Walmart pump that I have on hand for just such an occasion. It's got a fatter cylinder and moves more air initially but that last 20 psi or so is much more of a chore. I will say the pressure gauge on the Walmart pump is surprisingly accurate as tested against my digital pressure gauge.
#2
Senior Member
Join Date: Jun 2002
Location: Montreal, Quebec
Posts: 6,032
Mentioned: 16 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1873 Post(s)
Liked 1,748 Times
in
1,012 Posts
Pumps with larger diameter barrels are designed for tires that don't need higher pressure. The larger barrel moves more air per stroke but requires much greater effort as tire pressure increases. Narrower barrels move less air per stroke but require less effort as pressure increases. It is barrel diameter that determines how hard it is to pump a tire to high pressure
Likes For alcjphil:
#3
Senior Member
Join Date: Apr 2016
Posts: 1,419
Mentioned: 3 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 564 Post(s)
Liked 504 Times
in
383 Posts
Pressure gauges have a standard pipe thread, so it should be easy to find a cheap replacement with similar pressure range once you've determined the thread size. Note that the American NPT pipe threads are different than the British BSP threads that most of the rest of the world uses, stuff sourced online may not state which system it uses just e.g. 1/8 inch or 1/4 inch (which also doesn't correspond to the external thread dimension).
Likes For grumpus:
#4
Senior Member
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: Pittsburgh, PA
Posts: 33,656
Bikes: '96 Litespeed Catalyst, '05 Litespeed Firenze, '06 Litespeed Tuscany, '20 Surly Midnight Special, All are 3x10. It is hilly around here!
Mentioned: 39 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 2026 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 1,097 Times
in
743 Posts
I believe Bontrager has a "lifetime" warranty on those pumps. Any Trek/Bontrager dealer should be able to replace it at no cost. I also have a Bontrager pump and the dealer told me if anything ever breaks bring it back for a free replacement.
Likes For HillRider:
#5
Full Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Aug 2020
Posts: 244
Mentioned: 1 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 206 Post(s)
Liked 38 Times
in
27 Posts
No lifetime nuthin' and turns out Bontrager or whoever actually makes their pumps stopped making this particular pump several years ago. I'll see what else the Trek store has and at some point look inside this ailing pressure gauge and see if I can fabricate something to get it fixed.
#6
Senior Member
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: Pittsburgh, PA
Posts: 33,656
Bikes: '96 Litespeed Catalyst, '05 Litespeed Firenze, '06 Litespeed Tuscany, '20 Surly Midnight Special, All are 3x10. It is hilly around here!
Mentioned: 39 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 2026 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 1,097 Times
in
743 Posts
No lifetime nuthin' and turns out Bontrager or whoever actually makes their pumps stopped making this particular pump several years ago. I'll see what else the Trek store has and at some point look inside this ailing pressure gauge and see if I can fabricate something to get it fixed.
#7
Full Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Aug 2020
Posts: 244
Mentioned: 1 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 206 Post(s)
Liked 38 Times
in
27 Posts
I'm not finding anything about a lifetime warranty on Bontrager pumps. The only lifetime warranty I find is on the frame, fork and carbon wheels.
I'll see what they say at the Trek store.
#8
Full Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Aug 2020
Posts: 244
Mentioned: 1 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 206 Post(s)
Liked 38 Times
in
27 Posts
Take it with you to the Trek store and see what they will do about the warranty. You may get a newer model as a replacement. Replacement pressure gauges are available from Industrial Supply houses like Grainger and McMaster Carr but a lot of bike pumps have the gauge molded in, not threaded, so replacement isn't practical.
#9
Senior Member
Join Date: Feb 2022
Location: GMT-5
Posts: 977
Mentioned: 1 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 570 Post(s)
Liked 428 Times
in
283 Posts
The OP let their pump freeze in the garage over the winter.
Moisture/water gets into the "curved metal tube", that's what froze and expanded.
When working at a LBS, I have explained this to clients why I denied them a warranty exchange.
Moisture/water gets into the "curved metal tube", that's what froze and expanded.
When working at a LBS, I have explained this to clients why I denied them a warranty exchange.
Likes For soyabean:
#10
Full Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Aug 2020
Posts: 244
Mentioned: 1 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 206 Post(s)
Liked 38 Times
in
27 Posts
Btw that gauge looks nothing like the internals he showed me a picture of after looking up the Turbocharger HP - what he showed me was a plastic unit of some sort that uses an o-ring - I can't swear to it being the correct piece. I'll have to see what it looks like whenever I get it apart.