Topeak SmartHead Pump Rebuild kit for Joe Blow Pro and Joe Blow Booster

My older Joe Blow pump has been a mainstay for years, and will continue to be that, thanks to these repair kits. Picked up a few to have the parts when replacements are needed.

I bought this kit understanding it did not include the rubber piece the lever on the pump head pushes against to compress everything tight around the valve stem. Others have complained about that in their reviews. That part looks more difficult to replace than the ones included here because you have to remove the pin that holds the lever, and then reinstall it.My Joe Blow Pro pump is about 9 years old, and so the pin and spring were long gone, and the rubber piece that connects with the valve stem was shredded, so I knew I at least needed these pieces, and hoped they'd bring my pump back to it's original glory. They were easy to install, and work correctly. The large O-ring fit the piston inside the main shaft of the pump.However, my pump head is one that suffers from the worn out rubber behind the lever. My pump still doesn't work very well. It leaks air from the back of the head when attached to the tube's valve. I have to pump faster than it leaks. But the head seals on the valve-stem now.So if I were to review the parts it comes with, I'd give it 5 stars. And even though I knew it wouldn't have the other piece of the head I needed, the kit *really* should include this part to be considered a perfect rebuild kit. Too many pumps need that part replaced, as the reviews here show. On the plus side, the price is completely reasonable for what it is. So I'll be nice and give it 4 stars.

I’m a repair and reuse kinda guy, so when my 10 year Joe Blow Pro smarthead stopped working, I immediately looked for a refresh kit. Problem: Flipping the lever would no longer press in the pins reliably, even when fully seating the head on the valve stem, so the pump would register no pressure when I flipped the lever. Pumping at that point only pressurized the space between the head and the valve. Solution: This kit took less than a minute to put on (unscrew, replace, screw on) and the lever mechanism started working like new. So happy that my pump has repairable parts! Note: I didn’t use the washer, although I used dielectric grease to make the pump action smoother last year when I noticed a scraping sound while pumping. Maybe it will come in handy in the future.

I purchased the Topeak kit # TRK-JB01 to rebuild the chuck head on my Joe Blow Pro pump. I like this pump a lot but it was having trouble engaging on Schrader valves. The kit worked fine except for the sealing ring gasket which was much too large. Perhaps this is due to the age of my pump (approx. 15 yr) and a design change. If this is the case, one would think Topeak could include both sizes (or more?) in the kit to accommodate all pumps. Fortunately, my pump was not leaking at the "O" ring, so I cleaned and lubed the old one and re-installed it.

What can you say about a repair kit? The Topeak pump is the best pump bar none. The other thing that makes a good pump from a crummy pump is the ability to repair the pump when you need to. There is a consensus that Park tools makes good products and many people purchase their pumps but you can't find parts for them very easily. If you use your pump on presta valves, the rubber grommet that holds the pressure in the valve unit will start to wear and your pump will not hold pressure. Nothing is more frustrating than needing to inflate a 120 psi tire with a pump that won't work. This repair kit is inexpensive so purchase several. This kit makes the Topeak pump the pump to purchase. The other option is to change your presta tubes to the Michelin tubes. They do not have the rough stem that causes failures of pump grommets. Your pump will last longer.

This kit didn't fix my problem. I wound up buying a complete replacement hose for $30.00. It seems that the mechanism where the lever clamps on to the valve can be damaged. In my case the pin holding the lever had loosened and allowed this to become misaligned when I tried to use it, which damaged the head. There is a plastic piece underneath with springs that is apparently fairly delicate. By the way, it has been noted that there are no instructions for the kit . This should be a problem but in case anyone is wondering the large 'O' ring is for the inside of the pump around the plunger.

So try lubricating the parts. Topeak also sent me a backflow valve so I have a brand new beautiful aluminum pump with no rust at all. This part is easy to install however the pump backflow valve was difficult.

The head on my Joe Blow pump had been getting harder to use. It wouldn't pump schraeder valves any more and would hang up on presta valves. All of the parts except for the O ring were easy to replace with the rebuild kit. I didn't even bother trying to replace that. I now have no problem pumping up tubes with either schraeder or presta valves. It still is a little hard to remove from presta valves but it's not a problem.

Good