Going Retro on a Zefal HPx


I think the the greatest pump series ever made is the Zefal HP-HPx series.
You can still pick out the "old farts" on the road because they've got a Zefal on their bike.
The HPx was an improvement over the HP because it was self-mounting. But they slowly standardized on all black finish (from white, silver, and black),
and while you could omit the chrome mounting cap, the spring handle did make the whole package seem bigger.


I decided to see if I couldn't strip the paint on one of my HPx pumps and make it look a little more retro to go with my bikes.
Disassembly of the tube was easy, just unscrew the top cap and remove the handle and plunger assembly
Then unscrew the big screw inside the pump body that holds on the valve head.
Don't try to screw off the valve head, it is captured by a hex in the pump body.
The bottom handle is glued on, but will slide off with some persuasion.


I stripped and polished the pump body.  I've done two, one was painted and one was anodized.
The painted body was easy; spray on some paint remover and peel off the paint.
The anodized body took Dow Oven cleaner to remove the anodize. Four applications, waiting about three hours before steel wooling.
I polished the tubes, fine sand paper, then aluminum polish.
When I reassembled the pump, I left off the bottom handle. Pumps get hot when you pump, but I think it's going to be worth it.
If it's a problem, I'll just put it back on.
I used the chrome pump head from an old Zefal HP pump. They're the same and interchange.
I did use the screw (valve) assembly from the HPx because it seemed like an improved design.


Can anybody tell me how to disassemble the top handle assembly without destroying it?

Back together and looking plenty retro!