MTFCA Forum

It's a round ball in the base of the pump just below the hose that seats there, and is "trapped" by staking into it's "cage". The schrader valve wouldn't work as a check valve as you have the hose involved, as well as the schrader valve being held open by the nozzle, without the check valve you don't pump air. What it does is fill the pump cylinder from the tire.

If your check valve ball is missing or non functional, the vendors sell a check valve assembly that screws onto the end of the pump hose.

https://www.modeltford.com/item/2338CV.aspx

The Schrader valve wouldn't work as a check valve as you have the hose involved, as well as the Schrader valve being held open by the nozzle...

I believe the old pumps that relied on the stem valve had a nozzle that didn't hold the valve open.
This nozzle has nothing to hold the stem valve open. I figure it must have been intended for a pump without a check valve.

Both original and reproduction tire pumps do not have a check valve built into them, making them difficult to use.

...says the Lang's page in Mark's link. My guess is that the correct phrase would be impossible to use because they have a modern nozzle that holds the stem valve open.

The Ford pumps did not come with a check valve (as is stated in the Lang's check valve link above). Any check valves, at least in the brass pumps, were after market. The difference in the valve stem coupler would be the little piece of metal in the middle of the coupler that would work in conjunction with the check valve. The original Ford coupler had no center piece and, therefore, would not depress the valve stem requiring the tire pump pressure to unseat the valve allowing air into the tube. The pictured coupler without the center piece is original to the Ford brass pumps.

The original Ford coupler had no center piece and, therefore, would not depress the valve stem requiring the tire pump pressure to unseat the valve allowing air into the tube.

As I suspected. I'll remove the center piece and see how well things go when you use only the stem valve.

I tried that and all that happened was the handle came back up and that was with an empty tube. Reading this leads me to think the springs may have been different, a little weaker then the ones we have now. My pump had a new leather so maybe not a pump issue. You pump would at some point have to overcome the pressure in the tire, so it would need some good output.

Mark me down as skeptical that the pump will work without the fitting that depresses the Schrader valve core. Let us know how it goes.

Oh, ye of little faith...

It works.

I hooked up the better of my two Ford pumps to a low tire and went to work. Being of the elderly persuasion I found the exertion challenging enough to take occasional breaks during the job. I started with the pressure at 5 psi and blew it up to 72 psi (had to let out a little air at the end).

The secret is removing the center post from the modern connector so the check valve is the one in the valve stem. There's no need to blow $33.50 plus shipping for an external check valve. The one in the stem does the job.

I believe the brass pump is a very good reproduction except for the modern coupler that made it useless.

The base is slightly thicker and rougher than the one on a real Ford pump, and has no markings on the bottom. The hose is marked Made in Germany (not West Germany), so I'm guessing it was made in 1989 or later.

The ball bearing check valve theory is bogus. A ball will not seat in the air passage. Lang's catalogue is correct about Ford pumps not having a built-in check valve.

Pretty cool... learn something new every day!

I stand corrected, thanks Steve!

Maybe not in the brass cylinder one, but my Ford steel cylinder has a check valve in the base.

Maybe not in the brass cylinder one, but my Ford steel cylinder has a check valve in the base.

Is it marked T-1484? A-1484? My other ford pump is steel and has what looks like T-1484 on the bottom, though it's pretty faint. It has no check valve. I'll have to clean it up and see if a ball will seat.

Thanks Steve, as Susanne stated, learn something every day. After all these years maybe now I can use my old Ford tire pump with no check valve, knowing that it should work..

Ed aka #4

Mine is the first number T-1484.
http://www.mtfca.com/discus/messages/331880/358630.html