MTFCA Forum

I topped off the tires on the TT a week ago( about 5 lb each. 1st time I have had to add air since I put it back on the road a couple years ago. Today I go in the shop and find the right front and left rear flat. I drove it to town last weekend. The only drive this year. I aired them up this morning and they were both flat in ten minutes! I will take them apart and see what the problem is. The front tubes are only 2 years old, I hope its not a tube failure.

Check valve cores with a spit test. Check for tightness. Have had this kind of thing happen before. I keep extra cores around in case.

Horse shoe nails?

I recently blew out a valve stem on my ‘48 Buick at 35 mph. That’s a first for me. The one good thing , Dallas , big green is in the stable. Always look on the bright side, even on a dreary day like this.

Oh Im not complaining about is happening in the shop. I will check the valve stems. The air was coming out of the rim around the valve stem. Its a major leak to go flat in ten minutes. I just thought it odd to have 2 flats on opposite sides the same day. Just goes to show model T's get offended if you dont pay attension to them.

My bet is that truck is a she.

Leaving "her" in the barn with no attention for days and no pillow talk time will cause an "empty feeling". Bring her to Tin-A-See for some attention and southern hospitality. Problem solved!!

Hank

Yes on the visit, but don't let Hank talk you into taking her out for a drive through the beautiful hills of South Pittsburg, LOL!!

Do tell what you find. I have a suspicion.

Rick, I saw before and after and after photos of yours. Hank done alot of petting and patting her before she left. Yours should be good for a while.

Steve, I will let you know. Today we had 6000 lbs of chicken to get rid of. BBQ chicken is a hit with the Amish community. It was a fundraiser for our volunteer fire department for new turnout gear. I will probably get to the tires tomorrow.

Ok, I couldnt take it. I had to see whats up with the flats. I pulled the 30x3.5 Kelsey from the front. Took out the tube and aired it up. Nothing found. Not leaking. Smack the forehead moment. I didnt check the valve core for a leak. Since it went flat in ten minutes after inflation, I was sure something major was wrong. I checked the valve core with the spit test after I inflatex the tube. Nothing. I also realized the tubes came with the truck, I had installed new Riversides on the front. This is the only printing on front tubes

Steve, I suspect you suspect the tubes may have let go at the seam. That's the kind of junk we have had foisted upon us from the suppliers for years. I do not put Hartford tubes in this bracket. Most seem to have had few problems with these. There are now quality replacements available.

Allan from down under.

Darn Dallas, your photo of the tube came up after I had read Steve's post while I was responding. That's not one of the made in Faroffganistan he had the trouble with. From your response it could be that the valve core did not seat after you inflated it. Interesting that the tube prominently displays the country of origin, but does not show that same confidence in identifying the manufacturer.

Allan from down under.

I just typed out a whole thing on the rear tire. POOF its all gone. I will try again.

Round two!!!
I went to the rear flat and inflated it to 35 psi. 1st thing on the list since my forehead is still sore, was to spit test the valve core. No leak there. I removed the tire and tube and found a small cut or crack at the base of the valve stem. Ah ha I found it. NO I DID NOT! I inflated the tube and found no leak anywhere. I inflated both tubes and let them stand there. I turned out the lights and went to the house at this point. Tomorrow I will take them for a swim in the horse tank. Same print but no name. Made In USA on both tubes. These tubes came with the truck when I got it. In fact I have never had the rear tubes out.

I think the old bit#* er a girl is mad at me. Im thinking valve core as well Allan. I needed the extersize in tire removal anyway. Its a good thing we like working on these old rigs.

Dallas, those tubes have been in there since the mid 90's or so, don't recall where I got them for sure. Probably from Langs, that's where I got the rear tires. Dave

So we are looking at tubes 25+ years old. They must pre-date the rubbish that has been pushed in latter years. They would be well worth persevering with. I have one in use in one of my cars, perhaps in my imported LHD Tudor. They even feel different to the current crop.

Allan from down under.

Thank you Dave for the timeframe on the tubes. I figured about that time per our conversations over the years. I will see if they hold air today.

Could it be that the force of gravity has been turned up enough to flatten tires? Sure feels like it sometimes to me... Bill

Dallas, a squirt of dishwashing soap in a gallon milk jug, and poured over the tube helps. A fuzz is bubbles from the soap is easier to see. I've repaired tires for 45 years.

Dallas has Car Shield vehicle protection!

Thanks Bill. I keep a quart bottle mixed heavy with Dawn dishsoap for just such things. It also works on Boxelder bugs that swarm on the foundation of the house. Kills them within seconds.

I went to the shop this morning and both tubes are still full and standing where I left them. I think valve core wins but will still give them a nice bath, powder their bottom and put them back.

Dallas I'm wondering if the reason the valve cores don't show any leakage is maybe when they're out if the tire, like most of us do, you only inflated them about 10 pounds or so? At least that's my guess. That may not be enough pressure to cause the valves to fail. Just thinking. Scary enough for me!

I have had several tubes made from ten to twenty years ago that could hold air for months out of the tire and inflated just beyond firm. Put it in the tire and rim, inflate to 60psi, and fully flat in an hour. I found poor quality seams and valve stem vulcanization failures that needed the higher pressure to push out. A few of them showed up by inflating the tube out of tire until I feared it would explode! Enough pressure to stretch the tube finally showed up in the water bath.
A couple of those tubes were also ruined by over-stretching them. One of them went from being a 30X3 to a 35X3 !
Another issue I had (probably not relevant in this case?) is that some tubes made after about twenty or a few more years ago cannot be patched! Whether it is due to the plasticy feeling of the tube telling me the synthetic rubber is of terrible quality, or Califunny monkeyed with the Chem-bond cements for the patch? I don't know. What I do know is that anything over about 35psi in the tire will lift the patch and expose the leak it was supposed to be covering. And that doesn't work well for clinchers that require 60psi or more to properly hold the tire on the rim. About eight years ago, I fought a few of those tubes for about a year! I had three of them patched, and aired up to 34psi, sat and didn't leak for three months. Upped the pressure to 45, all three were flat in hours. I would pull the tubes out and find the patches lifted. And I have been patching innertubes since I was eight.

I even sought out bicycle suppliers hoping they would have better high pressure patches (some touring bikes require as much as 80psi !) What I found was a lot of bad and 'unreliable' reviews on patches, a lot of shoulder shrugging, and simple "we don't patch tubes, we just put in new ones."

Anyway, I hope you find and can fix the problem. Those tubes look to be better than anything one can buy today!

I recommended looking @ the valve cores from my experience.
I check all the tires before a tour. 1914 roadster. Usually have to top them off <5#. A few days after the tour, I noticed 1 was low a week later. Needed 25#. re- aired, a few days later low. re-inflated, did the spit test, faint possible leak. Replaced the core. Been fine ever since. Saved the effort of hunting for a tube/stem leak that didnt exist.
Valve cores are as susceptible to dirt as an NH needle & seat.
Someone told me long ago, let some air out before inflating to blow any possible dirt out. Most important if no dust cap.

Dallas, I think John K's advice is excellent.
The only other thing I can suggest in addition is to do like I did, which is to buy tires that go flat on the top instead of the bottom. They cost more, but they are worth it!

Finally got back to the TT. Both front and rear were leaking through the rubber about 1/2 way up the valve stem. One had a visable split when aired up. The other had no visible signs but made soap bubbles. Lucky I have extras. Now I guess I will learn how to replace a valve stem.