MTFCA Forum

Some may recall my pique at the price quoted for delivery to the USA for 5 tubes from Blockley. Hopefully those same people also read that the price quoted was in serious error and was experienced by another Forum member as well.

Well, here is the upshot. After discovering that the shipping quote was in error and promptly followed up with the correct cost, I purchased a set of 5 tubes. Within 2 minutes, the Blockley System emailed me confirmation of the order and 2 minutes after that, the system followed up with a Tracking Number (how on earth did they manage to pull that off??). This was May 12. Today, 4 short days later, May 16, in the middle of no-where, Wyoming, I am holding 5 gorgeous tubes. I cannot get mail from the East Coast that fast much less a heavy box from the UK.

The tubes are HEAVY! I think heavier than any vintage USA-made tubes I've ever seen. Stems are metal, and if one is offended by them being a different size stem than OEM Model T, then don't order them. Wrong size "cheap-y's" should be available (eventually). I personally believe that the purchase price once converted to $US is a terrific deal relatively to other metal-stemmed tubes and for the weight and speed of delivery, the shipping price was very reasonable. I can easily recommend them and if they serve me like I expect, I will be able to REALLY recommend them.

Lesson from this: Blockley has what appears to be a superior product at reasonable cost. if you think you've been given a bad shipping quote, then by all means question it! It probably is!

Scott, is the stem brass ? It looks "white" in the photo. Thanks for posting all that went into your purchase. The tubes look great !

The stems are bright plated. However, they are brass. Don't ask me how I know.

The stems are the larger era correct size, very close to a number of original era stems I have. They are basically half inch, somewhat larger than the common era model T size. I mounted a four of them into my original wooden felley wheels. Two of my original wheels took the Blockley stems right in with no extra effort required. The other two, had minor burrs inside the steel sleeves through the wooden fellies. I ran a 31/64 drill bit through them, which did not harm the steel sleeves, but knocked down the burrs allowing the stems to slip in easily.

As for the delivery? I, too, was shocked! After a couple years (even before all the covid foolishness!) of ten day to three week shipping problems on routine stuff within our continental borders? I received my inner tubes from England in four days. Mine came UPS International.

I hope I can begin putting some miles on them soon!

Rich

I am told by Blockley that it is nickle, per original stems of the era.

Scott,

Sorry if this is a dumb question, do the original style dust covers fit on the stems?

Thanks for the follow up on your experience.

...do the original style dust covers fit on the stems?

I expect some do and some don't. There were two basic widths of metal stems. The Schrader 777 and 888 (Model T size) were about ⅜" wide. The Schrader 724 and 725 are about ½" wide. There were jillions of stems made in both widths. Today the 724/725 width is most common, and I believe is used on all the current metal stem tubes, including Blockleys. Maybe Scott or Tim can correct that if I'm mistaken. As far as I know, all the reproduction dust covers are made to fit the "incorrect" larger width. I use the "wrong"stems because I happen to have the dust covers, repop and original, which fit them. If you insist on the original size stems, and the dust covers to fit them, you will have to hunt them down at swap meets. While the wider stems are more common, the "correct" ones are not impossible to find.

https://dauntlessgeezer.com/DG110.html

Ed I am not a Schrader valve expert, but I have made pretty much every part that goes onto or makes up a complete valve and it's fastening components. That said, the larger valve stem that typically comes with modern tubes is the same thread that is on "top" of the jam nut that goes on original size stems, on top of the rim, on later wheels. That nut is an 10V thread that goes over the 10V stem and once run all the way down the stem, has a 12V protrusion about 3/8 of an inch long that the valve cover actually threads to...meaning the cover DROPS past all the threads on the stem and the last little bit, it threads onto the jam nut. Schrader threads are unique in all the world as far as I can tell. Taps and dies are not easily sourced and getting the right one is sometimes trial and error (as I have found out).

for me, I use vintage DILL adjustable valve stem covers which have a sliding/locking element inside them, and will fit properly on any length of stem of any diameter, because it only screws onto the last little bit of threads that the little plastic cap would screw onto. They are handy as all get-out and are period correct.

Excellent news Scott. i wonder if Coker/Lucas et al are monitoring this forum? Perhaps the message might be getting through.

Allan from down under.

Before anybody cuts their Blokley tubes, I experienced one explode the other day and I can confirm that they are thick! 2 mm I think (0,08").
I'll take a picture and measure with a micrometer.
Oh, why it exploded? Not sure, but I suspect it was squizzed by the tire. 2 years and maybe 1000 miles and it gave up. Tire and tube. Tire was ripped off the wheel

I have several questions. Why doesn't Langs, Coker, Universal or Lukas import these tubes for us in quantity so we don't have to go through all this?
Also, I question the tube pictured above. It obviously has the incorrect valve stem, but are the standard rubber valve stems available too?

Just mounted 4 blockleys Saturday, tires and tubes. Ordered repo rim nuts from snyders, fit perfect. My covers are some original ones . Snyders also had flaps in stock, 3 and 3.5. All seem to be very good products. Getting ready for Wisconsin. The stems all fit the holes in the rims on our unrestored 11. Don

Original Smith - so far Blockley has chosen to keep all sales in house. Some folks have tried to work an import deal with them but so far nothing has happened. I agree, it would be nice and who knows, it may happen.

Gee Wizz Guys, let’s build a bridge and get over the fixation with Valve Stem size / rubber stems. We are lucky to have a quality option to the other junk offered up by vendors! No need to live with tubes that drop pressure like we have heard about on this Forum. Valve stem covers and nuts are available to suit this period correct Stem. We are fortunate to have two outlets for Blockley in Australia. Just my opinion. Alan

What Alan said.... I was really impressed by the quality of the brass stems on the Blockleys. Since the available valve stem covers fit them nicely, there is NO way I would tamper with them. Flame me if you like but there is no way you could recreate the quality of Blockley's valve stem mount & seal when attempting to attach a period stem. Rubber stemmed tubes are not sold by Blockley to my knowledge.

I finally got my blown tube out in the daylight to take some pictures and meassure the thicknes of the rubber.
An exploded Blockley tube - uncertain of reason, but it either was squeezed by the tireflaps OR I drove with to little tirepressure so the tire went of and the tube went off when in contact with the tarmac. I was driving 35 - 40 MPH when this happend on a straight road. Tube wall is 3 mm (0,12") thick:

Michael

I heard the van was a rockin while the tube went a poppin.

Dave,
it was actually pretty undramatic.

Why did they choose to not use bridge washers? The tube above appears to be the same thickness as the Firestone tubes I used to buy in the 60's. I now can also see why the tubes back then didn't require flaps.

I believe the valve stems are vulcanised into the tubes, as are most valve stems these days. There is no need for a bridge washer and its retaining nut for such applications. It is nice that the stem they use will allow original bridge washers to be installed to keep the purists a little less grumpy.

Flaps are not necessary with today's tubes either. Just use a rim liner and save a heap of dollars. The problems with today's poor quality tubes is not due to lack of flaps.

Allan from down under.

Michael, for a tube to explode like that there must have been a way for it to expand before it let go. I have only ever seen that type of damage when a bead on the tyre let go, allowing the tube to blow out. Perhaps your suggested low pressure allowed the tyre to run off the bead and away went the tube. That I have seen on a National tour, the tyre rolling on down the road in front of the car as it pulled up.

Allan from down under.

I am pretty sure the tire would have to have come part way off the rim before a tube could blow out that way? The tube would have to have had a lot of air in it after the tire came off to do that much damage to the tube, so not a stem first blowout. The last time I saw a tube like that? The bead had ripped and one side of the tire lifted off the rim allowing the tube to blow out between the tire and rim. I managed to see it just before the Kaboom!
So the question becomes, WHY did the tire lift off the rim?

I see Alan fdu beat me to the post!

Allan,
With all due respect re: flaps vs. rim liners....with a clincher, the tube will be pinched between the tire beads (walls) long before it can possibly contact the rim liner. The flap keeps the tube within the confines of the tire. Now, with a different tire, a rim liner may suffice, but not with the clincher.
And yes, many folks have used clinchers without flaps....many folks exceed the speed limit without getting caught......

Wayne Sheldon wrote: ↑

Sat May 28, 2022 7:50 pm

So the question becomes, WHY did the tire lift off the rim?

The seal in the rearaxle in that side is not good, so oil leaks out and the inner side of the tire is quite messy in oil. Too little air pressure and the beads may slip free of the rim and the rest is history. I have examined the tire and it have no visible defects so I guess this is what happend.
(and this was how I unintentional stealed the thread, sorry, Scot!)

David, if we delete a generous 2 million 27/7 T's with 21" tryes, that leaves 13 million cars, x 4 equals 52 million tyres fitted on the production line, without flaps! Flaps are needed only in the split rims on 21" T wheels and on the trucks with straight sided tyres. They are an expensive addition to cars these days, largely to protect the tubes from tyre levers when a poor fitting technique is used. Not everything the vendors promote is necessary for successful T motoring.

Allan from down under.

Can I ask why the bridge washers are shaped like a “bridge” ?? Does it serve another purpose other than to squeeze the Tube to the inner part of the original style Valve? Is there a purpose for raising the Tube / Stem the height of the bridge?
Alan In Western Australia

I suppose we now all have the “inside story” of the Blockley Tubes!!!
Alan

I don't know when Firestone ceased making 30 X 3 and 30 X 3 /2 tubes, but I used them back in the sixties, and they are as thick as the new Blockley's.

dykker5502 wrote: ↑

Sun May 29, 2022 1:17 am

Wayne Sheldon wrote: ↑

Sat May 28, 2022 7:50 pm

So the question becomes, WHY did the tire lift off the rim?

The seal in the rearaxle in that side is not good, so oil leaks out and the inner side of the tire is quite messy in oil. Too little air pressure and the beads may slip free of the rim and the rest is history. I have examined the tire and it have no visible defects so I guess this is what happend.
(and this was how I unintentional stealed the thread, sorry, Scot!)

OK - to end up this subthread I managed today to put the tire back on with a new spare blockley tube. I had had fears it would be a nightmare to do that with the wheel sitting on the car, but it was remakable easy! I'm tempted to say "Piece of cake"
For obvious reason I can't say what the tire pressure was in that wheel, but it was just 30 psi in the other rear wheel and also to low in the two frontwheels - so...... circumstancial evidence tells that the tire pressure had been waaaaaay to low.

If you check the Lucas website you will see that they sell a large variety of Blockley tires. They choose not to carry the Blockly Model T products and instead sell the tires they make themselves.

"For obvious reason I can't say what the tire pressure was in that wheel, but it was just 30 psi in the other rear wheel and also to low in the two frontwheels - so...... circumstancial evidence tells that the tire pressure had been waaaaaay to low."

The "usual" pressure-low failure is that the preponderance of friction resistance is between the tube and the tire. Pressure being low allows the tire to slip around the rim, the tube follows the tire (that preponderance of resistance thing!), with the valve stem being held back by the felloe and rim. The tube eventually pulls hard enough that the tube around the valve stem tears resulting in an almost instantaneous total loss of pressure! That then results in the tire coming partially or completely off the rim.
However, if there is a serious problem with the rim or the tire, causing the clincher beads to not hold as they are supposed to? It is possible for the tire to escape the clincher hold, and roll out allowing the tube to blow out the side rather than the usual tear at the valve stem. A significant amount of oil at reduced pressure could allow that to happen.

With properly maintained 65 to 70 psi in the tire, it likely cannot roll out (condition of both clincher beads and rim being good!). HOWEVER! Even at proper pressure, with enough oil in the clincher beads, the tire could slip around the rim and still cause a torn valve stem failure.

Better ry to get that oil leak slowed down!