Hypno Toad

Just cleaning up a clear cap and noticed something I can't see on the opaque caps (I mostly use the opaque caps and been blind to this trapped sand/dirt). I do a lot of wet gravel endurance rides*, bottles look like hell and I had no idea how bad the nozzles were suffering. Any cleaning advice? Or just toss & replace?





* reference photos from 2017 Almanzo:


Photo credit - David Phillips / Spring Valley Tribune

GrainBrain

Yeah mine get funky also! If you look at the black plastic bite piece from inside the cap you'll see formed "wedges" that engage with the plastic bottle cap. You can push in the wedges and pop off the bite piece.

I did this to two bottles, one's been fine the other has started leaking.

Hypno Toad

Thanks!

I was trying to pop the plastic cap, but wasn't having any luck. I give this another try, see if I can find a better tool. I figure it's 'kill or cure' time.

5teve

I'd urge you to get a bottle that has a valve cover. I got really sick from a contaminated water bottle years ago during a rainy, multi-day dirt road and railtrail tour and it was horrible. I like the Camelback mudcap best, and similar, and the Nalgene ATB bottle. (the fliptops on the Nalgene's are a bit fragile) I'm sure there are others out there too.

https://www.camelbak.com/en/bottles/...c85bb14ffe0519

https://www.nalgene.com/product/2590-6022/

Hypno Toad

Update: broke two MoFlo lids trying to remove the poppet. Based on this image, I think I need the WaterGate lids to remove the poppet - the MoFlo doesn't appear to have a removable poppet (these lids are all options for the Purist bottles).

Looks like new bottle time (& more focus on the cap/valve design)



I don't hate the idea of a cover for the bottles. I've thought a lot about the manure, pesticides, herbicides, and everything else that ends up on a gravel road - all that ends up in your lungs, gut, eyes, sinus, and EVERY.OTHER.ORIFICE. IMHO, that craps gonna end up in your system one way or another - it's just one of joys of gravel. I typically, jet the bottle to the side first to clear the valve, then spray water into mouth without putting lips on the nozzle.

chrstphrsnsn

I noticed the same thing on a couple clear caps and went down the internet rabbit hole trying to find an answer. No luck either but this was the newest and most relevant thread I found. I tried the same thing with trying to force the poppet off and tore it, but got it off and was able to see how it was held on. I'm assuming Specialized has a special tool to depress the 4 rubber tabs that keep it on the cap and proceeded to rummage through my garage looking for something that would do the same thing. I ended up at a 1/2 in. drive socket extension. IT WORKS!

1. Get the inside of the poppet and cap wet (it made the poppet come off super easy compared to doing it dry)
2. Jam the edges of the extension into the back side of the cap so the corners (not the flat edges) are against each of the rubber tabs.
3. Get the extension wedged in as far as it will go without pushing the poppet up.
4. Keeping pressure on the extension, wiggle the poppet up and off!
5. I used a zip tie with paper towel wrapped around the end to get down inside the lip of the cap and a pipe cleaner to clean out the poppet
6. Once it's clean and dry just line up the poppet tabs and the holes in the cap and push it on.
7. Good as new.

I've done all of mine now and none of them leak except for the first one that I tore and threw away.

WELL THERE WERE 10 LOVELY PICTURES TO GO ALONG WITH THE STEPS OUTLINED ABOVE BUT YOUR WONDERFUL FORUM REQUIRES THAT I HAVE 10 POSTS BEFORE I CAN ADD IMAGES... TOOK THE TIME TO READ THE REQUIREMENTS AND TRIED TO SAY HI TO 10 PEOPLE IN THE INTRODUCTIONS SECTION BUT GOT THE MESSAGE THAT I CAN ONLY POST ONCE EVERY 2 MINUTES... NOT SURE IF I HAVE THE PATIENTS TO SPEND THAT LONG WAITING TO SAY HI TO PEOPLE JUST SO I CAN GIVE YOU SOME PICTURES... ARG, SO FRUSTRATING. 3 HELLOS DOWN, 7 MORE TO GO......... Okay, I did it 10 post down and now I can share the pictures...


1/2 inch drive extension

Poppet is closed

Align the edges of the extension with the poppet tabs

poppet tabs can get stuck on the cap if you don't get the extension far enough in

Poppet is out

This is how far in the extension needs to go with the poppet closed

These things are dirty...

Successfully disassembled and cleaned all of these


This one is a bonus and something I've been doing for a while. If you put your bottles in the dishwasher and the opening gets deformed, they leak because they seal, plastic to plastic. I use an office style rubber band (the ones that are square) as an o-ring in the cap and they don't leak anymore. When you screw the caps on they don't go down all the way though (thickness of the rubber band), but they don't leak.

Deformed bottle opening

Rubber band as a seal.

stuff shredman

@chrstphrsnsn thanks for the awesome description and very detailed images. This saved me!!

tempocyclist

Your commitment has been noted, well worth it too. Thanks for the detailed explanations! 🙂

kingston 

I got a few bottles with the Watergate caps this season, and they are terrible. Highly not recommended. The water comes out ok, but they don't let air back in very easily so you have to wait for an annoyingly long time or you can't put your deformed bottle back in the cage. For gravel or rainy rides I use the nalgene bottles with cap covers

ThermionicScott 

Cool that this thread got bumped... I was just thinking about whether that valve could be popped out somehow. Thank you chrstphrsnsn , wherever you are!