On-the-wheel tubular tire repair
03-27-14, 05:40 AM
#51
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As I said #31 in 2010, auto Slime works fine. It's made for sealing punctures in car and truck tires and stays active for years.
My wife's car has a very slow, unfindable leak in one of the alloy wheels. I have to re-Slime it about every three years.
My wife's car has a very slow, unfindable leak in one of the alloy wheels. I have to re-Slime it about every three years.
03-28-14, 03:14 AM
#52
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Everybody knows fixing flats is the bane of tubular tire users, so when I got a flat on a nearly new tire I decided to try something different. I was too lazy to rip off the tire, open the casing, and fix the tube, and the tire wasn't that good that it justified having the repair professionally done, so after a little thought I decided I'd try some of that new-fangled tire sealant. I picked up a bottle at the LBS, got home and of course discovered that my tires don't have removable valve cores.
No matter; this stuff is supposed to seal punctures, right, so what's another hole? I gathered my materials:
1 bottle "Stan's Tire Sealant," fresh from the LBS, well agitated.
1 20cc piston syringe
1 22ga hypodermic needle
1 Pista floor pump
1 wheel with punctured tubular tire.
Step 1: put a little air in the tire, using aforementioned pump. This gives the tube some shape and allows me to introduce the needle without transfixing the tube. Fortunately the leak was small enough to retain the air for several minutes:
Step 2: remove plunger from syringe, attach needle, and introduce needle into the tube. You know you're in the right place when you hear the air return. Just like a chest tube!
Step 3: remove syringe from needle hub, leaving needle properly placed in the tube. The 22ga needle lumen is still quite small, so it will take a while for a significant amount of air to be lost. In any case, you can always add more.
Step 4: fill syringe with sealant from bottle. I used about 15cc. The LBS guy told me the bottle held enough for 2 tires (59ml), but the bottle states it was intended for MTB tires. I figured I could get away with less with narrow tubulars.
Step 5: attach syringe to needle hub and inject sealant.
Step 6: remove needle, inflate to full pressure, and give the wheel a good spin to spread the sealant around, then wait to see if it works.
Several hours later, it's still at full pressure, so I declare the procedure a success!
No matter; this stuff is supposed to seal punctures, right, so what's another hole? I gathered my materials:
1 bottle "Stan's Tire Sealant," fresh from the LBS, well agitated.
1 20cc piston syringe
1 22ga hypodermic needle
1 Pista floor pump
1 wheel with punctured tubular tire.
Step 1: put a little air in the tire, using aforementioned pump. This gives the tube some shape and allows me to introduce the needle without transfixing the tube. Fortunately the leak was small enough to retain the air for several minutes:
Step 2: remove plunger from syringe, attach needle, and introduce needle into the tube. You know you're in the right place when you hear the air return. Just like a chest tube!
Step 3: remove syringe from needle hub, leaving needle properly placed in the tube. The 22ga needle lumen is still quite small, so it will take a while for a significant amount of air to be lost. In any case, you can always add more.
Step 4: fill syringe with sealant from bottle. I used about 15cc. The LBS guy told me the bottle held enough for 2 tires (59ml), but the bottle states it was intended for MTB tires. I figured I could get away with less with narrow tubulars.
Step 5: attach syringe to needle hub and inject sealant.
Step 6: remove needle, inflate to full pressure, and give the wheel a good spin to spread the sealant around, then wait to see if it works.
Several hours later, it's still at full pressure, so I declare the procedure a success!
03-28-14, 05:09 AM
#53
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Why he put a hole in the tire instead of squirting the stuff through the valve stem I'll never know.
03-28-14, 05:24 AM
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03-28-14, 05:29 AM
#55
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Skip the needle and use a piece of tubing, or just enlarge the hole in the squirt bottle and thread it on the stem.
03-28-14, 05:37 AM
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Does the slime ever gum up the valve so that it sticks or the orifice gets sealed, and you can't get air in?
03-28-14, 05:48 AM
#57
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I used the big bottle like for cars on a Ralley that didn't have a removable core. I just threaded the bottle's nipple onto the valve. The opening was already the right size. Slime has some bridging material that does block flow, but if you do a pump then suck kind of thing a few times you'll get plenty in - worked great.
03-28-14, 06:49 AM
#58
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03-28-14, 05:11 PM
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I thought this to be applicable to this discussion.
Sealant Test - Part 1 - Slowtwitch.com
Sealant Test - Part 2 - Slowtwitch.com
Sealant Test - Part 1 - Slowtwitch.com
Sealant Test - Part 2 - Slowtwitch.com
10-29-15, 09:08 PM
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Bumping an old thread.
I recently got a goathead thorn in my less than 100 mile (
) front tub...and the Stan's has been holding 90psi (pressure I ride at) for over a week. I pretreat with Stan's so I didn't have to get off the bike. Some sprayed out...but sealed up after a few seconds. Air pressure was low. I could have used a co2, but since I was a couple miles from home...I just rode it home.
I recently got a goathead thorn in my less than 100 mile (
) front tub...and the Stan's has been holding 90psi (pressure I ride at) for over a week. I pretreat with Stan's so I didn't have to get off the bike. Some sprayed out...but sealed up after a few seconds. Air pressure was low. I could have used a co2, but since I was a couple miles from home...I just rode it home.
10-29-15, 10:26 PM
#61
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i know, i know, old thread...
i plan, haven't had the need to try it yet, to attempt something similar when i get a flat on my Tufo tubulars. they are tubeless too.
i figure, that because they are tubeless, it shouldn't be too difficult to find the hole in the tire. i plan to attempt inserting a hypodermic in the hole (no need to introduce a new hole or fuss with valve stems, removeable or not) and trying a few different substances to plug the hole. 1) shoe goo (the stuff is nasty and sticks to everything, forever), superglue (it's cheap and available) and 3) some type of purpose made tire sealant. i don't plan on use very much of whatever i try either, maybe 1/4 cc. just enough to cover the hole from the inside. we'll see...
IIRC, there's some flat fixing gizmo on the market that is designed to work similarly, can't remember what it is though.
edit: found it. it's called patch'n-ride. they're not going to get my money, but here's a video if you're interested...
https://youtu.be/I0w8zmcO_Cw
i plan, haven't had the need to try it yet, to attempt something similar when i get a flat on my Tufo tubulars. they are tubeless too.
i figure, that because they are tubeless, it shouldn't be too difficult to find the hole in the tire. i plan to attempt inserting a hypodermic in the hole (no need to introduce a new hole or fuss with valve stems, removeable or not) and trying a few different substances to plug the hole. 1) shoe goo (the stuff is nasty and sticks to everything, forever), superglue (it's cheap and available) and 3) some type of purpose made tire sealant. i don't plan on use very much of whatever i try either, maybe 1/4 cc. just enough to cover the hole from the inside. we'll see...
IIRC, there's some flat fixing gizmo on the market that is designed to work similarly, can't remember what it is though.
edit: found it. it's called patch'n-ride. they're not going to get my money, but here's a video if you're interested...
https://youtu.be/I0w8zmcO_Cw
Last edited by hueyhoolihan; 10-29-15 at 10:40 PM.
10-30-15, 12:23 AM
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The Patch N Ride is pricey...but worth every penny if can fix the leak permanently. I don't see how much the refills are.
10-30-15, 05:16 AM
#63
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I carry Vittoria Pit Stop on the road. I haven't needed it on a ride yet, but did use one at home for a pin hole leak I discovered prior to a ride. That was a month ago. Seems to be working fine. Holds air as well as new and now provide protection for future punctures. One caution to you all however: remember that the propellant in the can is CO2 (or similar). Especially if your tubulars have latex tubes (but even with butyl), you will lose pressure very quickly after the repair inflation. That is just due to the very poor barrier of latex for the CO2. After you refill a couple of times with air, the tire will hold pressure normally assuming the sealant is working.
10-30-15, 04:41 PM
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Pit Stop has been hit or miss for me. At 15 to 18 bucks a can...it's expensive when it's a miss. CO2 seems to bleed out quickly no matter what tube material is used. Latex tubes plain bleed air. I used to run the Vittoria CX II's with latex tubes. The tires would be almost flat after a few days. The latex tube didn't seem to work that well with the Stan's. Almost like the Stan's would permeate the tube.
