My snow blower (tubeless) tire went flat. Took it off, pumped it up, &
did under-water bubble test. Negative; no bubbles. Watched it: went
from 20 psi to 17 over 2 days.

What now? Any better way to check for leak?

Thanks,
Bob

On Sun, 15 May 2016 12:51:08 -0400, Bob Engelhardt wrote:

My snow blower (tubeless) tire went flat. Took it off, pumped it up, &
did under-water bubble test. Negative; no bubbles. Watched it: went
from 20 psi to 17 over 2 days.

What now? Any better way to check for leak?

Thanks,
Bob

Just put a tube in it!

--
Tim Wescott
Control systems, embedded software and circuit design
I'm looking for work! See my website if you're interested
http://www.wescottdesign.com

Just put a tube in it!

Or the green snot, not sure of the right name, but its for sealing
leaks on ATV type tires.

On Sunday, May 15, 2016 at 12:51:58 PM UTC-4, Bob Engelhardt wrote:
My snow blower (tubeless) tire went flat. Took it off, pumped it up, &
did under-water bubble test. Negative; no bubbles. Watched it: went
from 20 psi to 17 over 2 days.

What now? Any better way to check for leak?

Thanks,
Bob

Way back there was a aerospace test for determining if hermetic seals were good. It was called the " Joy " test. At that time Joy dishwater detergent in water produced the best bubbles.

I think that sometimes a tire does not loak if the tire is off the vehicle, but does leak when the tire is supporting a load and in in the right orientation.

I assume you checked the valve stem and checked that the bead did not leak.

Dan

On 05/15/2016 11:51 AM, Bob Engelhardt wrote:
My snow blower (tubeless) tire went flat. Took it off, pumped it up, &
did under-water bubble test. Negative; no bubbles. Watched it: went from
20 psi to 17 over 2 days.

What now? Any better way to check for leak?

dcaseter pointed out the "don't forget the stem and valve" part, what
pressure did you use for the test and did you have big-enough tank of
_still_ water to be able to fully submerse the whole thing? Be careful,
of course, but over-pressure some to give a little extra "oomph" to the
leak...

Or, while I hate have the stuff in the tires, use the sealer.

--

On Sun, 15 May 2016 10:57:04 -0700 (PDT)
" wrote:

On Sunday, May 15, 2016 at 12:51:58 PM UTC-4, Bob Engelhardt wrote:
My snow blower (tubeless) tire went flat. Took it off, pumped it up, &
did under-water bubble test. Negative; no bubbles. Watched it: went
from 20 psi to 17 over 2 days.

What now? Any better way to check for leak?

Thanks,
Bob

Way back there was a aerospace test for determining if hermetic seals were good. It was called the " Joy " test. At that time Joy dishwater detergent in water produced the best bubbles.

I think that sometimes a tire does not loak if the tire is off the vehicle, but does leak when the tire is supporting a load and in in the right orientation.

I assume you checked the valve stem and checked that the bead did not leak.

Dan

I agree with Dan's comments. Would also add that just the act of
checking a small tire with a pressure gauge lowers the pressure.
Depending on the size it could be a significant amount. With smaller
tires I usually give them another small shot of air after fuddling
around checking the pressure and then call it good.

You can try over pressuring it some too, might reveal the
leak.

You probably already gave it a good inspection but if not carefully
look it over. Small tacks and nails can seal-up quite good but leak
during use. I've actually have a couple tires plugged with small
rivets. Just can't bring myself to ram a 1/4 inch repair plug
into a hole/leak that is the size of needle. And I'm too cheap to buy a
specialty repair plug and lazy to dismount the tire ;-)

--
Leon Fisk
Grand Rapids MI/Zone 5b
Remove no.spam for email

On Sun, 15 May 2016 12:51:08 -0400, Bob Engelhardt
wrote:

My snow blower (tubeless) tire went flat. Took it off, pumped it up, &
did under-water bubble test. Negative; no bubbles. Watched it: went
from 20 psi to 17 over 2 days.

What now? Any better way to check for leak?

Thanks,
Bob

Is your air Sanforized?

Gunner

On Sun, 15 May 2016 13:39:40 -0500, dpb wrote:

On 05/15/2016 11:51 AM, Bob Engelhardt wrote:
My snow blower (tubeless) tire went flat. Took it off, pumped it up, &
did under-water bubble test. Negative; no bubbles. Watched it: went from
20 psi to 17 over 2 days.

What now? Any better way to check for leak?

dcaseter pointed out the "don't forget the stem and valve" part, what
pressure did you use for the test and did you have big-enough tank of
_still_ water to be able to fully submerse the whole thing? Be careful,
of course, but over-pressure some to give a little extra "oomph" to the
leak...

Or, while I hate have the stuff in the tires, use the sealer.
Also be carefull, because a tire may leak a lot more slowly from the
rim/bead interface when the pressure is higher.

A tire may loose 1 psi per day at 40psi, and then loose 2psi a day
when the pressure drops to 30 PSI, and go flat overnight from 20.

On a tubeless tire a hardened rubber bead combined with a rusted steel
rim (in the bead seal area) is a very common cause of air leakage.

Also age hardened and Ozone damaged rubber cam allow air to "ooze"
throughthe rubber carcass.

Generally installing a tube in the tire after making sure there is
nothing penetrating the tire carcass, and no roughness on the rim, is
the best way of sealing a small low-speed tire.

Bob Engelhardt wrote:
My snow blower (tubeless) tire went flat. Took it off, pumped it up, &
did under-water bubble test. Negative; no bubbles. [snip]

How long did you watch? In chasing a similar sort of leak it turned out
that one millimeter-sized bubble appeared every couple of minutes. It took
about half an hour with a stopwatch to be sure the bubbles were from a leak
and not just trapped air. The water and tire must be perfectly still, if
the timing is regular you can be pretty sure it's worth investigating.


from 20 psi to 17 over 2 days.

What now? Any better way to check for leak?

Patience, patience and more patience.....
8-)

bob prohaska

On Sun, 15 May 2016 12:51:08 -0400, Bob Engelhardt wrote:

My snow blower (tubeless) tire went flat. Took it off, pumped it up, &
did under-water bubble test. Negative; no bubbles. Watched it: went
from 20 psi to 17 over 2 days.

What now? Any better way to check for leak?

Thanks,
Bob

My lawnmower front tires were a problem because of all the spiny bumelia
and mesquite thorns. Had them filled with urethane foam. Rear tires
would be too heavy (and expensive) and tear up the drive train.

On 5/15/2016 12:51 PM, Bob Engelhardt wrote:
My snow blower (tubeless) tire went flat. Took it off, pumped it up, &
did under-water bubble test. Negative; no bubbles. Watched it: went
from 20 psi to 17 over 2 days.

What now? Any better way to check for leak?

Thanks,
Bob

I'd bet on a rim leak, wire brush the tire/rim interface and apply a bit
of sealer before reseating the tire.

"Tom Gardner" wrote in message
...
On 5/15/2016 12:51 PM, Bob Engelhardt wrote:
My snow blower (tubeless) tire went flat. Took it off, pumped it
up, &
did under-water bubble test. Negative; no bubbles. Watched it:
went
from 20 psi to 17 over 2 days.

What now? Any better way to check for leak?

Thanks,
Bob

I'd bet on a rim leak, wire brush the tire/rim interface and apply a
bit of sealer before reseating the tire.

Rim leaks show up well if you spray a little soap solution on the
horizontal tire. Tiny bubbles stay where they form instead of being
lost in a larger pool.

Some laundry and dishwasher detergents intentionally don't form
long-lasting bubbles.
http://www.loadsfundraising.com/fund...oam-important/

Those meant for washing cars or dishes by hand may serve better to
reveal tire leaks. I keep a spray bottle of ~10% Simple Green near the
outdoor hose and have had good results with it on leaky tires. Its
bubbles aren't so persistent that I can't clear off the inevitable
ones from applying it.

--jsw

On Mon, 16 May 2016 11:02:29 GMT, Pete Keillor
wrote:

On Sun, 15 May 2016 12:51:08 -0400, Bob Engelhardt wrote:

My snow blower (tubeless) tire went flat. Took it off, pumped it up, &
did under-water bubble test. Negative; no bubbles. Watched it: went
from 20 psi to 17 over 2 days.

What now? Any better way to check for leak?

Thanks,
Bob

My lawnmower front tires were a problem because of all the spiny bumelia
and mesquite thorns. Had them filled with urethane foam. Rear tires
would be too heavy (and expensive) and tear up the drive train.

Who filled them, what was the cost, and what's the product used,
please? My problem here is thorns from blackberry bushes.

--
Education is that which remains when one has
forgotten everything he learned in school.
--Albert Einstein

On Mon, 16 May 2016 09:40:34 -0700, Larry Jaques wrote:

On Mon, 16 May 2016 11:02:29 GMT, Pete Keillor
wrote:

On Sun, 15 May 2016 12:51:08 -0400, Bob Engelhardt wrote:

My snow blower (tubeless) tire went flat. Took it off, pumped it up,
snip
My lawnmower front tires were a problem because of all the spiny bumelia
and mesquite thorns. Had them filled with urethane foam. Rear tires
would be too heavy (and expensive) and tear up the drive train.

Who filled them, what was the cost, and what's the product used,
please? My problem here is thorns from blackberry bushes.

It was an outfit up I-35 that does huge excavator tires, towmotor tires,
etc. It's a pretty dense urethane, very heavy, had to leave the wheels a
day or two to allow cure time. Cost about $25 per.

Them must be some badass blackberries.

On Mon, 16 May 2016 19:28:19 GMT
Pete Keillor wrote:

snip
Them must be some badass blackberries.

Multiflora rose, wild blackberries and autumn olive here. It's the
wimpy 2 ply tires that are the problem. We need some 6 ply heavy duty
replacements...

They are why I have some little rivets plugging holes in my mower
tires. I've got acres of the nasties, too many to exterminate...

--
Leon Fisk
Grand Rapids MI/Zone 5b
Remove no.spam for email

On Mon, 16 May 2016 16:03:40 -0400, Leon Fisk
wrote:

On Mon, 16 May 2016 19:28:19 GMT
Pete Keillor wrote:

snip
Them must be some badass blackberries.

Multiflora rose, wild blackberries and autumn olive here. It's the
wimpy 2 ply tires that are the problem. We need some 6 ply heavy duty
replacements...

They are why I have some little rivets plugging holes in my mower
tires. I've got acres of the nasties, too many to exterminate...
Get a magnetrak or some other crawler -

On Sunday, May 15, 2016 at 2:45:54 PM UTC-4, Leon Fisk wrote:

Would also add that just the act of
checking a small tire with a pressure gauge lowers the pressure.
Depending on the size it could be a significant amount.

Agree. The small tires just don't hold very much air. You're much better off filling with a tire chuck that has a built-in gauge. I don't think you can do an accurate reading of "it lost x psi in y days" with a tire gauge that isn't permanently attached to the valve.

That said, the goop that goes in the tire and stays slimy seems like a good way to go in this case.

On Mon, 16 May 2016 14:02:45 -0700 (PDT)
rangerssuck wrote:

snip
That said, the goop that goes in the tire and stays slimy seems like a good way to go in this case.

I've avoided using it because of this claim:

"Seals multiple punctures repeatedly up to 2 years."

From:

http://www.slime.com/us/products/aut...re-sealant.php

Crap nowadays I blink my eyes and 2 years have passed. The mower I
would use it on is 8 years old. My rivet fix has been holding for 7
years... No experience but I've heard horror stories about trying to
fix/replace tires that have had slime put in them. It seems to be an
expedient fix but bites back another day (shrug).

--
Leon Fisk
Grand Rapids MI/Zone 5b
Remove no.spam for email

On Mon, 16 May 2016 16:30:16 -0400
wrote:

snip
Get a magnetrak or some other crawler -

Man those look so cool! But way out of my affordability zone. Hell I
think they are even more expensive than the Green machines. I had to
pick myself off the floor after looking at the price...

https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=magnatrac

--
Leon Fisk
Grand Rapids MI/Zone 5b
Remove no.spam for email

Larry Jaques wrote:
On Mon, 16 May 2016 11:02:29 GMT, Pete Keillor
wrote:

On Sun, 15 May 2016 12:51:08 -0400, Bob Engelhardt wrote:

My snow blower (tubeless) tire went flat. Took it off, pumped it up, &
did under-water bubble test. Negative; no bubbles. Watched it: went
from 20 psi to 17 over 2 days.

What now? Any better way to check for leak?

Thanks,
Bob
My lawnmower front tires were a problem because of all the spiny bumelia
and mesquite thorns. Had them filled with urethane foam. Rear tires
would be too heavy (and expensive) and tear up the drive train.

Who filled them, what was the cost, and what's the product used,
please? My problem here is thorns from blackberry bushes.

--
Education is that which remains when one has
forgotten everything he learned in school.
--Albert Einstein

I had a problem with one of my wheeled generators like that. 4 X 10
tires, Two piece rim, Stripped it down, installed a new tube with slime
in it, thin layer of silicone between the rim halves. bead sealer on the
tire. Result, still leaked down in about a month !!!

Solution, bought solid 16" replacements and added a taller front
support. Made the problem go away and made it a lot easier on my back to
work on that thing.


--
Steve W.

"Leon Fisk" wrote in message
...
On Mon, 16 May 2016 14:02:45 -0700 (PDT)
rangerssuck wrote:

snip
That said, the goop that goes in the tire and stays slimy seems like
a good way to go in this case.

I've avoided using it because of this claim:

"Seals multiple punctures repeatedly up to 2 years."

From:

http://www.slime.com/us/products/aut...re-sealant.php

Crap nowadays I blink my eyes and 2 years have passed. The mower I
would use it on is 8 years old. My rivet fix has been holding for 7
years... No experience but I've heard horror stories about trying to
fix/replace tires that have had slime put in them. It seems to be an
expedient fix but bites back another day (shrug).

--
Leon Fisk
Grand Rapids MI/Zone 5b
Remove no.spam for email

I had to demount and hose it out from tires I had put it in, since it
didn't reach and seal bead leaks. Other than the nuisance of prying
the tire off and back on it wasn't hard to remove.
--jsw

"Steve W." wrote in message
...
Larry Jaques wrote:
On Mon, 16 May 2016 11:02:29 GMT, Pete Keillor
wrote:

On Sun, 15 May 2016 12:51:08 -0400, Bob Engelhardt wrote:

My snow blower (tubeless) tire went flat. Took it off, pumped it
up, &
did under-water bubble test. Negative; no bubbles. Watched it:
went
from 20 psi to 17 over 2 days.

What now? Any better way to check for leak?

Thanks,
Bob
My lawnmower front tires were a problem because of all the spiny
bumelia and mesquite thorns. Had them filled with urethane foam.
Rear tires would be too heavy (and expensive) and tear up the
drive train.

Who filled them, what was the cost, and what's the product used,
please? My problem here is thorns from blackberry bushes.

--
Education is that which remains when one has forgotten everything
he learned in school. --Albert Einstein

I had a problem with one of my wheeled generators like that. 4 X 10
tires, Two piece rim, Stripped it down, installed a new tube with
slime in it, thin layer of silicone between the rim halves. bead
sealer on the tire. Result, still leaked down in about a month !!!

Solution, bought solid 16" replacements and added a taller front
support. Made the problem go away and made it a lot easier on my
back to work on that thing.
--
Steve W.

Maybe you pinched the tube?

On Mon, 16 May 2016 17:39:24 -0400
"Jim Wilkins" wrote:

snip
I had to demount and hose it out from tires I had put it in, since it
didn't reach and seal bead leaks. Other than the nuisance of prying
the tire off and back on it wasn't hard to remove.

Was that fresh slime that didn't work or 4 plus year old stuff that
quit working.

I'm not trying to be a jerk, just wonder about the stuff when it gets
old. I helped a neighbor put some in a tire years ago. It wasn't all
that bad to cleanup fresh from the bottle...

--
Leon Fisk
Grand Rapids MI/Zone 5b
Remove no.spam for email

"Leon Fisk" wrote in message
...
On Mon, 16 May 2016 17:39:24 -0400
"Jim Wilkins" wrote:

snip
I had to demount and hose it out from tires I had put it in, since
it
didn't reach and seal bead leaks. Other than the nuisance of prying
the tire off and back on it wasn't hard to remove.

Was that fresh slime that didn't work or 4 plus year old stuff that
quit working.

I'm not trying to be a jerk, just wonder about the stuff when it
gets
old. I helped a neighbor put some in a tire years ago. It wasn't all
that bad to cleanup fresh from the bottle...

--
Leon Fisk

The tires leaked for several years. I don't remember how long I put up
with them between squirting in the Slime and deciding to buy the
smaller Harbor Freight tire changer, maybe a few months to a year. I
had about a dozen small tires that slowly leaked, and left a small
compressor in the shed to reinflate them as necessary.

Once I had the changer I stopped trying to seal them and just
installed tubes, the careful way I learned in the Army motor pool.

Jim Wilkins wrote:
"Steve W." wrote in message
...
Larry Jaques wrote:
On Mon, 16 May 2016 11:02:29 GMT, Pete Keillor
wrote:

On Sun, 15 May 2016 12:51:08 -0400, Bob Engelhardt wrote:

My snow blower (tubeless) tire went flat. Took it off, pumped it
up, &
did under-water bubble test. Negative; no bubbles. Watched it:
went
from 20 psi to 17 over 2 days.

What now? Any better way to check for leak?

Thanks,
Bob
My lawnmower front tires were a problem because of all the spiny
bumelia and mesquite thorns. Had them filled with urethane foam.
Rear tires would be too heavy (and expensive) and tear up the
drive train.
Who filled them, what was the cost, and what's the product used,
please? My problem here is thorns from blackberry bushes.

--
Education is that which remains when one has forgotten everything
he learned in school. --Albert Einstein
I had a problem with one of my wheeled generators like that. 4 X 10
tires, Two piece rim, Stripped it down, installed a new tube with
slime in it, thin layer of silicone between the rim halves. bead
sealer on the tire. Result, still leaked down in about a month !!!

Solution, bought solid 16" replacements and added a taller front
support. Made the problem go away and made it a lot easier on my
back to work on that thing.
--
Steve W.

Maybe you pinched the tube?



Nope. I pulled it apart thinking that and found nothing. I tossed the
inflated tube in the tank and stuck a bowl over it. No bubbles BUT you
could see a few areas over the surface develop a skin of air. After 2
days the bowl had a bunch of air in it. It acted like the tube was made
from soaker hose !

--
Steve W.

On Mon, 16 May 2016 19:28:19 GMT, Pete Keillor
wrote:

On Mon, 16 May 2016 09:40:34 -0700, Larry Jaques wrote:

On Mon, 16 May 2016 11:02:29 GMT, Pete Keillor
wrote:

On Sun, 15 May 2016 12:51:08 -0400, Bob Engelhardt wrote:

My snow blower (tubeless) tire went flat. Took it off, pumped it up,
snip
My lawnmower front tires were a problem because of all the spiny bumelia
and mesquite thorns. Had them filled with urethane foam. Rear tires
would be too heavy (and expensive) and tear up the drive train.

Who filled them, what was the cost, and what's the product used,
please? My problem here is thorns from blackberry bushes.

It was an outfit up I-35 that does huge excavator tires, towmotor tires,
etc. It's a pretty dense urethane, very heavy, had to leave the wheels a
day or two to allow cure time. Cost about $25 per.

Ouch, but if it ends the problem for good, I guess it's worth it.


Them must be some badass blackberries.

They are. I have wounds all over me every time I go anywhere near
'em. And they grow like bamboo here, an inch an hour, I swear...

--
Education is that which remains when one has
forgotten everything he learned in school.
--Albert Einstein

On 5/16/2016 9:16 AM, Jim Wilkins wrote:
"Tom Gardner" wrote in message
...
On 5/15/2016 12:51 PM, Bob Engelhardt wrote:
My snow blower (tubeless) tire went flat. Took it off, pumped it
up, &
did under-water bubble test. Negative; no bubbles. Watched it:
went
from 20 psi to 17 over 2 days.

What now? Any better way to check for leak?

Thanks,
Bob

I'd bet on a rim leak, wire brush the tire/rim interface and apply a
bit of sealer before reseating the tire.

Rim leaks show up well if you spray a little soap solution on the
horizontal tire. Tiny bubbles stay where they form instead of being
lost in a larger pool.

Some laundry and dishwasher detergents intentionally don't form
long-lasting bubbles.
http://www.loadsfundraising.com/fund...oam-important/

Those meant for washing cars or dishes by hand may serve better to
reveal tire leaks. I keep a spray bottle of ~10% Simple Green near the
outdoor hose and have had good results with it on leaky tires. Its
bubbles aren't so persistent that I can't clear off the inevitable
ones from applying it.

--jsw



A product called "Leak-Tec" is *MAGIC*!!! You can get it at a welding
supply.It's one of those few products that are a lifetime find.

"Tom Gardner" wrote in message
...
On 5/16/2016 9:16 AM, Jim Wilkins wrote:
"Tom Gardner" wrote in message
...
On 5/15/2016 12:51 PM, Bob Engelhardt wrote:
My snow blower (tubeless) tire went flat. Took it off, pumped it
up, &
did under-water bubble test. Negative; no bubbles. Watched it:
went
from 20 psi to 17 over 2 days.

What now? Any better way to check for leak?

Thanks,
Bob

I'd bet on a rim leak, wire brush the tire/rim interface and apply
a
bit of sealer before reseating the tire.

Rim leaks show up well if you spray a little soap solution on the
horizontal tire. Tiny bubbles stay where they form instead of being
lost in a larger pool.

Some laundry and dishwasher detergents intentionally don't form
long-lasting bubbles.
http://www.loadsfundraising.com/fund...oam-important/

Those meant for washing cars or dishes by hand may serve better to
reveal tire leaks. I keep a spray bottle of ~10% Simple Green near
the
outdoor hose and have had good results with it on leaky tires. Its
bubbles aren't so persistent that I can't clear off the inevitable
ones from applying it.

--jsw



A product called "Leak-Tec" is *MAGIC*!!! You can get it at a
welding supply.It's one of those few products that are a lifetime
find.


Is there a magic spray-on "Leak-Fix" for bad welds?
--jsw

On 05/16/2016 10:07 PM, Steve W. wrote:
....

Nope. I pulled it apart thinking that and found nothing. I tossed the
inflated tube in the tank and stuck a bowl over it. No bubbles BUT you
could see a few areas over the surface develop a skin of air. After 2
days the bowl had a bunch of air in it. It acted like the tube was made
from soaker hose !

It took at least three tries to get a brand new small tire tube that
wasn't defective from a local dealer--they'd bought a bunch of cheap
Chinese crap that had those kinds of defects either in the tube itself
or the stem wasn't sealed at the junction or the like...were giving them
away until they were gone; just had to keep trying 'til found one that
would hold air...like I think somebody else mentioned, I bought a couple
of the HF mounted tires as were cheaper than just a "name brand" tube
and moved the tubes to the target...they've held so far (couple months).

--

"dpb" wrote in message
...
On 05/16/2016 10:07 PM, Steve W. wrote:
...

Nope. I pulled it apart thinking that and found nothing. I tossed
the
inflated tube in the tank and stuck a bowl over it. No bubbles BUT
you
could see a few areas over the surface develop a skin of air. After
2
days the bowl had a bunch of air in it. It acted like the tube was
made
from soaker hose !

It took at least three tries to get a brand new small tire tube that
wasn't defective from a local dealer--they'd bought a bunch of cheap
Chinese crap that had those kinds of defects either in the tube
itself or the stem wasn't sealed at the junction or the like...were
giving them away until they were gone; just had to keep trying 'til
found one that would hold air...like I think somebody else
mentioned, I bought a couple of the HF mounted tires as were cheaper
than just a "name brand" tube and moved the tubes to the
target...they've held so far (couple months).

--

I wonder if Slime would fix a porous inner tube if you coated the
inside by rolling up the tube before reinstalling the valve stem, then
inflated it outside the tire to stretch open the holes and bubble-test
it.

A long-lasting bubble-blowing soap is Dawn or Joy plus glycerin or
corn syrup.
--jsw

On Tue, 17 May 2016 06:56:04 -0400, "Jim Wilkins"
wrote:

"Tom Gardner" wrote in message
...
On 5/16/2016 9:16 AM, Jim Wilkins wrote:
"Tom Gardner" wrote in message
...
On 5/15/2016 12:51 PM, Bob Engelhardt wrote:
My snow blower (tubeless) tire went flat. Took it off, pumped it
up, &
did under-water bubble test. Negative; no bubbles. Watched it:
went
from 20 psi to 17 over 2 days.

What now? Any better way to check for leak?

Thanks,
Bob

I'd bet on a rim leak, wire brush the tire/rim interface and apply
a
bit of sealer before reseating the tire.

Rim leaks show up well if you spray a little soap solution on the
horizontal tire. Tiny bubbles stay where they form instead of being
lost in a larger pool.

Some laundry and dishwasher detergents intentionally don't form
long-lasting bubbles.
http://www.loadsfundraising.com/fund...oam-important/

Those meant for washing cars or dishes by hand may serve better to
reveal tire leaks. I keep a spray bottle of ~10% Simple Green near
the
outdoor hose and have had good results with it on leaky tires. Its
bubbles aren't so persistent that I can't clear off the inevitable
ones from applying it.

--jsw



A product called "Leak-Tec" is *MAGIC*!!! You can get it at a
welding supply.It's one of those few products that are a lifetime
find.


Is there a magic spray-on "Leak-Fix" for bad welds?

Hey, I could use some of that myself.

--
Education is that which remains when one has
forgotten everything he learned in school.
--Albert Einstein

On 05/17/2016 8:45 AM, Jim Wilkins wrote:
wrote in message
...
On 05/16/2016 10:07 PM, Steve W. wrote:
...

Nope. I pulled it apart thinking that and found nothing. I tossed
the
inflated tube in the tank and stuck a bowl over it. No bubbles BUT
you
could see a few areas over the surface develop a skin of air. After
2
days the bowl had a bunch of air in it. It acted like the tube was
made
from soaker hose !

It took at least three tries to get a brand new small tire tube that
wasn't defective from a local dealer--they'd bought a bunch of cheap
Chinese crap that had those kinds of defects either in the tube
itself or the stem wasn't sealed at the junction or the like...were
giving them away until they were gone; just had to keep trying 'til
found one that would hold air...like I think somebody else
mentioned, I bought a couple of the HF mounted tires as were cheaper
than just a "name brand" tube and moved the tubes to the
target...they've held so far (couple months).

--

I wonder if Slime would fix a porous inner tube if you coated the
inside by rolling up the tube before reinstalling the valve stem, then
inflated it outside the tire to stretch open the holes and bubble-test
it.
....

I've had no success with it on anything I've ever tried...perhaps it's
the execution on my part but it's useless endeavor afaict.

I'd think it likely that for the ones like these that were so full of
defects that they would just continue to fail with time so frequently
not worth the effort.

While the HF are also (I presume) Chinese, apparently they have enough
buying power to at least get something functional originally. There one
also has the bin full to pick from and they've been there inflated for a
while so one can avoid the initial leakers pretty easily...

--

On Tuesday, May 17, 2016 at 9:44:57 AM UTC-4, Jim Wilkins wrote:


A long-lasting bubble-blowing soap is Dawn or Joy plus glycerin or
corn syrup.
--jsw

corn syrup? I will have to try that.

Dan

On 05/17/2016 2:15 PM, wrote:
On Tuesday, May 17, 2016 at 9:44:57 AM UTC-4, Jim Wilkins wrote:


A long-lasting bubble-blowing soap is Dawn or Joy plus glycerin or
corn syrup.
--jsw

corn syrup? I will have to try that.

Some of the kiddies' bubble-soap works, too...

--

On 5/17/2016 6:56 AM, Jim Wilkins wrote:

A product called "Leak-Tec" is *MAGIC*!!! You can get it at a
welding supply.It's one of those few products that are a lifetime
find.


Is there a magic spray-on "Leak-Fix" for bad welds?
--jsw




It's often used for finding leaks in welding gas stuff.

Did the tubes get hot ? Maybe some free carbon turned
into CO2 and left tiny holes. Tires are full of carbon
(makes the blond rubber black) and now the man made neoprene
uses it to be black as well. Might be a poor version of
material that wasn't 'cooked' hot enough or long enough.

I had some tires that went brittle at the flex area. The ply
was almost a zero.

Martin

On 5/16/2016 10:07 PM, Steve W. wrote:
Jim Wilkins wrote:
"Steve W." wrote in message
...
Larry Jaques wrote:
On Mon, 16 May 2016 11:02:29 GMT, Pete Keillor
wrote:

On Sun, 15 May 2016 12:51:08 -0400, Bob Engelhardt wrote:

My snow blower (tubeless) tire went flat. Took it off, pumped it
up, &
did under-water bubble test. Negative; no bubbles. Watched it: went
from 20 psi to 17 over 2 days.

What now? Any better way to check for leak?

Thanks,
Bob
My lawnmower front tires were a problem because of all the spiny
bumelia and mesquite thorns. Had them filled with urethane foam.
Rear tires would be too heavy (and expensive) and tear up the drive
train.
Who filled them, what was the cost, and what's the product used,
please? My problem here is thorns from blackberry bushes.

--
Education is that which remains when one has forgotten everything he
learned in school. --Albert Einstein
I had a problem with one of my wheeled generators like that. 4 X 10
tires, Two piece rim, Stripped it down, installed a new tube with
slime in it, thin layer of silicone between the rim halves. bead
sealer on the tire. Result, still leaked down in about a month !!!

Solution, bought solid 16" replacements and added a taller front
support. Made the problem go away and made it a lot easier on my back
to work on that thing.
--
Steve W.

Maybe you pinched the tube?



Nope. I pulled it apart thinking that and found nothing. I tossed the
inflated tube in the tank and stuck a bowl over it. No bubbles BUT you
could see a few areas over the surface develop a skin of air. After 2
days the bowl had a bunch of air in it. It acted like the tube was made
from soaker hose !

Martin Eastburn wrote:
Did the tubes get hot ? Maybe some free carbon turned
into CO2 and left tiny holes. Tires are full of carbon
(makes the blond rubber black) and now the man made neoprene
uses it to be black as well. Might be a poor version of
material that wasn't 'cooked' hot enough or long enough.

I had some tires that went brittle at the flex area. The ply
was almost a zero.

Martin

Don't know. They didn't appear to be brittle or rough.

--
Steve W.

The outside tire was brittle. Often the tubes leak.
I have 4 tires on an old mower that didn't hold up the winter.
Likely compression and and slow leak in the rim bead area and
once broken, there they went. Now bent and doesn't rebound
if weight is lifted. Rats. Tubes now or trash.

Martin

On 5/19/2016 4:16 AM, Steve W. wrote:
Martin Eastburn wrote:
Did the tubes get hot ? Maybe some free carbon turned
into CO2 and left tiny holes. Tires are full of carbon
(makes the blond rubber black) and now the man made neoprene
uses it to be black as well. Might be a poor version of
material that wasn't 'cooked' hot enough or long enough.

I had some tires that went brittle at the flex area. The ply
was almost a zero.

Martin

Don't know. They didn't appear to be brittle or rough.