The case of the leaky front wheel

Discussion in 'Mechanics Garage' started by Allyance, Aug 22, 2020.

  1. Allyance

    Allyance Insider

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    Ever since I had a right angle valve installed with my previous new front tire I have had a slow leak in the front wheel. I blamed the cheap Chinese valve and had it replaced with another. Still had a slow leak. Bought a new Michelin Road 5 and had a new standard valve installed when I had it mounted. Still having slow leaks and most annoying have to pump it up once a week. Today I put the bike up on my Abba lift and put a tub under the front wheel, filled with water so that it totally covered rim, and started to slowly rotate wheel. Bingo, small bubble appeared between rim and bead. Carefully marked it, and kept rotating, then more bubbles appeared as I rotated wheel! Didn't bother to mark them as there where too many.
    So Monday I will take wheel to a well known wheel specialist in Walnut Creek who fixed the rim before when I bent it hitting a pot hole. I have a feeling the rim was never cleaned properly between tire changes. Here is a picture of the bubbles forming.
    Screen Shot 2020-08-22 at 1.48.18 PM.png
     
  2. ridervfr

    ridervfr Member

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    I bought fancy italian right angle valves (bridgeport valves Ariete>?) from kurvy girl on the interweb and they just sat in my tool box. More I thought about the mechanics of having an allen head/nut set-up that is responsible for the valve (ie, allen/nut backs off inside of tyre regardless of using thread-lock and your stuck taking wheel/tyre off to suss leak!) I do get steel valves on all my bikes, I like the short variety, I am fussy with these.

    Side bar, when I got my 93 used, it came with some decent tyres; when I installed my new rubber, I sourced a metal valve out of the drawer. Did the tyre install and rotated tire once mounted on the bike. I kept hearing a clicking sound that I could not understand. Turns out, the valve was fairly long and the valve cap screwed me on the clearance to the caliper. The clicking was the valve cap hit the caliper ever so faintly but enough. (Glad I did not take a ride with out a check.) Different valve cap solved problem and with my new tyres intsalled, I finally got to install my nice Camel short valve stems.

    Bent rims suck had three good bends when I lived in NJ/NY area, never had one professionally straightened, I have used adjustable spanners with some muscle with no leaks. Good luck
     
  3. Allyance

    Allyance Insider

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    Wheel in the back of the SUV, will find out cause soon!
     
  4. Terry Smith

    Terry Smith Member

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    I painted the corroded wheels on my Silverwing scooter, and in doing that I dropped the air out and pushed the tyre bead in a bit so I could mask the area properly; when I reinflated the tyres the back one developed a similar slow leak. I had to break the beads fully, then I used a scotchbrite pad and soapy water and cleaned the bead up properly; more soapy water, pulled the valve core and popped the bead back out properly. No more leaks from that one.
     
  5. Allyance

    Allyance Insider

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    Walnut Creek shop closed due to CV19. Ended up taking it to a shop nearby. I found an old friend working there, so he helped. Popped the tire off and low and behold rims were in terrible shape. Never cleaned between new tires. Can not understand how Cycle Gear could mount a new Michelin with crud like that on the rims.
    IMG_0857.jpeg
    After much scraping and sanding:
    IMG_0859.jpeg
    Remounted tire, no leaks!!!
     
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  6. Allyance

    Allyance Insider

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    Wheel back on and went for my normal back road ride. All is well.
     
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