Jim Koepke
06-05-2010, 10:35 PM
I did not realize the tires on my rototiller were tubeless.
I haven't used the thing in a couple of years. It was in storage in a place where the temperature got very hot and then very cold and I guess the tires just didn't hold the pressure.
I knew one of the tires didn't have air, until yesterday when I realized neither tire had air. That is when I found out there isn't a tube in these things. Knowing that an air compressor makes life easier in such situation, my neighbor was consulted about their air compressor. They do not have a fitting for inflating tires.
OK, time for the brain to put it all together.
First, a small chip brush was found. Why these are called chip brushes I do not know. Maybe it is a morphing from cheap brush. It was easy to find, I had just finished gluing some wood and left it on the bench. So, washed the glue out of the brush . Then it was soaped up until it was pretty sudsy. Walked outside with it and ran the brush around the tire's bead. Turned the tire around on the rim and made sure it was soapy all around on both sides. One hand on the bicycle pump and one wiggling the tire and pretty soon it was doing good and holding air.
On the second tire my wife had to be involved to work the pump. Wiggling the tire did not quite get it. So a short rope was looped around it with one end pulled through the eye. All my ropes have an eye spliced at one end and a blind splice at the other. If you haul much in a truck, you will understand. This allowed me to cinch on the tire and squeeze it to spread the bead. As my wife pumped air, the tire was wiggled and spun. As it got more difficult to spin, I knew the air was staying in.
No intelligent deed goes unpunished. My day was spent tilling the garden. It is a pretty big garden and I am not even half done. Sure beats turning it with a shovel though.
jim
I haven't used the thing in a couple of years. It was in storage in a place where the temperature got very hot and then very cold and I guess the tires just didn't hold the pressure.
I knew one of the tires didn't have air, until yesterday when I realized neither tire had air. That is when I found out there isn't a tube in these things. Knowing that an air compressor makes life easier in such situation, my neighbor was consulted about their air compressor. They do not have a fitting for inflating tires.
OK, time for the brain to put it all together.
First, a small chip brush was found. Why these are called chip brushes I do not know. Maybe it is a morphing from cheap brush. It was easy to find, I had just finished gluing some wood and left it on the bench. So, washed the glue out of the brush . Then it was soaped up until it was pretty sudsy. Walked outside with it and ran the brush around the tire's bead. Turned the tire around on the rim and made sure it was soapy all around on both sides. One hand on the bicycle pump and one wiggling the tire and pretty soon it was doing good and holding air.
On the second tire my wife had to be involved to work the pump. Wiggling the tire did not quite get it. So a short rope was looped around it with one end pulled through the eye. All my ropes have an eye spliced at one end and a blind splice at the other. If you haul much in a truck, you will understand. This allowed me to cinch on the tire and squeeze it to spread the bead. As my wife pumped air, the tire was wiggled and spun. As it got more difficult to spin, I knew the air was staying in.
No intelligent deed goes unpunished. My day was spent tilling the garden. It is a pretty big garden and I am not even half done. Sure beats turning it with a shovel though.
jim