How to decontaminate my tire gauges from calcium chloride

[davefr]

I added air to each of my JD1070 tires which are filled with calcium chloride. Even though the valve was in the 12:00 position it farted out a squirt of fluid into my gauges. Last time I did this it destroyed the gauges. How can I save my tire instruments? Will a water soak be enough? Would a shot of vinegar neutralize the calcium chloride?

 

[mjonesnh]

Not sure how to save your current gauge but there are pressure gauges made for liquid filled tires. Spring loaded so it pushes liquid out when removed from stem.

 

[Captain Dirty]

Consider what happened. In use, any air in the valve stem has probably been displaced by the solution; at 12:00 gravity would tend to keep it in the valve stem. Even if the stem did drain or if you put a shot of air into the tire to clear the stem, some liquid would cling to or drain back into the stem. The residual pressure then forces some of the liquid into your gauge.

One way to deal with the problem is to purchase multiple, cheapest, plastic gauges of the appropriate range (Slime gauges at Wal-mart?) and discard them when you lose confidence in them. This method is believed to be cheaper than more expensive "Liquid" gauges that are reported to corrode as well.

 

[rScotty]

Well, you are probably soaking them in water already. I don't think you can do much better than that unless the guages come apart for cleaning. Calcium Chloride is corrosive; no way around that.

If you insist on having fluid-filled tires there are better compounds available. If you plan to keep the tractor consider different fluid or start looking for wheel weights.

 

[ROUSTABOUT]

Consider what happened. In use, any air in the valve stem has probably been displaced by the solution; at 12:00 gravity would tend to keep it in the valve stem. Even if the stem did drain or if you put a shot of air into the tire to clear the stem, some liquid would cling to or drain back into the stem. The residual pressure then forces some of the liquid into your gauge.

One way to deal with the problem is to purchase multiple, cheapest, plastic gauges of the appropriate range (Slime gauges at Wal-mart?) and discard them when you lose confidence in them. This method is believed to be cheaper than more expensive "Liquid" gauges that are reported to corrode as well.

That requires too much thinking.

 

[JJT]

Don't use a pressure gauge, simply set your compressor regulator to the desired pressure. Of course have the valve stem at high noon. If the tire takes air, it was low. If it doesn't take any air, you are good to go.

 

[ROUSTABOUT]

Consider what happened. In use, any air in the valve stem has probably been displaced by the solution; at 12:00 gravity would tend to keep it in the valve stem. Even if the stem did drain or if you put a shot of air into the tire to clear the stem, some liquid would cling to or drain back into the stem. The residual pressure then forces some of the liquid into your gauge.

One way to deal with the problem is to purchase multiple, cheapest, plastic gauges of the appropriate range (Slime gauges at Wal-mart?) and discard them when you lose confidence in them. This method is believed to be cheaper than more expensive "Liquid" gauges that are reported to corrode as well.

Yes and you can keep the good gauges for control. I check cheap ones against my good ones on an air only tire. That way I know things work or not. He could have poked it with a finger nail and got that little shot of corrosion out. But that requires thinking.

 

[ROUSTABOUT]

Don't use a pressure gauge, simply set your compressor regulator to the desired pressure. Of course have the valve stem at high noon. If the tire takes air, it was low. If it doesn't take any air, you are good to go.

If your tire is 5 psi low it will take 3 days to fill at such a low pressure differential.

 

[M59]

I added air to each of my JD1070 tires which are filled with calcium chloride. Even though the valve was in the 12:00 position it farted out a squirt of fluid into my gauges. Last time I did this it destroyed the gauges. How can I save my tire instruments? Will a water soak be enough? Would a shot of vinegar neutralize the calcium chloride?

davefr,

You didn't indicate type of tire gauge and the sealed chambers do NOT come apart for cleaning. Is it a mechanical or electronic gauge? Mechanical gauges have a semi circular tube, typically made from brass, which tries to uncoil under pressure and swings the gauge needle as it uncoils. Salt solution inside causes galvanic corrosion because the brass tube is soldered into a second metal and and other parts are sometimes plated with 3rd metal so salt solution just makes a mess real fast. Electronic gauges are a bit more simple but likely have some dissimilar metals before pressure acts on a piezo crystal that converts pressure to electrical signal that is then displayed.

JJT has an excellent solution but it means you have to be near your air pump OR you can have a portable 5 gallon pressurized hand carry tank to check to see if tires take air.

I got lucky and bought my tractor with rear wheels loaded with beet juice leftovers which, if leaks occur, will not poison animals and the ground, will not freeze until greater than -35'F, is non corrosive to the tractor tire hubs and pressure gauges, and provides greater weight per unit volume than any other loading on the market. Beet juice info attached. Also included info on BioBallast which is newer to market and supposedly equal to RimGaurd but its specific gravity is lower.

I looked at add on wheel weights and for my M59 and I could not find a wheel weight stack, per tire, that added as much weight as the current beet juice loading. I had beet juice in tires for at least the last 10 years with zero issues of any kind.

Recent thread where the filled/ not filled/ wheel weight topic got beat to death.

Why not sugar water in tires instead of beet juice​

Hope this helps

 

[LouNY]

A couple of tips for checking the air pressure in filled tires regardless of the fill.
The easiest is to reach in and let a bit of air escape and clear the valve stem,
the other would be to give the tire a quick shot of air from your compressor to clear the valve stem.
Of course if your tires are over filled ie. above the valve stem nothing is going to work.
Calcium is going to corrode your gauges and ruin them, beet juice will gum them up and induce errors in the readings.
The old pencil style seem to hold up the best with filled tires and are inexpensive enough to replace frequently.
https://www.amazon.com/Milton-S-928-Water-Filled-Pencil-Pressure/dp/B0000AXBXW