I just ordered an
Air/Liquid Valve for Ballast from NAPA.
Won't see it for a week or so, but the price was <font color=red>$18 plus tax</font color=red>. The Drill Motor powered pump was <font color=red>$7.00</font color=red> from ACE Hardware.
There was a thread on TBN recently dicussing this very issue. The pertinent text of two (2) posts is below. The Posters were Bird and MarkV, I believe. If I got that wrong, please accept my apologies, guys...
<font color=blue>I filled the rear tires of my tractor with the environmentally safe anti freeze (I think the brand was Sierra) and here is how I did it. First you need a special valve that screws into the valve stem. I got one from a tractor dealer for $7 and I have heard that Napa has or can get them. The valve allows you to hook up a garden hose to it for the water and has a little release button to let out air. You let most of the air out of the tire, start putting water in, as the air pressure builds you turn off the water and bleed off air with the release button. I wanted about 75% full so I had the valve stem at the 2 o’clock position and when water rather than air came out of the release valve it was full. Of course the above only puts the water in. For the anti-freeze I used one of the drill operated pumps that has hose fittings on both ends and cost about $10. I put the anti-freeze in a bucket and pumped it into the tire the same way as the water. I did put the anti-freeze in first. With both liquids in I positioned the valve stem at 12 o’clock and added the normal amount of air pressure. You do need to make sure you have the valve stem on top when checking pressure or the liquid will do bad things to your pressure gauge.
As far as removing the existing fill, it will drain out of the valve stem. I think the problem will be containing it.
MarkV
liquid will do bad things to your pressure gauge
Mark, you can also buy air/liquid tire gauges, which is what I used, although I still only checked tire pressure with the valve stem at the 12 o'clock position, and always gave it just a short burst of air first to clear the valve.
dwb,
I loaded my tires with Windshield Washer Fluid. !0 gallons in each tire, That adds about 180-200 lbs to the rear and makes a huge difference when using the FEL, both for balance and traction. You can buy a special valve at any NAPA auto store for around $6.00 and if you have one of those little transfer pumps that hooks to an electric drill you can do it yourself in no time. I used a 5 gallon pail, filled it with the fluid, then transferred it right into the wheel. A word of caution though. When you jack up the rear of the tractor, make sure the jack heavily favors the side of the tractor that has the tire your filling. I ballanced mine right in the center the first time and about half way thru the filling the whole tractor suddenly listed in my direction due to the added weight I was putting in the tire! DUH!
Greg, I filled the rear tires of my tractor with the environmentally safe anti freeze (I think the brand was Sierra) and here is how I did it. First you need a special valve that screws into the valve stem. I got one from a tractor dealer for $7 and I have heard that Napa has or can get them. The valve allows you to hook up a garden hose to it for the water and has a little release button to let out air. You let most of the air out of the tire, start putting water in, as the air pressure builds you turn off the water and bleed off air with the release button. I wanted about 75% full so I had the valve stem at the 2 o’clock position and when water rather than air came out of the release valve it was full. Of course the above only puts the water in. For the anti-freeze I used one of the drill operated pumps that has hose fittings on both ends and cost about $10. I put the anti-freeze in a bucket and pumped it into the tire the same way as the water. I did put the anti-freeze in first. With both liquids in I positioned the valve stem at 12 o’clock and added the normal amount of air pressure. You do need to make sure you have the valve stem on top when checking pressure or the liquid will do bad things to your pressure gauge.
As far as removing the existing fill, it will drain out of the valve stem. I think the problem will be containing it.
MarkV
liquid will do bad things to your pressure gauge
Mark, you can also buy air/liquid tire gauges, which is what I used, although I still only checked tire pressure with the valve stem at the 12 o'clock position, and always gave it just a short burst of air first to clear the valve.
dwb,
I loaded my tires with Windshield Washer Fluid. !0 gallons in each tire, That adds about 180-200 lbs to the rear and makes a huge difference when using the FEL, both for balance and traction. You can buy a special valve at any NAPA auto store for around $6.00 and if you have one of those little transfer pumps that hooks to an electric drill you can do it yourself in no time. I used a 5 gallon pail, filled it with the fluid, then transferred it right into the wheel. A word of caution though. When you jack up the rear of the tractor, make sure the jack heavily favors the side of the tractor that has the tire your filling. I ballanced mine right in the center the first time and about half way thru the filling the whole tractor suddenly listed in my direction due to the added weight I was putting in the tire! DUH! </font color=blue>
