Calcium solution corrosion

[yanmar1948]

I own a yanmar 2010 grey market tractor. The farm-tread tires have had a calcium solution in them for several years and I have corrosion of the brass in the tire stems. I was hoping that the tire stems had a screw out core in the stem that would be replaceable, but when I try to screw it out, it only crumbles due to corrosion. The tire wall has specs for the tire, some in English, some in Japanese. It looks like I will be removing the tires and replacing the tube or the valve stem. Any thoughts?

 

[arrow]

I own a yanmar 2010 grey market tractor. The farm-tread tires have had a calcium solution in them for several years and I have corrosion of the brass in the tire stems. I was hoping that the tire stems had a screw out core in the stem that would be replaceable, but when I try to screw it out, it only crumbles due to corrosion. The tire wall has specs for the tire, some in English, some in Japanese. It looks like I will be removing the tires and replacing the tube or the valve stem. Any thoughts?

You'd have to dismantle the tire for better results as the stem could be rust welded to the rim as well. I'm not sure in which direction you wanted "any thoughts" to go. Using calcium again? Using tubes with calcium? How to drain out the old stuff? Dismantling tire techniques? Replacing a valve?

 

[Wolfy]

I would take it to a tire shop and let them straighten it out. Sometimes, one's time is better spent elsewhere.

 

[oldpilgrim]

People worry about putting calcium in the tires because of possible corrosion.

I got my Ferguson 25 years ago with calcium loaded tires, with tubes installed. Who knows how long it was in there before I got it. I finished wearing out the tires and had the tires replaced. There was no corrosion anywhere, even in the stems which unscrewed easily.

I just had tubes and calcium installed in my new Mahindra. Based on my success with the Ferguson, I'm not worried about this tractor either.

I don't know why your stems corroded, mine never did.

 

[Bird]

Obviously, calcium has been used successfully for many years, but there's no way I'd put it in my tires, nor would I buy a tractor in which it had been used without new wheels being included. Of course it takes some years for wheels to rust out. A friend bought a 25 year old tractor without knowing the tires were calcium filled. We learned about it when a tire was punctured and had a pencil sized stream pouring out when he pulled it up to my shop door. And it was 2 years before the grass came back from that stuff leaking out on it. And it was another 4 or 5 years before he had to buy new wheels for that tractor.

 

[oldpilgrim]

Around here the highway depts dump millions of tons of cal chloride on the roads every winter. It doesn't even make the grass beside the road wilt. The roads are often white with the stuff, and sometimes you can't tell if the roads are covered with snow or chemical.

They cover the roads with it before the snow comes so as to melt the snow quickly. It seems they've all forgotten that there is such a thing as a plow. Those are only used in heavy snow situations whre the chem can't keep up with the snowfall.

The wheels on my Fergie are original as far as I know and there was no indication of chem problems.

 

[yanmar1948]

I own a yanmar 2010 grey market tractor. The farm-tread tires have had a calcium solution in them for several years and I have corrosion of the brass in the tire stems. I was hoping that the tire stems had a screw out core in the stem that would be replaceable, but when I try to screw it out, it only crumbles due to corrosion. The tire wall has specs for the tire, some in English, some in Japanese. It looks like I will be removing the tires and replacing the tube or the valve stem. Any thoughts?

You'd have to dismantle the tire for better results as the stem could be rust welded to the rim as well. I'm not sure in which direction you wanted "any thoughts" to go. Using calcium again? Using tubes with calcium? How to drain out the old stuff? Dismantling tire techniques? Replacing a valve?

I would take it to a tire shop and let them straighten it out. Sometimes, one's time is better spent elsewhere.

People worry about putting calcium in the tires because of possible corrosion.

I got my Ferguson 25 years ago with calcium loaded tires, with tubes installed. Who knows how long it was in there before I got it. I finished wearing out the tires and had the tires replaced. There was no corrosion anywhere, even in the stems which unscrewed easily.

I just had tubes and calcium installed in my new Mahindra. Based on my success with the Ferguson, I'm not worried about this tractor either.

I don't know why your stems corroded, mine never did.

Obviously, calcium has been used successfully for many years, but there's no way I'd put it in my tires, nor would I buy a tractor in which it had been used without new wheels being included. Of course it takes some years for wheels to rust out. A friend bought a 25 year old tractor without knowing the tires were calcium filled. We learned about it when a tire was punctured and had a pencil sized stream pouring out when he pulled it up to my shop door. And it was 2 years before the grass came back from that stuff leaking out on it. And it was another 4 or 5 years before he had to buy new wheels for that tractor.

Around here the highway depts dump millions of tons of cal chloride on the roads every winter. It doesn't even make the grass beside the road wilt. The roads are often white with the stuff, and sometimes you can't tell if the roads are covered with snow or chemical.

They cover the roads with it before the snow comes so as to melt the snow quickly. It seems they've all forgotten that there is such a thing as a plow. Those are only used in heavy snow situations whre the chem can't keep up with the snowfall.

The wheels on my Fergie are original as far as I know and there was no indication of chem problems.

Thaks to all for your thoughts and suggestions. I now know where I'm headed.

 

[Texasmark]

Wise decision. Money well spent!

 

[toomanymachines]

replace the tubes, do not just swap out new glue on stems. Buy kleber tubes.. the best money can buy. most other tubes are made in asia and will fail fast.

 

[oosik]

Around here the highway dept sprays all the intersections and a lot of the highway with a CaCl solution. Thank God I don't live in the city. My son's Toyota Tundra is rapidly dissolving from this crud they use. I had a Ford 1700 4WD with CaCl in the rears. I had to replace the valve stems yearly. They would simply crumble when I tried to unscrew them.

For me its RimGuard, from now on.