Ballast Can I do it Myself?

[fried1765]

From what I gather, windshield fluid is what most of the guys on here are advocating as being cost effective and safe. Also the common thing they do around central otago in NZ is leave containers at the local lube shops etc, and get the old antifreeze when people get it changed out. They run it diluted in their big tractors' rears.. imagine filling 2 50" tires, it has to be cheap!! I'll let the locals give you their best advice,

Old antifreeze (spilled/leaked) will kill animals, because it has a sweet taste, and they love it.
If there are NO farm animals/ pets/ or wild animals EVER around, then used automotive anti-freeze is an option.
"Beet juice" is the most expensive, and heaviest: non-toxic antifreeze (for water lines etc.), is next most expensive: then CaCl (heavy, but horribly corrosive): then windshield washer fluid: then used automotive anti-freeze, but deadly for animals: then water.
For obviously very different reasons, I would NEVER choose either used automotive anti-freeze, or CaCl!

 

[k0ua]

So for loaded tires in cold weather, there's beet juice, windshield washer fluid and the terrible CaCl, out of these 3, which one weighs the most in the lowest volume, and which one's the cheapest, so is there anything else that can be used, like used motor oil? Been thinking of changing out the CaCl in my tires to something that's heavy and won't cause corrosion.

Weight in increasing order WW Fluid, CaCL, RimGuard

Price in increasing order CaCL, WW Fluid, Rimguard Although if you mixed your own Methanol from a bulk 55 gallon drum, it may be as cheap or cheaper than buying CaCL and mixing it up. The active ingredient in WW fluid is Methanol. The blue dye and the water doesn't matter.

So the Rim Guard is the most expensive, weighs the most and is the least toxic.

 

[mmranch]

Sigh... OK... on to the next problem.

When I pressured up the repaired rear tire to 20 PSI... the tractor was tilting greatly because the other tire had a much lower pressure.

So I bled off pressure on the repaired tire to 12 PSI and the tractor was tiltling much less... but still tilting. Something didn't seem right so I decided to check the 'other' tire pressure. The 'other' tire was at 5 PSI which seemed way low. So I added pressure to the 'other' tire and got it up to about 9 PSI but then the valve core started leaking because of the corrosion. When I went to remove the valve core to put in a new one, the valve core disintegrated because of the corrosion.

The part of the valve core that the tool grips on to remove it is gone, the plunger is gone, the spring came out, etc. The valve core is still stuck in the stem with central hole open. The valve stem of the tube seems to be the type that does NOT have a separate core housing that can be removed and replaced. (The new tube I put in the repaired tire DOES have the separate, removable core housing).

So... if there is no possibility of removing the valve core and the entire tube must be replaced... I must drill out the stuck valve core in order to effectively pump out the ballast. (I have another tube on order but it's not here yet).

Any way to get the bad core out of the valve stem so that a new core could be installed?

I was thinking about drilling in with an undersized bit and hoping this would allow the stuck core bits to be dislodged. I would want to preserve the valve stem threads so the new core could be installed. But maybe with the corrosion, the valve core threads are fused with the stem threads?

Thanks for the ideas!

 

[fried1765]

Weight in increasing order WW Fluid, CaCL, RimGuard

Price in increasing order CaCL, WW Fluid, Rimguard Although if you mixed your own Methanol from a bulk 55 gallon drum, it may be as cheap or cheaper than buying CaCL and mixing it up. The active ingredient in WW fluid is Methanol. The blue dye and the water doesn't matter.

So the Rim Guard is the most expensive, weighs the most and is the least toxic.

As a comparison:
40 gal. RimGuard 10.8 lb./gal. @3.25/gal.= 432 lbs. = $130 + dealer installation.
fee ($50-$75 per tire).

40 gal. windshield washer fluid 8+ lb./gal. (water is 8.33)= 320 lbs.= $60, and you can put it in yourself.
If you choose RimGuard you are going to pay one he11 of a price to get those last 112 lbs.

CaCl .... NEVER !!!!!

 

[Oldpath05]

As a comparison:
40 gal. RimGuard 10.8 lb./gal. @3.25/gal.= 432 lbs. = $130 + dealer installation.
fee ($50-$75 per tire).

40 gal. windshield washer fluid 8+ lb./gal. (water is 8.33)= 320 lbs.= $60, and you can put it in yourself.
If you choose RimGuard you are going to pay one he11 of a price to get those last 112 lbs.

CaCl .... NEVER !!!!!

Well that one answer I wanted to know, Rimguard weights the most. So you saying Rimguard has to be installed by a tractor dealer and or I cant take out the CaCl and put in Rimguard myself?

 

[Oldpath05]

Sigh... OK... on to the next problem.

When I pressured up the repaired rear tire to 20 PSI... the tractor was tilting greatly because the other tire had a much lower pressure.

So I bled off pressure on the repaired tire to 12 PSI and the tractor was tiltling much less... but still tilting. Something didn't seem right so I decided to check the 'other' tire pressure. The 'other' tire was at 5 PSI which seemed way low. So I added pressure to the 'other' tire and got it up to about 9 PSI but then the valve core started leaking because of the corrosion. When I went to remove the valve core to put in a new one, the valve core disintegrated because of the corrosion.

The part of the valve core that the tool grips on to remove it is gone, the plunger is gone, the spring came out, etc. The valve core is still stuck in the stem with central hole open. The valve stem of the tube seems to be the type that does NOT have a separate core housing that can be removed and replaced. (The new tube I put in the repaired tire DOES have the separate, removable core housing).

So... if there is no possibility of removing the valve core and the entire tube must be replaced... I must drill out the stuck valve core in order to effectively pump out the ballast. (I have another tube on order but it's not here yet).

Any way to get the bad core out of the valve stem so that a new core could be installed?

I was thinking about drilling in with an undersized bit and hoping this would allow the stuck core bits to be dislodged. I would want to preserve the valve stem threads so the new core could be installed. But maybe with the corrosion, the valve core threads are fused with the stem threads?

Thanks for the ideas!

How long has the CaCl been that tire to corrode the valve stem like that? I'd try reversed drill bits, but I never heard of a valve stem decinercrating. 12 psi sound low to me.

 

[fried1765]

Well that one answer I wanted to know, Rimguard weights the most. So you saying Rimguard has to be installed by a tractor dealer and or I cant take out the CaCl and put in Rimguard myself?

You could take the CaCl out yourself, but it might be very messy.
You may be able to install the RimGuard yourself also ..IF..you can find a dealer willing to sell it to you in bulk.

 

[mmranch]

Thanks for all the ideas!, I'm sticking with the CalChlor for my particular application for now.

Thankfully, I got the problem sorted. I was able to extract the stuck valve core and installed a new one and the tractor is working again (without having to install a new tube) Currently running at 15 PSI each. Now that the fluid levels are down at the stem level, it's easy to jack up the tractor and install new valve cores to deal with the corrosion problem.

Thanks again for all the ideas!

 

[mmranch]

Here's some shots of the process along the way:



Thanks again!

 

[olPete]

Good on you for doing it yourself, glad you got the other side sorted out the easy way! I think those pressures will be right, with less air volume in there, you need to have a lower pressure to still get that 'give'.. I run 14-18 psi in rears depending.
Thank you for the update, and pictures!