I recently inherited a tractor that has been sitting for a few years. It has ag tires filled with calcium. The valve stems are corroded so badly, I can't remove the core. In fact, I broke one off, trying to unscrew it.
Do any of you have any recommendations on how to remove the
ballast from the tire, besides just cutting off the entire valve stem?*
The wheel rim is pretty rusty as well, around the stem, so I'm wanting to break the tire down, so I can sandblast and paint the rim. Then I'll refill the tires with something less corrosive, maybe washer fluid. So I'm not worried about trying to salvage the calcium.*
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The best way is to roll the tractor so the valve stem is on the ground, or jack the tractor up, and roll the tire so the valve stem is down, then cut the valve stem with a utility knife. Or, if the rim is rusted through, to jack up the tractor, and roll the tire so that part is down, and slice through the tube that way. You will have to replace the tube anyway (rusted valve stem core) so you are not out anything.
If you are worried about calcium and the environmental damage, buy a small plastic Kiddie Pool at the Dollar Store ($12) and most of the fluid will squirt/leak into that, which you can dispose of later.
As for the rim itself. You can buy new ones, but I have welded my rims. Generally they rust out around the valve stem area. I buy thin flat bar, then as I tack it onto the rim, keep hammering down the bar until it forms a nice shape of the rim. If you get different widths of flat bar, you can contour the repair to the profile of the rim. If it is around the valve stem, you will have to drill a hole where the valve stem was located.
After I weld it up so that I am in good steel again, I take a grinder and make sure there are no sharp spots that could put a hole in the new innertube. I then wire-wheel the rim to remove all rust, then repaint to stop it from rusting more.
Here is a welded rim off my tractor, which you will note with the hole, was around the valve stem area. The repair was made about 10 years ago, so welding rims has some longevity.
Fluid filled tires are a hotly contested issue on this site, but it is not needed to make a tractor go. I used to use fluid in my tires, but no longer do, nor will I ever again. For me, what little they do, is not worth the lots of damage they inflict. A two wheel tractor with a front bucket on it...then maybe I would, but that would be about it.
