Ballast Tires stems and ballast

AUSTENNN10 · Oct 26, 2013

I bought a 3033 hydro and after 30 hours its time to ballast the tires. I am going with the safe PG antifreeze. I started out at Gemplers and they have two options. The brass version without the button looked like the choice but they say it only works on TR218a/220a stems. I can't cross reference that part to the tractor. Does anyone here know?

What is the hydro insertion tool used for? See same page on Gemplers filler web page.

Lastly I am trying to come up with a shade tree way of introducing the AF into the tire. Someone mentioned filling the hose but that seems too slow. It's a small town and a transfer pump is probably an hour away at TSC.

I have the industrial tires. As an aside I wondered off into tires sizes and the like as an off shoot of this search...wow what a confusing maze. Are the LS tires R4s? The size 43x16-20.

TIA

BTW 1st tractor and my 10 acres is very challenging, read that as steep, so the learning curve is straight up.

Bob77064 · Oct 26, 2013

Try this link. http://www.haltec.com/webdev/2004Catalog/36.pdf

AUSTENNN10 · Oct 26, 2013

OK newbee question-If I get a garden hose to tire stem adapter that fits, do I need to change out the stem cores? I did not see that in any of the filler instruction manuals.

Tarnold · Oct 27, 2013

As we have the same size tires, I will guess we have the same valve stems. For a better term, I will say there is a stem within a stem. The small needle stem you have to remove with a small forked looking stem remover, that screws into another
, bigger valve that is knurled and removed with a pair of pliers. For the fluid transfer you will have to jack up the tire and have your valve stem at the 12 o'clock position. Try to find a siphon type pump for this xfer. I got mine at TSC but some auto parts stores will also have them, about $12. Put your jug of fluid on the fender above the valve stem, hook up the hoses and a few pumps will get the gravity flow going. takes about 2 minutes per gallon. If you have the garden hose adapter to finish with water, it will screw over the stem with the core out.

AUSTENNN10 · Oct 29, 2013

Tarnold said:
As we have the same size tires, I will guess we have the same valve stems. For a better term, I will say there is a stem within a stem. The small needle stem you have to remove with a small forked looking stem remover, that screws into another
, bigger valve that is knurled and removed with a pair of pliers. For the fluid transfer you will have to jack up the tire and have your valve stem at the 12 o'clock position. Try to find a siphon type pump for this xfer. I got mine at TSC but some auto parts stores will also have them, about $12. Put your jug of fluid on the fender above the valve stem, hook up the hoses and a few pumps will get the gravity flow going. takes about 2 minutes per gallon. If you have the garden hose adapter to finish with water, it will screw over the stem with the core out.

Thx will try at Thanksgiving

Guesseral · Oct 30, 2013

I guess I am not normal. I am waiting to load my tires till I can put tubes in the tubeless tires so that the liquid never touches the steel rims. I guess I am to much from the old school where I have seen and had to replace too many rims when the calcium eats away at the steel. Even though I would never use calcium ever again in a tractor (because of this) I still shutter at the thought of liquid directly against the steel rims!

hcf · Nov 29, 2013

Had the local autoparts store get a couple of 55 plastic barrels of the PG antifreeze. Put jackstands under one side of the tractor then removed the valve stem to let the air out of one tire. Then hooked a garden hose between the barrel and the valve stem/garden hose adapter/tire. Then hooked up the air compressor to the other bung on the barrel. After tipping the barrel over (so that the garden hose side was lower than the air side) and applying a LITTLE bit of air pressure the antifreeze could be heard squirting into the tire. Then I'd do something else for awhile. After returning I'd let the air pressure out of the barrel, and if the tire had built up air pressure it would blow bubbles in the barrel. Did that several times until the tire was full, then did the same for the other side.

Needed 62 gallons in each tire, so when the barrel was getting low, I would pour in 7 more gallons and finish that tire.

The bungs on the barrel each had a 3/4" female NPT and I happened to have a 3/4 NPT to garden hose adapter which took care of one side. For the air side I found a bushing to go from 3/4 NPT to 1/4 female NPT, and an air quick connector with 1/4 male npt. That way I could hook up the air hose to the barrel as the air hose had the other quick connector on it. Briefly opening a valve between the compressor and barrel allowed letting in just a bit of air pressure.