Valve stem

Kodiak45 · Mar 15, 2016

Is it possible to fix this leaky valve stem seal without removing the tire from rim and tractor? Just just loaded my dang tires and now there's a leak..of course

Kodiak45 · Mar 15, 2016

Kodiak45 · Mar 15, 2016

You can see two bubbles by the seal

zzvyb6 · Mar 15, 2016

Brass valve stems I'm familiar with use a thick hard rubber washer between the wheel parent metal and another brass washer on the stem before the nut is put on. Use something to hold the stem in place, ten put on the washers and the nut. Bingo. You might want to scrape the paint flakes off them before you seal it back up.

Kodiak45 · Mar 15, 2016

What a relief. Hopefully tackle this project this weekend

whis · Mar 16, 2016

you have a tube in that tire if its leaking at the tip replace valve core or remove and clean then reinstall it. Plastic nut goes over the larger brass piece to keep tube from sucking in. if leaking from rubber part its one of two things, tube is torn or its trapped water and air escaping which is normal

Kodiak45 · Mar 16, 2016

The valve core is fine. It's leaking around the rubber seal where it touches the rim. The plastic nut that went around the base is very busted up and broken. If I knew what size nut, I could put it on and tighten it up against the seal which might stop the leak. It's a very fine thread around 1/2".

whis · Mar 16, 2016

that's not a seal, it has a tube in it the nut does nothing but keep the valve stem from falling in the wheel when the air is let out

Working on Rust · Mar 16, 2016

Every time I have something like this happen with air coming out around the valve stem it is because there is a leak in the tube somewhere else and the air is working its way around between the tire or rim and the tube and coming out next to the valve stem. If that is what has happened then wiggling the valve stem a bit usually results in letting out a fair bit more air. Sometimes they will leak slowly and then you drive around a bit and then the leak stops, then drive a bit more and it is leaking again. It was quite a surprise how big the hole in the tube was and that only a little air was making its way around to the valve stem.

Kodiak45 · Mar 17, 2016

Sounds like I just need to remove the tire and get it repaired.

Gary Fowler · Mar 17, 2016

I think if the compression ring that fits on the valve stem and against the rim is plastic, then you have a tube inside. If it was tubeless, the ring would be steel or brass so you could tightened it tightly to compress the rubber seal inside.
It could be just air escaping from between the tube and the rim. I would watch it for a few days to see if the leak stops or if the air bubble changes to liquid escaping then for sure you have a leak.

When you put in the liquid ballast, did you put a jack under the tractor to keep the tire from squashing down flat. If you didn't, you may have pinched the tube when deflating the tire so you could add liquid.

Kodiak45 · Mar 17, 2016

Yes, I put a jack under it. When I checked it last night it didn't seem to be leaking any, but I didn't have enough air left in the tank to get it under any decent pressure. I'll check it next time I go out. If I have a tube then it is likely air escaping from around the tube. That makes sense regarding the nut being plastic means I probably have a tube.

varmint · Mar 18, 2016

I may be wrong, but are you guys sure that stem is part of an inner tube? I have seen stems that look much like his, that are just stems. If so, he could install a rubber seal, washer and metal nut and hope for the best. Of course, if a tube is leaking, it isn't going to fix itself.

Kodiak45 · Mar 18, 2016

Just left John Deere and they said tire was originally tubeless and a stem was $46. They sent me to their tire shop down the street and they said there isn't a good way to tell unless the stem sucks in if it's deflated.

Gary Fowler · Mar 18, 2016

mgraham112 said:
Just left John Deere and they said tire was originally tubeless and a stem was $46. They sent me to their tire shop down the street and they said there isn't a good way to tell unless the stem sucks in if it's deflated.

Yep, that would do it.

whis · Mar 18, 2016

It's got a tube in it. sometimes they are stuck and won't suck in and if they can't look at it and tell if it has a tube or its tubeless they don't need to be fixing it. I will bet anything you want that picture you showed is a tube

Kodiak45 · Mar 19, 2016

I trust your opinion and when I told him about how you said it could be air and water trapped between tube and tire that is escaping, he acted like he never thought about that and said it could definitely be that and it turns out that was it. Valve is not leaking anymore after letting it sit a few days. Plowed about 4 acres earlier and the extra weight really made a difference.

Farmer495 · Mar 19, 2016

If there is a tube in the tire you have a leaking tube and the air if finding it's way out via the valve stem.

Tire repair tire. Get a new tube and valve stem etc.