To Powder or Not To Powder? That is the question.

[Ol' Ron]

Can't believe your still using tubes. I guess that's keeping it original.

[B-O-B]

I sand blasted these rims then used black RTV silicone with inner tube strip over that. I am using tubes in the Firestone 6:50X16 tires. They were primed then shot with Sherwin Williams single stage implement paint.

[nospartsman]

If you need some powder, you can use some of mine Henry.

[Drbrown]

As most said above .... must have the appropriate size tube and clean, smooth shiny finish on inside of rim, especially along the bead edges. Worked in a tire shop in the 50's and for tube-type installations, we always made sure there was a "rubber band" in the center inside of the rim, we powered the inside of the tire casing extensively, positioned the valve stem, inflated it to max, let it deflate almost completely, jiggled the casing to relax and seat the tube, and inflated to specified cold pressure. Go to go.

Although it seldom happened, the inside and/or outside bead of an inferior tire casing could sometimes stretch, move and wear to the point that the tire casing rotated when the tire was in movement. This would raise havoc with the inner tube and cause its failure in short order.

[FortyNiner]

Originally Posted by Ol' Ron

Can't believe your still using tubes. I guess that's keeping it original.

What's wrong with tubes? They worked for grampa!

[Ol' Ron]

Sponsored Links (Register now to hide all advertisements)

I guess I'm just out of date. I keep forgetting what we're working on here. I realize we try to keep them original amd that's fine for restoration cars, but if you're building a driver, I'd think you'd want to take advantage of what's available over the counter. Plus I think the radial tire is safer for my family.

[51 MERC-CT]

Originally Posted by FortyNiner

What's wrong with tubes? They worked for grampa!

Nothing wrong with tubes, but back when tubeless tires became available and the '47 Merc. conv. and '51 Merc I had needed tire replacements, this grampa had tubeless tires installed and never looked back. ( It's called progress ) Even Henry Ford believed in progress, otherwise all Fords on the road today would still look like model T's.

[34PKUP]

Originally Posted by FortyNiner

What's wrong with tubes? They worked for grampa!

Tubes were all that were available for Grampa to use until Grampa found out about tubeless tires, then Grampa switched to tubeless tires probably by the millions. He didn't care about being original.

[Old Henry]

Originally Posted by Ol' Ron

Can't believe your still using tubes. I guess that's keeping it original.

Originally Posted by Ol' Ron

I guess I'm just out of date. I keep forgetting what we're working on here. I realize we try to keep them original amd that's fine for restoration cars, but if you're building a driver, I'd think you'd want to take advantage of what's available over the counter. Plus I think the radial tire is safer for my family.

I'm afraid that my "time machine" don't work without no inner tubes.

[Old Henry]

So, here's what I ended up doing:
I had cleaned and painted this rim before. When I just took this tire off a lot of the paint had disappeared, rubbed off or something. It certainly didn't prevent new rust developing either. So, this time I have coated the inside of the rim with Plasti-Dip rubber coating (http://www.plastidip.com/home_solutions/Plasti_Dip). I've done it on one other rim and so far so good. I then put duct tape on the narrow groove covering the rivets where the rust seems to grow, got a 5.40-6.40X16 tube to put in, provided the tire guy with a jug of baby powder to powder up everything and he put it all together. We'll see how it goes.

Got 20,000 miles out of that last tire, typical of these old bias-plies in my experience so far. (That's 1¢ per mile per tire - total 4¢ per mile for tires.)

[51 MERC-CT]

Originally Posted by Old Henry

So, here's what I ended up doing:
I had cleaned and painted this rim before. When I just took this tire off a lot of the paint had disappeared, rubbed off or something. It certainly didn't prevent new rust developing either. So, this time I have coated the inside of the rim with Plasti-Dip rubber coating (http://www.plastidip.com/home_solutions/Plasti_Dip). I've done it on one other rim and so far so good. I then put duct tape on the narrow groove covering the rivets where the rust seems to grow, got a 5.40-6.40X16 tube to put in, provided the tire guy with a jug of baby powder to powder up everything and he put it all together. We'll see how it goes.

Got 20,000 miles out of that last tire, typical of these old bias-plies in my experience so far. (That's 1¢ per mile per tire - total 4¢ per mile for tires.)

Out of curiosity, did you compare the cross sections of the tubes to determine if the bad one may have been oversized?

[Old Henry]

Originally Posted by 51 MERC-CT

Out of curiosity, did you compare the cross sections of the tubes to determine if the bad one may have been oversized?

Yes. The one that crumpled inside the tire was too big - size T13, whatever that means.

[Drbrown]

"Yes. The one (tube) that crumpled inside the tire was too big .... " Sounds like the primary cause IMHO. And, if water got inside the rim/casing to cause rust, then air would have likewise escaped had you not been using an inner tube.

[51 MERC-CT]

Originally Posted by Old Henry

Yes. The one that crumpled inside the tire was too big - size T13, whatever that means.

Ya' it sorta looked like that. The T13 refers to the type of air valve stem.

[flatford8]

Originally Posted by john worden

Like Hank Williams Senior said " comb your hair, paint and powder.... "

"You act proud and I'll act prouder"...... I think the water in his wheels comes from the fact that he drives it the way they did 60 years ago. Rain snow mud and water holes. .... Go old Henry go!!!!!!......MARK

[Graeme / New Zealand]

Originally Posted by 51 MERC-CT

Nothing wrong with tubes, but back when tubeless tires became available and the '47 Merc. conv. and '51 Merc I had needed tire replacements, this grampa had tubeless tires installed and never looked back. ( It's called progress ) Even Henry Ford believed in progress, otherwise all Fords on the road today would still look like model T's.

Progress really started for Ford once "the old man" croaked

GB

[51 MERC-CT]

Originally Posted by Graeme / New Zealand

Progress really started for Ford once "the old man" croaked

GB

You mean like the Edsel and Pinto etc.,etc.?

[richard crow]

those two slits look kike they were done dismounting the tire.when i was a young man i worked in a gas station i fixed a lot of flats 1-dismouht tire 2-use a spreader & exz. inside of tire. 3 clean rim look for rought spots & rust clean paint if nessaery.4- now put tube in the tire while its off the rim. inflat tube to remove rinkles & bunching .leave enought air so tube stays looking good in tire 5- lube tire bead & rim with proper soap or lube mount tire. use one of those cable tools that screws on the tube stem.once tire is mounted pull on stem makeing sure its stright . inflat tire to proper pressure. every job no matter how small requires skill. today a lot of so call techs . just slop things together.

[Graeme / New Zealand]

Originally Posted by 51 MERC-CT

You mean like the Edsel and Pinto etc.,etc.?

Pinto may have had a bad rap because of the fuel tank thing but the 2L lump under the bonnet...oops I mean hood to you up at the top of the world, was one hell of an engine. I had a Ford Cortina with that engine in and it was bulletproof. Very popular engine outside USA before the world went multi cam on fours.

Edsel was a victim of the times but they have a following now despite the "lady bits" grill.

GB

[ora masters]

Old henry i put tubeless radial on my 48 no leaks and drives great i sand blasted them first then painted them