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Stupid question time - Valve stem patch

D

dhermesc

Well-known Member
This is on a garden tractor tube. The valve stem wasn't in the correct position on the tube to match the hole in the rim. The tube was leaking around the base of the valve stem. I thought I'd fix it by putting a patch over the old valve stem hole and put on a new valve stem that would line up better with the hole in the rim. I ordered a couple and got a nice big patch over the old valve stem hole. The replacement valve stem showed up and I ran into an issue. I assumed the new valve stem would be just like a regular tire patch - only with a valve stem in the middle. I thought it would have the peel off cover that adher to the buffed spot on the tube after the vulcanizing fluid dried. Instead it is a plain rubber patch without the poly cover. How do you make one of those stick?




https://www.ebay.com/itm/133883439171
 

No ideas from me.

I could not find a tube with the stem in the right position for my 12" rim garden tractor either.
But all the tubes out there that I looked at seemed to have the stem in the same location.

So I welded up the old hole and drilled a new one to suit the current standard stem location.
 
It might be a hot patch, requiring the vulcanizing press.

That, or you just brush the rubber cement on the patch and the tube, let them dry, and then stick together.

I've not had any luck getting patches to stick to tubes in a long time.
 
Buff the patch too & apply glue to both. It might work??????? I have some patches that are getting 30 to 40 years old. I do that to them & can still use them.
 
You say rubber cement - do you mean a glue or the vulcanizing fluid that you use with a normal tube patch?
 
Good morning, dhermesc and others: Sorry I am late to the party, just happened to see this thread. How do you determine the nature of the various cements, glues, solvents, etc. that come with a kit of patches or are bought separately? I can not distinguish one from another, and I hate to do the work of breaking down a tire/tube assembly, putting a patch on tube, reassembling, then have it fail. BTW, if I want to have a professional person fix a tube, I must drive about 20 miles round trip; doesn't seem worth it.
.
Dennis M. in W. Tenn.
.
 
Good idea!!! A piece of belting or sidewall from a tire glued over the old stem hole (from the inside using gorilla glue and a clamp while it cures would reduce welding. Jim
 
If welding is not convenient, they do make rubber stem hole plugs that fill the hole from the inside.
Like a Haltec P-15 for 5/8 inch hole.
1719.jpg
 
One of the legs of my lift is my vulcanizing table. Find a flat washer with an outside diameter the same size as the OD of your replacement stem. Buff the tube and the patch both. Brush on your favorite patch cement, on both pieces, and allow to dry, and stick them together. Hang this assembly over a flat surface that is narrow enough to be able to lay the repair flat with no wrinkles under it. My lift is 4x4 box tubing and that is just right for most repairs, but requires a fairly large c-clamp. If you can get it over the corner of a flat bench, that will work too; anywhere, long as theres no wrinkles under it. Lay your flat washer over the repair, and then a socket deep enough to accept the valve stem. Clamp it down with a c-clamp. Heat the washer as evenly as possible with soft flame with your brazing tip. Its hot enough when you see rubber oozing at the joint around the edge of the washer. Allow to cool and you are done.
 
The seller messaged me back.

Yes, these are simply not pre glued.
1. Buff a fresh area on the tube and poke a hole on the center.
2. Buff the back of the replacement stem.
3. Apply a high quality cold vulcanizing fluid to both buffed surfaces and allow to dry.
4. Align hole in new stem with hole in tube and roll with patch roller working from center outward.
5. Cut off old stem, buff and patch hole.
 
Just did a 14-9/28 a couple days ago, all I had was a nearly dried up can of SLIME brand, but you can use whatever glue is available in the tire repair section. SLIME is probably my least favorite, but it got me back in the field...but to answer your question, no, I dont know of any specialty glue for this operation. If I had a choice, I would probably go with TECH brand, found at tire shops or a good mom-n-pop auto parts store.
 
I have no idea what you were sent. I owned a tire shop for 22+ years and never heard of anything like that. I think you were sold something that must have ment to be vulcanized on a tube. Good luck with it.
 
I use the slime brand because that was all TSC had on the shelf. After reading all the compaints about it drying out I'm surprised my 5 year old can is fine.
 
Tech for one has a glue on stem with the stem in the middle. I have been looking at getting some more of them. The Tech brand has the biggest patch area for holding once it is stuck to the tube unlike some I have seen. I use them on tubes and the smaller one for regular inner tubes for implement tires. They have just a regular stem instead of the air /water stem like the rear tires on tractors do. I also keep some plug patches on hand for tubeless tires the plug helps keep water out of the wires to rust them before the tire wears out. They look like a valve stem in the middle of a patch and have a small wire sticking out of the end of them to pull them through the tire with.
 
By the way, this is not a stupid question at all... with inner tubes crossing the $100 line, everyone should know how to do this... especially when you cant find a tube Saturday afternoon and it will be raining Monday.
 
Thanks.

I had just never seen a tire patch that wasn't preglued with the peel off vinyl cover. The seller has apparently run into this problem and even had a few negative reviews by people claiming the patches were unusable. If I had bought a bag of 10 patches with valve stems for $30 and those showed as preglued - but at 55 I've only needed three or four of these in my entire life. With tubeless tires becoming more prevalent all the time the need continues to drop off.
 
(quoted from post at 08:05:54 06/05/23) You say rubber cement - do you mean a glue or the vulcanizing fluid that you use with a normal tube patch?
Click to expand...

That's all "vulcanizing fluid" is. Plain old rubber cement.

Go to the tire patching section of your local auto parts store. All that's there is "rubber cement."
 
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