> So I just bought a '76 fiat spider. Pretty decent little car, all in
> all.
snip
> The tires lose air pressure pretty quickly. Tires are new, valve
> stems are new. Wheels are 30-year old steel fiat wheels. They're
> old, but they don't look banged up.
> So, a few questions: while I've heard of wheels cracking around the
> studs, I don't think I've heard of cracks out at the rim. Does this
> seem odd?
No
>
> How would I go about checking this? It takes a couple of days to
> lose ~10 lbs pressure -- is that too slow to do a soapy-water test?
>
Immerse in tank of water and watch for the bubbles, even slow leak you'll
see 'em.
> Might it be bad valve stems, or valves?
Could be.
> Anyway, thought I'd run it by the list and see what you think.
JMHO, not a concensus of the list:-)
>
> Thanks,
> Matt
You're welcome, HTH.
If not valves or stems, probably rim leaks where the tire bead seats.
Pretty common in older alloy wheels that have been exposed to elements. I
don't see how steel wheels could be immune.
Safety Fast!
Gordie Bird
'62 MGA
'67 MGBGT
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