Matt Trebelhorn <matt.lists@trebelhorn.com> wrote:
So I just bought a '76 fiat spider. Pretty decent little car, all in
all.
One problem the owner pointed out sounded a little strange, though.
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.
The guy who owned it said that the wheels themselves leaked -- like
there were cracks in the rim or something.
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?
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?
Might it be bad valve stems, or valves?
Anyway, thought I'd run it by the list and see what you think.
Thanks,
Matt
Matt,
It seems odd that all the rims would be cracked, particularly considering that
steel is so elastic. Nonetheless, still worth checking as cracked rims can be
dangerous. I'd look at the bead surface. My 1975 Lancia had tubes and
tube-type tires/rims that were leak free. I imagine you could use tubes if all
else fails. I've had mixed results leak sealants and have been told that some
varieties are hazardous to the subsequent tire changer.
Charlie
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