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[Closed] major schoolboy error and stans fluid question!

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[#4491384]

Short story .....start my 12 mile ride to work, get 3 miles into swinley and back end goes wobble wobble....tyre flat as a pancake. No problem...go into bag to get pump out....&*&*&*(**((*&%$£$ %$%$$$ left the bloomin thing in shed. Walk to the meadows tesco superstore another 2/3 miles and buy a pump.

Great - so start pumping tyre up and the tyre does not seal. Was only filled with three cups of stans a few months ago. Took tyre off and i was presented with a perfect ball of dry latex. WTF??? tube in pump up and off i go.

Question I have is how often do you guys change fluid? I generally stick with the same tyres for all riding so the fluid has been in for about 3~4 months maybe. Weather wise, its been plop last few monthgs so i doubt it has dried out...or maybe it has?

Any ideas?

cheers 🙂


 
Posted : 24/10/2012 12:02 pm
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Did you inflate using CO2? Can cause fluid to dry out (apparently)


 
Posted : 24/10/2012 12:11 pm
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I took my tyres off after five months (with one top-up) yesterday and someone has replaced all the stans fluid with a cupful of latte. (or was it Fairtrade macchiato? is there a "little finger out" smiley available??)It was perfectly fluid, so I suspect contamination or CO2 shenanigans in your case.


 
Posted : 24/10/2012 12:19 pm
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Too much impatient clicking.....


 
Posted : 24/10/2012 12:19 pm
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Over 6 months using 1 cup of Stans per tyre to seal a pair of Nobby Nics on Specialized Roval rims. Can still hear the liquid sloshing about inside.


 
Posted : 24/10/2012 12:19 pm
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CO2 is pretty inert, no?


 
Posted : 24/10/2012 12:22 pm
 tomd
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It makes the solution acidic, which might be the issue.

They must be quite big tyres to need three scoops. 1 does it for me in my 2.0" tyres, top it up after 6 months or so. Maybe 2 cups in bigger 2.2 tyres, again lasts ages. Bike is in a cool damp cupboard though. If you kept it in a centrally heated house might last significantly less.


 
Posted : 24/10/2012 12:27 pm
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Perhaps when you use CO2 it freezes the solution slightly and changes it's constitution?, or did you remove the moulding wax from your tyre before fitting? - by moulding wax i mean the release wax/compound that is usually on the inside of tyres to enable them to slip out the high pressure moulds when manufactured - i use fairy liquid and a green scotchbrite type pan scourer type thing and scrub the inside of my tubeless tyres in the shower before use or applying latex.


 
Posted : 24/10/2012 12:29 pm
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kept inside near a heater? the heat can cause it to clump together


 
Posted : 24/10/2012 12:29 pm
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Nope - never used Co2 thingy on it. They are big tyres (2.35 Hans Damfs).....never had this issue before! I am wondering if it was a bad batch (unlikely though as i suspect the QC is quite good at the factory). Also never been nearer a heater just kept in my shed subject to good old british weather (ie cold crap and rain).

I am at a bit of a loss! i have kept the ball of latex as a souvenir and have emailed stans to see what they say! it does bounce well ... like one of those super bouncy balls that you probably had when you were a kid.


 
Posted : 24/10/2012 12:52 pm
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Mine dried out when i had the bike in the conservatory as it got too hot. Also happened when i used to have the bike in the back of the car at work during the warmer months.


 
Posted : 24/10/2012 12:55 pm
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Sounds pretty normal. I have some tyres that very rarely need topping up and others that dry out much more quickly leaving a nice stringy clump of rubber.


 
Posted : 24/10/2012 12:58 pm
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Thing is, i would have thought it would take a long time for 3 cupfuls to dry out...its weird though how a perfect ball has formed...would have expected stringy stuff as you mention neninja.

Maybe my shed has turned into a sauna with what little sun we have had.... maybe it could be also to do with the thin rubber and surface area of the large hans damf tyres. Must admit, i had the fluid in 6 months + on my spesh "captain" tyres and you could hear the comforting sloshing sound.

will just need to check for the slosh more frequently i guess!


 
Posted : 24/10/2012 1:05 pm
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I've had this a couple of times. Always assumed it was due to using CO2 so interested to hear that it's not necessarily that.
Hmmm...


 
Posted : 24/10/2012 1:10 pm
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this happens to me too and I assumed due to freezing coz I use a compressor.


 
Posted : 24/10/2012 7:58 pm