Clogged tire valves?

[Bill84701]

Attempting to get the first ride of the season in and find my tire valves are clogged when I tried to add air. I had put stop leak fluid in at the end of last season and think it may have somehow sealed the valves. Has anyone else had this issue? Resolutions?

 

[Gary]

yeah. pretty common with sealant.
remove the valve core, clean. refit

 

[Bill84701]

Makes sense, just wish the company that sold me the sealant would have also included a valve removal tool. Would have saved me frustration and time.

 

[Gary]

No bicycle tyre sealant I've ever seen comes with a valve removal tool.
Why would it?
You'll be able to pick one up in most larger bike shops though.
But...
Which valves do you have?
Shrader valve cores can be undone with a pair of long nose pliers (if you're careful)
and presta can be undone with pliers or a small adjustable spanner.

 

[Bill84701]

I'll pick up the correct tool in the morning, don't want to fudge things up. Why should the tool come with the tire sealant? Well as a business owner I understand the benefit of giving the customer everything he/she will need to use my product. The first reply indicated this is common (something I as a newbie did not know let alone foresee). Sure would have sucked for me to be on a ride and need to add air only to find out I can't. Had the valve tool been included AND a note indicating its potential need, I would have been prepared.

 

[KennyB]

Stan's dart has a Presta tool built in.

 

[RedTed]

No bicycle tyre sealant I've ever seen comes with a valve removal tool.
Why would it?
You'll be able to pick one up in most larger bike shops though.
But...
Which valves do you have?
Shrader valve cores can be undone with a pair of long nose pliers (if you're careful)
and presta can be undone with pliers or a small adjustable spanner.

Muc-Off do a 140ml pouch kit with one included, but yeah, pliers work just fine if you're careful like you say.

 

[R120]

Brands tend to sell either just the sealant, or a kit with the sealant, valves, etc etc

 

[wepn]

Stan's dart has a Presta tool built in.

Yes the Dart. It really is worthwhile and the reason to use Stan's.

 

[James_C]

mine clog all the time, I just press the air release on the valve a few times until I can hear air is getting out, then attach the pump. In fact I do that every time now, I just assume they are clogged

 

[Zimmerframe]

I think as well, with tubeless, ideally have your valves at 3 o'clock or 9 o'clock if you're putting air in or letting air out.

 

[KennyB]

Yes the Dart. It really is worthwhile and the reason to use Stan's.

Stan's reckon that any latex sealant will react with the DART petals but I reckon I'll stick with Stan's (normal, not Race - that will clog). Milkit valves also come with a neat little valve tool that fits over the valve stem.

 

[2wheeledwalbert]

Keep a peatys valve cap on one (or both) of the wheels. Got a built in core remover.

 

[steve_sordy]

I think as well, with tubeless, ideally have your valves at 3 o'clock or 9 o'clock if you're putting air in or letting air out.

In addition to that, when putting the bike away after a ride, I always leave the valves between 5 o'clock and 7 o'clock. So that any wet sealant runs out of the valve hole.

Of course the good thing about your valves getting clogged is that it is a sure sign that you actually do still have active sealant in your tyre!

 

[outerlimits]

Sealant is so overrated.

Best thing I done was getting rid of sealant and going back to tubes, with Tannus Armour.

 

[Gary]

you should try cushcore AND tanus inserts AND a tube mate.

#NextLEVEL

 

[Zimmerframe]

How about double cushcore and no tube or air .. you know it's right !

 

[wepn]

In case anyone thinks I thought you were serious, I changed my reactions just a bit

 

[Gary]

It's ok @wepn. I can tell serious guys online. They have proper tantrums and call me names.

 

[B1rdie]

Not all valves have a removable core, most presta actually don’t.

 

[Gary]

Seeing as we're talking about sealant clogging the valve. How else do you think the sealant got inside the valve?

 

[KennyB]

I had some presta valved inner tubes once with no removable core I think they didn't have flats on them. I can't imagine, can't see the point of and have never had a tubeless valve that didn't have a removable core.

 

[118]

Not all valves have a removable core, most presta actually don’t.

Innertubes don't have 'removable' cores.

 

[R120]

This has all gone a bit hardcore

 

[Nicho]

If your bike is fairly new and you still have the bag/box of bits and pieces that came with it, you might find a valve core tool in it. My Giant came with one (a strange little bit of plastic about the size of a fingernail).

 

[B1rdie]

Innertubes don't have 'removable' cores.

I have a rigid 29 that is set tubeless with an inner tube, in this case the inner tube of this tubeless wheel has a removable core ?.
But if it hadn’t I might use a syringe to stuff the sealant inside it ?

 

[KennyB]

Tried that once, sealant just ran around between tyre and tube, apparently it is the spray of sealant mixing with air that does the sealing. But if you want to try, make a small cut in the tube, inject sealant and patch the tube.

 

[steve_sordy]

Tried that once, sealant just ran around between tyre and tube, apparently it is the spray of sealant mixing with air that does the sealing. But if you want to try, make a small cut in the tube, inject sealant and patch the tube.

I have tried that, but make your cut on the part of the tube facing inward. Keep the sealant away from the outer surface of the tube or you will never get the patch to stick.

You could try ready-filled tubes by Slime, called "Slime Smart Tube". They are sold as "prevents flat tyres" so they go belt and braces. In addition to the Slime sealant (which never goes off), the tubes are super thick. Which makes them heavy.
I tried them on a 26er and sure enough I never got a flat, but I went tubeless soon after, and never went back.