Originally Posted by
mjoekingz28
I would have gotten you a pic, but I was pumping up the tire and finally got it to work. See I took off the locknut and then it began to pump easier and I got the pressure I wanted. After that I released the pump and I guess it shot out of there because the air rushed out and nothing but a hole there now.
So I thought I just needed two valves, but it seems I need two tubes now.
The spring I was referencing to is I guess the valve core (as it would be on a schrader). I bent it back straight and then the locknut would thread by hand. Now its gone, wonder where it ended up!?
You should never remove the nut at the top of the presta valve. You loosen it until you feel the resistance from it hitting the top of the threads and then fill the tire/tube. When you are done you hand tighten it down, which prevents accidental losing of air. The valve is held closed by air pressure in the tube, no spring involved. It's essentially a plug at the end of the threaded portion. If you remove the locknut the rest may fall into the tube. I would guess that's why you got the rush of air when you released the hose. The pump has it's own check valve that prevents the air coming back out until you release the head.