Can a tube repair itself?
10-24-10, 08:44 AM
#1
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Can a tube repair itself?
Yesterday I installed new tube and tire on a friend’s bike. Immediately, after installation, I heard an almost undetectable hiss coming from the tire. I put my ear right up to the tire and located the exact spot where the puncture was located. It was about 6 inches from the valve stem.
In order to repair the tube, I took off the tire, pumped up the tube, but couldn’t find the puncture. The hissing had stopped.
Then I over-inflated the tube and still no hissing.
So then I submerged the over-inflated tube in a bucket of water, and there were NO BUBBLES!
And today, I checked the tire and it appeared still totally inflated.
wtf? Can anyone explain?
In order to repair the tube, I took off the tire, pumped up the tube, but couldn’t find the puncture. The hissing had stopped.
Then I over-inflated the tube and still no hissing.
So then I submerged the over-inflated tube in a bucket of water, and there were NO BUBBLES!
And today, I checked the tire and it appeared still totally inflated.
wtf? Can anyone explain?
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10-24-10, 08:55 AM
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No. A tube can't repair itself.
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10-24-10, 08:56 AM
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The only tubes that can "fix" themselves have the product known as "Slime" in them. And if it had Slime in it you would probably see the green stuff somewhere.
10-24-10, 11:04 AM
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you might have heard air being pushed out from between the tyre and tube ?
unlikely and I've never come across it myself ... but I guess theoretically possible.
As for slime I've always found that it work's great until you disturb it .... I stopped using the stuff because when I eventually took a tube out to fix a puncture which the slime couldn't manage I usually found several puncture's which had sealed fine until I took the tube out.
unlikely and I've never come across it myself ... but I guess theoretically possible.
As for slime I've always found that it work's great until you disturb it .... I stopped using the stuff because when I eventually took a tube out to fix a puncture which the slime couldn't manage I usually found several puncture's which had sealed fine until I took the tube out.
10-24-10, 11:05 AM
#6
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The bionic tube is still a few years away. Nice try though.
10-24-10, 11:24 AM
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I was thinking more along the lines of witchcraft or something like that.
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10-24-10, 12:01 PM
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Not according to the second law of thermodynamics. But that one's not so much a law as a tends-to-happen-a-lot.
10-24-10, 01:21 PM
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This question reminds me of a joke:
Three computer geeks, a salesman, a service tech, and a software engineer, were driving a rental car to a trade show. They got a flat tire. The salesman said, hey, let's just call the rental company and they'll bring us a replacement car. The service tech said, no, that will take too long. We'll just swap the flat with one of the three good wheels. Finally, the software engineer said, no, let's just keep driving on it and maybe the flat will go away.
Three computer geeks, a salesman, a service tech, and a software engineer, were driving a rental car to a trade show. They got a flat tire. The salesman said, hey, let's just call the rental company and they'll bring us a replacement car. The service tech said, no, that will take too long. We'll just swap the flat with one of the three good wheels. Finally, the software engineer said, no, let's just keep driving on it and maybe the flat will go away.
10-24-10, 01:27 PM
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Could be the valve itself that was leaking. More pressure sometimes stops it.
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10-24-10, 02:13 PM
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Possible but I don't think so. That's why I mentioned that the noise (that a pin hole air leak would make) appeared to be located about 6 inches away from the valve stem. Also it was a schrader valve, if that matters.
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10-24-10, 04:42 PM
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Steel is real, baby!
I think you're telling tall tales... 
10-24-10, 04:56 PM
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" I heard an almost undetectable hiss"
Tinnitus brought on by an unaccustomed upper body work out would be my guess. That pumping can be hard for your spindly-armed roadie. HTFU
Tinnitus brought on by an unaccustomed upper body work out would be my guess. That pumping can be hard for your spindly-armed roadie. HTFU
10-24-10, 04:58 PM
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i think i just entered the twilight zone.
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10-24-10, 05:06 PM
#18
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10-24-10, 05:07 PM
#19
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10-24-10, 06:16 PM
#21
Steel is real, baby!
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