DIY Life

Repair your tire's slow leak, cheap and easy

Matt Robinson — 2008-03-18T09:00:00 00:00

Filed under: cars and transportation, fix-it

Ah, the slow leak. It's infuriating when you constantly have to stop at gas stations to keep your tire properly inflated. Since the roads are full of hazards, it's easy to pick up nails, screws, or other objects that puncture your tires and create slow leaks.

Luckily, there's a quick and easy way to fix your tire without having to go to a tire repair shop. Most good auto parts stores will carry a small kit (here's an example of one brand) for tire repair, which includes a rasp, a needle, and several thick, sticky black threads. The tools have either a T-handle or a screwdriver-type handle (T-handles are best, in my opinion).

Get the kit, and get ready to fix your tire. First, block the other tires for safety. This should be done every time you raise your car, to prevent accidental slippage.

Read on for detailed instructions on how to fix your tire.

%Gallery-15341%Remove the tire, and inspect it for "foreign objects." Double-check the tire once you think you've found the puncture point, just to make sure you don't have more than one.

Once you have found the object, pull it out with pliers. You might need to work at it for a while, especially if the nail is between the treads of the tire, or if you have driven for a while and the outside part has been ground down. Don't give up!

Once it's out, you're ready to repair the tire. Let the air in the tire drain out, so it's easier to work with. Get the rasp from the kit (it's like a file, designed to be pushed into tire holes). Force the rasp into the hole and work it in and out for about 20 to 30 seconds. This will remove any bits of metal or whatnot that might still be in the tire. It also prepares the hole to be plugged. Some kits have rubber cement or vulcanizing fluid, and if so you can apply some of it to the hole. I've never used that, and I've plugged many tires successfully.

After filing the hole, take a thread from the kit (about 5 inches long, sticky and black) and work it onto the needle (the other part of the kit). Pull the thread about halfway through the needle. Knead the end of the thread so that it will go through the eye of the needle.

Once the needle is threaded, force the tip into the tire's hole. It will take a bit of work, but if you twist and maneuver the needle, it will go in. DO NOT force the thread all the way into the hole; you will need to leave about a quarter to a third outside the tire so it will plug properly.

Now that the thread is in the tire, you'll need to pull the needle out. Give it a firm tug. Don't yank it; it should come out with a bit of effort. It must leave the thread in the hole.

Now, trim the thread that remains outside the tire. Just clip it even with the tread of the tire.

Inflate the tire to the proper psi, re-mount the tire, and, just for good measure, once the car is down from the jack check the pressure again. All should be well, and now you are good to go. Keep an eye on the pressure for the next few days, just to be sure you got the leak.

Voila! You just fixed your tire and saved yourself a bit of money, and you can brag to your friends about your new mechanical skill. Beware, if you do it right, your friends may demand you do it for them, too...

A last word: I've been told that newer tires don't accept the threads to plug holes, and that this technique only works for steel-belted radials.

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Low-tech solution to doors that don't stay closed

Matt Robinson — 2007-09-19T14:00:00 00:00

Filed under: fix-it, household hacks, miscellaneous

I live in a house with five other people. Folks are always coming and going, and they aren't always conscientious about closing the doors behind them, whether to keep air conditioning inside, to keep pets out of some rooms, or just for privacy. Beyond that, some doors just don't stay shut.

We found a simple way to keep our door closed that makes everyone happy (except the dogs). It just took two wood screws and a long spring salvaged from a screen door that was being thrown out around the corner. Cut the spring to the right size, mount one side to the outside corner of the door, and the other attaches to the door frame.

Screen doors are known for slamming shut, but ours closes gently and stays shut.

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Building a bike from the ground up: Rebuilding the headset and front tube

Matt Robinson — 2007-09-14T13:00:00 00:00

Filed under: cars and transportation, fix-it

%Gallery-7401%

If you're gonna build a bike from the ground up, you might as well do it right, and do it thoroughly. Although most bikes don't need this step done, when I'm building a bike I like to get at everything: whatever I can clean, check over, and rebuild, I will. That way, I know the bike is done right, I know it's going to work properly, and I've just added years to the lifespan of this humble machine. And it'll be a lot more fun to ride.

The headset of a bike is basically the front steering assembly. It includes the front tube, the front fork, the steering handle bars, and the odd bits such as ball-bearing cages, washers, and nuts. If the bike you want to rebuild has a rough time steering, or feels clunky while riding, you might well want to rebuild the headset.

The one I'm working on has a bit of rust on the headset top lock-nut and adjusting race, but, as you can see, it all comes apart with the proper tools.

Speaking of which, you'll need the following tools to do it right:

Allen wrench
Adjustable wrench (aka crescent wrench), large
Vise-grip wrench (with rounded bite)
Axle grease
Wire brush or old toothbrush (for scrubbing filthy parts)
Gloves (not required, they just keep your fingernails from getting too dirty)

First, unscrew the handlebar retaining bolt, a hexagonally-keyed bolt directly above where the handlebars slide into the frame. Theoretically, the handlebars should come loose when this bolt is loosened, but don't be surprised if it's stuck in the cylinder. Some PB Blaster (penetrating lubricant, found at auto-parts stores) soaked into the headset overnight should loosen all parts sufficiently, and allow you to pull the handlebars out of the front tube.

Next, use the crescent wrench to loosen the lock-nut. Then, careful so as not to lose the special washer (it has a tiny flange that lines up with the groove on the front fork threads) beneath the nut, remove the lockring (if stuck, use a rounded-bite pair of vise-grips, see photo). Once all this is removed, you can extract the front fork from the frame. Be careful not to drop or lose the two ball-bearing cages (two rings that hold ball bearings into place), which will likely be pretty dirty and in need of cleaning and re-greasing.

I'lll do the cleaning and greasing in a minute, for now it's time to clean that headset. Using some kind of degreaser or mild soap, or some other solvent-type fluid, wipe the grease and crud from the front fork, frame tube, and handlebars, scrub rusty bits with a wire-brush, and carefully scrub the threads at the top of the front fork. After cleaning this off, you'll want to inspect it for damage. The one in the photo has some thread damage, but it's not fatal. It can be cleaned up and put back to use, but I'll need to be careful not to worsen the damage when I'm putting it all back together. (In gallery photo, the damaged bit is at the top of the fork, a thin discolored vertical patch about a half-inch long. The long, straight bit is an intentional groove to hold the headset washer in place -- if you're unfamiliar with this, don't panic, it's supposed to be there)

Clean what you can on the fork and frame, wipe out the tube as much as you can to remove rust flakes or bits of dirt (I spray it with WD-40 and wipe through with a stretched shop-towel). Pay special attention to rusty patches, try to scrub them off or at least treat them with a rust-retardant.

Wipe all areas that the ball-bearings will touch. I usually use a shop-towel to get most of the gunk off, then I spray some solvent onto another cloth and scrub them with that, then once more with a dry, clean shop-towel.

Now for the ball bearings. You don't necessarily have to dis-assemble the bearing rings, but I usually do, for two reasons. First, if taken apart, I can see if any bearings are damaged and need to be replaced. Second, I know that the ball bearings will be properly greased if I take them apart and carefully clean them, and the cages.

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Bike repair: Flat tires

Matt Robinson — 2007-09-13T18:00:00 00:00

Filed under: cars and transportation, fix-it

%Gallery-7419%
If you ride a bike, you know the frustration of having a punctured tube. Suddenly, you are immobile. And that sucks.

Luckily, changing a bike tire tube is easy, but it requires a critical tool. The tire lever is vital to changing a tire, and if you have two of them, the work is cut out for you.

Slip the tire lever under the bead of the tire and pry the bead out from the rim. Then hook the lever tool onto a spoke, and, using the other lever, pry out more of the tire and then slide the free tool around the rim, pulling the bead out until that side is removed.

Removing the tire is easy. Carefully extract the valve stem -- the little tube you inflate the tire through -- from the rim, and then peel the tire and tube out of the rim.

Inspect the tire and tube for damage. In the photos, my tube has a puncture in it from a sharp, metal road hazard, probably a roofing nail. It also sliced through the tire itself, but hopefully you won't have this problem. The tube is the thing you want to pay attention to.

The hole in my tube is easily detectable. Nail punctures or other minor tears may not be so obvious, though. If your tire has a slow leak, chances are the hole is TINY. To find the puncture, put some air into the tube and submerge it in a bathtub or basin of water. Holding the tube under, inspect the tube closely for bubbles rising from it. Where there are bubbles, there's a leak. If you can't find it, put a little more air in the tire (in case the hole is so small that it only leaks under higher pressures), and repeat. If it's impossible to find a hole, you might have a problem with the valve stem. Submerge it, and gently work it around with your fingers to see if any cracks at the base of the stem are the culprit.

Once you find the damage, and it's not too bad to fix, you'll want to patch the tube. To do this, you'll need a kit with patches, sandpaper, and vulcanizing fluid (in a small tube). Sand the damaged area, spread vulcanizing fluid in the area around the hole (not too much, but you definitely want to cover the area where the patch will go), and wait for the fluid to set. This takes about 5 minutes.

Then carefully apply the patch, holding it on firmly and pressing all around it. Pinch it on and try to make sure it's contacting the whole area with the tacky fluid on it, and make sure the hole is as close to the middle of the patch as possible.

Let that set for a minute (with you holding it firmly, but not too hard) before you carefully remove the plastic backing from the patch. If the patch starts to peel up, you might need to sparingly put more fluid on the area, and then hold it in place firmly for a minute or two. The patch should peel off without too much hassle.

Replacing the tire is practically the opposite of removal. Put one side of the tire around the rim. You can do this by hand by pushing the bead of the tire over the rim and following it with your fingers around the rim until it pops on, and then carefully slip the tube back into the tire. Start with the valve stem, and be careful. I can't count the number of times I have replaced a tube but was careless with the stem, and ended up cutting the tube unintentionally right where the stem meets the tube. That sucks mightily, and I urge you to avoid this. It can produce a slow leak or a quick pop, and both of these outcomes are undesirable. Be attentive. The tube you save may be your own.

Seat the tube all the way around the inside of the tire, making sure it's not going to pinch against the rim. Push the un-inflated tire into the tire, feeling for twists or bunched up areas of the tube. Make sure the tire and tube are smooth against each other.

Then, using your fingers at first and then the levers, press the second side of the tire onto the rim. The bead will go on about 3/4ths of the way around the tire, then you'll have to use the levers again. It's a bit tricky at first, but once you do it you will feel confident and virile. Pump the tire up to acceptable limits, put it back on your bike, and ride away.

Note: You must make sure if you are replacing a tube that you get the proper size. Standard rim sizes are 26" and 27", and widths vary by tire. Some popular tire sizes are 26" x 2" and 27" x 1 1/4". Tire size is usually printed on the sidewall.

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Save your sour laundry with peroxide

Matt Robinson — 2007-08-20T13:00:00 00:00

Filed under: cleaning, Know-How

Have you ever forgotten your laundry in the washing machine overnight during the hottest part of the year? Have you inadvertently left damp clothing in your car's trunk or at the bottom of your hamper? Or worse, have you left wet clothes hanging on a clothesline only to have it rain on them, keeping them wet overnight or for a couple of days? If so, you probably know how musty and sour your laundry can become. Such circumstances can produce a pretty funky stink, and could ruin your good clothing.

If you have encountered this, you probably have also noticed that simply washing (or re-washing) the clothing doesn't always make that sour smell go away. It seems to get into the very fabric itself. Having found myself in just such a situation before, I experimented with a strategy to rid my clothes of the stench for good. All it takes is a little bit of hydrogen peroxide, and a little attention.

Wash your stinky clothes as usual, detergent and all, but add to the load about a third of a cup of peroxide once the machine is filled with water (otherwise you risk bleaching part of your load). I have found this works best in hot water, and as for the amount of peroxide, you kind of have to play it by ear. Larger loads (or particularly offensive-smelling smaller loads) will require a bit more peroxide, but a third of a cup has done the trick for me.

After the wash, make sure you thoroughly dry your clothing, or else the same problem will likely come back. Once dry, smell the formerly-offending bits, and if they still stink, you can run another wash -- this time without the need for detergent -- with a generous amount of peroxide. Also try using vinegar to fix it.

If this still doesn't work, then unfortunately it might be time for a new wardrobe.

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments