Changing a Flat - Easy Squezy -non demountable rims

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Model T Ford Forum: Forum 2014: Changing a Flat - Easy Squezy -non demountable rims
Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Robert Kelly on Sunday, July 27, 2014 - 09:47 pm:

Grand Parents day. --- 1915 Ford Turning: Changing a flat.
Get reminded by the misses that the back tire looks to be getting low. She said she noticed it as she was getting in the back seat. So find a nice spot to stop with some shade. Jack up car, remove tire, patch tube, replace tire, Pump Pump Pump Pump….still make it to Sunday Service on time, a little dirty but everyone understands.

Me: Same 1915 Ford Turning: Changing a flat.
My youngest son want me to participate in a Rodeo parade next month and the right rear tire for a long time has been slowly leaking down. Fearing a full fledged flat between a Sheriffs mounted horse patrol and a BigOl green tractor pulling a high school float, I decide I need a new tube. After all the car is 99 years old and deserves it's tire to hold air. So I go online order new tube (Lang's) and oh well, why not a new flap while I'm at it. My order arrives Wednesday...... get up early Saturday have breakfast, explain to the the misses I'll be done in a little while. The weather app on my iPhone has forecast it's going to get roasty-toasty today and I want to get this done while it's still cool....a cup of coffee in hand …. head to the shop...... Sweep the concrete floor to have a clean work area, jack up car with floor jack and secure it with a good jack stand, then gather up all my tire irons, spend 30 minutes looking for my metal valve stem remover. The plastic ones that comes on the bottles of green slime that I had saved, will not work. That's because of all the green slime I used, so I would not have to change the tire in the first place, it has the stem stuck fast in place, it's Slime Glued........ Finely I find my good steam remover and remove the valve steam. Remember the tire still kind of holds pressure. And not having fully planned this project through I remove the stem. Upon removing it the Green Slime snot sprays all over the spokes, hub, brake drum, fender, me, and then starts dripping on the shop floor..... spend time cleaning up that mess......go get a big fresh glass of ice tea....... think about this some. I tell the misses I'm project planning. Start removing tire, then spend some time looking for more items to use as tire irons, get tire removed. I last had this tire off five plus year ago...... My wife tell me she has a lite lunch fixed for me, if I'm ready. Wow, where has the morning gone. So I place the tire in the sun to soften it up some to make it easier to reinstall. LUNCH.

Glass of tea in hand I head back to the shop. Unpack the new tube and matching flap, wow its nice. Spend 30 minutes looking for that big bottle of talc powder I always keep on the shelve, but it's no where to be found. Go get another glass of tea. I give up on the talc and will go without it. Try to pick up tire, Ouch it's to hot to handle, it's already 103 today and I have to look for heavier gloves...... I might have left it in the sun too long. Get a refill on the glass of tea. Install the tube and flap...mount the tire. Get ready to air up the tire with the shop compressor but I can't …. WHY …. while mounting it I've successfully torn the metal threaded section out of the stem somehow or another. Never done that before, dang and it was brand new. Start removing the tire again. Not time to order another tube before the parade..... so get out my ol patched up emergency tube,..... Lets see it has 9 little red squares and two round black patches not to bad. This is the tube I didn't want to use in the first place. That's why I ordered the new tube and flap. Air it up and head to the back yard to use the water hose to test for leaks. Refill the tea glass as I go past the kitchen up front.. Why up front because I only have one hose and I left it out front last week. As I'm going to get the hose, I noticed the potted and hanging plants need watering, so I take care of that. Wow and the bird feeders are getting low so I add feed to all of them. Glass of tea time, head back to the shop........ UPS arrives honking his horn. So I have to go up to the front of the place again and sign for some boxes, why, because the misses had to run to the dress shop to use a coupon she has been saving, it expires today I was told. Like letting it expire is a sin or something, after all it was clipped out of the Sunday paper last week, and I bet there will be one this weekend. But I've been married long enough to know when to be quite. Ok Dear have fun. While I'm there I refill the tea glass and stare in wonder at my wife's latest orders. And to think she gets after me for being on the UPS box of the week club.

Head back to the shop...... Mount the tire and tube, It's easy now because I'm experienced and kind of limbered up some. Air it up....... I hear SUPPER is ready, Wow what time is it anyway, My wife reminds me that we have tickets to the community theater to watch two of our grandchildren perform tonight. The event is at 8:00pm..... Glass of tea to go and back to the shop....spend time searching for my tire air gauge....... Hum the grandchildren must not have returned it to the tool drawer, like I always tell them, after airing up their bike tires...... I found it….. right where I left it on the work bench. I laid it there because I had to clean it up from the green slime that got in it the last time I check the Model T tires. Top off my glass of tea, recheck the air pressure. Well it's holding pressure so far, I'm really hopeful. Clean up and put up all the tools and supplies back where they belong, that's so I'll be able to find them next time I need them........ Suddenly the misses is at the shop door, and sounding kind of put out with me she says “are you about done, it's time to get cleaned up for the play”. So we made it on time and I'm clean but no one notices.

I checked today. It's Sunday and it's still aired up. I won this one.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Michael R Beary on Sunday, July 27, 2014 - 11:22 pm:

That was great! Mike


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Dexter Doucet on Sunday, July 27, 2014 - 11:41 pm:

I liked it too. Is there really a town in Texas called 'no trees'


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Rob Heyen on Sunday, July 27, 2014 - 11:51 pm:

Great story. I can especially relate to misplacing tools....

Thanks for posting.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Will Rice on Sunday, July 27, 2014 - 11:54 pm:

Better man than I, would have traded the ice tea for something stronger right after the green snot explosion


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Bill in Adelaida Calif on Monday, July 28, 2014 - 12:22 am:

Wow! It must have been HOT. 7 glasses of iced tea and no bathroom break!!!


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By William L Vanderburg on Monday, July 28, 2014 - 01:05 am:

Notrees, TX on Highway 302, 20 miles northwest of Odessa, TX


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