MTFCA Forum

Wayne Sheldon wrote: ↑

Sat Apr 22, 2023 4:09 am

Sadly, the tube will likely begin to disintegrate rather quickly. That usually happens when very old innertubes are removed from their long hiding place.
Innertubes in the old days were made from mostly natural rubber. That natural rubber is extremely susceptible to two things. Any amount of UV rays, even indirect sunlight! And most types of ozone. Ozone is formed naturally about everywhere on Earth, as well as a component result of combustion or any significant electrical activity. And one thing we humans do is create ozone!
Inside the tire, is almost no air exchange in the tight spaces between the innertube and tire. If the tire maintains some amount of pressure inside, there won't be much space between the innertube and rim either. Lack of air exchange does a pretty good job of keeping ozone out! The tire and rim also do a fine job of keeping the innertube in near total darkness (no UV)! So an innertube kept inside a tire and rim can and they often do last for many decades!

What color is the innertube? Black? Red? Or white? Black innertubes may last for awhile, maybe even several years. Red rubber innertubes will break down much faster. Likely a few months at most, or even only weeks. If by the rare chance you happen to find a very old white innertube? I had one once, actually still do? I didn't know such a thing was inside a tire and rim I had bought at a swap meet. The tire was trash, and I needed the rim. In a few spare minutes before leaving on a family trip, I took it apart and discovered the white innertube! It was very fragile, and had literally welded itself to the inside of the tire. I trying very carefully to remove the tube, it tore, in spite of me trying to be careful. And we had to leave. I carefully hid the tube in a very cool dark place in the back of a clean storage shed. When I returned from the trip, less than a week later? The white rubber innertube was a puddle of white goo on my shelf. Yes, I still have it. A puddle of white goo inside a gallon freezer zip-lock bag.
Once removed from their secure hiding place, old rubber tubes usually break down quickly.
A few very old red rubber tubes I have? I remounted inside very old tires I have mounted on rims (not solid enough to run on a car!). These are mostly pre WWII tires I want to keep as display items. Who knows? Maybe those red rubber innertubes can last another half century or more

I love the feedback.. thanks! and yes its kinda red. You can tell those patches are all different places and from different patch kits, with different shapes and colors and they look like they have grown into the tube and become one if you get my meaning.

Adam wrote: ↑

Fri Apr 21, 2023 4:06 pm

No rim flap ?