Valve stem issues

[ghostface]

My tires has been losing air since I've had it installed. After checking out my valve stem I noticed that the "pin" inside the valve stem extends outside the threaded portion. Is this unusual?

[Speeddog]

Sometimes the valve cores are that way.

Use some soapy water on the tire and valve stem, watch for bubbles to tell you where it's leaking.

[ghostface]

Sometimes the valve cores are that way.

Use some soapy water on the tire and valve stem, watch for bubbles to tell you where it's leaking.

Cool. I'll try the soapy stuff! Thanks.

[ghostface]

So there are bubble rising from atop the valve stem. What can I do? Do I need to bring it to a shop?

[Speeddog]

Try tightening the valve core.

Any auto, cycle, tire, or bicycle shop can do it.

[Langanobob]

Try tightening the valve core.

Any auto, cycle, tire, or bicycle shop can do it.

Or, you can buy a small valve core tool at any auto parts store for a couple of $.

[Desmo Demon]

Or, you can buy a small valve core tool at any auto parts store for a couple of $.

I bought one and it came with five cores for the valve.

If air is leaking from the valve, tighten it first. If this doesn't cure it, change out the core with a new one (cheap). If this doesn't cure it, it's probably best to just change the thing out the next time you have the tire changed, unless it is leaking too badly and you need to repair it, now.

I had the opposite problem. Not only was my stem not leaking, but the pin was bent, so I couldn't put any air in it. I wound up buying my stem valve tool with some new cores and simply changed the core out. I have no idea how one would go about bending the pin on the valve, but I did it......IIRC, that is the original valve stem on that bike, which would mean that it held up for  nearly 100,000 miles. At the very least, it was fine for the 20k+ that I had on the tire (this is on my old Harley with hard-as-concrete Dunlop tires).

[ghostface]

Well it loses 2 psi each night. And when I try to add air there is resistance to the point where no air is entering and the pressure is actually dropping.

I'm going by the shop who installed my tire tomorrow and see what the haps is.

[clubhousemotorsports]

I would guess that if you pulled into any decent shop (motorcycle or bicycle) shop and asked a mechanic to snug up your valve stem core they would just do it for free.

I would by the tool myself, I find this often.

[ghostface]

So I bought a tool and tightened up the valve stem. Added air and monitored the psi overnight. Problem solved! Thanks again guys.
Here's a pic of the tool I picked up from Napa for $7.

[NAKID]

That's a little different than the ones I have seen in the past. The ones I've seen were like a t-handle...

[Heath]

Damn those are fancy I always used the cap that doubled as a valve tool lol

[ducpainter]

Damn those are fancy I always used the cap that doubled as a valve tool lol

+1....

but you don't see them on passenger vehicle stems anymore.

[ghostface]

Yeah I saw those too but they sold them in packs of like 1,000! I did go to a shop and a guy was gonna give me one but he didn't have them. This tool I picked up has a few other purposes like fishing valve stem through rims and some other shizz.



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