Help! Tried to slime Monster tire and it failed, now won’t accept air!

[Nick McCutcheon]

Hi all,

I’m a bit panicked at the moment because I just took my new Monster on a trip to get it slimed. Upon trying to slime it (yes we removed the internal seal in the slime bottle and the valve stem), the slime went all the way down the clear tube but stopped at the metal valve. I thought that was weird, and that I might have an un-slimeable tube like @Marty Backe did, so I put the valve core back in and tried to pump it up. Only, it won’t take air! You know when you fail to put the pump completely over the valve and it just makes a bunch of pressure when pumping but nothing goes into the tube? It does that, but I’m 110% sure the pump is all the way on. I even installed a 90 degree valve extender, and that doesn’t work either. It won’t even accept air with the valve core removed! The weirdest part is I was able to pump the tire up earlier before attempting to slime it. 

I really hope I’m able to fix this without swapping the inner tube, but I just might have to do that. Any thoughts?

Also, any special way to change a Monster inner tube, or do I just undo the two nuts around the valve and continue as normal?

 

[Nick McCutcheon]

Update: I managed to get a safety pin far enough into the open valve that it felt like I was able to clear something out. Upon trying to pump it up again, it built up a lot of pressure, and then it all released and started pumping normally. Cue the sigh of relief.. I then tried to repeat the slime process with the exact same results. So, I’m just going to put the valve core back in, pump it up, and just be prepared for a flat in hopes that, in the event I do get a flat, my next tube is not defective!

[Marty Backe]

1 hour ago, Nick McCutcheon said:

Update: I managed to get a safety pin far enough into the open valve that it felt like I was able to clear something out. Upon trying to pump it up again, it built up a lot of pressure, and then it all released and started pumping normally. Cue the sigh of relief.. I then tried to repeat the slime process with the exact same results. So, I’m just going to put the valve core back in, pump it up, and just be prepared for a flat in hopes that, in the event I do get a flat, my next tube is not defective!

Glad you got it sorted out. Kind of looks like you have the same experience that I did with my MSX. Very interesting.

On a positive note, the Monster tire is really tough. Although mine is Slime'd, I've never had an indication that it's been punctured. In the 2-years that I've owned it, I've only added some air a couple of tires. Hopefully yours will also retain it's pressure and you won't get any flats.

I did buy a small can of compressed sealant that I carry with me when going on long rides on the MSX. I bought it at Walmart - "Ultra Bike Tire Inflator Sealer". A 6oz can. I figure it's better than nothing and just may get me home if I get a puncture.

[LanghamP]

I've had this experience several times with most of my wheels; I think there's a rubber flap inside the inner tube where the air valve passes through. I think during the manufacturing process they punch a hole by pushing the valve through the rubber, and so that flap is still there but harmless.

Here's what I think happens:

--The flap points away from the hole, allowing air to come in.

--You remove the valve core and the sudden release of pressure forces the flap to reverse itself, that is the flap is now inside the valve.

--You then attempt to pump air into the tire but you can't easily reverse the flap, especially if slime was introduced which being a liquid can squeeze by (but not air) the flap, but also dry around the flap since slime + air = entanglement.

--Given enough air pressure the rubber flap releases suddenly. I personally just use a chopstick to gently reverse the rubber flap.

[Marty Backe]

17 minutes ago, LanghamP said:

I've had this experience several times with most of my wheels; I think there's a rubber flap inside the inner tube where the air valve passes through. I think during the manufacturing process they punch a hole by pushing the valve through the rubber, and so that flap is still there but harmless.

Here's what I think happens:

--The flap points away from the hole, allowing air to come in.

--You remove the valve core and the sudden release of pressure forces the flap to reverse itself, that is the flap is now inside the valve.

--You then attempt to pump air into the tire but you can't easily reverse the flap, especially if slime was introduced which being a liquid can squeeze by (but not air) the flap, but also dry around the flap since slime + air = entanglement.

--Given enough air pressure the rubber flap releases suddenly. I personally just use a chopstick to gently reverse the rubber flap.

Unfortunately a chopstick or the equivalent doesn't work when you have to navigate the EUC bent-valve. I tried different methods, but no-go 

So I'm left with a Slimeless MSX 

P.s. I don't think your 2nd bullet applies here since the valve core isn't suddenly releases. First you empty the air (not suddenly) and then you remove the valve core.

[LanghamP]

3 minutes ago, Marty Backe said:

Unfortunately a chopstick or the equivalent doesn't work when you have to navigate the EUC bent-valve. I tried different methods, but no-go 

So I'm left with a Slimeless MSX 

P.s. I don't think your 2nd bullet applies here since the valve core isn't suddenly releases. First you empty the air (not suddenly) and then you remove the valve core.

I didn't slime my MSuper because I cannot even get to the valve. The MSuper valve is cruel.

However all my other wheels aren't quite so bent that a chopstick (or an Allen wrench?) can't get in there to loosen the flap.

I dread the MSuper tire change, it is about due plus there's a bulge where the tire somehow was damaged.