Need your advice on a good inside automotive tire patch

The first is a cleaner (used to be MEK). You can't get a decent bond until you remove ALL the dirt, wax, oil, crud etc from the surface. Contamination spoils more patches than any other fault.

I look the same whether I'm riding one of my Suzukis or the Harley with one exception. The Harley has a handy sissy bar to hang the helmet on where with the Jap bikes i wear it.

I do not have any HD apparel; I just have the HD.

If I had a BMW, it would be the same. The closest I've gotten to Aerostich is reading the catalog. I could replace my entire wardrobe for the price of one of their Power Ranger suits.

rbowman wrote, on Thu, 10 Dec 2015 08:21:48 -0700:

I agree the Aerostich suits are expensive, but their quality is phenomenal and their customer service fantastic. They even let you ride for a month to test out their suits (ask me how I know) for size and fit (which is especially useful for big fat guys).

Also, they unzip beautifully so once you figure out how to get "in" to them, they come off easily. Which was my point.

Most Harley riders do two things differently than other bikers:

1. They wear less-protective gear (as a statement?), and,
2. They wear HD-branded gear (as another statement?).

Most riceburners do two things differently than other bikers: A. They wear colorful leathers, and, B. They carry their helmets with them whenever they go into a joint

Most beemer riders do two things differently than other bikers: a. They unzip their Aerostich such that they look normal in a joint b. They brave weather and carry lots of stuff in those ugly saddlebags

Of course, these are generalizations borne out of experience, but, you know what I'm talking about.

AMuzi wrote, on Thu, 10 Dec 2015 07:51:35 -0600:

Ah, MEK, Methyl-Ethyl Ketones.

This is a great help because that first stripper being MEK makes it 2 out of the 3 tire repair fluids that are easy to come by!

Googling the hardware stores, it looks like MEK is sold as a common paint thinner.

1. HOME DEPOT: Klean-Strip, 32 oz. Methyl Ethyl Ketone (MEK) Solvent Model # QME71, Internet # 100210976, Store SKU # 834408
   formatting link
2. LOWES: Jasco Gallon Size Can Fast to Dissolve Methyl Ethyl Ketone (MEK) (128-fl oz) Item #: 622034, Model #: GJME180
3. LOWES: Crown 1-Gallon Fast to Dissolve Methyl Ethyl Ketone Item #: 206493, Model #: CR.MK.M.41

1. MENARDS: Sunnyside Methyl Ethyl Ketone - 1 qt Model Number: 84732, Menards SKU: 5613803

Am I correct that MEK is our basic paint thinner at any box shop?

Most Moto-Guzzi riders do two things differently than other bikers: a. They carry a complete tool kit b. They spend most of their time on the shoulder trying to fix the damn thing.

--scott

Scott Dorsey wrote, on Thu, 10 Dec 2015 11:11:40 -0500:

:)

Don't overthink this. Find a Tech service truck or similar vendor who does this all day long and get your materials and advice from an expert.

AMuzi wrote, on Thu, 10 Dec 2015 10:17:26 -0600:

You have no idea where I live. Nor that I'm retired, so, I never go into town.

I'm in the mountains. We don't even have cable. We don't have sewage pipes. We don't have gas pipes. We all have wells.

There is zero chance I'm gonna run into a 'tech service truck'.

I have to go into town, explicitly, and then *look* for my solvents.

So far, there are three that are useful for tire puncture repair:

1. The stripper (which, if it's MEK, is easy to come by!)
2. The cement (which is very easy to come by)
3. The sealer (which is a tar-like substance of some sort)

Does anyone know what might be a good source of the tarlike substance at the box stores that is similar to the butyl rubber tire sealant they use to seal the inside of the tire after we've buffed it all up during the patching process?

I'll head off to Home Depot today to see if I can find a tar-like chemical that works with butyl rubber - but - as you know - those orange-aproned people, while very nice, won't be able to advise me.

Vic Smith wrote, on Wed, 09 Dec 2015 03:47:08 -0600:

Most of the tire repair videos do *not* use the dimpled scraper that most of us use to repair a tire.

They pour what turns out to be MEK onto the inner liner, which, presumably, dissolves some of the inner liner, and then they scrape with this tool:

After they scrape, they do "grind" the scraped area also.

They seem to prefer very low speeds when grinding, like 500rpm and never more than 5,000 RPM.

Is that for heat reasons?

Danny D. wrote, on Thu, 10 Dec 2015 00:30:03 +0000:

This seems to be the inner liner sealer goopy tar. But I don't know if there is a box store equivalent.

$1 per ounce:

$2 per ounce: I still haven't been able to figure out what this stuff is made up of, and where I can get it at reasonable prices in small quantities at the box stores.

Beats me. They probably don't know either. You can generate plenty of heat at 500 rpm. Like I said, if I ever get a screw or nail in a tire, I'll just get a plug kit. Or take it to a nearby Just Tires. Done that too. If I can't find a puncture, I assume it's a rim leak. But one time they found a nail I had missed.

Tires are most important parts of vehicle, each maintaining firm contact with surface supporting the vehicle. Each contact area is mere sq. inches. For me, I don't want to play with damaged tire(s). I don't want to put myself and family for possible danger due to so called repaired tire. My driving is mostly freeway driving doing

70 mph or so. It all takes is just one accident. Even new tires can cause an accident. I don't want to learn a lesson paying my life.

In Germany cops can impound your car if you are driving with worn tire(s). It's pretty scary driving on Autobahn first time.

Danny D. tire repair Guru!!! Good luck driving your Bimmer on patched tire(s).

1) Danny is well known for over thinking things. 2) Many paint thinners are "mineral spirits". Not sure if that's same thing.

They are all different - can;t use one in place of the other, and foolish to try something not made for the job.

Neaver heard of RTV Silicone?? R for ROOM, T for TEMPERATURE, V for VULCANIZING

Why would you? It's only YOUR LIFE riding on that tire, and the lives of everybody you may hit if the tire blows on the road. DO NOT screw around with tire , brake, or steering repairs. A criminal negligence charge will stay with you for a lifetime even if you survive.

That "most critical" fluid has only become anything resembling common in the last decade or so. It was virtually unheard of when I was working as a mechanic and fixing tires - and I'd venture to guess better than 90% of tire repair shops still don't use it - barticularly with a "mushroom" patch.

And that is what the "scraping" is for - to expose raw clean surface for gluing..

The old trick of applying glue, lighting it with a match, then scraping off the remains before applying more glue and the patch did the same thing.

Danny D. posted for all of us...

IDK, ask the suspension.

You are talking "different horses for different courses" And in the Harly croud you have the "Rubbies" and the "Grubbies"

The "Rubbies" are "Rich Urban Bikers" - the same demographic as most BMW riders - although they tend more towards the "Yuppie" and/or the "Metrosexual" The Harley Rubbies tend to be older and ride "cruisers" while the BMW drivers tend to be younger and ride "baggers" Wingers tend to be Rubbies (either bagger or cruiser)who don;t like marking their territory and constantly working on their bikes.

snipped-for-privacy@snyder.on.ca posted for all of us...

Your shop didn't say DISCOUNT on it.

snipped-for-privacy@snyder.on.ca posted for all of us...

See his reply to this post. He has added a new word: FREE