Tire Inflator Out of Date

[fordgt6]

Took a small nail in right rear tire. A finishing nail. Crossed my fingers and pulled out. HISSS!!!! Darn.
My floor jack wolldn't go under so I couldn't take the wheel off. My tire guy was closed(Sunday) and I didn't want it to go flat so I got my tire inflator out. When I opened it there was a use before date of 04. Bad news. I bought the car new in Dec 05. Bad news!
I figured I had not much to lose so I used it and per the instructions drove at least 2 miles.
Good news It worked! No air loss for 1 week when I could take it in. We chaned the tire on his alignment lift which has a flat auxiliary lift which goes under the jacking point.
This guy is so nice he lets me use this lift to change the oil. For FREE. Ofcourse we have to take it for a test drive.....
Bad news: I ordered a replacement tank for the tire inflator from the FORD dealer. He said it was 164. 00 list and would give it to me for 115.00.
More Bad News: The replacement tank had an expiration date of 11/2009. Only 13 months over the use by date!!!
Now the dealer is working with FOMOCO to get an up to date one and exchange it.
I'll keep you posted.

 

[Nardo GT]

I have "plugged" my GT tires and had great success. Yeh, I'm sure "not recommended", but al lot of things in life aren't "recommended". As far as getting a wheel off w/o one of those fancy smancy low profile jacks...I just drive that wheel/tire up on a block and voila...enough room to get a regular jack under. I like to improvise or be told I "can't " do something.

 

[BlackICE]

Tire rack sells them too, but out of shock until Jan. Hopefully new stock

http://www.tirerack.com/accessories/detail.jsp?ID=38

 

[MNJason]

So have folks actually used this kit with success?

 

[tpraceman]

Tire rack sells them too, but out of shock until Jan. Hopefully new stock

http://www.tirerack.com/accessories/detail.jsp?ID=38

Cool and only 79 bucks

 

[Nardo GT]

Much less expensive to carry a $3 WalMart plug kit and use the compresor to fill the tire back up. But that's just me.

First actual flat(s) I had were right on an Interstate, I could feel the car not handling properly. Stopped on the side and saw I had 2,,,both right side tires. Crept into a nearby Chevy dealer and used their airhose but could hear them hissing. Quickly (but didn't break any laws of man:biggrin) drove to the local Discount Tire (about 4 miles) and they were both flat again. They repaired both tires at no charge since I purchased them there. Dismounted and repaired from the inside. Admittedly a better method than a plug.
Hadanother flat ar a car show. Totally flat and would not air up even with a gas station airhose. I asked everyone at the show and no floorjack nor anybody offer to help and go get one. Yep, about an hour from my house in Leander Texas. I asked a cop to let me use his Crown Vic scissor jack. Drove up on a block of wood, used the scissor jack carefully with smallpiece of wood on top for protection and aired it up. Drove home stopping once to refill.
Then I began using the WalMart tire plugs. Just so easy and work great. Never had one leak and have driven thousands of miles on them. Maybe I'm lucky, maybe I'm stupid....but it works great for me.

 

[nota4re]

Then I began using the WalMart tire plugs. Just so easy and work great. Never had one leak and have driven thousands of miles on them. Maybe I'm lucky, maybe I'm stupid....but it works great for me.

Me must be stupid too. I swear by the damn kits and have one in every car. I have used them MANY times - never even have to bother removing the rim from the car. Easy as pie. 90% of the time, I never will do anything more - even once home with a tire changer in the shop.

 

[MNJason]

Much less expensive to carry a $3 WalMart plug kit and use the compressor to fill the tire back up.

What exactly is this? A spray can? Or a patch?

 

[paul b]

Try the slime 70004 kit, has everything for about $60

 

[Nardo GT]

What exactly is this? A spray can? Or a patch?

It is sticky string. I recommend getting the glue bottle with the sticky string as it can't be too sticky imo. I think it was about $4 and will do many patches. I guess I need to rebadge as a special GT tire repair "kit" with instructions and GT pics for about $49.95 plus $10 shipping. Sam....Joey, are you guys in? We would need an LLC or similar because of the liabilty...or heck who worries about liabilty insurance....oopsie!
Prolly would recommend getting newtires for track or high-speed purposes but even then...who knows. All I do know is it works great for me!

Thanks for the kuddos and confetti Kendal!

I think most everyone with a GT (or similar exotic) just likes to spend more money than necessary. For me, a great deal of the joy of GT ownership is the low maintenance cost. I mean ...it is a FORD......not a Ferrari.

 

[nota4re]

What exactly is this? A spray can? Or a patch?

The heart of it is a ~4" fuzzy, tar-y, "worm", along with two tools to insert it into the puncture hole. The first tool is a reamer/file to get the hole to be the right size for the "worm". Insert it into the hole and work it back and forth a few times. Next step is to take one of the fuzzy worms, pinch an end with your fingers and feed it through the needle-eye hole in the second tool. Pull it halfway through. Now, some kits will come with some contact glue. If you have it smear a little over the worm. Using the tool, push the worm into the puncture hole until you have about 1/2" of both legs sticking out. Now, quickly jerk the tool out and the plug will magically stay in place. You are done! Fill the tire with air and be on your way. These plugs are intended ONLY to be used on a puncture in the tread area of the tire. NEVER try to repair a tire where the sidewall has been compromised.

 

[Nardo GT]

The heart of it is a ~4" fuzzy, tar-y, "worm", along with two tools to insert it into the puncture hole. The first tool is a reamer/file to get the hole to be the right size for the "worm". Insert it into the hole and work it back and forth a few times. Next step is to take one of the fuzzy worms, pinch an end with your fingers and feed it through the needle-eye hole in the second tool. Pull it halfway through. Now, some kits will come with some contact glue. If you have it smear a little over the worm. Using the tool, push the worm into the puncture hole until you have about 1/2" of both legs sticking out. Now, quickly jerk the tool out and the plug will magically stay in place. You are done! Fill the tire with air and be on your way. These plugs are intended ONLY to be used on a puncture in the tread area of the tire. NEVER try to repair a tire where the sidewall has been compromised.

\

Kendall I would say you have done this a few times!

Another option would be to buy a brand new TransitConnect van and hire a driver/repairman to follow you everywhere you go in the GT carrying a $600 low profile jack, gloves, impact wrench, , tire changing machine on board, air compressor to operate accessories, roadside flares, tire chalk blocks, special GT jack pad inserts, 2 new tires (one frt, one rear) etc. Oh, and don't forget the blue tape.

 

[HHGT]

It is sticky string. I recommend getting the glue bottle with the sticky string as it can't be too sticky imo. I think it was about $4 and will do many patches. I guess I need to rebadge as a special GT tire repair "kit" with instructions and GT pics for about $49.95 plus $10 shipping. Sam....Joey, are you guys in? We would need an LLC or similar because of the liabilty...or heck who worries about liabilty insurance....oopsie!
Prolly would recommend getting newtires for track or high-speed purposes but even then...who knows. All I do know is it works great for me!

Thanks for the kuddos and confetti Kendal!

I think most everyone with a GT (or similar exotic) just likes to spend more money than necessary. For me, a great deal of the joy of GT ownership is the low maintenance cost. I mean ...it is a FORD......not a Ferrari.

I'm in..I'll do just about anything for a $... No Homo jokes...

 

[Nardo GT]

I'm in..I'll do just about anything for a $... No Homo jokes...

Ok, I will handle mid US, Sam is west coast....still waiting on East coast distributor, Joe....Gino.....Dino.......???

 

[fjpikul]

I think MAD in NC holds the record for flat tires on a GT.

 

[MAD IN NC]

Thanks for reminding me Doc... I thought for a while there I bought a set of Hoovers - not Hoosiers as they sucked up every bolt and nail within 500' of the car.....

If it stops snowing today- I'm going to WALLMART

 

[Nardo GT]

Thanks for reminding me Doc... I thought for a while there I bought a set of Hoovers - not Hoosiers as they sucked up every bolt and nail within 500' of the car.....

If it stops snowing today- I'm going to WALLMART

Tell 'em NARDO sent ya!

 

[Specracer]

I carry a plug kit in cars as well. Here is a link to an auto zone product.

http://www.autozone.com/autozone/ac...-25cn?itemIdentifier=486791&_requestid=803696

 

[MTV8]

Sounds like a good idea. I just picked up a repair kit today.

 

[fordgt6]

Ford still trying to verify the dates of what they have in stock. I'll keep everyone posted.
Bob