Omega Owners Forum
Chat Area => General Car Chat => Topic started by: al brown on 23 September 2017, 23:54:58
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Right, slightly different type of help required this time.
I have a friend who has a rather unique historic car and one of its rear wheels had gone badly porous, to the point of can't be properly repaired. So is there a way to seal it so it won't leak air? There must be some sort of epoxy repair these days?
Whilst she can afford to have a new one made, the originality of the car is important. The car does not run competitively any more so the wheel isn't under a lot of stress, just needs to not leak air?
Anyone know of an answer? Preferably near Cheltenham but she will travel for a fix the keeps the original wheel on the car.
Al
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What car, what wheel?
The repair would be only cosmetic, not structural, surely?
Any chance of a picture?
Ron.
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Sorry, not my car so can't give details until I get the OK from the owner.
Like I said, doesn't need to be exactly race quality, just enough to hold the air in for demo runs. It can be resealed as often as needed cost wise, but logistically the liner it lasts the better.
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Surely an innertube would be the easiest option ?
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Surely an innertube would be the easiest option ?
If that isn't safe or legal on a Micra, how can it be on a race car?
Plenty on materials on the market to seal it.
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Surely if the car in question is only being used for demonstration runs then an innertube would be acceptable,assuming it's being trailered to a track/other venue for these demo runs?Obviously if it's being used on the road then that would alter the situation depending on legality.
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Surely if the car in question is only being used for demonstration runs then an innertube would be acceptable,assuming it's being trailered to a track/other venue for these demo runs?Obviously if it's being used on the road then that would alter the situation depending on legality.
Demo runs imply a performance level... and if track use, then I would argue that it should be of a higher standard than a bodge as the loadings are far higher than regular road use... :-\
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So she can afford a new wheel, but doesn't want to buy one as it will "ruin the originality",
If they can build an original spitfire from just a bulkhead they find in France,
Then replacing a wheel, isn't a problem, unless she's, an oof'er that only use's original parts. ;D
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So she can afford a new wheel, but doesn't want to buy one as it will "ruin the originality",
If they can build an original spitfire from just a bulkhead they find in France,
Then replacing a wheel, isn't a problem, unless she's, an oof'er that only use's original parts. ;D
Originality is very important to her, she is going to get a new wheel made I think but she wants the old one to still hold air so the car can be driven on it. It sometimes goes up a hill climb at speed, other times it's just a gentle drive to show the car to the crowd, for those gentle runs she would like the original wheel on the car add the car is currently still unmodified from when it was raced in the 60's.
I haven't tried the minefield that is google yet, I was hoping someone on here would know if it is even possible to seal a porous wheel, a full permanent repair isn't possible as the wheel is porous all over. If the answer is it can't run on it then that's fine, but she would still like to have it sat on display for the weekend without it going flat as that looks bad. I doubt they make a tube wide enough
It isn't an area I have any expertise in, I do think it's a lost cause, but she would like to know for sure.
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Without any details of the wheel, we can only piss in the wind... but an epoxy or rubberised coating from bead to bead would clearly seal it and not be seen from the outside ::)
A question for the metalurgists... at what point does a porous wheel become brittle?
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Are you talking rim or tyre here when you say wheel? :-\
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Surely if the car in question is only being used for demonstration runs then an innertube would be acceptable,assuming it's being trailered to a track/other venue for these demo runs?Obviously if it's being used on the road then that would alter the situation depending on legality.
Demo runs imply a performance level... and if track use, then I would argue that it should be of a higher standard than a bodge as the loadings are far higher than regular road use... :-\
Looking on the web, it would appear that some "performance" inner tubes are available for motorsport purposes and these can be used with tubeless tyres. For example, below is a link to Avon Motorsport website which details the use of tubes in tubeless tyres (towards the bottom of the page). Maybe worth contacting a contacting them to see what they have to say. Presumably Avon wouldn't be mentioning their use if they didn't consider it safe to do so.
http://www.avonmotorsport.com/resource-centre/tube-fitment (http://www.avonmotorsport.com/resource-centre/tube-fitment)
As correctly pointed out, this may not alter the insurance/road legality of using such a tube.
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Stick a tube in it ran a Ford Mexico for years with porous alloys , easy option.
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Stick a tube in it ran a Ford Mexico for years with porous alloys , easy option.
My Dad was nearly killed and a toddler was killed in a pile up on the A11 several years ago because some one thought that would be a good idea to fit a tube to a tubeless tyre, so excuse me for poopooing the suggestion.
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Exactly, it needs to be safe even if it's never going to go more that 30 and always behind a safely rail. The car is to valuable to wreck so if it needs a new wheel to be driven on the so be it. Still wants the original wheel to hold air so it can sit on it on display though. There must be some way to do that, I'll have to google it and see.
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Seem to be going in circles on this topic.😀😁😂
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I am STILL unclear as to whether the tyre or the wheel itself is the problem; could you please elucidate?
If it's the tyre and to a lesser extent the wheel, may I suggest a liquid rubber compound called OKO: I have had great success with this in the past. Viscous yellow fluid which sticks like shit to a blanket and seals/hardens at any leak site when exposed to air.
Ron.
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I put a tube in my wheel barrow tubeless tyre. Is that OK? :-\ :y
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I put a tube in my wheel barrow tubeless tyre. Is that OK? :-\ :y
;D ;D
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I put a tube in my wheel barrow tubeless tyre. Is that OK? :-\ :y
Do you race your wheel barrow? :-\
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I put a tube in my wheel barrow tubeless tyre. Is that OK? :-\ :y
Do you race your wheel barrow? :-\
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Or take it on the motorway ?
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If it's got wheels, you can race it!
As for my issue, it is the wheel that is porous, tyre is fine and the rim is fine and the bead seals.
Car is the blue one in the link below
www.chateauimpneyhillclimb.com/blog/mclaren
Used to belong to Patsy Burt and is the only one left of those that Bruce Mclaren built, hence the desire to keep it original.
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I'm assuming this is a magnesium wheel.
Car type, wheel type might help.
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Yes, I think it's a magnesium wheel. It's a Mclaren M3A, one of only 3 built and the only one surviving, one is unknown, one is in parts in Australia or New Zealand they think.
Other than that I don't know exactly what wheel is fitted, other than it is what came with the car when it was sold after Patty's death and is what it was displayed with when it was loaned to a museum after she retired.
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There is a company in Slough called Ultraseal which can vac impregnate mag alloys with a resin to address the porosity issue.
A bigger concern is the structural state of them (and the others) as they are not know for their long term durability (but would be fine for display etc) so a structural test would be advised.
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Cheers, I will look them up. The wheels racing days are clearly over and I guess the others are not far behind add they are all the same age. Putting 350 HP through a weakened wheel isn't the best plan.
I think they are all off for an X-ray, I know the leaky one has already been. I think the issue is getting a company to stop it leaking is hard as they will assume it will be driven in anger so won't want to take liability.
Maybe time to admit defeat and just replace it, however she is still refusing to use an electric fuel pump to get her alpha Romeo around and is still using the 1920's vacuum feed, with all the problems that generates with modern fuel.
Like she says though, cars are only original once and when you start changing them, where do you stop.
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Which approach is best? Keep it clean and in a museum display or keep it road ready and able to be seen, appreciated and used in a manner more befitting a car of that pedigree?
Age old dilema that... and rare that the two paths are not mutually exclusive.
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Sounds like your friend needs two sets of wheels, a good set for driving and the originals for display purposes. :y
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She has many more cars than just that one and they all get to go out and play. She isn't one for locking them away so no-one else can see them.
As she puts it they are only hers for now, someone else will own then when she's gone and it would be unfair to hide them from people who would like to see them. She let's her gardener borrow her e-type!
I will look into getting the wheel in with ultraseal, so at least it can be presented in its original condition and she can sort getting some replacements made for when she runs it in anger.
Thanks for the info