"Edited" European Moped People or other Moped users

How the hell do you install the free floating brass valve stem inner tube in a wheel, so you can air up the friggin tire ???

Are they supposed to be glued into the tube somehow ?? I have NEVER seen anything like this in over 60 years of fixing flats,

Are there special tools ?

The tube is heavy duty and is 1.20 same as the wheel is 1.20. Any sensible suggestions would be really appreciated. Tube was made in Europe ?

Am I the only one to have seen this particular type valve stem ? It just is nestled between 2 layers of the inner tube. No glue, nothing to hold it fast but air pressure once you get it installed. That's the whole deal, installing.

Harold in CR

Are you saying the valve is not attached to the tube ?
Photo ?
Web link ?

I tried to call my old friend at Myron's Mopeds but they're closed today. I'll try again tomorrow. :wink:

Yes, it is NOT permanently attached. It sits in a recession, molded into the tube. Batteries in camera are charging. I googled the thing, and, only found brass stems with rubber washers to fit into alloy rims, not spoke-nipple rims.

It came with a dished washer that should butt up against the rim to squeeze the tube around the flange on the end of the stem. There is not sufficient room for 2 fingers, the stem and tube, to all fit inside the tire at the same time.

I put industrial super glue in the recessed area and twisted the stem in there. Tomorrow, I will see if that holds enough to get the tube inside the tire and aired up.

Thanks, Fingers

I'd love to see pics. I've worked on a lot of mopeds, but never seen anything like what you're describing with a tube.

If you have something like this:

That's a valve stem designed for a tubeless rim and tire. I suppose someone might have used an old tube and some Stan's No Flat to turn a spoked moped wheel into a tubeless wheel. The tube might be used in place of the rubber strip that sits over the spokes to seal the wheel.

Yes, that stem is for an alloy wheel. What I have is a NEW tube, made in Europe. It has a square patch-vulcanized to the tube. There is a space where the stem base slips into that space, and, a cupped washer fits over that. I could see a permanent stem being vulcanized or glued into this patch piece, but, there is NO sign of glue or baked on rubber in this stem/area. It came with 1 thin nut, that I assume would be to tighten the stem onto the wheel, once installed, similar to a truck tubeless tire rim.

I have not called around to Moto shops, yet, but, there is no way for this thing to stay put once mounted in the wheel. I doubt I can find a 14" inner tube, here.

For anyone interested, go buy some "Industrial" Super Glue. The home/hobby stuff is shit compared to this stuff. Home Depot is where I got it, LockTite brand.

Anyway, after gluing the stem in the tube last night, I went down to the shop early this morning and got the tube inside the tire/wheel without the stem popping loose. Have arthritis in dominant hand/thumb, so, hand is swollen and hurts, so, I'm relaxing and rubbing Biofreeze into the area. Biofreeze is AMAZING stuff. Relieves pain quickly and reduces swelling. An hour after fighting the tire mounting, I can go back to work.

No air in the tube yet, so, hopefully this works. When the rain stops and roads dry up some, Out on the road I go to test regen feature on these hills.

They got Home Depots in Costa Rica? Nice! I guess they are kind of like Walmart, spreading everywhere.
Good to see you hopefully got it fixed.

They got Home Depots in Costa Rica?

Click to expand...

:lol: Naahh. I was in Florida back in Apripl and stocked up on some needed supplies. Son recommended this stuff. It WORKS. 8)

Aired the tire up and it's sitting, unused. It's pouring rain here. Can't find my tire pressure gauge, so I'm hand squeezing it for effect. :lol:

Sam Jr. at Myron's Extreme Machines (formerly Myron's Mopeds) says it's not the right tube. The moped tubes he's familiar with have the valve stem as part if the tube. He said if he has time later he'll check out this thread and to post some photos if you can. They sold the moped part of their business a few years ago which moved up the street and have the same first name. :wink:

No photos. The tube itself has a hole for air to go in and out. Then, there is a round rubber "Patch" ? that has a hole in it. The base of the stem has a flat washer type base. That gets inserted between the 2 pieces of rubber. It should have been vulcanized fast to the "patch" piece, I believe and vulcanized to the tube itself. ? Looks like the stem just came loose and popped out. ?

Tire is still pretty hard to squeeze. Still haven't found the pressure gauge.

Thanks for the info, Fingers

Harold in CR said:

For anyone interested, go buy some "Industrial" Super Glue. The home/hobby stuff is shit compared to this stuff......
.... so, I'm relaxing and rubbing Biofreeze into the area. Biofreeze is AMAZING stuff. Relieves pain quickly and reduces swelling. .

Click to expand...

..just be careful not to get those two mixed up !
..you don't want to freeze that valve stem ! :wink:

It sounds like someone in Asia forgot to put the glue. The only removable valve tubes I could find online are Vittoria tubes that have screw in valves to be able to get exactly the right length stem on road racing bicycles.

Definitely pick up an extra tube next time you're down the hill. That's a gotta have kinda thing anyway. Get a tube patch kit and a tire plugging kit while you're at it too. I've got multiple shops within easy bike pushing distance of my house, so I don't have the same concerns you have living at the top of a hill in the middle of nowhere.

I can't believe you didn't even have a dry season this year. If we didn't have a dry season I'd look to move, and if it went into a 2nd year I'd definitely move. I hope you're at least getting enough sun to make your teak trees grow extra fast.

Sun, SUN, Yeah, I gotta SUN, He lives in Florida. :lol: We get a bit of ole Sol, and some rains usually at night. The elevation here is marginal for Teak. That's why I only set out 30 trees. I have mostly soft woods and a little semi hard woods.

Have a (misplaced) tube repair kit and a tubeless kit. Doubt I can find a 14" tube out here, in the jungle.

So far, with no riding since repair, tire is still hard to press. Can't find the pressure gauge either

I have a mountain of stuff that I have looked everywhere but where the stuff is, so, one day, Ima gonna have a LOT of missing/found stuff turn up.

Just make a list for a care package, and I'll pick you up some stuff from here in civilization. IME superglue breaks down rubber. Have you balanced the wheel? Should I put a strip adhesive backed lead weights for balancing on the list? The front is easy with gravity telling you the heavy point of a freely spinning wheel. The rear is trial and error to find the heavy point. Once you can get down to the good asphalt good balance will make a difference. Vibrations suck, and it robs some efficiency too.

Your phone should have a camera, so you can take some pics.

My phone doesn't have enough cord to get it to the shop. :lol: Cell phone was the third one ever made, back in '06 :lol:

Looking into a much newer model cell phone, so I can shit can the land line. Ran the laptop off WiFi from another guys cell phone, last Sunday. Just need those Volt modules here, so I can put a hurt on the utility company ASAP.

My wheel and tire is 1.20 X 14" MoPed. If you can find 2, I will take both, one for sure. I have some stick on wheel weights, Somewhere , probably in that mountain of missing goodies.

Rear tire is off centering the bead a little, but, the wheel is not concentric. I won't be going far, at least until I get a tube and waterproof the wiring some. Have a plastic washing machine panel ready to cut and attach, to hide the batteries and wiring, once I'm sure everything is kosher. Need a 72V charger, ubtil I get a wind turbine or hydro turbine going. Just did calculations for specs on building the turbine. All my guesses were withing 4% of matching all the calculations, so, need to get some 3-4mm metal plate and start fabbing up the turbine.

Took the 90V motor off the weed wacker, yesterday, and could mount that up in the air or on the hydro. It's a brushed motor, though, at 3150 RPM's.

Can you hear the rain pounding the tine roof as you read this

Bought 3.4 gallons of gasoline for Mamas weed wacker for about $19.00 . That sucked.