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Seeking the Ultimate Tire Inflator

Pat Hatch

Well Known Member
Advertiser
I have been messing around with different ways to inflate the mains through the wheel pants for years and have never really been satisfied. I was just about ready to concede that perhaps the best way was just to pull off the front half of the wheel pant.

But then I was inspired by Jerry Farek's (Falcon) rig that he sells because it was similar to something I had, but what I really wanted was to be able to poke the inflator throught the hole, find the shrader valve, and inflate and adjust pressure all in one motion. So I had seen the kind of tire inflators with a gauge that some garages use and I thought I would try WalMart out to see what I could find. I bought a Campbell Hausfeld M6000 for $15 that looked promising. Went out to the hangar today and tinkered around with it and came up with the following:

039pp.jpg


I found a piece of 3/8" o.d. tubing in my junk-tubing bin that was threaded on both ends. I then removed the 1/4" flexible hose from the CH inflator, screwed in the piece of tubing and added a couple of other fittings and the chuck at the other end. Just junk I had lying around. Here's a picture of the original packaging and the finished product.

034pp.jpg


So I tried it out on my SUV and it worked great. Next, came the RV test and lo and behold, it worked great! The inflator also has a brass button on the side to release air if you overshoot. I don't know if this is the ultimate tire inflator I have been coveting, but it comes close!

015pp.jpg


The other tools I use are a couple of tongue depressors sharpened at one end to remove the "wilkie button" covering on my 3/4" hole, and then a nut driver to remove the shrader valve cap. Here's a photo that illustrates the complete operation.

026ppcopy.jpg


I'm kind of hoping Jerry Farek will take it from here and provide the straight inflator that will just screw into this Campbell Hausfeld rig. It will look a lot more professional for sure! Anyway I thought I would share this in the interest of perhaps making this chore a little easier for some.
 
Just a contrary thought..

It looks very good. I merely suggest that you think about taking something in the airplane for when you need air and you are not at your hangar. A normal valve extension from an auto parts store will do the trick. I had to use two in series, but it worked well and it lives in my little "travel" toolkit. They came 2 or 4 in a bubble pack (I forget which).
 
Great idea!

I love the idea, but what is the black fitting at the end that attaches to the valve stem?
Another project!!
 
The black fitting is just a plain chuck available at most auto parts stores. It's the end of an inflator with the center pin that depresses the shrader valve in the stem. Having said that, you might also look at Jerry Farek's inflator which is much the same, only more compact and professionally done! But if you're a do-it-yourselfer, go for it!
 
One thought on this topic

You should probably still plan to take the front half of the wheelpant off at least a couple times per year.

On my RV-10, I didn't realize how much wear I had on my tires until I busted up a wheelpant (taxiing through grass). I had about 250 hours on the airplane and was a couple months from the annual when the incident happened. I was amazed how much more wear the tires had compared to what I had at the annual ten months before.
 
Pat,

I've tried to find a straight chuck at a half-dozen places here in Reno, and no luck. Can't even find it online!

Do you by chance know if Jerry is still selling his inflator? Link to his posts (I remember seeing them but can't find it in the search engine).

thanks,
greg
 
Greg, Go to a NAPA autoparts store and look for a duel tire pressure equalizer. In the kit there is a rubber hose with fittings that go from the inside wheel to the outside wheel on trucks. This item works great for servicing the tires through the 3/4 hole. The extension flexes just enough to allow the end to line up with the stem even if it is not in line with the 3/4" hole.
 
Gasman, thanks for the tip. I haven't been to NAPA (yet). Steve, that is indeed what I'm looking for.

Cheers,
greg
 
I stumbled across a 10 inch straight valve stem extension at a truck stop a few years back. It works great for airing the tire through the hole in the wheel pant. It's also easy to keep in the plane just in case and you can use a regular chuck to air up the tire. Mine is chromed metal but they also come in plastic and in different lengths.
 
Pat,

I've tried to find a straight chuck at a half-dozen places here in Reno, and no luck. Can't even find it online!

Do you by chance know if Jerry is still selling his inflator? Link to his posts (I remember seeing them but can't find it in the search engine).

thanks,
greg

Greg, not sure what became of Jerry Farek, I couldn't find his old threads either. Anyway, sounds like you found a straight chuck; you can't go wrong with this setup, you'll like it.:)
 
Pat,

The chuck is the easy part. The hard part is finding something permanent to mark the tire sidewall. What's the blue dot in your photo?

Tony
 
alignment...

looks like the blue dot aligns the hole with the stem... blue dot down.

i just remove the forward half of the wheel pant; much easier to align and gain access to the stem, inspect the tire and brakes at the same time, and takes less than a minute to remove...
 
looks like the blue dot aligns the hole with the stem... blue dot down.

i just remove the forward half of the wheel pant; much easier to align and gain access to the stem, inspect the tire and brakes at the same time, and takes less than a minute to remove...

You are exactly right. The blue dot marks the stem. Had you ever tried to put a permanent mark on the sidewall, you would understand why I was asking how the blue dot was attached.

Did you know that there are plenty of RV wheel pants that don't split down the middle? Real PITA to take them off.

Tony
 
Pat,

The chuck is the easy part. The hard part is finding something permanent to mark the tire sidewall. What's the blue dot in your photo?

Tony

Tony,

I've tried a lot of things, but the best I've found so far is my wife's nail polish. Blue, red, whatever, just rough up a spot with sandpaper and touch up with the nail polish brush. It will fade with time but re-applying is very convenient.
 
I have been working on the same thing for a few months. I started with a push on chuck similar to the one shown. I didn't like how large it was and turned it down for a more elegant solution. I am now trying to find someone to make the entire tool. Sounds like there is some interest.

valve%20filler.jpg
 
I have one of Jerry F.'s inflators, the one with the analog dial, and it works great!

I didn't like the digital one as much, personal preference. I use it on several planes, and travel with it.:D
 
I agree with Schristo

on this one. I found that trying to fill through a hole was more troble than it was worth so I resigned myself to removing the front half of my wheel pants.
It is a little more trouble but I figure it is a good time to inspect brakes etc. The key is to purchase non leak tubes from Desser tire. I only add air once every 6 months or so.
 
Ultimate Tire Inflator

After Pat planted the original idea, I just had to convert one of my old inflators to work through my wheel pant hole.

TireGauge.jpg
.

I ordered the Amflo 126 straight chuck online and bought the brass tube and 1/8" NPT to 1/4" NPT adapter from the local building supply store.

The straight chuck is designed to work best on an air hose, not a gauge equipped inflator (since it behaves like a check valve), but there was an easy fix.

I removed the little brass plunger that pushes the valve core (by unscrewing the black tip) and drilled a small 1/16" hole at a slight angle alongside the tip that presses the valve core. No more check valve behavior and it still seals (with the built in rubber seal) to the valve stem like it always did.

Let me know if anyone needs a picture of the drilled piece.

Steve
 
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I removed the little brass plunger that pushes the valve core (by unscrewing the black tip) and drilled a small 1/16" hole at a slight angle alongside the tip that presses the valve core. No more check valve behavior and it still seals (with the built in rubber seal) to the valve stem like it always did.

Let me know if anyone needs a picture of the drilled piece.
TruFlate makes straight chucks like that both with and without the check valve... I've been scouring the Internet to try and find someone who sells them in single (or at least low) quantities, but so far I think the best I could find was a 20-pack.

Could you send a link to the Amflo fitting you bought, and a photo of the drilled hole?
 
Hallelujah Brother!
Can I have another Hallelujah....

With Airstop tubes, checking air in the tires is a two or three times a year event. Pulling the front pant is so easy and quick and as mentioned lets you do a quick inspection of tires, brakes, lines etc...
When I travel I throw my rechargeable mini drive in. It weighs nothing and one charge lasts long enough to decowl the engine or open the front pant many times over...
I have abandoned the holes in my wheel pants.
 
Getting these in Canada is a real b*tch. Amazon's orders are through Toolorbit.com. Toolorbit.com's website says: "We accept international orders only that are minimum worth of USD $500."

Any others?
 
Getting these in Canada is a real b*tch. Amazon's orders are through Toolorbit.com. Toolorbit.com's website says: "We accept international orders only that are minimum worth of USD $500."

Any others?

Let me Google it for you again.

http://www1.mscdirect.com/CGI/NNSRIT2?PARTPG=IMLMKD&PMPXNO=1669271

This one doesn't specify, but I suspect it has the check valve.

http://www.grainger.com/Grainger/LEGACY-Air-Gun-Air-Chuck-1KUH2

Still can't get past the Canadian thing, ship it to yourself at a USPO, fly down, and pick it up.

https://www.usps.com/manage/research-delivery-options.htm
 
Can I have another Hallelujah....

With Airstop tubes, checking air in the tires is a two or three times a year event. Pulling the front pant is so easy and quick and as mentioned lets you do a quick inspection of tires, brakes, lines etc...
When I travel I throw my rechargeable mini drive in. It weighs nothing and one charge lasts long enough to decowl the engine or open the front pant many times over...
I have abandoned the holes in my wheel pants.

Absolutely JJ, fancy tools are great but come on guys, avoid the holes, pull the pants occasionally, inspect the area (it's called preventive maintenance) and throw some air in the tires... not a big deal! Actually putting air in the tires is preventive maintenance, if you keep the pressure up you will avoid having to fix that flat tire!
 
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Not sure I understand the 'check-valve/no-check-valve' difference?

Lee...

You want to allow air pressure to feed back through to the pressure gauge. If you had the chuck with the check valve, the pressure gauge would indicate zero when you release the trigger. Also, not having the check valve allows you to bleed off excess air pressure in the event of an overshoot.
 
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Check valve type is typically used on the end of a filler hose. It holds air in the hose until you push its pin in with the schrader valve on the tube. The non-check valve type just has a nub in it that pushes on the schrader valve. The nub has a hole that lets air pass either direction. Use the non-check valve type if you want to adapt a standard inflator with a gauge. Otherwise, just put a barbed fitting on one side of a tube, the check valve tapered fitting on the other end, and clamp the barbed end into your air hose.

Nobody said one shouldn't remove the pants and inspect. Having a way to quickly and easily check pressures and add air without cracking your pants only makes things easier for when it's not otherwise necessary to bust open the pants. $100 tubes do not completely solve the problem either. Besides, making tools is fun, rewarding, and best of all, cheap.
 
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Ahhhhhhsoooooooo....

Thanks, that explains it all quite well. Apparently, I already have a couple of each!


Lee...
 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Snowflake
Getting these in Canada is a real b*tch. Amazon's orders are through Toolorbit.com. Toolorbit.com's website says: "We accept international orders
only that are minimum worth of USD $500."

Any others?
Let me Google it for you again.

http://www1.mscdirect.com/CGI/NNSRIT...PMPXNO=1669271

This one doesn't specify, but I suspect it has the check valve.

http://www.grainger.com/Grainger/LEG...ir-Chuck-1KUH2

Still can't get past the Canadian thing, ship it to yourself at a USPO, fly down, and pick it up.

https://www.usps.com/manage/research...ry-options.htm
Yesterday 07:51 PM

I purchase a tire inflator from Canadian Tire and modified it with a quick disconnect to take all my tire inflators, one for cars, one for tractors, one for wagons, etc. I came with a guage, a button to let excess air out and was on sale for $10 bucks, works great.
It really is a nice tool for filling the rocket tires through that small hole. It looks just like the one that Pat Hatch shows on page one of this thread.
 
Absolutely JJ, fancy tools are great but come on guys, avoid the holes, pull the pants occasionally, inspect the area (it's called preventive maintenance) and throw some air in the tires... not a big deal! Actually putting air in the tires is preventive maintenance, if you keep the pressure up you will avoid having to fix that flat tire!

you lost the battle, but not the war ;)
 
inflation tool...... parts etc.

Getting these in Canada is a real b*tch. Amazon's orders are through Toolorbit.com. Toolorbit.com's website says: "We accept international orders only that are minimum worth of USD $500."

Rob, Grainger sounds a whole lot like Acklands/Grainger here in Canada, but I found a lot of these wholesalers have similar minimums or don't retail.

I McGyvered an inflation tool from some stuff I found at Princess Auto, but it's not high quality like Jerry's unit.
 
Rob, Grainger sounds a whole lot like Acklands/Grainger here in Canada, but I found a lot of these wholesalers have similar minimums or don't retail.
Exactly. There seems to have been a change in the last couple of years in the amount of paperwork necessary for a US company to ship "parts" to Canada. McMaster was the first to fall to this one, which kicked a lot of Canadians who were used to getting hard-to-find stuff through them. Now the only way is to work for a company that has an account, and to call your order in and push repeatedly on the sales agent who starts off on the repeating track of "we don't sell to Canada" and ends up on the track of "thank you for your order, it's a pleasure doing business with (Company X)".

I McGyvered an inflation tool from some stuff I found at Princess Auto, but it's not high quality like Jerry's unit.
I may still place a bulk order of the Truflate parts and then sell them directly to others in Canada, but it looks like Cleveland now has what I want with a lot less effort... :)
 
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