10 year old inner tubes....use them or trash them?

[tonyjohnson]

I am at the point finally of putting my 8A on the gear. I dug out the wheels, tires and tubes to assemble them and realized that my inner tubes, and tires, were made in 1998. The main gear inner tubes held air, the nosewheel inner tube did not (probably due to my trying to my use of excessive force in trying to get the darn wheel into the tire)>

I am a slow builder and I don't think my 8A will fly for at least a year. My question is, should I use the 10 year old inner tubes on the mains, or thrash them before I fly? For the next year the old tubes, if they hold air, will do no harm. I could order new tubes now, or a year from now, or not at all.

So, would you use a 10 year old inner tube?

[GAHco]

Originally Posted by tonyjohnson

I am at the point finally of putting my 8A on the gear. I dug out the wheels, tires and tubes to assemble them and realized that my inner tubes, and tires, were made in 1998. The main gear inner tubes held air, the nosewheel inner tube did not (probably due to my trying to my use of excessive force in trying to get the darn wheel into the tire)>

I am a slow builder and I don't think my 8A will fly for at least a year. My question is, should I use the 10 year old inner tubes on the mains, or thrash them before I fly? For the next year the old tubes, if they hold air, will do no harm. I could order new tubes now, or a year from now, or not at all.

So, would you use a 10 year old inner tube?

Keep em, that is if you have a wheelbarrow.

[tonyjohnson]

Tom,

Thanks for the mental image of a wheel barrow with aircraft tires

My plan is to use the inner tubes while I continue to work on the project for the next year or so. Before I fly I will replace them. The tires are another issue that I have not decided.

[GAHco]

Originally Posted by tonyjohnson

Tom,

Thanks for the mental image of a wheel barrow with aircraft tires

My plan is to use the inner tubes while I continue to work on the project for the next year or so. Before I fly I will replace them. The tires are another issue that I have not decided.

That is funny, I was only thinking the tubes, my wheelbarrow always needs a tube long before I can wear the tire out.

Thanks for sharing that image,

hmm how much of a crosswind will your wheelbarrow handle, oops/dang another nosewheel landing, and it wheelbarrowed all the way to the hanger.

[PCHunt]

Originally Posted by tonyjohnson

..... My question is, should I use the 10 year old inner tubes on the mains, or thrash them before I fly? ..........So, would you use a 10 year old inner tube?

If you have to ask.............

Would you trust your years of work and $$ on a cheap inner tube?

Same answer.

[8CW]

If in doubt, throw them out...

[Kahuna]

Id use em. Tubes stored out of the elements are probably good for 10,000 years or something. If you can fold the rubber and make tight creases, and not see cracking, it will work fine.
A flat tire one day on a sissy wheeled airplane is not the end of the world anyway.

[cytoxin]

i have stored tubes in the box in the house for a couple of years and they were ok. others stored in my carport were dry rottedat the seems where the tube was folded. if no dry rot is evident and they look as pliable as new, I would install them. being near electrical products in use breaks them down as does UV.

[mannanj]

I installed an innertube in a Champ that I restored in 1972 with a Goodyear tube that had Oct. 1946 stamped on it. Flew with it for almost 30 years. Took it out when I replaced the tires and tubes just before I sold it. Still laying around my hangar someplace. (Never throw anything out-----might need it someday!)

Use the ones you have now for finishing, but I highly recommend Michelin Air Stop tubes before you fly. You don't have to pump them up every couple of months.

[Jaypratt]

air stops are good. wait and get them when you fly