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De-furring aluminium ..?

Hi all,

I decided to do something about the slow 'puncture' on the front wheel of my little runabout motorbike (Honda CB 'Two Fifty') that I was pretty confident was caused by corrosion / flakey paint between the (tubeless) tyre and ally rim.

I removed the tyre today and I was right, loads of ally 'fur' in there? ;-(

So my intention is to just clean the inside of the rims out (I'm doing the rear as well although that tyre was tubed so not leaking), spray them with some acid-etch primer and a few coats of car spray paint to seal them up. Normally I would do a full refurb on such things (like getting them bead blasted etc) but the bikes not worth it .. so as long as I sort the corrosion out and it looks 'ok' when finished that will do this time.

I was wondering if there was an easy_to_obtain_and_use chemical that would remove this 'corrosion' (sulphate?) easily please? (like vinegar on lime scale etc).

If not I'll just stick a medium wire brush in the electric drill?

All the best ..

T i m

p.s. And it was interesting to find a 5>5.1 x 16 inner tube all buckled up in the 4.1 x 16 rear tyre .. another reminder should one be needed why I like to do / check these things myself ...

Reply to
T i m
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If you could use a chemical means, it would leave a pitted surface anyway. I's be inclined to brush it off, and use a tubed tyre, if you want "cheap". You could try u.r.m.classic, or u.r.m., although you're unlikely to get a reasonable answer fron the latter.

Reply to
Chris Bacon

Well from my experimental scrapings so far the surface under the corrosion seems suprisingingly flat (I would of betted on 'well pitted' looking at the amount of corrosion)?

Failing a suitable 'chemical' solution then brushing would be my solution.

Cheap isn't something I generally mix with tyres .. especially motorcycle ones. The rear tyre is infact brand new (I've probably done

50 miles on it) but it's tubed and not the same brand / model as the front (Pirelli) so I've ordered a matching tubeless Pirelli for the rear. Apart from liking them to be the same I like to use Ultraseal (puncture preventer not 'get_you_home' stuff) and that works best in tubeless tyres.

My old Rover was given to me with 'Happy Shopper' (or similar) brand tyres fitted .. they were lethal .. swapped them for a set of Avons (at nearly twice the cost of the car) .. much better ;-)

Ok I'll have a look. Were there many classic bikes with cast alloy wheels Chris?

All the best ..

T i m

Reply to
T i m

Bike seat posts sometimes get stuck due to corrosion, and one chemical suggested is ammonia.

Thomas Prufer

Reply to
Thomas Prufer

Ah, ok, where / how / what form do we buy that these days please?

All the best ..

T i m

Reply to
T i m

Eh, dunno, being far from the UK... ("Ammonia" is correctly "aqueous solution of ammonia" or "ammonium hydroxide", so Wiki tells me, just in case you end up at a chemical supply house, where these differences matter.)

It's used for window cleaning, fuming oak, cleaning zinc before painting -- so supermarket, diy wood/paints place, paint specialist might be the places to try.

Thomas Prufer

Reply to
Thomas Prufer

Ok, cheers.

Ok, I'll have a look today .. just out of interest .. any idea what it does to the ally itself?

All the best ..

T i m

Reply to
T i m

Wiki says "Solutions of ammonium hydroxide can also dissolve reactive metals such as aluminum and zinc, with the liberation of hydrogen gas."

A professional painter in a German diy group says to etch zinc with ammonia before painting, so I don't think dilute household ammonia will strip the zinc rapidly, nor ally, but best not to go out for a pint while the rims soak in a tub....

Thomas Prufer

Reply to
Thomas Prufer

Ah ;-(

I think you are right Thomas!

Thanks again .. and with that I think I'll just use 'elbow grease' ... it's better for the environment anyway .. ;-)

All the best ..

T i m

Reply to
T i m

You said "a full refurb ... is not worth it". There's nothing wrong with using a tubed tyre on this machine (indeed you said in your OP that you have a tube on the other wheel).

Why on earth? The design of the front is most likely to be completely different to that of the rear. There's not necessarily any value in having the front and rear of the same brand.

That's not a very good idea according to some, there are safety issues.

Of course.

Reply to
Chris Bacon

For the back wheel you could just refit it (minus tyre) and let the engine turn it while you hold a bit of emery paper against it. But don't get wrapped around the axle.

Reply to
Rob Morley

Lots of accidents happen when people do this sort of thing.. fingers trapped between chain and sprocket, and all sorts. A wheel, spinning, stores quite a lot of energy.

Reply to
Chris Bacon

I caught my finger between chain and sprocket on a push bike once - it was not a pleasant experience. As is so often the case recently my suggestion was potentially dangerous, I shouldn't encourage others to take silly risks, I'll try not to do it again ...

Reply to
Rob Morley

Ow, bad luck... (I wasn't trying to berate you, you know).

Reply to
Chris Bacon

We were somewhere around Barstow, on the edge of the desert, when the drugs began to take hold. I remember Chris Bacon saying something like:

Only if the owner is clueless enough to never check his tyres for evidence of the sealer working on a hole - that's why it's bright green or similar. You tend to get bullshit spouted from tyrefitters too, about safety, but it's more to do with the admittedly slight extra hassle of cleaning the rim.

Plenty, unless the OP is of the opinion that only ShiteOldBritters are Classics.

Reply to
Grimly Curmudgeon

Indeed I did, but there are certain things I don't penny pinch on ..

But that's not what is specified in the owners handbook (tubed tyres).

The 'design' (tread pattern etc) on most tyres I have ever come across are very much the same on front and back, be it a scooter, tourer or trail? The only exception that I can remember were the smaller stuff (50, 70, 80, 90) that tended to have more of a ribbed tyre on the front? I work that a good starting point for any vehicle is to have a matching set of tyres to start with and go from there. Normally this results in staying with a pair / set of what works the best. Like I said, the front is tubless, Ultraseal works best with tubeless so I want a matching tubeless on the rear

And a flat tyre on the front at 70 mph 'isn't' a safety issue Chris? I have seen too much real evidence (experience) for and very little (real) evidence against ..

Ok, thanks.

All the best ..

T i m

Reply to
T i m

Hmmm ;-)

I did think of putting an 'axle' in the workmate and letting the spinning wire brush in the drill to spin the wheel and slow it with my leg etc ..?

Either that or just holding it in the workmate conventionally and doing it in sectors. It's one of those jobs that I find quite rewarding as a d-i-yer .. starting with a corroded mess and (hopefully) ending up with a long lasting well finished product. ;-)

The the MZ that got caught up in a shop fire and a couple of weeks later looked like new. My mate is still riding it 20k miles later ;-)

All the best ..

T i m

Reply to
T i m

I'm not quite sure what that would achieve other than knowing you

*had* a punture within 100 miles or so and it fixed it (outside of general regular tyre checks of course)?

You tend to get bullshit spouted from tyrefitters too, about

Ultraseal is water soluble so not mush hassle to remove (but you can actually put the tyre on a new rim and leave the stuff in the tyre (apparently).

Indeed I don't .. I suppose I was thinking more along the lines of how many 'classics' (not that *none* did) had cast wheels (I think cast ally is slightly 'different' to spun / rolled / pressed ally)? I believe most *older* bikes had chromed steel rims or ally rims (again with steel spokes)?

But then I've nevery really been into 'classic' unless I happened is one as *transport* .. like my Messerschmitt .. ;-)

All the best ..

T i m

Reply to
T i m

You've already said you have a tubed tyre. There's no problem with tubed tyres on that thing. I don't know why you've apparently a chip on your shoulder - I assume it's my fault, again. Anyway, in lieu of apologies, I put it to you that if you aren't penny pinching on this, your best recourse is to have the wheel re-built with NOS wheels and brand-new matching fronts & rear covers, and make sure any work is done by a five-star rated establishment with gold-plating facilities.

;) or :) if it's really needed.

Reply to
Chris Bacon

Ok, I wan't sure if I should of replied to you the first time (I though we had an agreement that you didn't reply to any of my posts?) now I'm even more sure ...

I want tubeless tyres on 'that thing' because whatever bike it is, if I'm sitting on it I'd like to know that I have the best chance possible should summat go wrong. Now I can't do much about Volvos but I can choose the best tyres (make , pattern, type) for my machine and that means tubeless because

1) That's what I believe it was designed for (rim profile etc) 2) Ultraseal works best in tubeless tyres. Ok?

About what?

Well you certianly aren't answering my queston on removing sulphate now are you?

None needed?

Close. New rear cover (front ok), re-rurbished inner rims (at least) plus probably 'quick spray over' on the outside and by a 5* place (me).

And gold has little place in my world (other than for electrical connectors afaik).

Not sure it's enough Chris but thanks for trying .... ;-)

All the best ..

T i m

Reply to
T i m

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