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Metal dust cap stuck on tyre valve

Alloy wheels and tyre discussion
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Diamond Gaz
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Metal dust cap stuck on tyre valve

Post by Diamond Gaz » Sun Jan 29, 2017 3:55 pm

So, have gone to check the tyre pressure, and one of the metal dust caps which were already on the car, is jammed stuck and will not budge. Have tried WD40, pliers, molegrips, all with no luck.

Can anyone give me any other ideas for shifting it, or know if tyre fitters will replace valves on run flat tyres please?
3.0si 06 Montego Blue Roadster

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Chris_D
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Metal dust cap stuck on tyre valve

Post by Chris_D » Sun Jan 29, 2017 4:38 pm

oh dear, you silly sausage!
metal dustcaps are just a big fat NO-NO! *waves finger*

blowtorch... that one your missus keeps in the bottom cupboard in the kitchen for caramelising the top of a creme brulee will do :P

heat up for approx 30 seconds trying not to destroy the wheel laquer, then try pliers again.

this, i hasten to add should be your LAST resort. lash the WD on/in it and leave overnight to penetrate if you can. it's penetrating fluid.....so eventually it will penetrate and you should be able to gradually plier them off....

good luck :thumbsup:
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Metal dust cap stuck on tyre valve

Post by Nictrix » Sun Jan 29, 2017 4:43 pm

Chris_D wrote:oh dear, you silly sausage!
metal dustcaps are just a big fat NO-NO! *waves finger*
Metal dustcaps are what should be used on all vehicles, as long as they are not the crap aluminium ones.
It has been known for centre of the valves to be blown out and the plastic valve covers do not stop this from happening leading to an instantly flat tyre.
Metal dustcaps with the rubber seal can also stop air escaping from the valve, allegedly. :)
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Metal dust cap stuck on tyre valve

Post by Rob_benton » Sun Jan 29, 2017 4:44 pm

I'd take it to a garage and get them to remove the cap. If it damages the valve with the twisting force they can replace it there and then and you won't be stuck at home needing a new valve and flat tyre.
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Metal dust cap stuck on tyre valve

Post by Smartbear » Sun Jan 29, 2017 4:46 pm

Chris_D wrote:oh dear, you silly sausage!
metal dustcaps are just a big fat NO-NO! *waves finger*

blowtorch... that one your missus keeps in the bottom cupboard in the kitchen for caramelising the top of a creme brulee will do :P

heat up for approx 30 seconds trying not to destroy the wheel laquer, then try pliers again.

this, i hasten to add should be your LAST resort. lash the WD on/in it and leave overnight to penetrate if you can. it's penetrating fluid.....so eventually it will penetrate and you should be able to gradually plier them off....

good luck :thumbsup:
I was always led to believe wd40 is a moisture dispersant & not a penetrating fluid, try plus gas instead as that is definitely penetrating fluid :thumbsup:
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Metal dust cap stuck on tyre valve

Post by Chris_D » Sun Jan 29, 2017 4:55 pm

Nictrix wrote:
Chris_D wrote:oh dear, you silly sausage!
metal dustcaps are just a big fat NO-NO! *waves finger*
Metal dustcaps are what should be used on all vehicles, as long as they are not the crap aluminium ones.
It has been known for centre of the valves to be blown out and the plastic valve covers do not stop this from happening leading to an instantly flat tyre.
Metal dustcaps with the rubber seal can also stop air escaping from the valve, allegedly. :)
ii used to use metal caps as i thought they would give a bit more protection and they would become 4 less things to be concerned about. i also used to give the valve threads a smearing of copper grease so they wouldnt get stuck but i got caught out in poland one winter where it was -15 and i had to top up a tyre with a bit of air. ofc one was stuck and it took ages to get it off in the biting wind and snow. and for that reason alone i'll never use metal caps again!
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Metal dust cap stuck on tyre valve

Post by Nictrix » Sun Jan 29, 2017 4:59 pm

Chris_D wrote:
Nictrix wrote:
Chris_D wrote:oh dear, you silly sausage!
metal dustcaps are just a big fat NO-NO! *waves finger*
Metal dustcaps are what should be used on all vehicles, as long as they are not the crap aluminium ones.
It has been known for centre of the valves to be blown out and the plastic valve covers do not stop this from happening leading to an instantly flat tyre.
Metal dustcaps with the rubber seal can also stop air escaping from the valve, allegedly. :)
ii used to use metal caps as i thought they would give a bit more protection and they would become 4 less things to be concerned about. i also used to give the valve threads a smearing of copper grease so they wouldnt get stuck but i got caught out in poland one winter where it was -15 and i had to top up a tyre with a bit of air. ofc one was stuck and it took ages to get it off in the biting wind and snow. and for that reason alone i'll never use metal caps again!
Fair enough, the plastic ones will never seize on and will save a massive amount of weight. :lol:
If you check your pressures regularly the caps should never get to the point where they seize on.
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Metal dust cap stuck on tyre valve

Post by Chris_D » Sun Jan 29, 2017 5:07 pm

Nictrix wrote:
Chris_D wrote:
Nictrix wrote: Metal dustcaps are what should be used on all vehicles, as long as they are not the crap aluminium ones.
It has been known for centre of the valves to be blown out and the plastic valve covers do not stop this from happening leading to an instantly flat tyre.
Metal dustcaps with the rubber seal can also stop air escaping from the valve, allegedly. :)
ii used to use metal caps as i thought they would give a bit more protection and they would become 4 less things to be concerned about. i also used to give the valve threads a smearing of copper grease so they wouldnt get stuck but i got caught out in poland one winter where it was -15 and i had to top up a tyre with a bit of air. ofc one was stuck and it took ages to get it off in the biting wind and snow. and for that reason alone i'll never use metal caps again!
Fair enough, the plastic ones will never seize on and will save a massive amount of weight. :lol:
If you check your pressures regularly the caps should never get to the point where they seize on.
yeah def. check every week / 2 weeks usually but this was when i was setting off back to holland from Warsaw and doing all the usual pre-flight checks etc. fekin freezin in poland sometimes! :| a van driver at the petro lstation had one of those wind-proof lighters and lent me it to heat up the cap and bob's yer uncle - it freed up!
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Metal dust cap stuck on tyre valve

Post by kis » Tue Feb 14, 2017 12:04 pm

Happened to me on the bike. Had nice fancy swish looking aluminium ones :cry:
Had fused itself on! Couldn't get the bugger off, in the end I got a pair of pliers to help twist and it ended up ripping a hole in the stem! So if you're lucky you'll be able to coax it off. If not your might need a new valve? Or you could hack off the top with a dremmel or something to pump in enough air to see you to the local tyre place? If in doubt remove the wheel and take in another car? By far the safest thing!!
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Metal dust cap stuck on tyre valve

Post by firebobby » Tue Feb 14, 2017 12:51 pm

I've had this on a car I bought, I used mole grips to hold the stems and a small spanner to undo. Plastic ones were fitted.
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Metal dust cap stuck on tyre valve

Post by Diamond Gaz » Tue Feb 14, 2017 5:21 pm

firebobby wrote:I've had this on a car I bought, I used mole grips to hold the stems and a small spanner to undo. Plastic ones were fitted.
Tried that and it hasn't worked :( My main concern was whether you could replace a tyre valve on a run flat tyre, (never had them before), Decent local tyre fitters that I use reckon its no problem, and will only cost around £10 to replace with a new valve, so going to take the wheel off the car and take it down to them to replace the valve and then I'll replace the dust cap with a plastic one. Thanks for all the ideas though.
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Metal dust cap stuck on tyre valve

Post by Mr Tidy » Tue Feb 14, 2017 9:49 pm

Looks like you have found a solution OP. :thumbsup:

Fortunately the TPWS on E85/86s doesn't use a sensor in the valve!

Learnt my lesson with alloy caps on my 123d - won't be using them again!
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Metal dust cap stuck on tyre valve

Post by Stuartt » Tue Feb 14, 2017 10:01 pm

As you have now found out your local tyre shop will sort you out no problem with a very small fee :thumbsup:

I have metal valve caps and have no problem as applied a small amount of copper grease to the thread before fitting to stop the corrosion.

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Metal dust cap stuck on tyre valve

Post by csquire4 » Thu Mar 02, 2017 11:01 pm

I put some branded, aftermarket (cheap) metal caps I bought off ebay on my Audi A5 a few years ago. Within 2 months the chinese rubbish caps had corroded and seized on.

Eventually got them off with a cooks blow torch, mole grips and pliers.

They were similar to these, best avoided.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/AUDI-Chrome-W ... SwgQ9VjUGM
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Metal dust cap stuck on tyre valve

Post by ric19 » Fri Mar 03, 2017 3:34 pm

Happened to me the other week,ended up using a Dremmel to cut through it, so Ive been an oiled all mine up now

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