On 8/12/2018 11:18 AM, Ned Mantei wrote:
On 11-08-18 16:48, Frank Krygowski wrote:

I've got a large spray can of brake cleaner, and another of carburetor
cleaner. Since I'll never use them up working on the car, I'd be
willing to try them.

As I mentioned here once some time ago, be very careful if the brake
cleaner uses hexane as the solvent. Hexane binds specifically to a
protein called neurofilament, which is an important component of nerves
(more specifically of the axons which convey the nerve impulses).
Possibly it takes a lot of exposure, such as withÂ* mechanics cleaning
disc brakes on trucks, but I would still avoid spraying it.

And one addition to Frank's nice description of fixing flats: When
removing the tire I keep track of what bit was next to the valve hole on
the rim. After removing the tube I inflate it to find the puncture. Then
with valve and valve hole as reference points I know where on the tire
to look for whatever caused the flat. This can be helpful if the cause
was a tiny hard-to-see piece of glass, metal, or whatever. Helpful
although not always necessary: https://flic.kr/p/9XmmWn .

Yes, and I do mount my tires so the label is next to the valve stem,
partly to make that check easier.

To get deep into nerd territory: When installing a new tube, I usually
nick the threads of the valve stem on its right side. When fixing a
flat, I use that to make sure I insert the tube in the same orientation.
That's on the theory that if I did miss a micro-shard of glass, the
patch will be in the same place and help to avoid a repeat.

Yes, it's a bit ridiculous, I know...

--
- Frank Krygowski