[AT] How to seat the bead on lawn tractor tires?

[George Willer]

Matthew,

The pyro trick is the best bet, but it isn't for little kids and old ladies.
Ether is the fuel of choice and for it to work, it must be somewhere near
the correct mixture.  If you try it and it mis-fires from using too much or
too little, you have to purge all the burned gas before trying again.
Hint... remove the valve core and start the air with an attached chuck
before you light the ether.  That way the cooling gasses won't allow the
bead to come away again.

I'll ask again if anyone knows what the BMEP is of an optimum ether/air mix
is?  I really do want to know.  I suspect it isn't very high.

George Willer

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Matthew" <matthewx at dogod.com>
To: <at at lists.antique-tractor.com>
Sent: Thursday, July 22, 2004 8:57 AM
Subject: [AT] How to seat the bead on lawn tractor tires?


> I just got a pair of old lawn tractors (Ariens Emperors) and the tires are
> pretty dry rotted on them.  These things are built solid as a rock so I am
> in the process of restoring them back to running condition.
>
> I put a new rear tire on one of them, and it turned out to be a most of
the
> afternoon project.  Getting the old tire off, and the new one on was easy
> enough.  Getting the bead started was the fly in the ointment.
>
> I started with crossing my fingers and hoping that my compressor would
> blast it hard enough to get both sides to catch.  Not a chance.
>
> Next, I tried a ratcheting tie down around the center to pull the beads
out.
> This looked like it was going to work, but you reach a point (before the
> bead starts to catch) where pulling the center in starts to pull the beads
> in too.
>
> Next, the pyro in me came out and I tried the gas trick.  I have had good
> results with this on car and cycle tires, but there is something bout the
> fat little tires that keeps it from getting a good pop..
>
> I resorted to beating on it with a mallet for a while.  It did no good,
but
> I got some aggression out.
>
> In the end I got it, with a rope around it, and a bunch of sticks to twist
> the rope with.  As soon as the bead would start to cave in someplace, I
would
> loosen the whole thing up and stick a stick in that place and start over.
3
> or 4 sticks later and I was able to get just enough air in to get it to
seat.
>
> Once it is that far, you are home, but what a long, drawn out trip it was.
Is
> there an easier way to get these things to seat?
>
> --Matthew
>
>
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