Powertank

As one of the participants in our Tire Deflator Test, Powertank sent us a set of their Monster Valve Deflators.   The Monster Deflators needed to be installed before we could try them out.   

You do not need to remove the tires from the rims to install the Monster Valves.   You can do the drill and tap work with the drill and tap pointing upward so shavings fall out as you drill.   Also, doing the drill work with air still in the tire will blow any shavings out as you are drilling.  The instructions (link below) that come with the valves give the steps to install them without breaking the bead.   You can use a combination of my instructions and pictures and theirs and get a good idea of how this would work.

The Monster Valves have a pipe thread, which is a tapered thread.   Because of this, as you install the valves into the rim, the farther in you thread them the tighter they get.   This is one of the ways that they prevent leaks.

Click HERE for the installation instructions that came with the Monster Valves.

To see all the pictures during the install, click HERE.

Here is what you need to have before you get started:

  • Drill
  • 1/8", 3/16" & 7/16" Drill Bits
  • 1/4" NPT Tap
  • Center Punch
  • Hammer
  • Socket that will fit tap
  • ratchet
  • long extension
  • 9/16" box wrench or deep socket
The first step is to remove the tire and wheel from the vehicle, drain the air and remove the valve core.

Remove any wheel weights that may interfere with the location where you are installing the new Monster Valves.   After the install you need to have the tire balanced again anyway, so it does not really matter.

Once the air is out and the valve core is removed, you can stand on the tire and break the bead so you can expose the inside part of the rim that you will be working with.

I wanted a good area to work with on the inside of the rim, and I didn't want to take the tires off the rims, so instead I stood on the tire and took a quick measurement from the tire to the edge of the rim.   I then cut two small pieces of wood to fit the space.  While standing on the tire to collapse it, I was able to insert the two pieces of wood on either side of my work area.   That leaves me with a clear area to work without having to fuss with the tire all the time.
To keep any debris from falling down inside the tire (such as metal shavings) I put a shop rag into the area and using a piece of tape taped it to the inside of the rim to keep it in place.    If a few shavings get into the tire it is not the end of the world.
It is now time to figure out where you want to install the new valve.   I picked an area across from the original valve stem and started checking for clearance.   I set the lug nuts on the rim where they would be normally, and also put the Monster Valve inflation chuck on the new Monster Valve and then checked for clearance.   You don't want to have any issues when trying to install or remove your wheel, or when you want to air up using the new valve stem.
With just the valve stem, you can see that there is plenty of room.
Once you have decided where you want to locate the new Monster Valve, use the center punch and hammer to mark the spot.   Here you can see the small mark where the valve will be located.   Make sure that you are far enough from any edges in the rim.   You want a nice smooth area to tap into.
You will be drilling the hole in three stages.   First, drill a 1/8" hole.
Here the first hole is on the inside.
Next you will drill a 3/16" hole.   Make sure that you are drilling straight into the wheel.   You also want to check before you start drilling that your drill is able to fit into the rim with all three drill bit sizes in it.   With the first and second size drill bits, my drill fit.

Finally, you will drill the largest hole, a 7/16".

With the third size, the rim was too small for the drill and bit.  If you have this problem you have two choices:  get a different drill or drill from the outside of the rim towards the center.

I used a different drill and continued drilling from the center of the rim outwards.

Once the final hole is drilled I cleaned up the metal burrs left on the rim.

The next step is to tap the 7/16" hole with the 1/4" NPT tap.   
While you are tapping, use some lubricating oil and again make sure that you tap the hole as straight!

I used a socket, ratchet and long extension and started tapped from the outside going in towards the center of the rim.  Just after the tap was started, I switched to the inside of the rim going outwards.  I only tapped from the outside of the rim enough to start the first threads.  Because of the taper of the tap and Monster Valve, it is important that you do the tapping from the inside of the rim going outwards.   If you do like I did, ONLY do it enough to get the tap started, then switch to the inside going outwards.   If you don't, you could have problems with the valves sealing properly.  

 I only ran the tap about half way through the rim.   Because the tap is tapered for its entire length, you don't need to run it all the way in as it could make the threads too loose and you could have problems tightening the new valve and getting it to seal.  After a test fit, I found that the new valve was going in a little tighter than I wanted, so I ran the tap slightly farther into the rim.   Better to do a test fit than end up with a loose fit!

I used Pipe Sealant to seal the threads when I put the new valve into the wheel.   You can also use teflon tape, with the instructions recommending at least 6 wraps of 1/2" wide tape.

This is what the valve looks like when installed on the wheel.   It is inside the rim far enough that it should be relatively safe from rocks and other trail obstacles.

Just for safety's sake, I would recommend that you have a bolt, 2 washers, a nylock nut and some sealant in your tool box with you on the trail.   If you did manage to knock the new valve off on a rock, you could improvise a rim plug to get you off the trail.

As a added step to prevent leaks now and in the future, we added a small amount of sealant around the inside of the valve once it was completely installed.   This GM Assembly Adhesive is what they use to assemble intake manifolds and such at the factory instead of using gaskets.
Here you can see the small amount of the extra sealant on the inside of the rim.   This was really not necessary, but a nice extra bit of sealant is not going to hurt anything and I like to overdo things!

After the thread sealant has set up, you can remove the wood blocks and inflate the tire.  Be VERY careful and make sure that your fingers or other body parts are away from the bead area when you inflate the tire!   Then the bead seats, it could pinch you!  See the video below to find out more.

  Use some soapy water and check for leaks  If you see small bubbles, you will need to remove the valve, add new sealant or tape and try again.

Click here to see a video of the tire seating on the bead. (coming soon!)
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3-13-2005