Tire plug question.

[Wildwilly018]

Need thoughts on this subject. My 88 gl1500 is sitting here at my trailer, 3 hrs from home with a flat back tire with a screw in it. How do you feel about plugs to repair the hole at least to get it home. Long and short term use. I have never plugged a tire. Always have just had it home and took it apart.

[4given]

Plugs are great for emergency short term. But I would not depend on them long term. They have bailed me out many times.

[AZgl1800]

if you can, pull the tire, and use a plug from the inside of the tire, one that has the large oval "patch" over the plug.


That said, my car has two plugs in the right rear tire right now.
2 Roofing nails found their way into the tread area.

the tire shop plugged them, and it has been 8 weeks now, and no loss of air pressure.

if in the tread area, plug it and ride it until you need a new tire.

[bellboy40]

A few years ago I picked up a screw in the tread of my rear tire and it got a slow leak. When I found it, I pulled the screw out and put a plug in there. The tire was fairly new so I figured I would run it that way and see if the leak reappeared. It did not and I ran it that way until it needed replacing with no further problem.

[Wildwilly018]

Thanks for the input. The tire doesn't have a lot of miles on it, but my main concern is just getting it home from my trailer without having to trailer it. I will post when I have done the job. Be a first for me.

[minimac]

Read the directions because you haven't done it before. Let it sit for a bit after re-airing at pressure to make sure it's holding. Take your time riding in case it doesn't hold and until you feel comfortable with it. A lot of people have plugged ties and don't have a problem, others use it only as an emergency option.

[Elmobile]

After working for a french tires manufacturer for 35 years +: EMERGENCY only. Reduced speed just in case. Back road if possible. Highways are too fast, too much heat build up...
Not sure where the plug needs to go, there is limits as to where it can be done...
Do you have a radial or traditional tire?

[Wildwilly018]

After working for a french tires manufacturer for 35 years +: EMERGENCY only. Reduced speed just in case. Back road if possible. Highways are too fast, too much heat build up...
Not sure where the plug needs to go, there is limits as to where it can be done...
Do you have a radial or traditional tire?

My main concern is just getting it back home. All back roads from here. It is an E3 bias.

[CrystalPistol]

3 hrs from home with a flat back tire with a screw in it

Screw is maybe / likely in the tread I guess. I'd plug it with a brown twisted rope plug (the black ones always have failed me) until I got home, insert, air up, dab spit on repair looking for bubbles, wait awhile, recheck pressure, ride gently.

When installing one of these, if a reamer is in the kit, use it, then use the slotted insertion tool with rope plug in slot, push straight in then twist tool 180 degrees and jerk slotted insertion tool straight out. Inflate tire.

If you want to save the tire and the twisted brown rope plug bothers you, then after home dismount the tire and install a "patch-plug" (looks like an umbrella, is a patch with plug in center, metal tip inserted in hole from inside tire and pulled into place with pliars after scuffing inner surface and adding a dab of vulcanizing cement)

[Elmobile]

Bias tires are more tolerant to this kind of repair than radial. Good advice from Crystolpistol to potentially "save" the tire once you make it home, if there is lots of life left in it...
Back road, easy cruising speed should be fine.
Make sure it holds pressure for a while before doing any riding...

[Wildwilly018]

Tire has about 9000 kms on it. Like new. So a patch plug will create a permanent fix. My plan is plug. String plug and ride it home gently yes.

[Wildwilly018]

A friend of mine told me he puts in 2 plugs at the same time. Makes a better seal. Thoughts.

[Elmobile]

I would follow the instruction. You have to ream the hole with a "file" (Not sure what the proper technical word is for it). If the hole is small enough that you can clean it with this tool (Should be part of the kit), you will feel if it does, then 1 string is enough. IMPO...

[Wildwilly018]

Thanks for your reply.

[CrystalPistol]

A friend of mine told me he puts in 2 plugs at the same time. Makes a better seal. Thoughts.

I did that once on a car tire thinking it would help, only time I ever plugged one using the brown stringy rope plugs that leaked.

I never used a black one that didn't leak so I don't buy the black ones at all, no more.

I have had an umbrella type "patch/plug" leak once, but I had not roughed up the tire's inner surface enough to erase the slick inner lining finish, the vulcanizing cement didn't so well. Guy at NAPA said the cement was under the blue paper backing you removed. Something sticky was there, not much. That one went flat that night, but a brown rope plug from outside the tire cured it. I scuff the inside up really well after that if using a "patch/plug", like I did when patching my bike's inner tube back in the day, then I pull the protective paper backing and I apply a little more cement to stem and umbrella, then I pull the patch into place ... no shiny look … no leaks either. Usually, if at home, I apply heat on it with a heat gun on high. Trim excess on outside of tire.

With both kinds of repair, I use a round rasp through the hole to clean it up before hand.

Never yet have I had a "patch/plug" or rope type plug "blow out", I have had that happen with a "stop n go" plug put in with their tool. Little rubber thing looks like a rivet.

[Wildwilly018]

Got plug in. Took screw out. Took a bit of work getting rasp tool in and out freely. Put glue on rasp tool like I read and run it in. Then glue on plug and put it in and released tool. Aired tire up. Have checked and no leak. Didnt cut off excess yet till I am sure it is sealed. But so far so good. Still have to ride it tho. That will come when I take it home

[Swagonmaster]

A friend of mine told me he puts in 2 plugs at the same time. Makes a better seal. Thoughts.

Just so everyone knows, there are two sizes or thicknesses of string plug; regular, usually black but not always and heavy duty which are at least 1/2 again as thick of which I've only seen Brown or beige.

[Elmobile]

The fact that it took a bit of work getting rasp tool in and out freely is a very good thing. Now you know that the hole is the right size for your plug...

Have a safe ride home!