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plastic valve caps
Posted: Wed Mar 04, 2015 8:01 pm
by dog64bull
Does anyone know where i can buy some valve caps for my pcx? i keep forgetting to screw them back on whenever i put air in my tire at the store
Re: plastic valve caps
Posted: Wed Mar 04, 2015 8:38 pm
by WhiteNoise
Re: plastic valve caps
Posted: Wed Mar 04, 2015 11:29 pm
by stryder123
All auto parts stores carry them. Never buy metal caps. They tend to corrode and are sometimes impossible to remove without cutting them off.
Re: plastic valve caps
Posted: Wed Mar 04, 2015 11:58 pm
by WhiteNoise
^ Wow, I never knew that.

Truism?
I have metal valve caps on my 50 year old bicycle. Them caps are still okay, no rust no problems.
I bet they're stainless steel

"Those were the days..."
"When I was younger, so much younger than today..." I would ride my peddler to the petrol station to top off my tires then continue on my way. Whilst there, I would scan the grounds and find all sorts of goodies

Valve stem caps included! Always lying about. Today? Not so much. I find pennies instead

Tails up (figures).
Re: plastic valve caps
Posted: Thu Mar 05, 2015 12:47 am
by WhiteNoise
Found Ya some plastic ones in the mix. Everyone loves Amazon, right? Or is it Wally World?
NOTE: Wally World has plastic caps right in their auto dept. Aw well, Both places are big hitters in my book.
These choices are at Amazon
http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=sr_pg_1?rh= ... 1425533859
Re: plastic valve caps
Posted: Thu Mar 05, 2015 11:36 am
by Mel46
My wife and I both love those paw print ones!
Re: plastic valve caps
Posted: Thu Mar 05, 2015 12:00 pm
by WhiteNoise
Woof! Purr-fect Mel

Re: plastic valve caps
Posted: Thu Mar 05, 2015 1:49 pm
by gn2
Just look around outside, you'll find four on every car.....
Re: plastic valve caps
Posted: Thu Mar 05, 2015 4:03 pm
by WhiteNoise
^^ Love it!!

True! By the dozens!!

Oh, "we're bad, we're bad, we know it..we know...."

Re: plastic valve caps
Posted: Fri Mar 06, 2015 7:46 am
by kramnala58
Re: plastic valve caps
Posted: Tue Mar 10, 2015 4:34 pm
by RusticCharm
I got a package of two from the bicycle department at K-Mart that have small batteries and red lights that come on with centrifugal force.
Re: plastic valve caps
Posted: Wed Mar 11, 2015 6:56 pm
by Steph
I usually find caps when i go the air pump at a gas station.
Re: plastic valve caps
Posted: Wed Mar 18, 2015 2:19 am
by forza300
gn2 wrote:Just look around outside, you'll find four on every car.....
Yep, and on the forecourt of most garages.
Re: plastic valve caps
Posted: Wed Mar 18, 2015 11:10 am
by WhiteNoise
I had these on my 2011 PCX

- image.jpg (3.4 KiB) Viewed 2539 times

Wonder where I put them? Very well made. Chrome Black n Pearl White. Had the o-ring inside too! Not all do. Check 'em peeps!
I shall go hunting this day.
Thanks for bringing this topic up dog64bull

Re: plastic valve caps
Posted: Wed Mar 18, 2015 11:25 am
by GeorgeSK
I can vouch for the corrosion claim. I had put snazzy metal caps on my MINI only to find (after a considerable time) that those caps were not coming off. I didn't have to mess with them for so long because the car had tire pressure monitoring. BUT, because the TPM sensors are in the valve stems, I HAD to get those metal caps off without trashing the stems themselves (replacement stems are very expensive with the TPM sensors). Some very careful Dremel work got them off without too much damage to the threads, and cheesy replacement plastic ones went on. Problem solved and lesson learned.
Whitenoise - you might consider a dab of Never-Seize on the stems. We check our tire pressure frequently (right, everybody?) so there shouldn't be a problem, but the prophylactic remedy is so cheap and easy, why not just do it?
Re: plastic valve caps
Posted: Wed Mar 18, 2015 12:48 pm
by Alibally
All mercedes cars with TPM come with sliver plastic valve caps. The metal ones corrode on in no time and the valves are £££££.
A bit of grease on the stems as said above helps.
Re: plastic valve caps
Posted: Wed Mar 18, 2015 1:24 pm
by WhiteNoise
Thanks George for your input. That's a good idea if mine turn out to be a metal. What about aluminum? Would they seize or corrode? I have the stock caps on now. I have to find the dual Alien's first.
Extra...extra! I'm with you on checking our tire pressures. It's how I (want to) roll. My responsibility not to get hurt or hurt anyone else. "Pump up the volume"

thanks 2U2 Ali
Re: plastic valve caps
Posted: Wed Mar 18, 2015 5:08 pm
by Alibally
If the valves are brass and rubber, which most are , the metal caps aren't really a problem. If there kept free of salt and removed regularly to check the pressures they'll be fine.
The valves for tyre pressure monitors tend to be alloy, so steel caps can have the unfortunate effect of corroding together. There's a technical name for it but escapes me at the moment. It causes the alloy to basically rot away. If you google sacrificial anodes it uses the reaction as a way of stopping corrosion on steel parts on ships I seem to remember.
Re: plastic valve caps
Posted: Wed Mar 18, 2015 8:00 pm
by GeorgeSK
I'll bet you are right about the metallurgy, Alibally. The stems I had to mess with were silvery metal as one would expect from alloy. I expect that our scoots' stems are brass, so it is likely no problem with aluminum or stainless or whatever. My tires do loose a bit of air, and the difference in ride is pretty noticeable (especially two-up), so the caps are off on a pretty regular basis.
But if your car has TPM sensors... a little dab might just do ya!