slow leak

[etpm]

stumped on this one,maybe some can help. rear tire on my 2305, slow leak- about 3 days to become obvious tire is low, I've taken tire off tractor, squirting soapy water on tread while rolling slowly- reading glasses on,and flashlight on tire, no bubbles ! have also laid on sides checking bead with water,also valve stem and core. what am I doing wrong ?
bmw

The best leak finder that I have found for any type of gas, air included, is the stuff meant for finding leaks in natural gas piping in houses. The stuff is available in any decent hardware store. Natural gas is supplied in the home at very low pressure so the leak finder must be able to detect slow leaks and low pressure leaks. The leak finder is very good for finding slow leaks because the bubbles created from the leak(s) don't pop easily and they last a long time. And the bubbles tend to stay at the site of the leak, they don't usually migrate away from the leak unless other bubbles push them away. This makes it easy to find the source of the leak because you can see a trail of bubbles, with the smallest bubbles being closest the the leak. I think the bubbles get larger as they move away from the leak because the skin of the bubble gets thinner over time and so is less able to resist the pressure inside the bubble and also because the gas inside the bubble heats up from exposure to light and this makes the pressure rise a little bit. Who cares why the bubbles get larger anyway? They just do. Put the stuff in a spray bottle and wet the tire and bead area with it. Your leak will soon be obvious. I don't remember the name of the stuff but just ask at the store.
Good Luck,
Eric

 

[bmw63]

update-- I found the leak- tiny pinhole about inch and half in from edge of tread, had about 45 lbs air in tire just the tiniest bubble showing. next challenge - see if I can patch it !!

 

[ovrszd]

update-- I found the leak- tiny pinhole about inch and half in from edge of tread, had about 45 lbs air in tire just the tiniest bubble showing. next challenge - see if I can patch it !!

Tubeless?

 

[Lineman North Florida]

Next time fill it with water, it will show the leak.

 

[bmw63]

Tubeless?

yes

 

[ovrszd]

yes

Plug it.

Force the round file into hole expanding it. Then force in a plug. Pretty simple fix.

 

[YLee Kioti]

Next time fill it with water, it will show the leak.

I WISH!!!!!
Have been having this problem for months now. Only now have most projects come to a form of final completion that I can afford to dive into diagnostics.
Filled with water by dealer back in 2017. This past June left tire started making a pooch, like my belly the bottom had this fat spot! heh
Since it's got water, I use a tape measure. The right side from slab to 12 O'clock on rim bead is 35" give or take a skosh....the left side is at 34".
And what used to take a week now takes a day or two for the tire to drop pressure..

No evidence of or witness marks of any fluid, nada.
At least I'm encouraged that a pin hole was discovered, but I never got the gist of this about the tire. Was it water filled or not?
My take away from this is that my approach is exactly what has been mentioned here already.
I was concerned I may have overlooked something.

 

[newbury]

At least I'm encouraged that a pin hole was discovered, but I never got the gist of this about the tire. Was it water filled or not?

Put a mark on the pinhole in the tire, rotate it so the pinhole is at the bottom.
If it wets it was filled partially with some liquid. To determine if it was water or not DON'T TASTE IT, find some other way like collect a sample and see if it freezes at 32 degrees.

 

[YLee Kioti]

Put a mark on the pinhole in the tire, rotate it so the pinhole is at the bottom.
If it wets it was filled partially with some liquid. To determine if it was water or not DON'T TASTE IT, find some other way like collect a sample and see if it freezes at 32 degrees.

Sorry but you confused me.
I was speaking of the tire the OP was dealing with. THAT tire, I did not know if it was water filled or not.
This issue I have, I KNOW it is water filled. And it does not leave any witness marks of any water at all.
So I will have to brave it and inflate it a bit more and use the spray soapy technique and look for the source.

 

[Mike1955]

40 psi will show leak better than operating pressure. Keep looking,you'll find it. Some soaps make larger bubbles so experiment with yours. Try bubble bath soap if you can sneak some without being caught.

Careful with that sir!