I'm in the process of upgrading my ATV emergency kit and I thought I better prepare for the eventual flat tire. So I've ordered a 4 lb Slime Plug-n-Pump. It's amazing how small these compressors have become.

But then I started thinking. Is it possible to fill up a completely flat ATV tire with these pumps? The air flow might not be sufficient to seat the bead. Anyone have any experience with these?

 

Yes you can fill a tire up.I use it on my van tires and they hold 45lbs.
As for setting a bead,put a rachet tiedown strap in you kit(make sure it will fit around the wheel)and your good to go

 

Exactly. The trick to setting a bead on the trail is getting the tire air tight against the rim first. The average atv tire takes about 36 psi to set the bead. My little 12 volt compressor will pump a max of 150 psi. I usually only carry a ten speed mini bike pump on longer rides, and I set a bead once on the trail with it, but it took about 3 million pumps to do it. Well worth the price of riding out, as opposed to walking out.

 

I built a air hose that threads into the spark plug hole, just shut the fuel off and crank the starter over. not sure if it will seat a bead or not. geuss I should try it before I need it,huh?
Another good way to seat the bead is ronsol lighter fluid and a match. I know that works, Ive done it on 33x10.50.16 tires before. pretty cool.

 

soggyrider
That sounds like a great theory, or has it been proven to work. Let me know, and where did you get a fitting that will thread into your sparkplug hole? And what would be the method for using lighter fluid? Would there be much of a difference using a two stroke or a four. Should i be able to adapt this method (spark plug) to my yz
Thanks
Spanky500
01' scram 500 4x4
98' yz 250

 

it works, my freinds and i were riding in a remote area, he rip a 3inch gash in his rear tire of his 400ex, and a women came along in a foreman and had a kit that screwed in place of the spark plug hole, you use your engines compression to air up your tire, cool kit but Hell it took forever thought to air up the tire, i really didnt want to crank my engine that long but what do you do when you in BFE

 

The hose in the plug hole is the same setup that construction air compressors use. On those, some cylinders burn fuel and turn the engine, others compress air. To use the ATV engine to do this sounds interesting but:

1. Would I want to crank it that long? Nope.

2. Is the spark plug accessible on my Honda or my Polaris? Nope.

3. Unlike construction compressors, the ATV cylinder has an intake port with a carb attached. This means you are pumping air and fuel vapour into the tire ... boooooom! Don't be smoking when you are playing with this setup!

The $14.95 12V air compressor is looking awefully attractive at this point.

DJ

 

deej, if you shut the fuel off, then run your engine till it is out of fuel, you are ot pumping any thing but air into the tire. this is a means to get you back to your truck in dire straights. So you may have to remove the trim panel to get to the plug, oh damn. it has worked for me and it is lighter than a compressor.
Spanky, the method for lighter fluid is a little more dangerous, and have never tried it on a atv tire. But would not be afraid to. It is a mothod used to reseat the bead onto the rim on super swampers. You just squirt some fluid into the tire, swirl it around to get the vapors up toss in a lit match. The resulting explosion will set the bead. then you still have to put air in the tire. I dont recommend trying this unless you have seen others do it who have experience. The trick is getting the right amount of fluid with out putting in too much!

 

If you try the lighter fluid-and-match technique, start with just a LITTLE fluid, and if it isn't enough, try again with a little more. Far better than too much. A can of starting fluid will also work for this.
As for the air compressor in the spark plug hole, I am sure it will work, but I don't know if I want to do it. You can run the fuel out of the carb, and just get air with no fuel, but what about the starter motor? The owner's manual for both my Ploaris and Honda warn against cranking continuously for over 30 seconds out of fears of overheating (read burning up of) your starter motor. I would much rather risk losing, breaking, or having stolen a $20 Wal-Mart mini air compressor than frying the wiring in my $300 starter.

 

The time between shutting off the fuel, and running the system dry while idling, as you sit there with a flat tire, is very long.

Besides, Farmr has the best arguement against this. The darn starter (any starter) has a very short duty cycle. It heats up darn fast and requires a cool down period. Heat kills starters.

Again the $14.95 (very light I might add) 12V pump is looking pretty good!

DJ