Do valve cap removal tools work?

Guess I'll try the "valve capper pro", lol, that could come in handy.

 

Looks like the only federal regulation that requires a metal valve cap has to do with dropping gas cylinders, and even that's arguably unnecessary according to the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration.

Schrader gives plastic and metal caps the same pressure rating 0-28 bar (400+ psi), and temperature -40-120c (248F). Metal ones may or may not be rated for higher temps. There could be lower rated plastic ones around, but I doubt those are officially considered a safety hazard on a tire valve. OSHA says to "install a suitable valve cap". That would be any cap made for a tire valve stem, and I think unless you're mounting the tire, that's not part of the procedure for inspecting it (unless there's some catch all rule interpreted to say a valve is not intact without a cap). Like I said, it has been my experience that valves are just as likely to leak with or without a cap; furthermore, this is most often the cause of low tire pressure (and I find more low tires with caps on them), so I think "no audible leaks" covers valve intactness (and would argue that a cap suppresses leak audibility, and interferes with checking tire pressure, unless it's a valve extension type cap). By convention, truck and bus valves are sold with caps of either material, so if those are street legal, then there you go. Trucks and buses use standard automotive valve cores as well. Only the valve stem has to be metal for a higher pressure rating than unreinforced rubber ones.


This is like getting written up for not having leather seats, the snobs!


It's at least a misunderstanding, and if there were a regulation, I'd say it should require the flow through valve extension type or no cap, because closed-ended caps are too much of a hinderance to preventative maintenance and inspection (being hard to reach and such).

See, he can't get to the inner one (going for the side door)? You're reachin'.

 

Anyway, I got one of those ken-tool cap/core removers in the mail.

I think the hole on the side of the core remover/installer is to let air escape so the thing doesn't fly out (otherwise there's no explanation for that). Haven't needed it yet, but tested this on a tank valve (snifter type), which is also good for removing the cap from the tool, or whatever has schrader threads like a valve stem can be used to pull it out (I think squeezing it out would cause more wear on the rubber). So yeah, the cap remover tool also needs a reverse cap remover tool to go along with it (I found tank valves at auto parts and hardware stores, and just stuck one inside this tool for carrying them around together).

Likewise, I'm looking to try their "pro" steel 4-way core tool, for the valves facing inward, the aluminum ones I get from auto parts stores keep getting tweaked, bent out of shape, as if thin aluminum was used only to sell more of them (so that's another special order because some off the shelf stuff is too cheap).

I only use the core slotted part, but the cross bar is necessary for torquing it from that contorted angle (even then the wheel has to be in a good position for it to be possible via side access between tires, not always enough room to go straight in, or the crossbar gets in the way there). Got a telescoping magnetic picker upper in case I drop it, which is another reason to get a steel one (the cores are nickel plated brass though, so it's good to have extras of those when all else fails).

As for being a pro (with all these so-called pro tools), all I know is that keeping cores tight (and dispensing with caps) has kept the tires from needing to be reinflated often, whereas before I was constantly having issues with air loss. One company I worked for replaced a tire anytime one was found below 40psi or something like that, so apparently it would be much more economical for them to stay on top of core maintenance versus thinking a whole tire failed for losing air. I'm guessing this isn't common knowledge for that matter. I've reinflated flat tires after fixing the core and never had a problem with those since. Even had a new tire put on that immediately went flat on me, because they didn't replace the core, which was obviously the underlying problem. Still I replace those as a last resort, because it's a royal pain (especially since the tire may come unseated under load, you have to do it under pressure), and while they may start leaking when I check pressure, it's usually because the plunger got a little tweaked, and I can untweak it by plunging it with the chuck, which seems okay, they usually keep working fine as long as they're torqued. It's good to check pressure daily both to blow dirt & moisture out of the core, and assess if it's leaking (I'll check tightness anytime the tire is low, or look for a nail... haven't found too many nails though).

 

Yeah they look similar in quality, I just didn't get the impression that the other one had a core tool on one end, which I might as well use, especially on aluminum wheels with small access holes. The extensions can get stuck in a tweaked position just like the valves, or because of the valves, so they may cause a tire to go flat by keeping the core depressed if care is not taken when checking pressure. In either case I've had a tire leak through an extension/flow through cap (in which it is not as easy to hear if only the valve is open and the cap closed, while the cap may have just tweaked the valve enough to get that started). Doesn't happen often though, as far as I can tell (except the cheaper ones I tried on my car didn't stay on there long for that reason). There's not all that much room to access a valve itself, even without an additional extended cap, but one thing this type helps with is the tilt-lock feature on chucks that have threads inside for interlocking at an angle. The threads on the outside of an extension are larger than the stem threads and sometimes longer, which aids in keeping the chuck locked on hands-free. That way I can fill out paperwork and secure the load while tires are inflating. Saves a lot of time when it comes up (and since truck air is regulated, there's really no chance of grossly overinflating high pressure tires while unattended). Works well enough without extensions with my set up, it helps to have a light weight hose for less resistance pulling on the chuck, or that popping off when the hose is moved, mostly it's just a matter of rotating it to a good tilt-lock balance, based on valve position (a swivel plug makes that easier from the hose end, which I also put a swivel coupler on). I'm using the Milton extended reach chuck for that action, cost me less than the valve cap thingy--got a good deal from Blain's farm and fleet, lol (ya might be a redneck)... that's alright, I'd rather do this than wait several hours for a pro to halfway fix my tire in most cases, or bend over with my ear against the sidewall for several minutes, waiting for it to fill through a small valve (that whole service station lever pressing paradigm is way dumbed down, to prevent people who don't know what they're doing from blowing out a low pressure car tire, which is technically safer for that, other than them not standing back, and would be better with an extended lock-on hose off the standard lever manifold that shuts off when released, in case a swarm of killer bees makes you drop it and run, at least you'd be standing up too, except some idiot would drive away with it on there, but for trucks a direct air line is fine as long as the compressor is close to the same max pressure, they can run warm at 15 or so psi higher than max cold, so the 120 obviously wouldn't blow one out while inflating it, and for more fun with that I use ball valves connected to an oilfield gauge, instead of a spring action lever with a pop out gauge, and can deflate tires from my manifold too, or kick the compressor back on independently, which may happen by itself at equilibrium, though it would take longer as air flow slows down approching it, just a convenience thing which could be done by depressing the valve or chuck when disconnected, I don't leave tires over inflated if that happens while I'm multitasking, faster to deflate than pay so much attention, and I've heard that deflating to desired pressure after overinflation is good for reducing turbulence to get a more accurate reading). Whatever works, I was looking into everything and configured my own things, just made more sense to that extent, configured my own tire gauge too, it works in two directions unlike the ones with check valves (and doesn't wear out like those I bought before). I can see why some tools are oversimplified, where it would cost more, or be too much to explain, if not self explanatory, when people don't read or follow instructions as a general rule (their tools reflect the same level of inflexibility though). I've never actually seen anyone else use one on a truck, so I must be way out there (even if all these concepts have been around since before my time, it's like how most people I see who drive trucks inflexibly, as if they didn't read the instructions, it's all theory vs practice). Hammers are okay, I just like more feedback on cold rubber than those give, and the whole valve thing is too quirky for that alone. Really the strangest thing about this job to me lies between those eighteen wheels (and naturally I'm going in circles with them, so I might as well overthink it).

Besides talking about caps, I guess my point is that it all works together (or doesn't if one part is out of wack), and what works best is specific to the system itself, or maybe everyone else likes it as is (this one seems to be mismatched as far as following rules for simpler systems that it shouldn't, or was designed to be difficult, who knows). There are a lot of parts or tools out there to put together and work with, whichever way makes your day, if you like to tinker (as pneumatics are a wide field), so this a good 'do it yourself' type of scenario that comes up often enough to be worth the trouble in my opinion and in practice, not as a mere driver but as an equipment operator (it doesn't maintain itself, and getting into the details there went beyond CDL-ness to some extent), since all components of this equipment are not widely automated yet (or very well at that), and we're totally at fault for not troubleshooting or having it maintained (which, if you want something done right, talk to an elf?), while most distinguished persons who I fleetingly work with seem to ignore what might take too long to fix or don't know what to do (can't blame them), based on how often it falls on my shoulders, or that's my choice anyway, learning about what nobody's telling us in general, or I missed that meeting (with what's more specific to someone else's business), plenty of ideas out there if not ideals, and good old abductive reasoning helps me read between the data sheets, simple as it is obscure after all, or silly as it is serious (I've had to tear apart the automated stuff to maintain tires too, since mechanics tend to ignore it and tell me to call them when it totally fails, I think all automation does in this case is make tires harder to maintain, and adds more parts that are just as likely to fall apart). Off the shelf gauges are another story, but those are screwed up in general too (prone to lose calibration when vibrated, but the truck vibrates all the time, go figure... all they tell you is to use an accurate gauge, not that most won't stay accurate). Industrial tools work best for industrial operations, harder to come by (or learn of) than a truckin' job, with more regulations than solutions (for a mere consumer, when industrial grade stuff is mostly business to business, and truck-stop stuff is half baked or designed to break), but easier ultimately to get this boulder rolling and keep my job predictable that way (well, I shall see). Worthwhile for my own entertainment otherwise, this crazy stuff, they say you get what you pay for, but since time is money, you might as well be paying for a time bomb, as far as that gets you alone (it's more about knowing what you're getting). At least my educated guess here, with all the low tires I come across, is that such a bomb has to meet certain, possibly random, conditions to blow up in anyone's face, so it will probably remain a gray area as for what anyone cares to do about it, industry wise, to properly equip and train drivers or mechanics, and this gives me the opportunity to keep it in check myself, or for anyone else (I'm at your service, and can now get that valve cap off, #### it).

 

Ultimately, in practice, do valve cap removal tools work? No.

Not on a tight or stuck cap. It just slipped and didn't loosen it, however the socket driver does work in this situation. So I'd have to say that's the best valve cap removal tool. The one supposedly designed for this task is better as a valve cap installation tool (or valve core tool if dual purpose).