Stans sealant change

pilsburypie

Had my tubeless tyres on for about 8 months now - using Stans sealant and thought the recommended time to change it was 3-6 months. Popped the tyre bead off to find loads of sealant left in. Still though, decided to replace it seeing as I'd come this far. Did notice however a couple of small balls of latex which seemed to be formed from all the tiny bits contained in the fluid.

I was expecting to see no fluid in the tyres at all....

So my question is, if your tyres aren't loosing pressure, is there any point on changing sealant fluid...... Is the actual liquid the sealant or just used to suspend and transport those tiny latex particles around the tyre?

Splasher

I'm not sure whether it deteriorates or not so I've always changed it at around 6 months.

cborrman

as long as you do not punture, etc. latex should be fine. basically latex is an emulsion and works by the liquid evaporating and leaving the floating polymers to seal.

additionally however sealant has floating "grit" to fill holes, which may have got separated after so much time, so if you get a big puncture it may not seal properly. having said that, if you have been that long without even hairline cuts for thee latex to evaporate / get used you should be fine, would replace if you were going to tire shredding south downs or similar.

S_J_P

I'm sure that the companies who recommend replacing the sealant every 3-6 months are a) being particularly cautious, and b) ensuring you buy lot's of product :twisted:

I find though that much past 6 months the effectiveness of the sealant diminishes even though there's still lots of liquid in there, so I tend to change sealant when I change my tyres winter for summer and visa versa. Works for me!

jairaj

how do you guys safely dispose of the old liquid? Can you just pour it down the drain? or just leave it in a open contain to harden then throw in the bin?

S_J_P

I usually spill some of it on the grass, some on my trousers, and the rest over the dog!

I've always buried the small amount left in the garden rather than tipping it down the drain! Good question about using th drain though!

If you're changing your tyres as well as the sealant, take the opportunity to thoroughly clean the inside of the rims of sealant debris, it takes a while but ensures you'll get a good seal with the new tyre. Also wipe around the inside of the old tyre with a cloth to prevent the build-up of heavy deposits which may unbalance the tyre, and clean the tyre bead thoroughly before storing for next year.

jairaj

cool thanks for the tips