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MG MGF Technical - IMS -not!

Out on the Memorial Run in Norfolk yesterday,the TF 160 suffered a puncture probably caused by Norfolk flint on the back roads."No problem", I said, reaching for the so far unused IMS in the front. I shook the yellow bottle,poured the sealer into the tyre...only to see it pour straight out again through the hole in the inner tyre wall! Read manual, and note this only works with holes below 4mm in diameter;make mental note to check size of debris before running over it!
By now 4pm,Sunday afternoon,near Northrepps and 25 miles from nearest tyre fitter...no spare,of course, and no way of moving;So I called the RAC, and placed my warning triangle around the bend to make sure of safety for all. Sit in car for 1.5 hours,RAC arrive and have to trailer us home (106 miles!) -before leaving, go to recover triangle,only to find some thieving git has already done so.And this in deepest rural Norfolk!!!
Question (at last!): what contingency arrangements do others have? Bearing in mind difference in rim and tyre sizes front and rear on the 160 -is a space saver any good, at least to get to nearest tyre shop?
My local tyre fitter is coming to fit new Eagle FI at my home this pm...£85,plus call out. :-(
Blue Max

The Space-Saver is enough to finish enjoying your day out and to get home safely however when Touring it is no good if your tyre cannot be repaired and you have to Stop for a couple of days for the Tyre Man to get the correct Tyre (Requiring your make and size).

I have chosen to buy a 2nd hand Full matching Alloy. The F1 is directional so it is 50 - 50 whether it needs turning and I can carry on perhaps with a patch or tube in the damaged now spare tyre.

Then a thought. A MGR Space Saver will not fit over your Larger 160 Front Brakes. Can you have a SS on the Rear and change wheels ?? If so, then I have a surplus SS in the garage with 100 miles on it,

Geoff F.
G. Farthing

Bob,

Get a full size alloy with a 185 width tyre (so will fit front & rear) make sure it's a non directional tyre so it will fit any corner. You'll have to slow down on corners though as a non directional tyre on one corner may affect the handling.

Steve
Steve

Continental do a non directional tyre that fits the 16 inch alloy wheel.

Or at least they did a couple of years ago when I got mine.

Paul
P9 VLS
Paul

Thanks for advice - if I had been in my B, I could have changed the wheel and ben on my way in 10 minutes!
Like the idea of alloy and non-directional tyre - looks like Victoria will be getting visit shortly!
Blue Max

Couple of points.

A space saver is no use on a TF 160. It wont go over the AP brakes. You will need a full size alloy.

As I knew IMS was useless, I ordered a full size spare as an option when I bought the TF. MGR supplied a black painted wheel with a unidirectional tyre the same size as the front, but of a lower speed rating. These are only to be used at speeds up to 50 mph.

If I had realised the option would have provided a black wheel, I would have bought a standard wheel and standard front to allow for rotation.

Obvioulsy having different sized tyres on the same axle and in one potentially a unidirectional going the wrong way is not brilliant, but, in dry it's not really and issue and in the wet you should be going slower anyway.

I have been unfortunate enough to suffer 3 puntures in the TF and the spare has been worth the money every time.
David

Once again,thanks for the various pieces of info.
I wonder if anyone has experience of a product called UltraSeal?
This is NOT a tyre sealant for use after a puncture, but a preventative chemical which is put into tyres, and that claims to seal any punctures that happen afterwards instantly.If the puncture occurs in s ide wall,where tyre damge could be terminal, then the chemical merely slows down the pressure drop until down to 10-15psi, allowing onward driving with care. If the puncture is in the tread area, the sealant cures in the hole around the nail,or whatever. If the object is removed later, the hole "seals" and forms a clot, a bit like blood coagulation. Their website gives details of their history in the US, and their approvals from NASA, US Marines, Goodyear etc.
Cost is about £50 for enough for an MG tyre set - could this be the answer to the no spare wheel situation?
Blue Max

I'd take the option of the full size alloy spare rather than the puncture kit any day. Seem to hear too many reports of the repair kit being next to useless. The full size alloy spare provided as an optional extra for the TF came as a black rim (as stated above) but with a directional tyre fitted. I guess they get round the tyre being directional because they state on it to limit your speed to 50 mph max. Obviously you could use the wheel at normaly speeds if it happened to be fitted on the "correct" corner.
Paul Lathwell

Don't forget you'll nee to get hold of a jack and wheel nut brace too
jt
John Thomas

I'm going for the belt and braces approach! Have ordered UltraSeal and will also carry full sized alloy/tyre...
I spoke at length with the Ultraseal company and they provided some useful information+ testimonials from the BMW (m/c) owners club, and many other organisations. If the stuff works as well as they say, then I won't need the wheel and tyre...but just in case, for the first year anyway, I'll carry both.
I will report back on my experience with UltraSeal in case others feel like trying it out later
Blue Max

OK...UltraSEal arrived in well packed parcel, with good clear instructions.
Lift wheel clear of ground with jack, remove valve to deflate and then dispense treatment in via valve stem. Bottles are measured amounts,with scale on the side, and I used half a bottle per tyre on the TF...so two bottles for whole car. A bit tedious to fill, as you need to keep squeezing the bottle, to force gel down the tube and into the tyre. All in all, including re-inflation of all four tyres, the job took about 40 minutes, then off for a 3-5 mile drive to evenly spread the coating on inside of tyre.Lovely sunny day here, so this was the easy bit!
Handling doesn't seem to be affected, and the makers claim that tyres run up to 40% cooler, adding to tyre life.
It's going to be hard to tell how this works..only if I get a puncture, will I know that it doesn't work, and it will be too late by then!Cost was £43 including overnight parcel delivery.
Blue Max

You will not know with most petrations in the tread area,but once a nail or screw or other object has fully penetrated the rubber and then damaged the coating on the steel reinforcing belts RUST can start,and then one day because you did not know about this penetration the tyre disentergrates at speed.

Its you choice all you can do now is check you tyres very carefully every day..
Joe one

<coating on the steel reinforcing belts RUST can start,and then one day because you did not know about this penetration the tyre disentergrates at speed.>
Actually, this point was covered in their technical information -and is what apparently makes this product different from others on the market, which are predominantly aimed at slow speed vehicles like tractors,earth moving plant etc.
If a puncture occurs where damage to reinforcement is possible, i.e. above 6mm (presumably spacing between belts??) then a slow and controlled deflation occurs, to a minimum pressure of 10-15psi, allowing a safe stop and with care the ability to drive to a tyre fitter.
This product claims approval from NASA (used in moon buggy trials in the desrt to prevent thorn damage -as no atmosphere on moon pneumatic tyres not used!) and the marine corps wher trials included firing rounds into hummvee tyres from 10 metres (admittedly using the HD compound -but hey, I'm not expecting to take a tyre shot any time soon!)

Blue Max

NASA approved,whats the speed of the moon buggy and if a tyre popped I don't think it would have caused a major accident.
The tyres were made by Goodyear,who I worked for for many years.
The radial reinforcing belts do not have 6mm gaps in them.
Most major tyre co's in the event of a punture want the tyre to stay on the rim which led to run flat systems with stronger side walls and breaker beads.
Again hummers off roaders and not high performance vehicles.

I would be very cautious,with IMS if it works its only a get home/to nearest tyre dealer.

I would use these only in a off road wheel barrow.

You should also warn the next owner of the car that you have done this and your insurance company.
Joe one

<whats the speed of the moon buggy and if a tyre popped I don't think it would have caused a major accident>
Joe...moon buggy testing in desert was subjuect to delays due to thorn and mesquite wood spoiling tyres.Product was used to ensure completion on time.Clearly this was not a high speed test. The prodcut carries a Goodyear US warranty approval statement
< would be very cautious,with IMS if it works its only a get home/to nearest tyre dealer.>
This is NOT IMS system, but a prophylactic..meant to prevent rather than fix punctures.
<hummers off roaders and not high performance vehicles.>
My mistake...it was actually a Range Rover and the tests were made somewhere in Surrey.
I will not be informing my insurance company, as this product does not enhance performance...
<Most major tyre co's in the event of a punture want the tyre to stay on the rim which led to run flat systems with stronger side walls and breaker beads.>
Whatever happened to Denovo tyres, which used this principal?
Apparently this product(UltraSeal) has been on sale in the US for over thirty years, and in such a fiercely litigous market place, if it didn't work or was the cause of disastrous tyre failure I doubt that it would have lasted that long.
Anyway -I have chosen to try it, and it won't be in an off road wheelbarrow.
I have no connection with any of the companies mentioned in this posting.
Blue Max

This thread was discussed between 13/09/2004 and 16/09/2004

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