Orange Seal disappointment

[keevon]

I've run my 650b Gravel Kings tubeless for about a year now. Rims are Pacenti CL-25 taped with Gorilla Tape.

Strated with Orange Seal Endurance, but it dried up in the rear after less than 3 months. Also had a hard time sealing punctures in the rain - by the time it was done spraying sealant everywhere, the tire was mostly flat.

Switched to regular Orange Seal this spring. It dried up after a month or so in the rear. Suspecting leaky tape, I re-taped the rear two weeks ago and dumped 4+ ounces of sealant in.

Went for a wet ride this morning, only to have a 1/4" gash that took forever to seal. By the time it was done, my tire was flat and my fender was coated with sealant. Pumped the tire back up and rode 2 miles only to have the rear go flat on a sharp pebble. This time there wasn't enough sealant left to seal the hole, so I had to pop in a tube to get home.

It seems like Orange Seal has a hard time sealing when the tire is wet. Am I the only one with this experience? Is there another sealant that would perform better in the wet and last longer? Or should I give up and go back to tubes?

[VTR1000SP2]

What was your track record with tubes? Sounds like the roads aren’t that nice to you either.


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[lhuerta]

.... no sealant will work on a 1/4” cut.

For best results try the Bongrager TLR sealant....works great on larger cuts and most importantly it does not dry or lump IME.

[Tommasini53]

My two cents on sealants. In the 5 years i've been tubeless I've used Stan's, Orange Seal, and some homemade brew. All three seem to work well. I've found that 4 to 6 weeks seemed to be the life expectancy of a sealant application. Second, neither branded sealant has stopped a leak that is as large as their respective advertising; maybe it is the difference between a "laboratory" leak and a real world out on the road leak. Small leaks both did fine.
My suggestion 1) Genuine Innovations Tire Plugs. These little plugs really work; quick and easy out on the road. 2) I carry a can of sealant/co2; several companies make them. If your sealant is a little aged when you puncture the co2/sealant usually covers it.

[dbnm]

I change my Stan's every 6-8 weeks. I bike about 150-175 miles a week.

[bigbill]

I had issues with a rear tire losing pressure and leaking sealant. I had planned on replacing the tire late this past week but when I went out to ride before work, it was flat so I decided to shoot 2 oz of Stan's into the 37mm tire to get it through the week. The stem was gooned up so I unseated the tire to replace the stem and found that I had no liquid sealant in the tire. In less than 3 months, it had all evaporated. After reseating the tire, I put in 4oz of Stan's and it was good. This morning I put 2oz in the front tire.

[rwsaunders]

K...I think that 2-3 months is par for the course for most sealants. Stan's even advises to top off the tire every 6-8 weeks from what I recall. I like the sealant dipstick idea which looks like a good use for the plastic coffee cup sticks.

https://www.singletracks.com/blog/mtb-gear/orange-seal-endurance-tubeless-sealant-review/

[simplemind]

What was your track record with tubes? Sounds like the roads aren’t that nice to you either Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Yeah, no kidding!

.... no sealant will work on a 1/4” cut.

For best results try the Bongrager TLR sealant....works great on larger cuts and most importantly it does not dry or lump IME.

Would hafta agree, that's a nasty gash.

Haven't tried Bonty sealant, but I've been on OS Endurance for over a year, and zero issues, and I get a minimum of 6 mo. out of a fill. I'm always amazed at the hate on tubeless. Yes it has it's faults, but in the big picture, it still wins over tubes imho.

[Clancy]

I've learned two things about sealant.

The first is, if it sets up right, you still have to add some more pretty soon.

If the set-up isn't perfectly air tight, - and it rarely is - if there's any slight air gaps, particularly around the bed of the stem and around the rim/tire bead, the sealant usually does a great job in taking care of those slight air leaks and the set up seems fine until.....and that's where I hear a lot of what's been said.

The sealant was used up in that first set up. It did just what it' suppose to and did it well, but got used up. Simply adding the appropriate amount a few weeks after the first go around takes care of the set up, meaning puncture protection and limited air loss for a good while, a season or so.

The second thing is, the set up's got to be right and it's got to be maintained.

The right tubeless tire to the right tubeless rim using quality tubeless tape, tapping it right, tubeless stem, etc., etc. Any shortcuts or home remedies or compromises and that's were I see a lot of problems and frustration. A tubeless set up isn't hard by any stretch but I've learned it does require the process to be right and it has to be regularly checked and maintained. That includes understanding the lifespan of the sealant and how to maintain it - keep it fresh.

[joosttx]

Clancy you need this

http://www.dynaplug.com/racer.html

Not cheap but works like a charm.

https://www.velocipedesalon.com/forum/f2/tubeless-tires-you-need-dynaplug-48181.html

[VTR1000SP2]

With the frequency of topping up the sealant, someone must have a preferred method which prevents the bead from unseating. I am working on getting the 'finger over coreless valve" technique down but any other suggestions?

[simplemind]

With the frequency of topping up the sealant, someone must have a preferred method which prevents the bead from unseating. I am working on getting the 'finger over coreless valve" technique down but any other suggestions?

Just put the bike on a stand, so the tire is not distorted and let the air out. remove the core and use a large syringe/funnel with a hose and pour in the sealant. If you're using tubeless ready tires, they shouldn't unseat, unless they have some stress applied.
Report back! ;)

[thwart]

My two cents on sealants. In the 5 years i've been tubeless I've used Stan's, Orange Seal, and some homemade brew. All three seem to work well. I've found that 4 to 6 weeks seemed to be the life expectancy of a sealant application. Second, neither branded sealant has stopped a leak that is as large as their respective advertising; maybe it is the difference between a "laboratory" leak and a real world out on the road leak.

OK, then. I've been interested in trying tubeless, but the high maintenance required makes staying with good old inner tubes the obvious choice, at least for now. With lower tire pressures (and larger tires) I seldom flat anyway...