I ended up with a nice looking US Property marked gauge that appears to be WW2, all brass, a foot long. Although it appears to be in working shape, when I put it on the F150 wheels it hardly moved at all. The rubber seals on the gauge appear fine but the reading end stick, instead of being the flimsy white plastic type that easily moves in and out on civvy gauges, is a big brass stick apparently having to overcome a huge spring, I can hardly pull it past 30 psi with all my strength. Have the valve stems changed significantly since WW2 or is this only for very large truck tires?? BTW, I didn't buy it for the F150 so if it does not work for that it's fine with me, I just got it because it was $10. Ideas?
WW2 military tire gauge - question
- Thread starter rgl
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Valve stems have been the same (schrader) for all vehicles in the u.s. forever, trucks cars etc... Except maybe a few weird french apps that might use presta stems like some bicycles, etc.
- I was finally able to get it to read by jamming it in hard. It seems that the floating valve in the double sided head is shorter the modern ones, and the hole in the head is deep, so putting it on lightly does not compress the tire valve enough.
I just tried pulling it out hard to see how far it reads and 90 is about as much as I can do. Seems to go much further than that though I think I would need Vise Grips to pull it further. It's a pretty strong spring in there. Looks like the spring keeper unscrews but it is tight and I would have to let penetrating oil work on it for a while. It seems to read accurately as it says 30 for the F150 tires. This thing weighs about what half a dozen regular ones weigh.
Thanks for your input people.
I just tried pulling it out hard to see how far it reads and 90 is about as much as I can do. Seems to go much further than that though I think I would need Vise Grips to pull it further. It's a pretty strong spring in there. Looks like the spring keeper unscrews but it is tight and I would have to let penetrating oil work on it for a while. It seems to read accurately as it says 30 for the F150 tires. This thing weighs about what half a dozen regular ones weigh.
Thanks for your input people.
Let me make a correction.
There are different sizes to valves. They can all be "Schrader valves", but the bore diameter is different. The part that is important to this discussion is called the "Core Chamber" and they are numbered for convenience. For example, the big off the road tires take valves that are much much bigger than a passenger car valve, so it takes less time to fill (and empty).
I'll bet the largest value is 150 psi and it's designed for trucks! I'll bet if you look up air pressure gauges at a web site devoted to tire stuff (like Myer's Tire Supply), you'll find the modern equivalent!
There are different sizes to valves. They can all be "Schrader valves", but the bore diameter is different. The part that is important to this discussion is called the "Core Chamber" and they are numbered for convenience. For example, the big off the road tires take valves that are much much bigger than a passenger car valve, so it takes less time to fill (and empty).
I'll bet the largest value is 150 psi and it's designed for trucks! I'll bet if you look up air pressure gauges at a web site devoted to tire stuff (like Myer's Tire Supply), you'll find the modern equivalent!
The diameter does seem a bit wider than the regular $1.47 China made plastic garbage ones, and the hole is deeper. It looks a lot like the hose end on the gas station air hose. I took the head apart and found that the floating valve is two brass pieces that look exactly like rivets, head to head, so that when the tire valve core tip pushes against one end the head of the other "rivet" seals the opposite chamber and the air goes up the measuring tube. The width of the "rivet" ends is almost as wide as the whole interior diameter of the valve stem! I think if I put a small brass spacer between the "rivets" the rivet end would stick out more and work easier pushing down on car valve cores. But it does work as is. WW2 quality lasts forever!
The thing that looks like a rivet is the "Schrader" part of the valve.
Now that you've said it looks like the "hose end on the gas station air hose", that increases the probablility that it's made for trucks, as this is a common configuration for truck pressure gauges.
"WW2 quality lasts forever!" Uh..no! Rubber and plastic items do deteriorate over time, but metal pieces shouldn't corrode if they are stored properly, and that's probably something they paid attention to since they had to ship this things overseas.
Hope this helps.
Now that you've said it looks like the "hose end on the gas station air hose", that increases the probablility that it's made for trucks, as this is a common configuration for truck pressure gauges.
"WW2 quality lasts forever!" Uh..no! Rubber and plastic items do deteriorate over time, but metal pieces shouldn't corrode if they are stored properly, and that's probably something they paid attention to since they had to ship this things overseas.
Hope this helps.
Thanks, yes I thought the rubber was going to be perished when I opened it up but it is in good shape. Even if it was beat it's only two simple seals and I'm sure they're easily available. On plastic, I am told certain items from WW2 such as some map overlays no longer exist because the plastic they were made of just turned to dust. Also the plastic trigger guards on the WW2 .22 Mossberg trainers are almost always found shrunken and broken. I don't think they had gotten the hang of non-bakelite plastic yet back then. However, I do have some German bomb fuses and the electrical switch section is an intricately molded piece of clear polystyrene, still good and solid even today!
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