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No, but I too would like to hear experiences on those who have used it. I watched a youtube video a guy from Europe (I think the UK) posted when he got a flat in his 991 and the pump and goo failed miserably. I added a plug kit to my frunk because a flat on an extended road trip is a big paranoia of mine and I've got cenerlocks which compounds the problem.
Wife and I are taking a trip to NC with ours' in a few weeks, hoping to not have to use it but would also love to know if anyone has been successful with the gel and compressor.
I have been keeping my goo bottle up to date, but I will never use it unless faced with literally no alternative. I do not want to mess up my tire pressure monitors or have goo splattered all around my wheel well, etc.
That said, I second plug kits. I HAVE had to use mine, and so long as the problem is a puncture in the tread zone (almost all of them), I can actually plug the tire in far less time than it would have taken to get out a jack, spare, etc., etc. This is pretty important since my car is my DD and I work in an industrial park where lots of fasteners get spread around. Even though I know I should not have, I drove with a plug in my RR Michelin PSS's for probably 8,000 to 10,000 miles, always planning on taking it in for a proper patch (until the inside edge wore through to the threads and it was too late). Not recommended, but it never leaked.
When I first had those MPSS's mounted, I was planning on a road trip through parts of Canada and was nervous without a spare. So I asked the proprietor of the tire place (TruLine Bellevue for all you PNW residents) to show me how to plug a tire. He pulled out another customer's (discarded) tire and showed me exactly how to do it. Very, very useful skill. With jacks and spares and lug wrenches, etc., I got all hot and sweaty, and my language was largely unnecessarily unsocial, but with plugs I am done in 5 minutes, and I don't break a sweat.
No, but I too would like to hear experiences on those who have used it. I watched a youtube video a guy from Europe (I think the UK) posted when he got a flat in his 991 and the pump and goo failed miserably. I added a plug kit to my frunk because a flat on an extended road trip is a big paranoia of mine and I've got cenerlocks which compounds the problem.
That was probably Nick Murray and he is from New Zealand. The puncture was far too severe for a sealant to fix and was cut through the sidewall, beyond the ability of any type of tubeless patch.
You have to shake the stuff VIGOROUSLY to mix the particles before you put it in the tire. This type of sealant is based on a latex base with a range of small sand-like particles. It is this combination which plugs the puncture.
I haven't had to use the kit in the 997, but I do alot of mountain biking and tubeless tires requiring a sealant have been a thing for about a decade. They use the same type of sealant, but always use it from the first time you mount the tire. MTB tubeless ready tires are typically similar rubber compounds over nylon thread, typically with a puncture protection breaker layer built in. The sealants have been improving alot over the last decade, but they do have limitations. I took a puncture about the size of a pencil through a tire with Continental Revo and it couldn't seal it. And I had a mountain bike tire cut in half, and it wasn't very useful with that either obviously, though I was able to hold it together with a boot patch and tube to finish the stage. I destroy bike tires very effectively.
In a mountain bike you setup the sealant and leave it, adding some from time to time to keep some liquid inside. There are two classes of sealants. One is a natural latex base and the other synthetic base. I do not know which variety VW group uses, but it appears to be natural latex (smells like interior paint). Continental makes a synthetic sealant (Revo), which I have been using for 4 or 5 seasons, and which does NOT smell like latex paint. Both of them seem to break down the rubber in the sidewalls of tires over time, but MTB tires are alot thinner than a car tire. The natural latex does seem to be worse in that regard. If you use the stuff, don't leave it in there.
The two sealant types must not be in contact with each other. They will immediately form a gel if you do. Currently OrangeSeal seems to be the best on the market for these products in the cycling world due to the mix of size of solids, and the ability of the product to remain liquid over a long time and still close a larger puncture quickly. It is a synthetic base product.
The sealant typically requires the tire rotate a bit to distribute once you do start to get a seal. It is best to set the car so the puncture is down initially and then you'll probably need to add some air after traveling a short distance.
Personally I'd try the smittybuilt type plug first as an option and then move on to the sealant or a phone call. However, with a small irregular damage to the tire, the sealant may be the easier way to go.
The Porsche goo did not mess up my tire pressure monitor..... still fine. I did nothing to clean it. You will see in a picture I posted later in the thread of the dismounted tire with a "lake" of fluid.
My wife has used the compressor. We never use the goo and have never replaced it, so I'm sure it's out of date, but doesn't matter. I should just toss it and put something more useful in its place. I carry a Dynaplug Pro Extreme kit in every car and a AAA card.
I used the compressor in my Cayenne on a slow leak (I assume its the same as in a 911), and it seemed to work very slowly, and got very, very hot. My aftermarket pumps seem to do better. I always carry a plug kit, as I'd rather plug the tire if possible than fill it with goo. Only issue is sometimes its hard to plug with the tire still on the car due to clearance issues. Front tires can be rotated, but a flat on the inside rear can be tricky to plug without taking the tire off (another argument against centerlocks).
I haven't used it, other than to test the compressor. When I bought the car earlier this year, I realized the bottle of goo had been in there since the car was manufactured. (a 2011 made in late 2010). I replaced the bottle of goo with new. The old one was essentially solidified in the bottle. LOL.
A few weeks ago, I picked up a bolt in the shoulder of a front tire. Put a Harbor Freight plug in it and it lasted until I got some new tires ordered and to the tire shop.
I think I'd really like to get a plug kit to keep in the car. Cheaper and I don't think the goo would have held the larger puncture I had as well as the plug did,
The old Porsche compressor (1986) I have still works like a charm so I expect the 997 compressors will last the same way. On the other hand, aside from tire plug kits, has anybody fitted a 996/986 17" spare wheel in the frunk for longer trips ? I bought a 996 spare and plan on putting it on the frunk in the event that a plug cannot do anything on a sidewall damage. The spare clears the standard calipers not sure about S calipers if it makes a difference (dont think it would clear PCCB)
sample of old compressors (credit to owner of photo)
sample of 996 spare tire (credits to owner of photo)
09-24-2018, 07:00 PM
Anyone actually use the tire repair gel and compressor??
