Stuck metal valve stem caps

[ColonelPanic]

So, I decide it's time to check the tire pressure on the Vibe... But I try to remove the fancy blue metal valve stem caps and they will not budge on any wheel. I still have no feeling in my thumb from trying to twist so hard. Tried to take a pair of pliers and hold the valve stem while turning the cap with a crescent wrench, that didn't even work. Put some WD-40 on what little metal of the valve stem I could see, no help. Even tried taking the car down the road a few miles in the hopes that maybe with the temperature change, I might have some luck. Nope.Not sure what happened here. I've seen some complain about this on the internets and it was due to corrosion. But the dealer just rotated the tires 3 months or so ago, surely they had checked the steenkin' tire pressure, thus removed the caps! Either they torqued them down too much or some punk kids took the caps off, put on locktite and screwed the caps back on. Any ideas how to get these suckers off? Looks like it's going in to get the tires unmounted, new valve stems put in, and remounted. If they have to do that, how the heck do they get the air out of the tires to begin with?

[Raven]

Try heating them a bit with a propane torch or even a lighter but don't melt anything. I think they can replace the valve stems without unmounting the tires.

[ColonelPanic]

The tires are filled with nitrogen, is that stuff flammable?

[Sublimewind]

No, Nitrogen is an inert, zero worries there, if anything it will stop a fire... Your best be is to grab them with 2 sets of pliers, and twist... I just had to do this with my bike.. You mat wreck something in the process.. but if you can slightly squeeze the cap, the deformation, might cause enough of the corrosion to break up to let it move.. And it is corrosion causing it... The effect of dissimilar metals, causing a potential difference and electrolysis taking place.. Use some anti-seize next time... or some dielectric grease..

[Toasted7]

Quote, originally posted by Sublimewind »No, Nitrogen is an inert, zero worries there, if anything it will stop a fire... Your best be is to grab them with 2 sets of pliers, and twist... I just had to do this with my bike.. You mat wreck something in the process.. but if you can slightly squeeze the cap, the deformation, might cause enough of the corrosion to break up to let it move.. And it is corrosion causing it... The effect of dissimilar metals, causing a potential difference and electrolysis taking place.. Use some anti-seize next time... or some dielectric grease.. What he said... I've had to do that before on previous cars.

[Mavrik]

+1 bet those are rusted on. I wouldn't try twisting them to much unless your near a tire shop. If you break one... your going to need a new valve stem. If the caps don't mean much to you... I'd suggest trying to cut them off. Then replace them with plastic ones.

[ColonelPanic]

Heh, they definitely don't mean much after I got them all chewed up with various tools. I thought about cutting them off too but have no idea how to go about this without damaging the valve stem. I have a feeling we'll just have to get it in the shop for this. Them's gonna be an expensive set of valve stem covers by the time this is all done, lol!

[Kari]

What I don't understand is this: Those same tires and valve stem caps lived through a very harsh winter in Ohio and suddenly in this much warmer climate where we had like 2 snows all winter, they decide to corrode on in the late spring/summer, long after the snow is over?

[ragingfish]

I had the same exact problem a few months ago.I had to dremel them off. I guess I couldn't tell where the cap ended and the stem began.Needless to say, it cost me one new valve stem.Metal caps = baaaaaaad

[ou.grizzly]

Quote, originally posted by Kari »What I don't understand is this: Those same tires and valve stem caps lived through a very harsh winter in Ohio and suddenly in this much warmer climate where we had like 2 snows all winter, they decide to corrode on in the late spring/summer, long after the snow is over?Condensation, water, heat, humidity, dust, dirt, and etc also play a big factor in rust or items to become corroded.