1970s Maserati tyre valve stems

I can only speak for the late Bora (tubeless). It was a metal stem with a disc shaped base that has a groove in it for a standard O-ring. Metal sealing cap. A nice piece that I've not seen available but there are similar variations very commonly available here which is what I used on my Espada's rims (originally tube). Usually $4-$6. These new ones use a specialy shaped rubber seal instead of a standard O-ring.

 

Of course, you need these:
Maserati Club, Maserati Parts, MIE Corp. MaseratiNet Store - LOGO VALVE STEM CAPS - BLACK

But actually, according to the parts manual the set up used tubes. A tire shop guy explained to me that there was some safety consideration to substituting tubeless tires, but I understood that at reasonable speeds it did not really matter.

 

tire-valves

Try these guys at Bridgeport-usa. They are an Italian company with an office in Connecticut. Most likely they were the manufacturers of the original tire stem valves for Maserati's. I know they were for Lamborghini and Ferrari.

Some of the modern tire valves don't look too far off from the original designs.

Lambo tire valve reference.

tavtire
Image Unavailable, Please Login

 

Well it does depends upon the year as my Bora (79) came without tubes whereas my Espada (71) came with a metal stem tube with threads to secure it to the rim.

I restored my Espada's wheels, a big job, to make certain there would be no internal leaks via porosity as well as making certain the seating area on the rim would seal. That allowed me to go tubeless which is what most people do with those rims.

I used something like this and it looks very period, close to what the tube's stem looked like (I have an original tube) and it's very reasonably priced. You can still find high speed rated tubes with threaded stems. I posted a link on the VLG forum a few years ago. Not inexpensive though.

CAMEL Clamp-In V, 0.305-32, 1-1/4In, 1-1/4In - Tire Valve Stems and Cores - 1MYT8|30-463 - Grainger Industrial Supply

These are easily available from many sources and they look/work great on mt Espada's rims.

The earlier Maserati GT cars may have had tubes so ... Certainly with wire wheels you do.

But the ones on my Bora do not look exactly like the ones in that link. It's more of a dull nickle finish and up close the the style is somewhat different. Nickle plated brass would be best but many are steel these days. Chinese ... Good luck finding the originals though. I think the ones in that link would pass for original especially in nickle instead of chrome.

Bob S.

 

That's a photo of my original Supersport tube on Craig's website. Lambos came with tubes not stems.

I also don't see the Bora's valve stem anywhere on those websites.

But we are obsessing are we not? LOL

 

Hi Carl,

Heres a picture of the spare on my Ghibli....its been left outside for about 30 years by the look of it but it still has the original spec early Ghibli tyre and the valve may well be original too. It looks very similar to the one posted earlier

Julian
Image Unavailable, Please Login

 

A little bit of spit, some compound and that'll polish right up!

Hey was there a tube in there or tubeless?

 

LOL,
I think if I touch it , it might disintegrate..don,t know the answer on the inner tube. I suspect the wheel is past saving now.....its an early knock off type which might be challenge to find

 

You should be able to tell from the backside if what remains is just the stem of the old tube or if it is separate stem that's secured to the rim. I suspect it's only the remnants of a tube.
Just a guess based upon the cone shape of the stem.

 

Its still got a 205VR15 CN72 Cinturato HS tyre on it..Very old and very cracked on the side but it manages somehow to retain a bit of air all the same

 

Impressive! Call Pirelli to let them know. This may be a testament to their product's robust qualities! My guess is that the tube is the one holding the air.

 

Carl,

Quite right, and in the days the tubeless-type rims used to have a 2H suffix (not Maerati specific).
Fitting tubeless tyres on a flat-bed rim may cause a tubeless mount to lose contact and seal, also under cornering load, with low pressure.

In practice this may be a bit of a moot point, but it may prove important when you have a calamity vis a vis your insurance.

Best,

Jack.

 

Maserati didn't update the rim when they went to tubeless on my Bora. Is anyone surprised?

So sue them.

 

That one looks the most like the one on my Bora which probably is different than what most people originally got with their cars which was a tube. Think of an ordinary O-ring sitting on the face of that lower flange inset in a groove so that when you secure the stem the O-ring effects a seal against the inside of the rim. It's nice because you can find O-rings anywhere.

If anyone is looking for speed rated tubes (they have threaded metal stems) I could probably dig up the link as we discussed in over on Yahoo VLG several years ago. It might be in the database there.

 

My Bora was tubeless. I don't know about the earliest ones.

They switched from tubes to transistors way before this anyway.

 

Can you indicate where you found stem #3 and #4 please? They are the closest looking stems I've seen to what would have been originally on my car.

Thank you!

 

See post 6 Alberto these are extremely easy to find.

Are you using tubes or going tubeless.

 

Tubes.
Image Unavailable, Please Login