Q: Is my tire & mag salvageable?
I had a plug put inside a nail hole only to have air escaping. The flat tire was rolled on for about 100 meters before it was refilled with air. Could rolling 100 m on a flat tire have damaged the tire or rim? I checked out the tire again under water - the plug is holding but air is coming out from the rim of my mag - does that mean the tire is finished?
It’s not a great idea to run on a flat tire but if you are talking about only literally 100 meters, it is possible the tire is OK. The reason it is newly leaking from the tire bead area is because running on a flat tire breaks the seal between the tire bead and the rim. There is probably corrosion and/or dirt in the sealing area which allows a path for air to escape even after the assembly attempts to "re-seal" as you pressurize the tire. The sealing area on the rim has to have a mirror like, smooth finish in order to ensure a lasting seal between a tire and a rim. I would dismount the tire and examine the sealing area and re-condition as needed. Also, check the tire bead itself for dirt and any breaks in the rubber (dirt or grit can get embedded in the rubber; use fine scotch brite pad but don’t overdo it). Once you attend to the seal area, on both tire and run, as described, you should be good to go.
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