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Interesting problem... I had the front tires on my Ford 641D commercially filled and have thought that doing that was the best single thing I have done to that tractor. My problem was long thorns had penetrated the tire casings and would keep working their way through puncturing the tubes, giving me constant flat tire problems. The tires themselves were in great shape, but it seemed impossible to find all the thorns. I was about to throw the tires away when my tire man came up with the idea of having them foamed. I have had absolutely no trouble with them since then. It cost over $100, but it was worth twice that to me. I was really aggravated at those tires! I would talk to someone who actually has experience foaming tires. It could be that your old, possibly rotten tires are not good candidates for the procedure and it would be a waste of money. On the other hand, it could be that having them foamed would allow you to use the rubber tires for a long time. I am assuming that you are planning to use the machine, not just display it. Maybe there are new tires available somewhere. I would check that out. The described size does seem a bit oddball though. I wonder how well the canned foam would work. My experience with that stuff is that it becomes quite rigid and takes a while to dry or cure. The foam in my tractor tires gives somewhat, although not nearly as much as a tire filled with air. And I think the tire foam uses some kind of catalyst or hardener to cure inside the tube and away from air contact. Another problem I would be concerned with is knowing how much the canned foam would expand inside the not-too-good tires. You might get a blow out, or something that looks like a snake after a good meal. If you decide to try using the canned foam, one of the secrets of foaming tires is that you have to drill an escape hole for the air in the tube, prefferably opposite the valve stem. This allows the foam to go completely around the tube. They put sheet metal screws in the holes in my tires to act as plugs. I would have several cans of the foam ready to go if I was going to try foaming tires. You have to get it done fast, as you won't get a second chance, at least through the valve stem. Another thought that has occurred to me is that maybe you could do the filling through several drilled holes to get even application of the foam and a little less chance of excess expansion in one spot. Maybe I would experiment on an old junk bike tire to see how well it would work on that. It is an interesting idea. Good luck! Let us know how it works.
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