I guess this isn't your normal polishing aluminum thread, its not for a set of wheels!

I have a 1948 Maytag 2 cylinder, 2 cycle washing machine engine. It has an open aluminum flywheel. I'm doing a complete restoration on it and have it torn completely down. The flywheel is pretty badly corroded and I want to clean it up so it will shine.

I tried one of those Mothers cones with aluminum polish and I think my flywheel is a little bit too much of a job for this. It will eventually get the job done but there has to be something else I can do to remove some of the heavy surface oxidation on the flywheel. I'll worry about polishing to a shine after that.

What can I do to get rid of a lot of the oxidation? It needs to be fairly gentle and not destroy the serial number stamped into the flywheel or destroy the Maytag data on the face of the flywheel.


Here is a link to a video of my Maytag. Don't worry, there is no profanity or anything, I don't allow comment posting without my approval and I won't put any through that have profanity.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AlvHswiyhO4

 

you might try and get some polish and a wheel from a truck shop or chrome shop. I know there are some clays that will take the oxidation of pretty easy and are not harmful

 

I dont know if the maytag data and ext is painted on or what but if its stamped I would go to your local truck stop or truck parts store and get some trailer wash. Its a mild acid and will get rid of the oxidation and not tear it up to bad. If not just start with some 180 and start sanding down to about 2000

 

The SN is stamped and the data on the face is raised.

I'd thought of the trailer wash but didn't know what it would really do. I remember it making my Uncles trailer gleam though.

Thanks for the replies!

 

you can use some wash but you can also by clay bricks is what i call them and use on your mothers wheel and they will work great. Here is a link to iowa80.
http://www.iowa80.com/DirectionsWEB/...ffing+Compound