Polished Flywheels

[Keith Smigle]

Other than the usual, what have you fellow engine collectors used to polish the face of the flywheels on your engines? I have heard angle grinder, emery cloth, sand paper and even a red brick Just fishing for ideas.

[Dale S]

Keith,

On my engines I used different grits of emery cloth and a block of wood while I had the engine running.This worked very well for me.

[Bob Johnson]

I have access to volcanic cinder rocks that are very abrasive, just hold the stones to the flywheel as the engine runs .

Bob, Out west on the high desert

[Kevin O. Pulver]

Bob, "volcanic cinder rock" would be like the pumice stone that people use for landscaping and false charcoal briquettes in their gas grills wouldn't it?
The same soft stuff that's in lava hand cleaner right? Kevin

[Tim Christoff]

The mesh type sheetrock sandpaper works very well to bring back a quick shine after a winter in storage.

Tim Christoff

Just A word of caution keep one thing in mind what ever you use.
All that abrasive grit has to go some whare, hopefully not in your gears or cylinder. (or lungs)

belt sander with the engine running

[Allen Lapage]

Just keep one thing in mind all that abrasive grit is going to land some where. Hopefully not in your gears or cylinder.

[Orrin]

Scotchbrite pads.

I put some oil on the flywheel, first, so if there is any loose grit generated it stays put on the pad.

Orrin

[Jim Tremble]

Originally Posted by Orrin

Scotchbrite pads.

I put some oil on the flywheel, first, so if there is any loose grit generated it stays put on the pad.

Orrin

Orrin

I do the same. No dust or rust particles anywhere.

Jim

[Jim McCracken]

I have used a handheld belt sander.First I get out my shop vac and place or duct tape the suction hose at about the 5 o'clock position.I then start the engine and hold my sander above the vac hose at about the 3 o'clock
position.seemed to work good.On a real rough wheel I start with coarser paper and progress down to very fine,then steel wool with WD-40 on the pad.

[Dick Welty]

I have had good luck with the sponge sand pads that Harbor Freight Tools sells. I just run the engine and hold the sponge against the flywheel.

I don't use any oil but hold the sponge block at the back of the flywheels where centrifical force throws any grit away from any critical parts and the lack of oil assures that no grit will stick to the flywheel.

After I am done I spray a little WD-40 on to retard rust. Here in So. Cal. I am fortunate that the climate is such that everything is pretty easy to maintain.

If you had an extra rough flywheel you could rig up an arm that would hold the sanding sponge against the back of the flywheel and run the engine turning and replacing the sponge from time to time untill you achieved the desired effect.

Dick

[Keith Smigle]

This photo is what made me think of asking how other people polish 'em up. Check out that Associated line up! That is how Associated flywheels came from the factory.

[hitmis1]

Hi Keith, I have 5 original Associated engines and none of them show any sign of highly polished fly wheels. They still have the uniform tool marks on the wheels. Do you think they were highly polished.
Bill In KY

[BobRR]

Keith I have to ask where was that pict. taken?BobRR

[Keith Smigle]

Bill~

I don't think they were highly polished, but certainly bare metal. Any one with an Associated engine with an all original factory finish should be able to attest that the flywheel face and machined edges are bare unpainted metal. That is how my 1911 Hired Man is, the red paint on the flywheels stops at the edge of the machined surface at the flywheel edge. Also these Associated engines were painted with a brush after assembled and test run. The photo is in Great Britian. There are many surviving examples of Assocaited engines there. They were sold along side with CASE tractors and impliments.

[Bob Johnson]

yes the volcanic rock is like pumice, looks like foamed rock the same as you see in charcoal cookers.

[Jebaroni]

I'll just add my two cents in here as well. I have seen people (when it is feasible) take an engine and start it running. Then take a strip of canvas belting like would normally go on the pulley and wrap it around the edge of the flywheel and somehow fasten it so that the belt is stationary and the pulley just spins inside of it. You could just nail the ends of the belt to a heavy board and get some pretty good tension. Just let the engine sit and run (also good for simulating a light load) and the rubbing action of the belt on the surface will do a nice gentle polishing/brightening of the faces. Cheap, easy, no muss, no fuss. I have also seen this done where the engine to be polished was not running but the belt was hooked up to an engine that WAS running so the running engine was spinning the belt and the flywheels were stationary as an alternate way of doing this. Seemed to be a good idea to me.

Jeb

[boblester40]

i find a vibrating sander with a medium grit works well, it brungs up the wheel with out loosing the origanal maching marks etc.