Refinishing an oxidized F1 magnesium wheel? help please!

[priapism]

Use a torch and burn it all off...

Either a bad troll, a douche move, or an ignorant statement...

Magnesium is extremely flammable.

[Vivek]

Completely unrelated....but do you know the offset of that wheel? Assuming the last pic is the face/front of the wheel...holy crap.

[e30rida]

I wouldn't even try to dismount the tire if you don't want it to tear. I'd just mask it and work around it with glass media, then spray it with boeshield and call it a day. The grey shade of glass blasted mag is very sexy. Awesome man cave center piece btw.

[Cliche Guevara]

You really won't be able to do a thorough job restoring the wheel without dismounting the tire, and you certainly won't be able to dismount that tire without tearing it to shit. So really it's up to you: trash the tire to get the wheel looking as good as possible or do a so-so job and keep the tire in tact. If it were me I would do everything I can with the tire on and then see if I'm satisfied with that result. If not then say goodbye to the tire.

[rhE-30]

I don't know crap about refinishing wheels, but that is a cool artifact.

[der affe]

send this guy an email.... http://dynodon.net/

dyno don chamberlin, he is pretty famous for restoring roached out EMPI/Speewell BRM wheels. they were something close to a 80% or 90% mag alloy and are very sought after.

he did an article in Hot VWs about 10ish years ago that went through restoring a set in worse shape then your wheel. it went through a step by step on how to do it.

i tried to search for the issue and maybe a pdf without any luck.

he is a pretty nice guy and if you talk to him on the phone, he will most likely talk your ear off.

good luck with the wheel resto.

[Nsquared97]

really? a magnesium firewall?

who the fuck thought a highly flammable metal would make a good firewall? wtf. :shock: that will be a quite literal wall of fire.

Just reading through my latest Motor Trend today, and the new Viper also has a cast magnesium firewall. Funny thing is, aparently Chrystler is touting a as the single largest automotive application of the material thus far. Aparently they have a thing or two to learn from Bentley.

[FLG]

Eastwoods diamond extreme clear (make sure its the diamond extreme, there other clear is junk) would work great for when its done, friend has used it on his polished billet valve covers and you wouldnt even know its there.

[Aluke123]

Magnesium is only flammable when there is a large surface area to mass ratio. That's why you have to shave it off of a block on those mag/flints to start a fire. A block of it won't work. Its are similar to aluminum when it's in a block.

[Keith M]

Aparently they have a thing or two to learn from Bentley.

They used 24 valve inline 6's back in the 20's so yes to this.
OP- its very important that you remove 100% of the corrosion or else it will grow and spread (like rust), even if it's clear coated. For a fee, I can glass bead and polish it.

[maniacmatt]

Magnesium is only flammable when there is a large surface area to mass ratio. That's why you have to shave it off of a block on those mag/flints to start a fire. A block of it won't work. Its are similar to aluminum when it's in a block.

Finally someone talking sense! Everyone in this thread is acting like you could start that wheel or a magnesium firewall burning with a match or something.

M50 metal valve covers are magnesium. I even TIG welded on one in an attempt to fill some holes on it and it didn't burn.