308 Wheel restoration.

Should be interesting to follow. I am at a similar place with my wheels and actually read quite a bit about using PreKote as a substitute for alodine. I think they will turn out great. Looking forward to your updates.

 

Over the last year or two I've refinished 2 sets 360, one set mondial and one set 348 wheels. I assume you are DIYing this project. I just wanted to mention I made a fairly simple spin table using a lazy susan roller bearing assembly. It works great and I feel I got much more consistent coat thickness and better coverage basically holding the gun or can stationary while the wheel spun. I don't have a pic, but if you are DIY your wheels I'm sure you can build a spin table/jig

 

I'm in need of this as well but not up to the task of doing it myself. I need a pro shop to do it.

 

308 wheels are “lega di magnesio” (magnesium alloy). Same for 348 and later? Someone told me surface oxidizes quickly once stripped. Can someone contrast Alodine versus PreKote?

 

Ali dune has changed its name and is now called boderite.

 

yeah thats a good idea too.

I had all my sets glass blasted too. I liked how they came out of the blasting.

 

Doing some reading, and it appears to me that PreKote is a surface prep that must be rinsed off before applying coatings, and Alodine is a coating that serves as a corrosion inhibitor and a primer. Are they substitutes, or are both needed (surface prep + Mg-appropriate primer)?

 

I have not used prekote but from what you just mentioned it sound slike it acts just like POR 15 metal ready which is what I use. IDK these threads always bring out "I read this, someone says this...etc" I think you have a great plan. People tend to bring out the shipping wheels off to do DOW 7 (or whatever) treating and all this extra stuff about corrosion and metallurgy that just complicates the process

This is what I've done on 4 sets

Media blast (Glass)
POR 15 metal ready
Self etch primer
SEM Fer 101C Aerosol
2 part (activated) satin clear

I'll put my wheels up against anybody

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When doing your wheel restoration make 100% sure to mask off the inserts that the wheel bolts seat on. If you get paint on them after your first torque the bolts will loosen off in a few miles.

 

All I did was make a small masking tape disc that was just larger than the size of the conical portion and laid it in place. The main goal is to keep any paint off of the conical seat.

 

These wheels are soft and porous. I would be concerned about glass embedding in the metal and causing corrosion later (in 5-10 years.) I’ve never used glass and know nothing about it— beads of crushed glass? Perhaps they can control the pressure/speed and choose a media size that will break up the paint layers but not embed in the metal.

I did mine and it was a lot of work with life-shortening chemicals. In hindsight I wish I’d just sand blasted them, painted them and sold them as I’ll never drive hard on them having seen how bad the castings are and knowing they are 40+ year old magnesium.