Cleanup on a 21666

[Patrick Ray]

Got most everything reassembled and the blades polished and riveted back on. Just finished a test run to ensure all is good. Just gotta polish up the cage, struts, cage badge. Excuse all of the smudges on the motor. That'll all get cleaned off with some detail spray when I'm all done.

Edited April 10, 2022 by Patrick Ray

[Patrick Ray]

Got it all back together and looking sharp! Runs super smooth!

 

[Terry Plata]

Read the cleaning and polishing technique with great interest. Have a nice early GE that was treated to white house paint! Anyone have suggestions to strip without disturbing the original finish? Is it worth the time or should I blast and paint?

Thanks, Terry P

 

[Patrick Ray]

5 minutes ago, Terry Plata said:

Read the cleaning and polishing technique with great interest. Have a nice early GE that was treated to white house paint! Anyone have suggestions to strip without disturbing the original finish? Is it worth the time or should I blast and paint?

Thanks, Terry P

 

I've found original Japan to be fairly resilient to acetone. Some acetone on a rag would probably remove the house paint without hurting the Japan. I wouldn't soak the fan! Just use it to rub off the house paint. I've done this several fans where there's paint splatter and it works quite well. But it sounds like you've got more than a couple splatters!

[Terry Plata]

Read the cleaning and polishing technique with great interest. Have a nice early GE that was treated to white house paint! Anyone have suggestions to strip without disturbing the original finish? Is it worth the time or should I blast and paint?

Thanks, Terry P

Thanks for the reply Patrick. This fan looks like it was dipped in white latex paint. Sometimes that makes it easier to strip. Gotta get some acetone just in case.

Interesting I bought this fan for parts but upon inspection, too good to cannibalize. So another dumpster fan wii be brought back to life!

 

[Lane Shirey]

7 hours ago, Terry Plata said:

Read the cleaning and polishing technique with great interest. Have a nice early GE that was treated to white house paint! Anyone have suggestions to strip without disturbing the original finish? Is it worth the time or should I blast and paint?

Thanks, Terry P

Thanks for the reply Patrick. This fan looks like it was dipped in white latex paint. Sometimes that makes it easier to strip. Gotta get some acetone just in case.

Interesting I bought this fan for parts but upon inspection, too good to cannibalize. So another dumpster fan wii be brought back to life!

 

Soak the castings in purple power for a few hours. It’ll rinse off. Worked perfectly on my 19666 without affecting the Japan. 

Edited April 25, 2022 by Lane Shirey

[Patrick Ray]

9 hours ago, Terry Plata said:

Read the cleaning and polishing technique with great interest. Have a nice early GE that was treated to white house paint! Anyone have suggestions to strip without disturbing the original finish? Is it worth the time or should I blast and paint?

Thanks, Terry P

Thanks for the reply Patrick. This fan looks like it was dipped in white latex paint. Sometimes that makes it easier to strip. Gotta get some acetone just in case.

Interesting I bought this fan for parts but upon inspection, too good to cannibalize. So another dumpster fan wii be brought back to life!

 

I found a 79646 for $20 that I was going to use as a parts donor. Had a fine mist of green paint over spray covering the entire fan. But looking it over, it was in beautiful condition underneath and it worked flawlessly. I started with a real light compound and it quickly cut through that green revealing it was nearly perfect underneath. Finishing it off with the wax and it really pops. Hope yours is well preserved under that latex paint! 

[Patrick Ray]

1 hour ago, Lane Shirey said:

Soak the castings in purple power for a few hours. It’ll rinse off. Worked perfectly on my 19666 without affecting the Japan. 

Lane, do you dilute the Purple Power or use it full strength? I've heard of guys using it but haven't tried it myself. 

[Lane Shirey]

11 hours ago, Patrick Ray said:

Lane, do you dilute the Purple Power or use it full strength? I've heard of guys using it but haven't tried it myself. 

Full strength. I have a large tote with about 7 gallons in it. You can keep reusing it indefinitely. After it gets sediment on the bottom, decant the clear stuff off the top and then strain out the sediment.  The good thing is that you can dump it down the drain after you filter out the solids. 

[Marc Sova]

Was hoping to see a wiring diagram for a 21666 here. 

[Lane Shirey]

Terry, would you mind sharing the info on what blade rivets you used for it? (Part number & source)? Thanks. 

[Lane Shirey]

8 hours ago, Marc Sova said:

Was hoping to see a wiring diagram for a 21666 here. 

I believe there’s a McComas schematic in the info section. 

[Patrick Ray]

Here's the part numbers for the riveting

[Alex Koh]

Very informative post Patrick. However I noticed the cleaning compound you used is okay for japan finishes. Do you have a recommendation on what Meguiar compound to use for fans that use flat enamel and ivory paint?

[Patrick Ray]

1 hour ago, Alex Koh said:

Very informative post Patrick. However I noticed the cleaning compound you used is okay for japan finishes. Do you have a recommendation on what Meguiar compound to use for fans that use flat enamel and ivory paint?

You can start with a finer compound. Either Chemical Guys or Meguiars cleaning wax has micro abrasives in it to do light correction of fine scratches in more delicate paints. I've used this on later fans with really good results. Starting with the more aggressive compounds can only be used on really durable finishes like on this Emerson or Westinghouse Tank motors or anything of the like. More delicate finishes just means you need to start with the lighter compounds. 

[Marc Sova]

15 hours ago, Lane Shirey said:

I believe there’s a McComas schematic in the info section. 

I’ve looked for this mysterious info section and have no clue where that’s at.  Saw it once and went in there and saw a comment about “go to main section of forum and go to old galleries and it’s in there”. Nope. Nada. Nothing. Now I can’t even find that first info section again. 

[Patrick Ray]

[Russ Huber]

1 hour ago, Marc Sova said:

I’ve looked for this mysterious info section and have no clue where that’s at. 

Click on OLD GALLERIES.

Click on INFO.

Click on RESTORATION & REPAIR.

Click on FAN WIRING DIAGRAMS LINK (John McComas)

Edited October 6, 2024 by Russ Huber

[Marc Sova]

8 hours ago, Patrick Ray said:

Many thanks Patrick! Assuming 21666 is the same? I mean it basically looks like what I have and not dissimilar to other 29646’s that I’ve done so I guess so. Just didn’t know because it’s a big motor 
 

Edited October 6, 2024 by Marc Sova

[Marc Sova]

7 hours ago, Russ Huber said:

Click on OLD GALLERIES.

Click on INFO.

Click on RESTORATION & REPAIR.

Click on FAN WIRING DIAGRAMS LINK (John McComas)

Thank you. Clear directions are always appreciated!  I was initially trying to get there via the forum homepage assuming they’d be linked somehow. 

[Patrick Ray]

1 hour ago, Marc Sova said:

Many thanks Patrick! Assuming 21666 is the same? I mean it basically looks like what I have and not dissimilar to other 29646’s that I’ve done so I guess so. Just didn’t know because it’s a big motor 
 

21666 uses the bottom wiring diagram. It is only when you get to the 29xxx that the wiring changes. 

[Marc Sova]

9 hours ago, Patrick Ray said:

21666 uses the bottom wiring diagram. It is only when you get to the 29xxx that the wiring changes. 

Looking at both and they look the same lol. What am I missing?

[Patrick Ray]

1 minute ago, Marc Sova said:

Looking at both and they look the same lol. What am I missing?

B&C leads are swapped

[John Deats]

Definitely one of the best question answer pieces in the forum. Great questions responded to with a great wealth of knowledge. Will keep this one for reference for a long time. From the questions to the answers, thanks !!!