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I'm fitting a pwr offroad racing radiator to the back of my new truck and i was wondering about fitting a sacrificial anode to the circuit to protect it.
has any body tried this?
I quickly googled some info regarding boats but i'm not sure if it would work in car application and if so what actually happens to the zinc.
I'm thinking the zinc would eventually just clog all the water galleries up but i'm not a metalurgist or a boatie so i'm just guessing.
cheers smitty
innovation is better, better is faster, and fast is all that counts
I'm not sure what becomes sacrificial with Zinc and Aluminium, but perhaps dont put the Zinc actually into the radiator. Just bolt it to the outside where it will do the same thing.
oh okay, i kind of just assumed it had to be submersed which in the case of a radiator ment it had to be in the circuit or the overflow bottle and connected to the radiator with a wire.
cheers smitty
innovation is better, better is faster, and fast is all that counts
Nah, it just has to have a good connection with the material it needs to protect.
This said, you may be better off just rubber mounting it to whatever it swings off and running coolant in the...... well.... coolant. This will help protect the radiator from corrosion, and aluminium has an oxide layer which is quite protective anyway. The rubber mounting will prevent any steel from corroding (steel is sacrificial to aluminium).
hammey wrote:oh okay, i kind of just assumed it had to be submersed which in the case of a radiator ment it had to be in the circuit or the overflow bottle and connected to the radiator with a wire.
cheers smitty
Zinc should protect aluminium as well as steel. However your radiator is completely safe as long as it is mounted without any metal-to-metal connections with the car body, so that is the first thing to get right imho.
Don't bother, do a full flush of the system with a radiator flush and then clean thoroughly. Use a name brand coolant and don't skimp on the price and get the cheapest and make sure you do a "stray current" test. Make sure any stray current readings are less than .05 Volts, if they are above that figure check all electrical circuits to see which is the one causing the problem.
Make sure when mounting the radiator that it is totally isolated from any metal to metal contact and all bolts mounting the radiator are through rubber grommets. DO NOT put on an earth lead to the radiator as some will suggest. If you don't believe me check out any modern car as to how they mount their radiators, there is no metal to metal contact at all.
Regards Andrew.
We are Tig welders, gravity doesn't worry us.
[img]http://www.studmonkeyracing.com/forums/smilies/weld.gif[/img]
Slunnie wrote:I'm not sure what becomes sacrificial with Zinc and Aluminium, but perhaps dont put the Zinc actually into the radiator. Just bolt it to the outside where it will do the same thing.
it would need to be submersed in the same water, so inside the radiator circuit so that the engine (grounded) and the radiator(if grounded i think) has an equalised potential through the radiator coolant.
But i wouldnt bother anyway, just rubber mount your rad, and use a good quality corrosion inhibitor. The toyota stuff is meant to be great.
the biggest killer is stray current. with a multimeter one lead in the coolant and the other on the negetive battery terminal it should measure less then 50mv, im pretty sure this is correct.
Smitty here's some info from Denso regarding flushing the cooling system and testing for Stray Current.
Regards Andrew.
Cooling System Flushing Procedure.
Because coolant/inhibitors from different manufactures have different chemical compounds, which may adversely react if mixed, it is important that you DO NOT create a chemical cocktail within your cooling system by mixing different brands of coolant/inhibitor. Even though the coolant has been drained from the system, the inhibitors remain affixed to the cooling system components and must be chemically removed, using a quality alkaline flush.
Procedure:
1: Ensure the cooling system is sound and free from leaks and check all components for wear and condition. If need, replace worn components.
2: Choose a quality alkaline cooling system flush (500mL. Per 12 Litres). Observe the instructions on the container.
3: Replace the radiator cap and run the engine at operating temperature for 15 minutes in 4 cylinder vehicles and 30 minutes in 6 or 8 cylinder vehicles. (Ensure the vehicle heater is turned on).
4: Drain and rinse the cooling system including the overflow bottle and heater core. At this point a power flushing machine may be used if this equipment is available.
And/or:
4a). Rinse the system with clean water until you are convinced that the only fluid remaining in the system is clean water- RINSE- RINSE- RINSE (this may need to be refilled and drained a number of times).
5: Refill the cooling system using clean water (demineralised or distilled water), to perform a stray current check.
6: Do not add coolant at this time until a complete stray current check has been performed (refer to stray current procedure). The presence of stray current will deteriorate the cooling fluid quality immediately.
Always ensure you select a coolant/inhibitor that meets the vehicle manufacturers recommendation or one that meets AS 2108-97 Type A or Type B whichever is recommended as being in support of the vehicles manufacturers recommended coolant performance standard.
7: Ensure the correct rates of coolant/inhibitor is used, as overdosing or underdosing will have a direct affect on the performance of the cooling system and the life of the components including the radiator.
8: Only after the vehicle has been cleared of the possibility of stray current (electrolysis). Rebuild the cooling fluids by first adding the selected product then topping up with clean water (demineralised or distilled water). NOTE: NEVER MIX TWO BRANDS OF COOLANT!
9: Mix a portion of the coolant for the owner to use for topping up coolant level.
Dispose of Waste Fluid Correctly.
NOTE !
Radiator manufacturers warranty does not cover internal or external corrosion.
Stray Current Testing Procedure.
Diagnosing Electrolysis/Stray Current Corrosion Testing procedure.
(Please Note:)
It is recommended that a qualified Auto electrician or Radiator Repair Specialist carry out this procedure.
Tools/Equipment Required.
Voltmeter (multimeter) with a scale able to read in millivolts (Analogue voltmeter is preferred).
Or
A radiator industry designed stray current detector preset to 50mV. (0.05 volts)
Target range below 50mV. However any voltage reading in the cooling system should be corrected, as further deterioration will cause major damage.
Procedure.
1: Connect the voltmeter or current detector negative terminal to the battery ground and the positive terminal directly into the coolant (ensure not to touch the metal core or filler neck).
2: With the ignition on and again with the engine running, check EVERY component. Whilst you are monitoring the presence of stray voltage in the cooling system, have a fellow worker operate the brake lights, parking, head and high beam lights and indeed all electrical components (whether factory or aftermarket) and check for any increase in voltage readings in your voltmeter.
Fail:
If you get a reading above 50mV (0.05 volts) or a red fail light on the current detector.
Do Not Proceed:
The source of the current leakage should be found, as this can destroy a radiator in a short period of time (hours or days, depending on the level of voltage) and severely damage other engine components.
It is highly recommended that all repairs or work carried out on a vehicles electrical system or component is carried out by a qualified auto electrician.
Note:
The cooling system cannot be successfully passed as being free from stray current voltage if the system contains coolant, it has been found that coolant may provide inaccurate readings.
Pass:
Only when the analogue voltmeter reads below 50mV (0.05 volts) or a green pass light is obtained should you proceed to fit a new radiator or recharge a cooling system with coolant.
In both cases the flushing procedure should be followed prior to the vehicle being released.
Note:
Some coolants have been known to retain an electrical charge after the fault has been detected and repaired. All testing for stray current should be carried out using clean water (demineralised or distilled) after the flushing procedure has been carried out. It would be very wise to test the vehicle again in one or two days to ensure stray current related problems are corrected and coolant has settled down.
We are Tig welders, gravity doesn't worry us.
[img]http://www.studmonkeyracing.com/forums/smilies/weld.gif[/img]
Slunnie wrote:I'm not sure what becomes sacrificial with Zinc and Aluminium, but perhaps dont put the Zinc actually into the radiator. Just bolt it to the outside where it will do the same thing.
it would need to be submersed in the same water, so inside the radiator circuit so that the engine (grounded) and the radiator(if grounded i think) has an equalised potential through the radiator coolant.
But i wouldnt bother anyway, just rubber mount your rad, and use a good quality corrosion inhibitor. The toyota stuff is meant to be great.
As with you but the radiator shouldn't be grounded.....hmmm actually maybe the old radiators were?????? Anyway, its the same as Galvanising and the use of sacrificial anodes.
