Failure of aluminium radiators
Discussion
Unfortunately, I have recently needed to have a replacement aluminium radiator in my Tamora, as the previous aluminium radiator that I have had a few years developed a leak at one of the welds.
I was recently talking to a petrolhead friend I’d not spoken to in a while. He had been talking with a friend of his who has a Morgan, and apparently Morgan has had problems with its aluminium radiators in the past. According to him, Morgan concluded that there was an electrolytic problem between the coolant and the aluminium – leading to failure of the radiator – which it solved by ensuring that the radiator was earthed directly to the chassis.
Has anyone heard of electrolytic problems/solutions with aluminium radiators?
I was recently talking to a petrolhead friend I’d not spoken to in a while. He had been talking with a friend of his who has a Morgan, and apparently Morgan has had problems with its aluminium radiators in the past. According to him, Morgan concluded that there was an electrolytic problem between the coolant and the aluminium – leading to failure of the radiator – which it solved by ensuring that the radiator was earthed directly to the chassis.
Has anyone heard of electrolytic problems/solutions with aluminium radiators?
My original TVR all alloy rad lasted c.10 years and only failed due to a dealer not fitting the aircon rad properly when rebuilding my car, causing the top edge of the aircon rad to wear through the top tube in a couple of months. I replaced it with a copper and brass one as cheaper, more efficient size for size and easier to repair if needed.
I have just fitted a brass and copper radiator to my Cerbera. My origonal radiator for my Sp6 Cerb had the plastic side panels but it had developed a hairline crack so was leaking. An alloy one was nearly £500 from the specialists!! but I had spoken with a mechanic who said they werent that great so I had one made up at a radiator repair/builder for half the price and to the exact build and size of the old speed six one but with a proper bleed screw instead of the crap plastic on plastic one.
yes... and its not just Ali rads.. I have a std rad in my Griff and I've earthed that...
they are correct... static charge can build up in an isolated rad and in turn start to act a bit like a battery with the fluid within... over time it can eat away at the joints etc causing the unit to fail...
just earth it and this will not happen
they are correct... static charge can build up in an isolated rad and in turn start to act a bit like a battery with the fluid within... over time it can eat away at the joints etc causing the unit to fail...
just earth it and this will not happen
dvs_dave said:
I hope you also had lightweight coolant put in also? After all around 2/3rds of the weight of an operating radiator is the coolant that it's filled with.
Hi Dave, yes, I specifically use ionizers zero gravity stuff. (With a dash of Fairy Liquid for the lightweight bubbles).
dvs_dave said:
I hope you also had lightweight coolant put in also? After all around 2/3rds of the weight of an operating radiator is the coolant that it's filled with.
So? Unless the amount of coolant in the system is different, lighter (by the tune of 3 kg or so) is lighter (and well in front of the axle, too)...EGB said:
How does one check that rad is earthed? What to look for. Is it just for aluminium rads? I'm somewhat confused!
You could put a meter on it back to the chassis. But to be earthed it needs a wire from the chassis to a metal bit of the rad. Does it have one? If not its not earthed. And as I said before, its not just Ali rads. They should all be earthed 
This sounds like Bull to me- you need to have two different metals in close proximity with a fluid between then to get an issue with electrolytic corrosion (typically a join say between aluminium and steel ). Firstly decent antifreeze should prevent this, and you also need a conductive loop for the generated potentual to flow round for the corrostion to take place. If anything Id think grounding the rad would make it worse as you complete the loop, but it sounds like fake science at its worse.
I believe I've read somewhere long time ago 
that its more like a steel engine and a alu rad, the water then carries some Iron etc with it from the block? and that all combined could make (in some 'ideal' situations) some electrolysis corrosion, especially when you leave the fluid to long in your system and it gets dirtier/older etc.
so thats why its more ideal with a iron block to use a coper rad or so? something like that.
edit: here they also speak about something like I tried to say
http://www.aa1car.com/library/cooling_system_elect...
that its more like a steel engine and a alu rad, the water then carries some Iron etc with it from the block? and that all combined could make (in some 'ideal' situations) some electrolysis corrosion, especially when you leave the fluid to long in your system and it gets dirtier/older etc.
so thats why its more ideal with a iron block to use a coper rad or so? something like that.
edit: here they also speak about something like I tried to say
http://www.aa1car.com/library/cooling_system_elect...
GTRene said:
I believe I've read somewhere long time ago
that its more like a steel engine and a alu rad, the water then carries some Iron etc with it from the block? and that all combined could make (in some 'ideal' situations) some electrolysis corrosion, especially when you leave the fluid to long in your system and it gets dirtier/older etc.
so thats why its more ideal with a iron block to use a coper rad or so? something like that.
edit: here they also speak about something like I tried to say
http://www.aa1car.com/library/cooling_system_elect...
Interesting advice Rene' in particular the link. Will visit BMW and Merc. They at least should have ph hydrogen scale slips, just one will do, cost zero! that its more like a steel engine and a alu rad, the water then carries some Iron etc with it from the block? and that all combined could make (in some 'ideal' situations) some electrolysis corrosion, especially when you leave the fluid to long in your system and it gets dirtier/older etc.
so thats why its more ideal with a iron block to use a coper rad or so? something like that.
edit: here they also speak about something like I tried to say
http://www.aa1car.com/library/cooling_system_elect...
Edited by EGB on Thursday 9th January 20:39
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