AarhusTr6 Posted January 24, 2019 Report Share Posted January 24, 2019 Hi all I sourced recently a nice new original Stanpart radiator and read also some people mentioning corrosion issues on aluminium radiators. currently I am working on an offshore wind project and a material specialist gave me some tips on some issues that one could have with an aluminium radiator when putting into a classic. Here is his advice: Steel and aluminium is a no go . .this causes corrosion issues The above is accelerated with moisture Solution for offshore is to use strips of Teflon to make a barrier, guess rubber washers could also work but its a bit soft Also the steel washer which is part of the bolt that goes onto the aluminium must have insulation, ie teflon Last, he mentioned ensuring having an inhibitor for aluminium in the coolant. Maybe all covered before but thought I would share, but the summary was there must be insulation between the steel body of the car and the aluminium. Rich Quote Link to post Share on other sites
RogerH Posted January 24, 2019 Report Share Posted January 24, 2019 (edited) Hi Rich, Aluminium and many of its alloys is/are very reactive. The corrosion that you see is a barrier that the Ali produces to protect itself. But it looks Sh*t. When driving, the radiator will gather plenty of dirt and muck on the cooling vanes. These will also disintegrate in time. Get them anodised. Why use Ali !!! Roger Edited January 24, 2019 by RogerH Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Mike C Posted January 24, 2019 Report Share Posted January 24, 2019 When aluminium loses it's protective oxide coating it's history. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
ed_h Posted January 25, 2019 Report Share Posted January 25, 2019 Three things are necessary for galvanic corrosion. 1) Two different metals, 2) Electrical contact between them, and 3) A conductive liquid contacting both. Given these three things, you have a shorted battery, and one of the metals will corrode. One common prevention is to try to electrically isolate the two metals. Another is to purposely connect a third metal in the mix that is more active than either of the other two. That metal will sacrifice itself to protect the other two, at least as long as it lasts. Ed Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Mike C Posted January 25, 2019 Report Share Posted January 25, 2019 And raw aluminium, without its oxide layer , is right up there with zinc and magnesium on the galvanic table. If anything destroys the oxide layer the metal underneath is history. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
TriumphV8 Posted January 25, 2019 Report Share Posted January 25, 2019 No need to worry. Millions of modern cars use the combination of aluminium and cast iron. Many blocks are cast and heads and rads are aluminium. Using that offshore is another topic, our parts do not get wet often. We simply use another fluid for the rad and thats it. I have C12++ in use. Its pink. The reason to use a modern rad is that my Bastuck rads simply had been scrap- Mine broke every year and after five time soldering I threw it into the bin! 200 Euros are too much for three years of usage and my coplaints did not make Bastuck to give me a new one. Today it rises to 220 and its not worth half that price! If we do not take cheap Chinese like the scrap from Alkmaar or so we get a reliable rads that lasts. This guy from Alkmaar sells under different names after reputation becomes bad. Rads mostly come from China but there are pretty good ones and really bad ones. If it has a top from a motorbike, half the size of ours its mostly scrap. That is 115 USD FOB if you buy 10 directly in China. I bought one from USA and one Chinese from AKS Dasa. Both seemed to be okay. Look and work nice. After rad trouble now I am happy. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Waldi Posted January 25, 2019 Report Share Posted January 25, 2019 The corrosion mechanism is galvanic corrosion as Ed indicated. Perfect examples on our cars are the thermostat housing and the heatervalve, severe pitting will occur if the coolant is old or water has been used to save a few quid. they act as anodes, similar as used on steel ships. Waldi Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Z320 Posted January 25, 2019 Report Share Posted January 25, 2019 (edited) Sorry me, please let me tell you if there is a the problem it is inside the aluminium radiator. There is iron / rust (Fe / FeO) that covers the aluminium surface, the coolant is the conductive liquid, the water flow is like a "sandblast". From a Fe-/Cu-battery you get (+077V) - (+0,16V) = 0,61 V, from a Fe-/Al-battery however (+0,77 V) - (-1,66V) = 2,43 V ! There are problems known on your TRs about corrosion on the thermostat housing, which is fortunately (but by accident) made of cast aluminium. The best aluminium surface in contact with "water" (containing metalls or minerals) is a not machined cast AlSi surface, tin Aluminium or machined is surface worse, welded aluminium is scap. All that guides to the question: why do you want to use a aluminium radiator on a car with a engine mainly made of cast iron? Ciao Marco By the way: this thread would be more interesting under the issue "cooling" (I know, which does not exist on this forum) and not under the issue "TR6" Edited January 25, 2019 by Z320 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Z320 Posted January 25, 2019 Report Share Posted January 25, 2019 Hi Andreas, please do not wonder why you have problems with welded aluminium. Ciao Marco Quote Link to post Share on other sites
had17462 Posted January 25, 2019 Report Share Posted January 25, 2019 Hi all ,this is what happened on my car ,I've since flushed it out seems ok on a run but doesn't like sitting in traffic. Nick. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Waldi Posted January 25, 2019 Report Share Posted January 25, 2019 Hi Nick, I would not think that is the typical corrosion or related to the aluminium radiator, it may also be from a leak sealant treatment or microbiological. Waldi Quote Link to post Share on other sites
TriumphV8 Posted January 25, 2019 Report Share Posted January 25, 2019 4 hours ago, Z320 said: Hi Andreas, please do not wonder why you have problems with welded aluminium. Ciao Marco I did never have any problems with the mix from aluminium and cast iron. First you have to have the proper antifreeze, in the above sample it looks green, what indicates besides that the slime is not typical even with the wrong products, it is the green/yellow antifreeze what is for cast iron. In the literature the suitable product can be found and one must make sure not to mix them up. That is the reason why they gave them these funny colors! Second many cars have a mix from aluminium and steel body, okay not the best but when I see a corroded steel body after that long time I think there is not much difference. Mercedes 190SL, Austin Healey 3000 and Ferrari 304 all mixed up steel and aluminium and not only hoods or doors but also wings and other fixed parts. Porsche always does a nice mix of steel and aluminium, wheel nuts from aluminium on steel bolts and many steel parts at the engine body made from aluminium. By the way what I had to renew with my 964 engine had been the air guiding shields, all made from steel and very rusty with holes in it. So theory is one thing and it is easy to blame anything on that but in reality it is not that problem in my opinion unless salt water is added. Something to read, besides it is German it is very good: https://www.albert-schoen.de/blog-leser/erklaerung-kuehlerschutz-mit-verwendungsuebersichten.html Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Tom Fremont Posted January 25, 2019 Report Share Posted January 25, 2019 I've never had a problem with corrosion using brass/copper radiators as TRIUMPH used. Thermostat housings do corrode under the hose end. I've never seen a claim that the alumin(i)um radiators dissipate heat better than originals. I've been using a TRF supplied brass/copper reproduction radiator for 10 years in my driver ( restored and polished the original ) with no issues, CP spec engine on Webers. Factory fan. Stainless radiator and heater returns eliminated what steel there was in the system. I do change the coolant every couple of years. Cheers, Tom Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Z320 Posted January 25, 2019 Report Share Posted January 25, 2019 (edited) 9 hours ago, TriumphV8 said: The reason to use a modern rad is that my Bastuck rads simply had been scrap- Mine broke every year and after five time soldering I threw it into the bin! 200 Euros are too much for three years of usage and my coplaints did not make Bastuck to give me a new one. Today it rises to 220 and its not worth half that price! Hi Andreas, sorry me, from your post I supposed you owned a Bastuck radiator made of aluminium, I did not realize "soldered". I use Glysantin G48 (green-blue) with silicates for cast iron engines, G05 (golden) will be my next one. Goggle tells Ravenol G12++ (pink/violet) is also mit silicates but for full aluminium engines... Ciao Marco Edited January 25, 2019 by Z320 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
AarhusTr6 Posted January 25, 2019 Author Report Share Posted January 25, 2019 (edited) Some interesting FYI, on the offshore platform we are building, if the inspector sees ally' and steel who marks it as a fail. There is a basic rule of differing metals means an insulator, often a Teflon strip or Teflon made washers. I know Offshore is extreme but but us TR6 owners never do things by half :-) Rich Edited January 25, 2019 by AarhusTr6 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
AarhusTr6 Posted January 25, 2019 Author Report Share Posted January 25, 2019 8 hours ago, had17462 said: Hi all ,this is what happened on my car ,I've since flushed it out seems ok on a run but doesn't like sitting in traffic. Nick. I have also had that slime as well . . and only a few months after a flush. Wonder what it is... Quote Link to post Share on other sites
had17462 Posted January 26, 2019 Report Share Posted January 26, 2019 Wish someone would tell us ,my engine was freshly rebuilt with new heater rad as well . Nick Quote Link to post Share on other sites
CK's TR6 Posted January 27, 2019 Report Share Posted January 27, 2019 https://www.northernfactory.com/knowledge/sacrificialcaps Quote Link to post Share on other sites
astontr6 Posted January 28, 2019 Report Share Posted January 28, 2019 On 1/25/2019 at 6:42 PM, AarhusTr6 said: I have also had that slime as well . . and only a few months after a flush. Wonder what it is... Use Bluecol antifreeze and you will not have any of that crud. As OE recommended by BL for the Stag which has plenty of ali in their cooling systems! Bruce. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
AarhusTr6 Posted February 2, 2019 Author Report Share Posted February 2, 2019 Hi Any idea what this contains and what the root cause is? Rich Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Mike C Posted February 2, 2019 Report Share Posted February 2, 2019 Be careful of selecting anti freeze based on the colour. There is no recognized code that ties the colour to the duty. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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