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Aluminium Radiator and Corrosion


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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

 

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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 by RogerH
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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

 

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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.

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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

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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 by Z320
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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

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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

 

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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

TRIALS concours engine bay.jpg

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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 by Z320
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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 by AarhusTr6
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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.

image.jpg

I have also had that slime as well . . and only a few months after a flush.  Wonder what it is...

 

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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.

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