I had not even considered corrosion
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I had not even considered corrosion
Cheap alloy rads are made from---- go on Have a guess!.
"inferior materials".
Also fin pitch may no be suited to your vehicles air flow parameters.
One size pitch does not suit all.
Electrolysis is cause by stray electricity isn't it? poor earths, radiators not properly isolated from engine or body work.
and electrolisis damage looks like cleanish sand blasting for lack of a better description coming to mind, the red/orange muck is just good old rust, improper mixture or not enough or non
it's a huge discussion alright.m2cw.
Great info guys, I will have a good look at mine after all this. Make sure all is as it should be.
Hopefully this will answer your question
Its my understanding that electrolysis is caused by static caused by different metals touching each other, water being a conductor in a cooling system it connects the different components which are made from different steel's like cast iron, aluminium, brass, copper and galvanized steel. Most coolants today are anti freeze, anti boil and inhibitor mixes, the glycol lowers the freezing point and raises the boiling point of the water and the inhibitor is a form of oil which is meant to prevent corrosion and contains the reserve alkalinity of the coolant to neutralize electrolysis by putting a film over all the components to insulate them from each other. I'm not a chemist by any means thats my understanding of coolant and how its works, too much or too little coolant in your cooling system can cause different faults.
You will also notice there is coolant for cast iron blocks ( usually green ) and coolant for aluminum blocks (usually red ) with the green coolant having 980ml/l ethylene glycol and the red 1060g/l ethylene glycol, obvious coz of having more aluminium in the system.
This is a coolant i have used in systems with aly blocks and my rx7 that i have put an aly rad in and had alot dramas with electrolysis eating thru the welds of the radiator and going thru 3 rads in the first month just cause i used the green coolant which it came out with from factory and finally solving that issue with this coolant.Attachment 40138Attachment 40139
i might add here not against any one but i have had to add extra earth straps to many commodores as they do get electrolysis and have had customers in with a new radiator that's 6 months old and heavily corroded already but no other cars eg for falcon my au still has the original radiator and its 14 years old. to back up about cheap radiators i know someone that had a cheap e bay alloy radiator and it leaked before it was 12months old i've had my pwr alloy one fitted for over 18months now and no issue at all except for the radiator cap.
I went through 3 of the cheap ebay ones in less than 12 months before a refund was issue. Brass/copper 3 core all the way
Mine has supercheap Techalloy coolant and no problems at all even 44 degree days it stays cools.
Ok, so I am low on cash, re-using my radiator as I reckon it was OK, it has been flushed.... Getting a Dayco thermo clutch viscous thingy for $160 delivered, Nissan ones are $300+. Trust Dayco stuff. Re using my fan blades, they look ok. Refitting fan shroud.
Thanks to you all for the advice, will take more time to save and think, but if I can stave off the heat demons for cheaper in the meanwhile, that's a great outcome.
Will post how I went!
Original radiator had muck between the fins restricting airflow, new clutch fan centre and system flush has made heaps of difference.
Thanks all