I bought a 4 pack of these screw in anodes awhile back, put one in my SBC in the side of the block. Then I wired one to the radiator cap of my Flathead, since there wasn't a place to screw it in. First time I looked at it today. I guess it's doing something.. Running 50/50 antifreeze and distilled water, iirc.
At work the hot water in the washroom started to smell like sulfur. The maintenance guy drained the water heater and replaced the anode with a new one as the old one had disappeared. Now the hot water doesn't smell like sulfur anymore. So.... they must do something.
I'm a fan of anodes to protect the cooling system. Anodes are usually made of one of two materials, aluminum or magnesium. I always use magnesium as it is "less noble" than aluminum, and I want to protect the aluminum heads on my cars. (Aluminum can't protect aluminum as well as magnesium can.) See this thread : https://www.fordbarn.com/forum/showthread.php?t=301796&highlight=anode.
In the boating world you generally use zinc anodes in seawater, aluminum in brackish water, and magnesium in fresh water. The difference is in the conductivity of the water and how readily the metals give themselves up to protect other metals - zinc the least and magnesium the most. It also depends somewhat on boat construction, but let us forget that for now. All that said, you may be better served using magnesium rather than zinc anodes in your cooling system. John
So it's more complicated than meets the eye. Should we all be using an anode in our cars cooling system, or does it depend on the engine and other stuff?
Yes, if you have dissimilar metals in the cooling system you need zincs. Iron and aluminum in coolant make a galvanic cell that is irreversible. I lost an aluminum radiator in about 3-4 months before I figured it out. My Brodix heads and aluminum intake have advanced corrosion in them before I figured it out, and my block and coolant was always rusty. Check your radiator fluid with a digital volt meter by attaching the -cable to a ground and dip the +cable in the coolant, and you will see it is a battery! That is electrolysis in action and corrodes everything. If you put an aluminum boat in the ocean and tie it to the pier, it will have severe corrosion in no time without a sacrificial anode (zinc or magnesium) just by the movement in the water. Here's where I got mine... https://boatzincs.com/engine-sizes.html
Corrosion is essentially an electric process. Knowledge of the Galvanic Table is very helpful in understanding sacrificial anodes. (It is also helpful in showing how electric cells work.)
This is a good thread and topic. Anode rod makes complete sense. How much do you think grounding comes into play ? I ground the radiator to the frame separately with a dedicated ground strap. Bypasses rubber isolators and body bushings. Worth the trouble ? I've used anode rods in water heaters at the 5 houses I've had. Most real plumbing supply shops will test your water and match with the right anode, or they'll hand you the one they already know works.
Just checked the garage, I have a roll of zinc roof edging (used to prevent mold growth) that I've been using as anode when zinc plating parts. I could hammer roll it around stainless wire and make a "dangler" off the radiator cap like blowby has shown. Not sure the late model drivers have extra threaded holes - one doesn't even have a drain peacock.
855 Cummins uses a water treatment filter with a tablet in it that dissolves over time . Change it once a year.
I just ordered one for my 49 Buick. It has an aluminum radiator and I don't want any trouble with it.
Never thought about that one! I have replaced a couple of hot water heaters in the RV over the years...
I had to ground my radiator and engine to the chassis and it still did it. I even lost a couple of throttle cables before I figured it out. That was a scary ride! Come to think of it, I lost a thermostat housing too. Corroded right through.
So if you are running an aluminium radiator and cast iron head & block, should the anode go into the block's jacket or into the radiator?
I have the radiator cap with the anodes attached and I know from the condition of the anode that they work. I used to have a problem with the die-cast thermostat housings failing, but since I installed the radiator caps I haven't had an issue.
I got a question regarding the anode and some of the catastrophic failures that have been posted . I’ve seen water pump impellers ( steel) eaten away to nothing I’ve seen aluminum heads and steel blocks with corrosion and material eaten away around water jackets , aluminum and steel t’stat housings etc . but nothing to the point of it becoming garbage , ( besides the water pumps). Only time I e seen significant damage is in a cooling system not maintained properly or with the wrong coolant in it . could it be the water in your area is heavy in minerals? Wrong coolant type or coolant strength ? I’m all for using a sacrificial anode as it’s cheap insurance and proven to work/ help , just confused at these catastrophic failures in short time that are being posted .
I'm with Vande on this.... I've never ran an anode in anything, ever, and have never had any problem. And I use city water, not distilled, with name brand antifreeze, the regular stuff, not extended life. I do use BTA or BTF, whatever it's called, in the semi truck engines when a coolant test says it needs it. Have kept vehicles 20 years or longer and not had any corrosion problem, am I just lucky, or is it a regional thing?
I run drag cars with iron blocks and aluminum radiators and other accoutrements. Before I bolt on the water pump (cover) I toss in a chunk of scrap magnesium in the water jacket of the block. Its placement probably matters little as charged ions freely circulate throughout the cooling system I think you are addressing at least two different failure modes. Water pump erosion is usually a result of cavitation, caused by insufficient system pressure, wrong pump speed, weak coolant, etc. Radiator corrosion is often due to galvanic action of the dissimilar metals in the system, impurities in the water, and wrong coolant type or strength as you mentioned.
I use distilled water in dissimilar metals situations now. I didn't know about it before. My OT early 70's truck has an all iron motor and brass radiator and heater core, and we never worried about it. In fact, it has 20 year old anti-freeze in it right now with no problem, and it's not a pressurized system! But something happened when I did the aluminum radiator in the hot rod. It killed it! My new replacement aluminum radiator came with a pipe bung welded in the bottom tank. So, I asked about the extra bung, and they schooled me about anodes and distilled water. Distilled water has no minerals, so it doesn't conduct electricity very well, until it gets dirty. Anodes are sacrificial, so they are destroyed first before our valuable parts. I didn't know that until then. Do a You-tube search about anodes in marine applications and you'll see they use a lot of them, because of open cooling systems and fiberglass hulls, which creates stray electrical currents. I suspect the hot rod scene is relatively new to this, so maybe we could learn a lesson.
I get all this and know sacrificial anodes are used in marine applications all the time . distilled water is best to use in cooling systems , but that is also depending on what area you live in as where I am regular old tap water is perfectly fine for cooling systems and batteries . But drive 1 hour so east, west or north snd you get hard water and distilled is the recommendation. what I would like to know is what seems like quick and severe cooling system failures due to corrosion. Posted by some members .
I’ve heard of this before, but never used them. Recently went through the owners manual for my pickup, iron block Aluminum heads, and no mention of using one. Just to use “Dextcool” coolant mix. Maybe GM figures the engine and stuff would last through the warranty periods?
There are 3 mid 60’s trucks that have been on the farm since new . 3 John Deere tractors from the late 60’s . Some new tractors . Even the combines that we’ve owned . I’ve never seen the failures the y’all are talking about in any of these . Maybe a radiator failure because of vibration bouncing down dirt roads in the trucks . Dad always used well water and name brand antifreeze. I do the same .
I've never used Dextcool, but here are some details off Amazon. It appears to be PH balanced (not alkali) for dissimilar metals. I do know that distilled water is also acidic with no minerals and it's alkaline (minerals) that deteriorate the metals in the system. I've heard that some coolant additives contain zinc, but I can't find it right now. https://www.amazon.com/Valvoline-DE...excool+concentrate&qid=1659907921&sr=8-2&th=1
Yea, I used to mix it 50/50 (well I tried) just easier now to by the premix stuff. Heck, how often do we change coolant anyways? Small expense unless you have a fleet of vehicles I guess.
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