anodes?

[grumpyvette]

I got asked if anodes are a good idea?

well, when you run an aluminum performance cylinder head on an iron engine block with pure copper head gaskets,like Ive been for many years, those anodes are mandatory, and yes they do work, and prevent or at least slow electrolysis a great deal

 

naturally youll need to use the anodes in the block vs the radiator with a plastic radiator like some cars have

 

 

http://www.ve-labs.com/productpdfs/Product%20Sheet%20RadCap%20Revised.pdf

 

http://www.flex-a-lite.com/auto/html/anode.html

 

http://www.bmcno.org/RadCap.htm

 

http://www.jcwhitney.com/autoparts/Search?catalogId=10101&storeId=10101&sku=anode&searchbtn.x=16&searchbtn.y=12

[grumpyvette]

IDEALLY theres ZERO MEASURABLE voltage! and with both a decent frame to engine ground and battery to frame ground theres seldom much voltage in the coolant, but having a transmission to frame ground in addition is a good idea as Ive seen that help also, a loose ground causes lots of flaky/intermitent problems

 

Determining the levels of EME present in the cooling system is very easy. All you really need is an ultrasensitive voltmeter. Simply remove the radiator cap, stick the positive probe into the cooling system, and ground the negative probe to the radiator. With the metal dialed down to the lowest voltage setting, take a reading of the total amount of electrical volts present in the cooling system. The reading should be somewhere BELOW 0.01 volts, if its not you NEED to find out where the grounds loose or an extra grounds needed and add an anode

[Cruez]

Zinc anodes must do their job well... a lot of waterway locks and steel structures use them in their design... except those anodes are the size of bricks !

[cygnusx1]

I suppose that would apply to water circulated home heating systems and boilers as well?

[ezzzzzzz]

I attach a small piece of zinc to a s/s wire inside the radiator cap area. You can see this anode slowly dissolve over time. It is especially helpful if you run an aluminum radiator that is in direct contact with the steel radiator support. I decided to go this route after the aluminum radiator in my land rover hybrid developed a small leak. Upon inspection the core looked like a pin cushion from electrolysis. The anode has greatly reduced the corrosive effects of dissimilar metals in close contact.