Electrolysis in aluminum radiator - Help

[cad]

Ill have to pickup some strips to check ph.
Yellow optima is out of truck. Using 10ga wire with eyelet on one end and heavy test clamp on other to ground each head to steering box bolt ends....still have .5v
My buddy brought over his fluke last nite and we tested turning on/off fan, fuel pump and water pump with no change.
No voltage leak at battery to the bed where it is mounted...

Please keep advice coming.
Thank you

[Mark Ugrich]

Are you thinking it is the electrolysis that is causing the hoses to bulge? Not saying it isn’t possible , but I’ve never heard of that occuring. Is there a voltage reading with the anode removed?

http://www.ve-labs.net/products/rad-cap
David Reher talked about grounding alum heads to block. We saw issues early on in police car builds. Electrolysis killed heater cores and radiators yearly. We tried everything you spoke of. Ended up replacing rad caps every three months.

[cad]

Originally Posted by dragracedr

out of curiosity, do you run a battery tender? I had a similar problem, ate 2 radiators and ruined 2 batteries. Tender was overcharging and backfeeding through alternator/chassis from battery side of cut-off switch.

I have but usually only when racing is longer than 2 weeks apart.

[cad]

Originally Posted by Mark Ugrich

Are you thinking it is the electrolysis that is causing the hoses to bulge? Not saying it isn’t possible , but I’ve never heard of that occuring. Is there a voltage reading with the anode removed?

I believe the hoses were hard from gasing. Same voltage with and without the anode.

I grounded 1 head to the steering box bolt, and the other to the upper control arm stud, and no noticeable change in voltage...still .5'ish

[cad]

Here is 1 article penned by David Reher...
http://garage.grumpysperformance.com...n-cooling.149/

I will have to have my old man come back over and re-check the grounds.
He put heavy star washers under all of them, but I wonder if my paint job on the frame isnt scuffed enough under those grounds.

Forgot to say; Test the alternator for a leaking diode if you have not done so. Seen lots of those and yes it reduced cooland voltage.

[Bobby DiDomenico]

Originally Posted by 6130

If he's still got voltage with everything disconnected / shut off, then it's not the car's electrical system.

I used to race a rotary Mazda Pro ET door car, and if you didn't keep an eye on the pH of the coolant, it would literally eat a hole through the engine. The engines are even built like a battery- cast iron front plate, aluminum rotor housing, cast iron intermediate plate, aluminum rotor housing, and cast iron rear plate, all filled with the same coolant.


He's got a cast iron engine connected to an aluminum radiator by two rubber hoses, filled with the same coolant.

My money's on the pH of the coolant.

That's what I'm thinking, it is chemically making voltage. Just not sure if "battery disconnected" means all batteries removed rather than just a positive or negative cable disconnected from the big one.

[6130]

Originally Posted by cad

I believe the hoses were hard from gasing. Same voltage with and without the anode.

Yup.

Have you ever media-blasted an aluminum component after an electrolysis problem- it's horrifying. It can look like the part in your hand is all aluminum and intact before you start, but when you start blasting, the cancer is cleaned away, and you're left holding something that looks more like a piece of Swiss cheese.

[Kenney Kelley]

Mark you said you've raced the S-10 all season and within the last two weeks this problem has come up. In the last 3-4 weeks have you changed anything on the car?

Kenney Kelley