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Posted by Sherman in Idaho [24.32.202.166] on Thursday, January 17, 2013 at 22:01:19 :
In Reply to: Sacraficial Anode in Radiator or Engine? posted by Greg Coffin [4.225.215.232] on Thursday, January 17, 2013 at 20:48:57 :
I have to assume that if sacrificial anodes in cooling systems really helped, they would have been using them a long time ago. After all, the principle goes way back. I do have a bunch of sacrificial anode plugs that I got in a surplus lot that might be intended for cooling systems. They're a 1/2" brass pipe plug with a short rod of something white (zinc? magnesium?) sticking out of them. Maybe on trucks that don't have heaters I should try putting them in the heater hole in the back of the head. Otherwise you'd have to drill and tap a special place for it. All in all, I think a thorough flushing, plus modern anti-freeze with anti-rust additives, and maybe a dash of soluble oil like you use on metalworking machines, would prevent rust for the rest of our lives.
I think a lot of the trucks that have huge amounts of rust in them are that way because the system open to the air, with only enough water to sit in the bottom of the block and keep things wet, or as the old truck was on its last legs, they just ran straight water in it. If you have a system that leaks and you have to keep adding water, that will make it rust more because the fresh water has oxygen dissolved in it. Once it's been heated and the oxygen driven out, even plain water is non-corrosive.
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