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Post by enigmas on Mar 22, 2018 9:35:31 GMT
The following link www.p76.com.au/Radiator%20Additives.pdf is quite controversial and IMHO a good read. I found it while reading some tech info at the Leyland P76 Owners Club of Victoria and Tasmania. www.p76.com.au/technical.htmlBelow is brief introduction outlining the focus of the article. Radiator Additives By Robin Phipson N.E.South African Jaguar Club This article is written with the knowledge that it might possibly offend 95% of the-radiator additive salesmen amongst us. Nevertheless, judging by the overwhelming number of people that order X16 thermostats from me, and their queries on additives, overheating etc, it became apparent that this subject needs further airing in the hope that members will have a better understanding of cooling systems, and thereby will be able to maintain them better.
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Post by enigmas on Mar 24, 2018 8:44:42 GMT
No comments guys...IMHO it's quite a thought provoking article...the author thinks outside of the box!
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Post by Warwick on Mar 27, 2018 8:58:21 GMT
It's probably in the wrong section, Vince.
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Post by djm16 on Mar 28, 2018 3:37:34 GMT
Warning! Do not take this article seriously, there are many fallacies.
First, the good stuff: anti-freeze, essentially glycol, has optimal low freezing point at 50% concentration, so agreed, no point using 60%. Similarly, the article is correct about the thermal conductivity of glycol being lower. Lastly, radiator leak additives are an abomination and you can give yourself a major headache by using them.
The biggest fallacy is in recommending using hard water rather than rainwater or deionised water. The most significant cause of damage to our engines is from electrolysis. Different composition metals or worse, alloys, in electrical contact and joined by a conducting solution will result in large quantities of the parent metal ending up in solution, creating holes at one point and heavy metal salt deposition somewhere else.
The next fallacy is that iron and aluminium becoming coated with an inert layer of metal oxide / silicate / or whatever else they put in corrosion inhibitor is detrimental by inhibiting heat transfer. This is conflating the properties of gunk like Barr's Leaks with recommended corrosion inhibitor. The one plugs leaks and forms a sticky layer on every surface, the other forms a microscopic inert protective layer on any native metal surface. Surely everyone is aware of why aluminium does not corrode in air, despite being nearly as reactive as magnesium? It is the formation of an inert and tough layer of aluminium oxide on the surface.
The last fallacy is using "just enough" corrosion inhibitor. Corrosion inhibitor degrades with time, heat, contaminated water, pre-existing engine corrosion. You could use "just enough" and replace it every month after checking its pH (testing strips from REPCO etc), or you could use more than just enough in first place, and replace every 6-12 months before it becomes degraded (note YMMV especially if you have an all aluminium engine, radiator and heater core).
Actually, one more fallacy. That the reduced surface tension of glycol / water mixes is somehow a problem, as it allows leaks through gaps in the head gasket and leaks in the coolant connections. A reduced surface tension is actually a very good thing. It enables coolant to stay in contact with hot spots in the engine which might otherwise suffer localised overheating and micro-cavitation.
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