Ardunbill,
I know what you are referring to. We have a Clayton 400HP Dyno, it uses
these plugs in the absorption units, which are aluminum housings and
iron internal parts. The plugs are designed so that when the magnesium
is used up the plug leaks and the unit will not load. (Insurance that
they get changed.) I have seen products advertised for cooling system
applications, but I don't remember where. We use coolant in our car to
help overcome this problem. There is also an additive for this purpose
when using aluminum components.
Tom, Redding 12:50PM PST
ardunbill@webtv.net wrote:
>
> Hi Folks. In changing the intake on my Ardun the other day I looked
> into the water jackets and was pleased to see that there was no sign of
> corrosion whatsoever in these 50 year old heads. It would have
> gladdened Zora's heart.
>
> I had previously noted, however, that there was a little nibble of
> corrosion around the water holes where the head meets the block, and I
> am told this is a sort of galvanic electrical corrosion caused by the
> proximity of the two dissimilar metals. It is always found wherever you
> have aluminum heads sitting on iron blocks. An article in the
> newspaper's automotive section recently stated that by 150 to 200K miles
> of road service, the aluminum heads used on so many iron blocks today
> will be destroyed by this corrosion. The anti-corrosion properties of
> the coolant have nothing to do with it.
>
> I'm sure many on the List are perfectly familiar with this type of
> corrosion. For our purposes it is not usually significant. But one of
> my seasoned Ardun friends recently sent me a couple of plugs with rods
> of magnesium pressed in, telling me that it these are put in the water
> pumps it will stop the above corrosion. The magnesium will be a
> 'sacrificial' metal which will corrode to protect the head aluminum.
>
> I have seem confirmation for this from other sources, Anybody on the
> List who is an expert on this?? Seems like everybody with aluminum
> heads on iron blocks should be doing this.
>
> Regards from ArdunBill in the Great Dismal Swamp, Chesapeake, VA
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