Does my aluminum radiator need a sacrificial anode?

[ntsqd]

Had a thought this morning on the way to work. Given the justified or not reputation unmodified de-ionized has for stripping out metals from the cooling system I think it may be prudent to employ a sacrificial anode if you use it. Let it be the metal stripped out since it should be easily replaced and stripping it causes no damage to anything else. It may well be that the coolant concentrate has whatever it takes to modify de-ionized so that it won't do this, but without a chemical analysis of the resulting mixture you won't really know. At that point the anode seems like cheap insurance.

 

[Steve83]

...or (option B): save that money & hassle by just using distilled.

 

[Crush]

The original question was does he NEED The annode. Thats a question no one can answer because opinions are like buttholes. But. Is it good insurance. Probably so and for the small amount of money a radiator cap with built in sacraficial annode costs, thats mineynwell spent for the op's peace of mind.

 

[ntsqd]

An anode in the cap may or may not be immersed in the coolant, and for it to work that needs to happen.

I'll go with Option C: a copper-brass radiator.

 

[sykanr0ng]

An anode in the cap may or may not be immersed in the coolant, and for it to work that needs to happen.

I'll go with Option C: a copper-brass radiator.

As far down as the anodes I have seen project it looks to me that you would have other more urgent problems if it isn't in the coolant.

With that said it is all theoretical to me; my choice is copper/brass as well.

Though that would increase the potential galvanic corrosion of the other aluminum engine components exposed to the coolant.

 

[ntsqd]

Which leads us back around to what do you want to corrode, the inexpensive anode or some expensive part?

20 years ago I started to put an anode in the upper coolant tube of my '67 Ranchero. Lost access to a TIG welder or it would be in there still (or corroded away and not replaced by the current owner).