I finally replaced my 10 yo radiator after the plastic inlet nozzel broke off of it. I found a guy to repair it but one look and he said I had electrolysis and needed a new one which he sold me for $100 (I started finding them at $300, then $270, then $230 and finally a $100!). I'm going to run a grounding cable between radiator and frame to see if it helps.

What do you guys think?

Do you run green or red antifreeze?

Either way, I think distilled water is more important than electrolysis. Your engine should be grounded enough to take care of that.

Use distilled water rather than tap water. The water here in AZ is rather harsh....and unless its a emergency i'll use it, go to your supermarket and buy a couple gallons of distilled and you shouldnt have any problems....IMO.

I lost a RAD to electrlysis as well. Some of the parts store sell some stuff that keeps the electrolysis down in the cooling systems. Carquest by me sells it, but for some reason i always have to ask them for it and tell them it's for a FORD-:t. o'well i got 8yr on my RAD using it once a year when i flush the whole system so i guess it work's OK. i've heard before about doing a ground strap from the RAD but never seen one or heard if it works, but i bet someone here knows. If it works may do it to mine.

I feel dumb asking but isn't the coolant itself conductive :confused:

Here's the 18 awg groundwire I made for the radiator. I'm using the yellow stuff I get at walmart.

For amatures watching at home, please don't place the grounding screw through the pressurized portion of your radiator - it would move electrolisis down and leakage up on the chance of failure chart.

I wonder about the reaction happening here, and if it's more chemical and not electrolisis happening. Yes, you have dissimiliar metals, but kinda like a battery, charged or discharged (like AA's) they seem to corrode regardless and seems to be more of an age related thing.

Dexcool (red) antifreeze seems to be doing okay in my system. It looked factory fresh inside when I pulled it apart last year.

Here's some of the recommendations that came along with my new rad.

Poor grounding from lighting, accesories, or EFI will turn the engine coolant into acids. The number or particles increases the ability of coolant to deterioate the core.

To test for electolysis, get a dvom set it on dc volts, engine off, negative lead to the battery - and dip the positive lead in coolant but don't touch metal. Any more than 3/10's of a volt is too much.

Be sure to flush any system as the residue will contaminate the new coolant and break down the long life additives. The red coolant has aluminum additives to prevent it's breakdown.