Anti-freeze May Cause . Trouble with Leaks
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Some War-time Materials Used in Certain Classes of Anti-freeze May Exercise a. Cleansing Effect in Radiators and Water Jackets and _Thus Promote Leakage
By
Denis F. Pilkington,
Transport Officer, Lancashire Associated Collieries.
tHINK that a little warning requires to be given with regard to certain war-time anti-freeze.
Six particular brands have been passed by the Ministry of Supply, for sale. In connection with these I notice that it is stated that official approval carries no guarantee from the Ministry of Supply, but that it indicates that the brands mentioned have been tested on behalf of the Ministry, and found to be effective, with certain limits, as well as containing no ingredients prone to be harmful to the engine or radiator under normal operating conditions.
In the past we have had some experience of antifreeze mixtures; and in every case had them analysed by a chemist before using them. This time, feeling we were safe on the Ministry of Supply's approval and our chemist's test, we inserted one of these materials in 150 of our lorries—for the remainder we got hay-boxes. The result has been that we have had an increase of trouble.
In some cases there is a white incrustation on many parts of the engine, quite apart from the " mess" entailed when a slight leak drops into the fan blast.
• The supplier of this particular anti-freeze assumes that such an incrustation on any part of the radiator or cooling system indicates a leakage which may not have been previously noticed on account of its' small size.
All I can say is that biter having given this statement, and our troubles, due and careful consideration, I feel absolutely convinced that before using this liquid we did not have the large number of leaks which we havenow.
Were Exposed Leaks All Old?
I quite agree that by leaving a white incrustation it shows up a leak which was in existence prior to its use, but apart from that, there is something else which is unsolved. We have experienced two or three times the number of water-jacket side-plate failures. These are found to be punctured in a number of places. (The vehicles we are using are Morris-Commercials.) We are also having trouble With the radiators, and undersland that a repair garage in the Bolton area is having trouble with A.E.C. radiators where this same liquid is being used. The white incrustation is also showing up along the outside edge of the cylinder-head gasket. Some of these may not have been as tight as they should have been, but in others I feel there is some other kind of action.
I was all the more encouraged to use this liquid when I saw in the Press a statement that its effect on the metals in the cooling system is now generally less than is experienced with ordinary tap water, and •that the
maker of a famouscar has confirmed this point and has approved it for use in its products.
Before using the liquid we had it chemically tested, but since the trouble we have had it specially, tried out with various materials, including rubber waterpump glands, graphite-asbestos glands, cork gaskets, copper-faced cork-insert gaskets, and rubber water hose. All these were kept at 90 degrees C. in a 50-50 solution of the liquid and water for three 8i-hour periods during the day. During the night intervals the solutions were cold.
Tests.Showed No Corrosion The result was that no appreciable loss, in weight occurred and there was no visible corrosive action. The asbestos washer commenced to disintegrate and the cork gasket seemed to become more brittle. The aluminium plate was unaffected. A test plate of cast iron, bound to a piece of copper foil and boiled for 81 hours, lost weight slightly, 3 mg. on 4 sq. ins. This, although apPreciable, would be obtained,and may be _exceeded, in distilled water. The copper foil was unaffected. • The results of these tests back up the manufacturer's statement, but did not get us any farther. The chemist stated that sodium acetate reduces the surface tension. of water, and therefore the solution tend p to wet metals easier, and it appears to have a cleaning action on materials.
The above would be a reason, to my mind, for leaks appearing in places where water did not leak previously, such as at the cylinder-head gasket, but I would like to know if it be seeping through in the same manner to the cylinder bore when the engine is cold and not running. It is also possible that previous action on metals is revealed by the solution removing old deposits"c of foreign matter and the results of corrosion.
With regard to the side-plate trouble which, we are having, we have one case with about 30 holes and where there is no great corrosion on the inside, but where the tinning seems to have been worn off by some action, following which intense local action has taken place, but as the chemist pointed out, it is doubtful whether this action could occur in such a short period as two or three weeks. I am wondering whether the manufacturer of the vehicle could tell us whether the tinning .is of .the same quality and thIckness as pre-war.
I am writing these notes to serve as a warning to operators that they may not find everything "safe and sound" just because they have inserted an anti-freeze. I have felt that time and the frost period presses, and it has been impossible to get completely to the bottcm of the trouble before writing this article.