Salt and Aluminium

[rayjay]

I would like to pick this group's brains. Has anyone used one of the ceramic coatings, i.e. Jet Hot, HPC, etc., to protect AL from salt and/or other corrosion? I remember AL intake manifolds that had a brass lined water passage, but haven't seen them in years. Would a hot coating inside and out of a AL intake work?

Has anyone converted their classic to a closed cooling system using a heat exchanger? If so, did it (does it) work? Did you use one of the larger ones designed for a BBC? How was it plumbed?

I live in the New York City area and end up almost always in salt or brackish water. I am building an engine that has a lot of AL pieces on it and am looking at how best to protect it. I have been looking at using AL heads for their ability keep the combustion chamber cool. It will have an air to water intercooler on it, and would like to plumb at least that with fresh water. Any help would be appreciated.

[Forrest]

I HIGHLY recommend a fresh water closed cooling system for your classic . . . but wait until you build your new engine and replace everything that's had salt water run through it. On my 1977 X-18 with the 383sbc/TRS, I used a heat exchanger and thermostat housing from a "full" fresh water cooled Mercruiser 260hp (350 cid). I even went as far as to fresh-water cooled the aluminum GIL exhaust manifolds. The only thing that raw water comes in contact with is stainless-steel, brass/bronze, and rubber. As small as heat exchangers are, it's amazing how much cooling capacity they have, but be sure to size the heat exchanger for your engine correctly. Check out Sen-Dure Products, Inc. (http://www.sen-dure.com) for more info.

Down here in the hot-as-hell south, I use about 30% anti-freeze, a bottle of Red-Line Water Wetter, and distilled water. I did the same thing on my 1972 16 Donzi as well, but I only have a "half" system (the aluminum Kodiak exhaust system is still raw water cooled) on that boat. Depending on where you live, you may need to use more anti-freeze than I do, but always remember to drain the raw water out of the heat exchanger in the winter and you still need to remember to flush the sea water out of the exchanger and lines after every outing.

ON a side note, I took off work this morning to put my X-18 in the water and take it for a shake down run. I have about a half-and hour of running time on it in the drive way, and man does it sound sweet! Well, I didn't even get away from the boat ramp. Water in the damn gas tank . . and now fuel pump, carburetor, and lines. Oh, I just love it. This boat hasn't been in the water for over seven years, nor has it had any gas in it's tank either. I figured that it had to have some condensation in the tank and for that reason, I recently pumped out what I though was all of the water - about three gallons! Like an idiot, I stopped pumping when I started to draw gasoline. Gasoline is difficult to get rid of. So smart me goes down to the local gas station and toped her up with almost 25 gals of 93. I figured that I would dilute the remaining gallon or two or three with fresh gas and just change the spin-on filter after running through the first tank. Mistake number one. On the good side, it's an aluminum tank, so most likely it not corroded out from the inside. On the bad side, now I have all of this gasoline to deal with. I figured that could remove the sending unit and suck out the water with a battery-drill powered pump, but I know that since the tank is full, as soon as I remove the sending unit, there will be gasoline running out all over the place. DANGER Will Robinson! Put that 'smoke away! I may be able to pull most of the water out through the tank pickup, but I'll bet you that there will be a enough water left in the tank below the pickup level to still cause problems again. I guess that I will have to suck out as much as I can through the pickup and then maybe, it will be somewhat safe to remove the sending unit to attempt the suck out the water that remains. As always guys, I'm open to suggestions as to how I can make this job safer and easier. Any suggestions?

------------------
Forrest

[This message has been edited by Forrest (edited 08-21-2000).]

[gerry]

Go to MSTinc.net and check their flushing system. I am installing one on Zero Cavity. Even close systems will benefit.
If you call the company ask for Doug and let him know Dr.Santiago refered you.I am trying to get the company to sponsor Zero Cavity.

[GEOO]

RayJay, Several intake manufactures make marine grade intakes with copper liners to protect the aluminum. I run a closed cooling system on my X-18, works great!!( Aluminum intake & heads). I think there are some photo's in the Tech section(Arneson Project).

Forest, Dry Gas can help get the last bit of water out. GEOO

[This message has been edited by GEOO (edited 08-22-2000).]

[This message has been edited by GEOO (edited 08-22-2000).]

[This message has been edited by GEOO (edited 08-22-2000).]

[OceanCommotion]

I was just going to say that, GEOO- a little bit of dry gas (isopropyl) goes a long way. A couple of bottles have done the trick for me more than once.

Not sure how much water is in there, but I'd give that a shot before going through the hassle of pumping everything out.

[rayjay]

Thanks to everybody for their replies. Keep them coming. I am learning a lot, and I think most of this information is useful for everyone. I will be running a closed fresh water (okay - with anti-freeze and water wetter) system. When it comes time to size the heat exchanger I'm sure everyone here will be very helpful. Also by then I will have completed the engine and run it on a dyno, and will have a real good idea of the power and heat it will be putting out.

But what I am gathering is that no one seems to have any experience, good or bad, with ceramic coatings. Guess I will end up being the guinea pig on this. I have some experience with using coatings in and on the race engines we build for motorcycles, but no experience about using coatings for protection from salt water and air.

Now, does anyone have any experience with turbos and fuel injection? rj

[GEOO]

RayJay, I run Speed Pro's new ECU for my Fuel injection with a wide band O2 sensor. My 434ci small block dyno'd out at 543.93 ftlbs@ 4800 & 575 hp @ 6100 would make over 600 if rev'd more, with my Stainless Marine Exhaust and accessories. Funny thing is, we took off the Thottle body, put on a carb with a 1" spacer and the engine made 567.84 ftlbs @ 5000 & 601.59 hp @ 6314rpms. I think I might try a spacer under my throttle body. I'll post the dyno sheets.

http://albums.photopoint.com/j/View?u=1265596&a=9365167&p=30609284

http://members.xoom.com/gdesmond/434DYNO.htm
GEOO



[This message has been edited by GEOO (edited 01-01-2001).]