[Vwdiesel] Heater Core Electrolysis question

[LBaird119 at aol.com]

  I'm sure my daughter could do better on this since she's presently 
studying ions and electrical charge.  It's been a long time since I had 
HS chem but...  The iron and aluminum have charges to their ions,  
apparently opposite.  As I recall Iron can be a +1, 2 or 3.  Don't remember 
AL but it would appear to be - or at least a differential +.  Electricity 
flows 
FROM the cathode (-) to the annode(+) (think I got those right).  The point 
would be to hinder flow from the Al to the Fe, which would take Al ions 
with it.  Not sure if ion transfer runs the same direction as electron 
flow...
First though would be that grounding the rad would short the circuit and 
stop the transfer.  It must actually make a better circuit and accelerate 
the transfer.  A sacrificial annode or cathode would stop the transfer 
providing it has a higher charge than the Al at the risk of making the 
coolant more conductive.  Of course the risk with distilled water is 
there's no alkali buffer and it will turn acidic fairly rapidly (when it 
starts 
to turn).  Coolant maintenence is more critical than most of us likely give 
it credit for.
  Yeah, I like brass and copper.  :-)
     Loren