Colloidal Graphite For Radiators?

Unknown

I have been having an interesting conversation with a twenties Studebaker

enthusiast in Australia about various matters concerning these old cars. In

one of his recent emails he mentioned a product I have NEVER even heard of

before, a product that is used as a radiator antirust. The following comes

from Anthony in Sydney AU:



"As for the coolant I have given up on that horrible green rubbish that

is put out for modern, plastic cars. I have been using colloidal graphite

for a number of years and my cooling systems are absolutely clean and rust

free. Even the Humbers (and they have a lot of aluminium in the systems)

have ceased to give trouble. Graphite (being carbon) is not going to give

corrosive by-products when exposed to exhaust gasses, either."



In a follow-up email he elaborated:



"The stuff that I use should be available in your part of the world

because it is made by an American company - Acheson. The particular product

from them is called Aquadag. I have found no bad habits at all. I have it in

my modern car (1975) and have done 200,000 km with it in the system and the

water is crystal clear. Initially the water goes black (a friend of mine who

has a 1929 Dodge calls it 'aboriginal water') but after a few months it goes

clear and stays that way. I have it in 3 Humbers and 1



Studebaker (as well as my Escort). It lubes the water pump, stops corrosion

in the cast iron, aluminium and radiator core. I have found no bad habits at

all. It is a bit pricey because of the minimum quantity that you have to buy

but it is well worth it.





When I took the head off one of the Humbers after the Aquadag had been in

for a year or so I found clean, shiny cast iron inside the water passages,

not rust or scale like I expected. The only explanation that I can come up

with is perhaps the graphite gets absorbed into the pores of the cast iron

(maybe as ferric carbide - non corrosive - or some such compound) and stays

put. I don't know but it works."



Has anyone any experience with this stuff? Does anybody know where we

might purchase it? The website for the company that makes it is:



http://www.achesonindustries.com/



click on the Lubricant Additives button and when the next page loads, hit the

Aquadag button to get specific technical information.



What do you think of this stuff? It sure sounds good to me, and I'm

inclined to try the Aquadag if I can find it.







Paul O'Neil, Hudson29@aol.com

NEW email list for Hudson Super Six Cars, 1916-1929!

http://www.onelist.com/subscribe/HudsonSuperSix16-29

1926 Hudson Anderson Bodied Coupe

1926 Hudson Parts Car "The Grapes Of Wrath"

1928 Hudson Roadster Project

1929 Hudson Town Sedan

1939 Cadillac Coupe (How'd that get in there?)

Fullerton, California USA

AEROMARK - Need Rubber Stamps or Signs? See:

http://www.aeromark.net