Radiator Plugging
Radiator Plugging
(OP)
Are cross flow radiators more prone to being plugged by sediment than down flow radiators? It seems to me that with a down flow, the sediment in the top tank (when the engine is off) would tend to settle into all of the tubes somewhat uniformly, whereas in a cross flow type, the sediment would settle to the bottoms of the both tanks and thus plug the bottom tubes.So with a down flow, all off the tubes would plug a little, but in a cross flow, the bottom tubes could completely plug with the top tubes remaining open.





RE: Radiator Plugging
At least for this one radiator, I'm postulating that tube temperature may have had a bigger influence than other factors like gravity on which tubes clogged.
I suggest that the 'all ... tubes would clog a little ...' hypothesis may be inoperative.
Mike Halloran
NOT speaking for
DeAngelo Marine Exhaust Inc.
Ft. Lauderdale, FL, USA
RE: Radiator Plugging
BTW, modern radiators in industrial engins and gen-sets use a coolant conditioner which negates a substantial amount of corrosion and sediment buildup. The conditioner package comes in a small spin-on device which resembles a spin on oil filter. It does have recommended service intervals. Also, almost all over the road semi transports have this same setup. It is not uncommon for these trucks to go 1/2 million miles on one coolant change.
When disassembling these engines, we tell the technicians to look for pitting or corrosion points on the wet-sleeves.
Franz
eng-tips, by professional engineers for professional engineers
Please see FAQ731-376 for tips on how to make the best use of Eng-Tips Fora.