Water Jacket Inside Coating????

[34LaSalleClubSedan]

Any thoughts on some type of coating that could be painted on the inside of a 1920's steel water jacket. The steel water jacket looks good on the outside with the original paint, but lots of pitting on the inside. My car is a survivor car and I don't want to paint the outside of the plate. I did bead blast the inside. I am having a new metal distribution plate made to replace the rusted out plate.

It would have to be some type of coating that would not flake off and cause troubles in my radiator.  Perhaps I shouldn't worry about it and watch to see if it springs a leak rather than risk a coating that won't adhere???

Thanks, Jim

 

[Spinneyhill]

Anti-freeze, or an anti-corrosion additive for your coolant.

[Cabnut]

How about having the inside powder coated. I believe not much attacks that.

[old car fan]

Bill Hersh sealer

[Mark Shaw]

8 hours ago, 34LaSalleClubSedan said:

Perhaps I shouldn't worry about it

Corrosion inhibitors in modern antifreeze works well when it is refreshed at the recommended intervals.

 

[Rusty_OToole]

 I don't know how you could paint or coat the inside of the water jacket in the usual way. Only thing that comes to mind is using a rust inhibitor in the cooling water, or antifreeze that has rust inhibitor in it. Or sealing the inside with sodium silicate (water glass). There are compounds you can buy at auto parts stores for this, usually sold to seal up leaky head gaskets.

[Stude Light]

Personally I would skip the coating and ensure you run coolant with a good corrosion inhibitor as mentioned by others. I forsee any coating coming off and doing bad things.

 

I assume this is just a small area of your cooling system so any reduction in heat transfer would not be of concern. If you were looking at sloshing the coolant jackets of an engine block with some type of coating then you would be greatly reducing heat transfer ability of your coolant system.

Scott

[Grimy]

I agree that you should not coat (heating and cooling cycles will break it loose) but I would treat the inside with Ospho or similar, THEN be sure to use a good anti-corrosion additive.

[zepher]

What about running Evaporust through the system as others have recommended and then just use a good anti-corrosion additive?

[Spinneyhill]

7 hours ago, Stude Light said:

some type of coating then you would be greatly reducing heat transfer ability of your coolant system. 

I am doubtful about this. The coating thickness is tiny so there is almost no attenuation of thermal conduction, assuming the coating has a lower coefficient of thermal conductivity than the substrate.

[Stude Light]

15 hours ago, Spinneyhill said:

I am doubtful about this. The coating thickness is tiny so there is almost no attenuation of thermal conduction, assuming the coating has a lower coefficient of thermal conductivity than the substrate.

Actually a paint with high thermal conductivity, such as one containing titanium dioxide, will improve heat transfer but I was considering a slosh (like fuel tank slosh) which will have a negative effect as it is typically a thermal insulator and can have a fairly high coating thickness. I agree that just painting would probably be negligible. 

 

Just wanted OP to consider potential negative effects, depending on what his intended plan was. Re-reading...maybe this is just a water jacket cover so it doesn't really matter.

 

For a corrosion inhibitor, I've had really good success with a product called No-Rosion which I added to just straight water for coolant. It also works well with glycol based coolants. I chose water, besides being the best heat transfer fluid, any leaks or overheating would not compromise my paint. Running it in a 1923 car with mixture of copper, brass, steel and aluminum in cooling system and it still looks like the day I put it in 3 years ago.

Edited June 11, 2019 by Stude Light (see edit history)

[34LaSalleClubSedan]

Thanks everyone for your comments. I am not going to put a coating on the inside of the water jacket. I'll use corrosion inhibitors in modern antifreeze and hope the metal of the water jacket doesn't have any pin holes. That was my only concern. Also, here is a pic of my car taken on July 4th 1931 when the car was 6 years old. The man driving the car is my great-uncle Gilman of Glenwood , Minnesota. Thanks again everyone. Jim

[Stude Light]

13 hours ago, 34LaSalleClubSedan said:

Also, here is a pic of my car taken on July 4th 1931 when the car was 6 years old. The man driving the car is my great-uncle Gilman of Glenwood , Minnesota. Thanks again everyone. Jim

Very cool. Having the history is worth way more than just the car.  Thanks for sharing.

Scott

[jrbartlett]

Now that's a great-looking roadster. I have a '29 Super 8, and it's amazing how similar it is to the mid-20s Packards. Good-driving cars.