Coolant pipes - which metal, galvanized steel?

[Extreme-Duty]

Hi everybody,

maybe this belongs in "Automotive general topics", but I may need some coolant chemical response.

Here we go:

While changing coolant in my parents' car, a Ford Galaxy Van, I realized that there are some aluminum coolant pipes to be replaced. These aluminum pipes, together with EDPM hoses and steel pipes, are used to connect the rear heat exchanger. They are not sold individually. We can get a pipe kit that contains all pieces of hosing and piping required for the exchanger. However, Ford charges more than we think we wanna pay for it.

With seamless hydraulic pipes for example, we can fix it cheaper/better. Due to their location under the underbody, the pipes are exposed to dirt, grit, water, snow, ice, salt etc. Therefore, our choice would be galvanized steel hydraulic pipes.

Are these pipes usually galvanized on the outside only?

Is it advisable to use galvanized steel components in a cooling system, or are we better off using copper pipes?

How do aluminum and copper compare in terms of mechanical properties i.e. strength, ductility, fatigue etc.?

This is just another neglected cooling system being cured.

Thanks for all your input!

Regards,

R.Wolf

 

[oilboy123]

I would think that the copper would work fine. I don't think galvanized is needed.
Strength should not be a problem in my mind with any of the metals.

Very low pressure. Steel would work fine too. If you are worried about corrosion paint them. You don't get roads salted in Germany do you? If not corrosion should not be a problem.

Maybe me bumping this will get you more answers.........

 

[Gary Allan]

Use just about anything. I've used copper ..but just for convenience. As oilboy says ..paint as needed. I think if you keep your coolant in good shape there won't be much going on on the inside. As oilboy also stated, there's no issue with pressure or whatnot. About the best mostly inert material (and cheap) that I can think of if you could find it would be nylon.