whats this fuzz growing in my new radiator?

[rotorwrench]

No mater how pure the water is, it has no anti corrosion or anti fungal properties at all. Aluminum is a dissimilar metal to the radiator and the block. With no protection in the coolant, fungus can grow. Spores can come from the air so it doesn't matter how clean the parts or coolant is.

I'd recommend at least running a water soluble oil in there but just plain old anti-freeze would protect it about as well as anything.

[Bigjohnson]

I used stainless tubes had well water in mine only for a short time no problem

[JSeery]

Water is a solvent and fairly reactive. Add in different metals and you end up with what you have. The water needs some type of treatment/conditioner in it, which most anti-freezes have. But you can add them separate from the anti-freeze if your not wanting to run it for some reason. But straight water is not a good idea as you can see.

[paul2748]

As was suggested above, use distilled water with the anti-freeze if the local water has lots of stuff in it.

[tubman]

Seeing that you're in Minnesota, I would think anti-freeze would be a good idea for a couple of reasons.

[50fordcoupeman]

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Just curious............why wouldn't everyone run a 50/50 mix of antifreeze year around??

[Tinker]

If you are in an area that never freezes. You can use straight water. I ran near 50/50 in mid state Florida. Sometimes less.

[cas3]

i always run water first in a new installation to make sure nothing leaks (i hate antifreeze on the floor), and as an added bonus you get to flush out any junk once more before filling with antifreeze for the final fill. in this case, time got away from me. i work 65 hour weeks in summer, and did not think it would be this long until the water got changed, and...really, electrolysis should have crossed my mind, i am aware of problems with aluminum heads, although i have never had any except on my modern junk which gets antifreeze. my aluminum tubes will clean up to be usable, but surely stainless would be better. sadly, the big scrap yard nearest to me put on a "no shopping" policy a few years ago. i used to go there and walk out with as much stainless tubing as you could carry for 10 or 20 bucks. all the dairy industry here makes for a lot of nice scrap, nuts, bolts, washers, elbows and tubing. some weld on, some pipe thread. i have built many stainless exhaust systems for penny's on the dollar, but no more in the modern world

[Tinker]

Cas3, send me a pm. Think I know some dudes maybe around your area. I go to the local scrap/dump here and see too many things I can do things with. Besides the dozen snowblower engines a total frame and street gocart. Good things to f with any way.

[rotorwrench]

At least run something like Waterwetter. Some of the folks on the HAMB use the stuff when they don't want anti-freeze. https://www.redlineoil.com/waterwetter