Finally my cooling setup | *56k incompatible*

So yeah, here I am. My system appears to be working but it could have fooled me.

- Some wannabe heatercore (I was told it was a chevett but obviously, it's not) w/ chrome barbs JB-Welded on
- Maxijet 1000 pump in marine box reservoir w/ crome barbs
- Dtek tc-4 r2 waterblock w/ polytop
- clearflex 60 tubing
- cheap distilled water from the corner store w/ a bit of rubbing alcohol





I remember when I was setting this thing up. I got home and found a package which contained my waterblock, tubing, and some other things. I was happy to finally have my hands on a real waterblock. So I went ahead and took my rig to my room and started working. I cleaned the case, rewired things, checked fans, removed my 2nd HD cage and put on my waterblock. I was quite confident in what i was doing, but I still fill that I don't have the block on there tight enough, as soon as I started the system straight to the bios to watch the temp. So it stayed at an acceptable level, a day later and here I am. This thing stays between 34c & 38c - it's running mostly distilled water with a bit of rubbing alcohol... I called myself adding this to keep out growth but knowing you guys I'll probably have to drain my system and start all over again.

Anyway I got some ADV Antifreeze from the basement and I want to add this to my system to protect against corrosion and all that good stuff. Can I just go ahead and pour the derived amount into the reservoir or should I drain it and start over.

Also my rad is on the top of my case and the tubing goes back into the system through the back of the case as you can see in the picture but the thing I am using as a shroud covers like 96% of the rad with a bit of un-processed area hanging outside of the shrouded area... any tips on this will be appreciated and so would a fan recommendation, I need something that push allot of air and of course isn't hellatiously loud.

Comments/Tips and good stuff like that are appreciated, thanks.

Nice setup there but that 90 degree at the res has to be brutal on the flow. How about some closeups of the rad setup?

Congrats!! the system looks pretty nice!

Well... If you think that you think that you didn't sit the block correctly and also want to add some anti-freeze, then might as well as just flush the system and start all over again, this time being more meticulous about everything... What kind of thermal paste are you using? maybe too much? Also, since the rad is on top you might have the issue of bubbles rising to the top(to the radiator) and staying there.

As for the shroud issue, get some plastic sheet or metal sheet and you can make it your self if you have enough time, patience

As for the fan... i think anything 30dba is loud. I have sleeping problems so if its over 30dba i usually end up destroying the computer or something.. Sooo Vantec Stealth is really quiet and pushs enough air to cool well. 53CFM @ 28DBA

Get a Tornado and headphones. Nice rig though, although the 90 degree resivoir attachments are huting you on the flow bit.

Now I think about it... I think its the bubbles cuz he saie he had good temp but a day later it rose... a day later bubbles got to the rad? just a thought

ILikeMy240sx said:

Now I think about it... I think its the bubbles cuz he saie he had good temp but a day later it rose... a day later bubbles got to the rad? just a thought

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I don't think I said that. What I mean to say is that the temps have been constantly in the mid-30's range. Never leaving that range.

I am using OCZ Ultra 2 Thermal Compound, Made with 99.9% pure micronized silver - it's pretty thick stuff.
Ok, now I have some more questions.
1) How can I flush the system well, any type of special method besides just letting the pump pump out most of the water then dumping the res and blowing out the remaining water (if possible).
2) Well how thin of a layer all we talking with the thermal compound?
3) That rad would be somewhere else but I have no other place for it to go! I wish I had the square chevett rad that can fit in the case but I haven't been able to get one and then tigerdirect ran out of the dtek pro rads by the time my order went through.
I have seen many radiators laying down on top or bolted to the top of case blow holes, why does mine have to be the one with bubble in it?
4) The 90degree is gotta stay, it's the only one I have and it lets me get the water on course. I know there are other ways of doing it but this is what I hav chosen. I can change it when I go to do the maientence but how bad could the 90degree really be?

Thanks for the advice and comments guys, I really appreciate it. I have more confidence that I can get this done right. Thanks and keep the help comming plz!

the loss in the 90 degree elbow depends on the fluid flow of your system. slow flow = little or no loss, high flow = high loss. but you want high flow because the higher the flow rate, the better the heat transfer. if you are using 1/2" dia. tubing, that little fitting causes the same losses as the water flowing through an extra 15 inches of tubing

Avoid Tiger Direct. I read some ugly things about them.

I guess I don't understand why you believe the block isn't on right, but repeat-mountings usually work out those issues. Others have mentioned the 90 degree elbow fitting. The rad's position as the highest point in the system lends itself to trapping air. You can test for that by turning off everything and tipping the case on its nose, and shaking the radiator a bit.

omaticrail said:

Avoid Tiger Direct. I read some ugly things about them.

I guess I don't understand why you believe the block isn't on right, but repeat-mountings usually work out those issues. Others have mentioned the 90 degree elbow fitting. The rad's position as the highest point in the system lends itself to trapping air. You can test for that by turning off everything and tipping the case on its nose, and shaking the radiator a bit.

Click to expand...

I'll be replacing the 90 degree fitting with a straight one, but I have to buy a new radiator in order to move from the one on the top of the case because that one is too big to go anywhere else...

Well simple but kindda tedious solution would be to shake your rad once in a while and get all the bubbles out... or rock the case back and forth and get the bubbles to get out of rad..

When we say thin we mean like at most 2 paper thickness thin

alrighty then...

update us on whats happening with your rig. GL with your plans

well I went to Advance Autoparts to look for the standard chevette heatercore, they didn't have it in stock but could order it for like $29 and get it tommorow, that would have been cool except for the price. I was told these things range between $18 and $24 - I probably should have just ordered it, but I told the guy I would come back...

So I went to autozone, they simply didn't have it and couldn't get it. I tried my local Napa store I had ment to goto in the first place but aparently they moved, left an address, but where that location is... I dunno...

So do you reccomend I order the heatercore for $29 or is there another solution?

i don't think your heater core is all that bad, what if you just moved it down behind your case, ran the pump until all the air was blead out of it and then returned it to the position it is in? as long as you're not pumping air into your system, all the air pockets should be gone until the next time you drain and re-fill it.

Does your system go pump --> heater core --> waterblock?

Ideally you want it to take that route and you want your return to be higher than your pump's intake. I cant see in your box but if you have the return lower than the pump's intake, it will recycle the bubbles and they will all congrigate in bubble heaven (for you, your radiator).

Turn your radiator over (flip it over behind the PS) and listen to the pump when you do it. You might be able to hear the bubbles as they go through the pump. If you DO hear them, you probably have a problem.

Let me know if Im off base, I dont own a water rig....yet

Nice setup, hope you like it,
and how about a closer look on the rad?

Ok, I'll check my current rad for bubble and such. I have like $50 to spend to improve this system and the weakest thing I see right now are the pump and rad lol.... I know... I thinking I may want to run the Maxijet inline... I've seen it done before so I know it can be done...

How does one get bubble out of a t-line system?

Where might I get a good deal on a better thats meant for inline use? I'll look and see if I can't save this radiator... bbl

Even if you do close off the system, bubbles tend to form somehow... similar to filling up a water jug with water and let it sit there for a while and youll start to see bubbles forming...

If you have the T-Line at the highest location of your setup, the bubbles will excape through the vertical part of the t-fitting as it passes it.

did you try napaonline?

Well I redone some of the system components last night and this afternoon. I flipped the fake shroud and now it covers like 98% of the rad rather than the 94% from before. I also drained and attempted to cleanse the system by running some water through it and then dumping it out. Then I reseated my block with a thinner layer of compound, so thin I used an xacto knife to spread it out over the core and I put it down close to maximum spring compression.

I also refueled the system with distilled water and antifreeze. By the time I was done with it all I realized I had forgot to switch the 90-degree barb for a straight one and I was not about to turn around to switch it, I was too sleepy.

So after all that work I expected to see some better temps, and I am looking at it idling at 34c ...

Although my temps aren't all that good I do feel better about the stability of the system, especially the rad, but I need a better fan for it, something that moves allot more air. And I think I want a new pump for an in-line type setup. I have the money, just gotta look around... something durable, and quiet yet is strong.

Is your rad fan the pushing or pulling? What kind of fan is that (give a model number if possible)?

I think that top fan is increasing your heat reguardless of which way its blowing. If its sucking air into the case, its trying to defy the "heat rises" theory. If its blowing out, its using the hottest air possible to cool the rad.

I like your system, to me it looks really neat. If you are going for efficiency though, I think you need to move your parts around. Maybe put the pump up top and the radiator where the pump is now? This would also make your air resevior at the highest point of the system.

I recomend panaflow fans. They seem to have the best noise to air ratio. This might not be your problem, although a push pull system will probably be quieter and increase air flow over your rad.