TC-4 AL top ate itself

Chaos Snake · Nov 30, 2003

Came home from work and went to jump on the computer, when the monitor came up I had a Win XP error message. Looked at my temps and they were climbing fast. Killed the power and started checking out my water cooling system, and found that i was ggetting no flow. after testing the dffrent parts, i brike open my waterblock and this is what I found. From what I can fugure the coating on the AL top (can rember whats its called) had a flaw and the copper reacted with it and gummed up the whild block. After cleaning it up a bit I gave up cause there are huge pits in the top and I don't feel it will seal right again.

http://www.villagephotos.com/viewpubimage.asp?id_=6675030

before cleaning

http://www.villagephotos.com/viewpubimage.asp?id_=6675031

after a bit of cleaning

sandman001 · Nov 30, 2003

WOW, dude that's some insane corrosion.

contact D-tek with the photos, and tell them you need an RMA. It's supposed to be anodized.

wannaoc · Nov 30, 2003

Pics don't work for me.

EluSiOn · Nov 30, 2003

bigger pics plz... this now look as hoax maybe... sorry I have to question ya this way... give us more info.... if you are right... dtek is in trouble...

I never heard dtek tc4 rev2 had this kinda problem and many people are using tc4 out there....

there is battery effects definately but this is way too much....

give us more detailed pics.... and also did you use any water addictives at all?

zip22 · Nov 30, 2003

pics don't work for me either

johan851 · Nov 30, 2003

Pics work for me...looks like freaking toothpaste or something. Bigger pics would be nice.

Diggrr · Nov 30, 2003

EluSiOn said:
. this now look as hoax maybe.

I didn't see anything to prompt that...

I'd like to know what kind of additives you were using also. Was it the stuff that DTek recommends/sells? I'd also re-read their page to see if they do recommend using corrosion inhibitor, cause if they do, and you didn't, you be SOL for RMA my friend (that would bite).

ILikeMy240sx · Nov 30, 2003

I dont see any reason why this would be a hoax but man... Thank goodness you came home just in time.

Thats some ugly *** corrosion. *sigh* how unfortunate. Yes I would like to know what kind of coolant you were using and for how long

MameXP · Nov 30, 2003

True tell me your coolant mixture percentage, and how long. THis would give us some idea when we should clean our block

JFettig · Nov 30, 2003

well first of all, it shouldnt have coroded at all, For the most part it looks like a nasty hard water deposit. Its kinda strange how it clogged and looks gooey. Some larger pictures would be very helpful.

Jon

BillA · Nov 30, 2003

"well first of all, it shouldnt have coroded at all"
not true at all, the top is NOT made of a 'non-corrosive' material; the only basis for the above statement

understand what anodizing is, a coating
a coating will delay the attack of corrosion, not preclude it

what is needed with any aluminum component is corrosion inhibition
inhibition plus anodizing work very well
- in fact with a good inhibitor no anodizing is even necessary

that top is 'normal' for a WCing system containing aluminum that has been run without an inhibitor

be cool

wilhelm310 · Nov 30, 2003

OMG Now im scared lol i'll keep an eye on mine

BillA · Nov 30, 2003

you afraid for the aluminum parts in your car's engine ?
no biggie

just USE a corrosion inhibitor
always,
even for a 'quickie leak test'

be cool

wilhelm310 · Nov 30, 2003

Ya i was just kidding lol

Korndog · Nov 30, 2003

yep, BillA is right, i just read about anodizing at school and how effective it is.
btw, i know there are articles about this, but Bill, what ratio would you recommend for coolant/water. I have a blue anodized top on my nemisis block (i also heard blue is the least effective, doh!).
thanks

ILikeMy240sx · Nov 30, 2003

anything above 25% should be fine. Cars use 50%.

Al_Capown · Nov 30, 2003

Ouch. Hope this doesn't happen when I put together my first water setup

Korndog · Nov 30, 2003

i think i've got around there, i had 50% to start out with, mixed some water, not a lot.
Also.. i used tap water.. that should be a problem right? :-/

i had a alum/copper set up when i first started WC, i used tap water with purple ice (i thought it was an inhibitor.. i was dumb dammit, still in high school.. erm still dumb.. graahh...*stands in a corner*)

Spanko · Nov 30, 2003

lol yeah it was the tap water Id say, you should have let everyone know in the first post, i never tried to run with tap water but thats what i imagine would happen..

Korndog · Nov 30, 2003

tap water didn't do anything to my rigs, atleast not that i know of
think u got me confused with the orginal thread's problem
sorry about going off topic :-/

TC-4 AL top ate itself

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