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Do I want Poly top or aluminium

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An aluminum top is stronger but fosters a galvanic reaction.

A Poly top might crack but avoids the galvanic reaction issue.

You have to decide which is more important to you.
 
I'd go aluminum, because then you dont have the slightest chance that it could crack and leak...honestly, that poly would have me worried in my system...

BTW, that galvanic thing, which is corrosion that can occur when aluminum and copper are both in contact with water, is a non-issue- the top is anodized.
 
corrosion caused by two dissimilar metals when mixed with water.

alum and copper.

anti corrosives in the water will prevent most of it.
 
greenman100 said:
ok, then never clean your whitewater

pelikan...what is the torque spec for a poly top?

I have a torque wrench...most do not even have that.

Point, but if you're careful about it it's not that bad. You have to handle the base exceptionally carefully when mounting anyway, so a little extra caution is worth it.
 
greenman100 said:
ok, then never clean your whitewater

pelikan...what is the torque spec for a poly top?

I have a torque wrench...most do not even have that.
I don't know the torque spec. I just tighten it carefully. My Cascade has o-rings that just need to be clamped down snug to be water-tight.
When I was a kid I used to over-torque everything- stripping bolts all the time. Over time I slowly learned to mellow out with wrenches.
 
Ok this reminded me of a quote by neomoses so I dug it up:

NeoMoses said:
All anodizing that would protect a waterblock from corrosion should be harder than steel. Get some steel wool and scratch the surface. You should not see any new scratches in the aluminum, only a nice, clean surface. If you do see that you are scratching the surface of the aluminum, there is no longer a sufficient layer of anodization to protect from corrosion.

If this is true, are you guys cleaning your waterblocks or punishing them :p?
 
pelikan said:
I don't know the torque spec. I just tighten it carefully. My Cascade has o-rings that just need to be clamped down snug to be water-tight.
When I was a kid I used to over-torque everything- stripping bolts all the time. Over time I slowly learned to mellow out with wrenches.

fair enough...didn't know if there was a set spec I could tell people

as for the scratching....why worry about it?
spend $10 and get copper
 
my maze4 has poly top... the thing is like an inch thick... mounted it tightly many times and no sign of cracking yet. poly top also look cooler and you can see whats going on inside it and when it needs cleaning =)
 
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