About to ditch air...

All right, so I've finally got (mostly) all the pieces I need to make the dive.

I somehow managed to get a really, really good deal on a Lytron MCS20 a while back and have been looking to build a loop out of the thing. Full information on it here.
The important part is that the pump is an Iwaki WMD30RLZ.
Less important is the radiator and some monstrous 115v fan that looks like it will make my brain bleed out of my ears.
I've been meaning to build a loop with this unit, however I have been intimidated by it as well with nightmarish imaginings of leaks or tubing collapses.

Finally, I just got an MCW6000 (thanks VballCoach) and am ready to start building the loop, with the ultimate intent of cooling the chipset, gpu, hdds, mosfets, psu, coffee, etc..
Seriously, according to the specs on the MCS20 it is made to handle up to a 1300 watt cooling capacity, and the flow rate doesn't drop below 1 gpm until 12 psi. So why not throw a bunch of blocks in the loop?

Which brings me to the next issue: tubing. Quite simply, with this monster of a cooling unit, what kind of tubing should I spring for?
The unit has a 3/8" FNPT outlet, and a 1/2" FNPT inlet. I could just get couple of fittings with 1/2" barbs and get some tygon, but what about collapses?
Should I be looking into reinforced tygon tubing?
I don't think a single MCW6000 is going to be too hard for the pump in this thing to handle.

Am I on the right track here, or is this MCS20 just going to give me a big headache?

For what it's worth I'm setting up my first loop right now, and I think the 5/8" OD Tygon I'm using is crap when compared to the 3/4" OD. The 3/4 fat wall tubing is so much more resistant to kinking I think it's worth the "hassle" that a lot of people complain about. Even with anti-kink coils the 5/8" tubing can kink fairly easily, you have to get the coils positioned just right. The 3/4" tubing with kink coils can make insanely tight bends with no worries of kinking.

Okay, so I think I'm down to either Tygon Silver or Tygon Pressure tubing unless anyone has any other suggestions. Might as well order several feet of both and see which works better for now...

Clearflex 60... less then half the price and same stuff. I have some here i use and love it.
http://jab-tech.com/Clearflex-Tube-c-318.html

Pics of mine

Suprchargd said:

For what it's worth I'm setting up my first loop right now, and I think the 5/8" OD Tygon I'm using is crap when compared to the 3/4" OD. The 3/4 fat wall tubing is so much more resistant to kinking I think it's worth the "hassle" that a lot of people complain about. Even with anti-kink coils the 5/8" tubing can kink fairly easily, you have to get the coils positioned just right. The 3/4" tubing with kink coils can make insanely tight bends with no worries of kinking.

Click to expand...

Agreed I love the thick wall Tygons and usually buy it over any sort of tubing when I have the chance. The 3/4'' OD is just easier to work with especially when you don't like the looks of coils.

Ya I also use the Clearflex, its good stuff my 3rd loop using it.

Ok, so the test run didn't go so well.
The MCS20 has a 3/8" FNPT outlet and a 1/2" FNPT inlet, so I was hoping to find a 3/8" NPTM to 1/2" barb and a 1/2" to 1/2". Found a brass 1/2" to 1/2", but no luck on the 3/8", which I kludged with a 3/8" male to 1/2" female adapter and a second 1/2" to 1/2". Unfortunately, when I started the loop up on a test run, it sprung a leak at the adapter fitting. Which was my weakest link guess as well, so I ordered the correct part online, and am just going to have to find something to do until it gets here.

For now I just went with some ghetto reinforced tubing, but I'll probably order several feet of tygon silver on Monday.

Hopefully the next time I test the loop, it won't spring a leak at the fittings...

The fitting showed up today, I put the test loop back together, and so far it hasn't dribbled all over the floor liked a scared dog. Full of win!
On the downside, the fan on this thing is uncomfortably loud. Looks I'm going to have to get a pot or resistor to turn down the juice on the fan at some point.

Can't juice down an AC fan. It will 'brownout', overheat and be very inefficient. Just get a case fan, delta etc or something else.