Mounting a Heater Core in Mid-tower!??!?

[Scottland]

I am seriously considering a Watercooling rig within the next few weeks...the only thing that is holding me back is where would i mount a radiator??
I have an Antec Ks282 Mid-tower case ( similar to the SX1030B)

Where could i find room to mount a 7" heater core??

Any suggestions, or personal experiences?

or am i stuck getting a full tower?

[Bender]

Is there any room in the lower front of the case? I'm not exactly fermiliar with the case so I'm not shure. I have a Dangerden Cube in a mid tower so I know it can be done. You may have to modify some of your drive bays to fit. You can always cut a 120mm hole in the top of your case and mount the radiator there. Be creative and see what works for you. I'm shure there is room in that case.

[f155mph]

How big is it? You just said 7", what are the other measurements? I got a 12x6x2 and I mount it inside the case. But I got a cube case with lots of room. You might want to mount it outside of the case, on top maybe. Make a bracket out electrical box or something to mount it.

[Scottland]

see im not sure if there is enough room for a rad in the front...
it looks like there might be... but i measured with a ruler...and might be coming up short... it is 7" from the bottom to the drive cage and 6" in width kinda cutting it close

the top is out of the question... i have two long drives (dvd & cdrw) and my psu is big too...there is no room for a 120mm fan i doubt there is even room for a 60mm fan......

i don't think i could mount it to the bottom either cause i have a full sive mobo.... and heater cores are at least 6" in width. and my case is the same

either way... i still think i have a good shot of fitting one in the front of the case..

Here is a pic of the case

What do you think?

[GoldenTiger]

Try this:

Cut out a piece of paper to the measurements of the core.

See what ways it could be fit in there. Try diagonals, or in an emergency maybe removing a drive cage. Maybe mount it onto one of the walls of the case even off of a few poles and then fans on both sides. The easiest way would be to put it diagonally, though it would need to be secured so it didn't crash into a component :eek:.

Perhaps remove the front fan mount and put the heatercore w/fans there, a little diagonal so it fits.

Look around with the piece of paper... you'll figure something out.

[Krusty]

You don't have all 3 of the 5 1/4" bays taken up, do you? Perhaps you could move the drives down so the top bay is exposed. Then you could mount the heater core on top of the case and would have room for a 120mm fan on the inside. This is similar to the plan I am working on. I just bought a case similar to the antec sx1040B and a 172mm fan to go along with it. Lets hope I have some success...

[Scottland]

i only have 3 5 &1/2 bays and i use 2 of them... so that would leave very little room at the top

Goldern tiger.. great tip with the piece of paper... i can perfectly fit a radiator that is 7 1/8 x 6 1/8 or smaller

so now im off to www.heatercore4u.com to find a car that used a heater core that size :) thanks for the advice all... oh just one last question ( and i know people ask it a lot)

I don't feel like spending much money... so knowing that will a maxi jet 1200 pump get the job done.....or should i stick with ehiem ( im leaning towards the maxi jet)

[fuzzba11]

As a side note, don't forget that you can always mount things *outside* your case! I'm in the process of finishing up a several gallon water resevoir which is stuck to the right panel of my case, with a smallish bong sticking up out the top!

[Scottland]

yeah i know... but i really want it all to be internal...

BTW i found my heater core

1980 Chevette heater core 6"x 6 1/8" x 2"
Costs $16.99 at auto zone!!!!
perfect :)

now throw in a DD maze 2 and a maxi jet 1200 and i'll be done

:D :D :D :D

[GoldenTiger]

Avoid the MaxiJet like the plague. They have a high failure rate and aren't very good. If you want to save money over an Eheim, get a Danner Magdrive pump. It's about $50 in any local store for a 700gph model (much less for lower gph; you don't need 700 unless you're doing a bong, you'd probably want about 250-400 ideally for a rad setup), and $5 for plumber's goop. Why the goop? They are known for having leaks near the screwholes and sometimes on the front. Seal them up with the goop and it's as good as an Eheim. They're a bit noisier than an Eheim, though, you can modify it by gluing the impeller to the shaft (they spin seperately and hit eachother, making a rattle otherwise) which takes all of 5 minutes to do and is VERY easy (it's about as difficult as typing the word Pump on your keyboard :)). Glad we could help you out!

[hitin10s]

I have that same case and I'm about to put in a watercooling setup. I found a radiator that is 6x6x2 and I'm gonna put in the lower front. I'll post some pics when I finish.