Bad pump?

[chillincool]

I recently drained my system and added a few more components to my loop. After hooking everything back up I refilled it with water and started bleeding/leak testing. Everything was fine and there was no leaks, but about 15-20 minutes in my pump made a very high pitched noise almost like a dog whistle. It then turned into a clicking noise which then turned into a grinding/blaaaaaargh noise. The pump is a MC655.

Here is a pic of my setup:
http://img29.imageshack.us/img29/4222/pumpb.jpg
By chillin (http://profile.imageshack.us/user/chillin), shot with KODAK DX4530 ZOOM DIGITAL CAMERA (http://profile.imageshack.us/camerabuy.php?model=KODAK+DX4530+ZOOM+DIGITAL+CAME RA&make=EASTMAN+KODAK+COMPANY) at 2009-07-28

I am aware that I probably need a second pump for this much tubing, but my question is: did I somehow run the pump dry by having more than it could handle? I tried turning it on after, and it runs for about 3 minutes before it starts clicking again, so I'm at a loss for what's wrong. Is this problem something fixable, or should I send it back for a new one (and probably buy a mc355 to help out)?

[hokiealumnus]

You know...do you have an aftermarket top on the pump? (sorry, can't see the photo from work). My MCP355 did that...very high-pitched sound and then seized, it sounded and looked like the impeller was rubbing on the top. It was really weird and has only happened once. I drained the loop and reseated my XSPC res top and it hasn't happened since. Tightened the same as before and installed in the same direction so I wrote it off as a fluke.

If you have a clear top (don't even know if they make those for the MCP655), look at the impeller and see if it seizes when the noise happens. If not, try reseating your top.

I'm not positive on this, but I believe if you want to run series pumps, you should probably use the same pump so the specs will be as similar to each other as possible. At least that's what Spawn does. ;)

[chillincool]

No custom top for me. I can't see the impeller without taking it apart, but maybe it's worth taking it apart and looking? Though if I do that, I'll just buy a top.

Yeah I was thinking I may have to run 2 of the same pump too. Don't think I've ever seen anybody running 2 different ones. Space is an issue though =(

[schmide]

Sounds (literally) like a blown capacitor, but the gargling noise kind of discounts that.

[Diggrr]

Since you added new components, I'd be tempted to believe that there was a bit of debris left in one of the components that worked it's way down into the pump.
I would drain the system, and open the pump for an inspection.
Drain the water into a clear bowl and check that against a white background too.

I've seen swarf from the machining process left behind too many times not to inspect all new parts on the inside.

[chillincool]

Thanks for the advise. I tried draining and taking the pump apart 3 times with no effect. I then took both my radiators out and rinsed them out with boiling water 5 times each and that seems to have done the trick. I'm just glad it was this and not something that was going to make me have to pay for another $85 pump. Consequently, I'm now a pro at draining and can do it without spilling a drop now...lol.

[Diggrr]

You had a buildup of sorts in your radiators? Are you using distilled water? Dye?
Curiouser and curiouser.

Just info to help another person down the line...I'm here often. :)

[chillincool]

Using distilled water with pt nuke. Both the radiators were new so that's why I rinsed them out.

If anybody's curious, this setup didn't work for me. My cpu would heat up to 90C within 20 seconds of the computer turning on with no overclock. When I took everything but the cpu out of the loop my temps went back to acceptable levels. There were no kinks, so the only thing I can guess if that I need another pump.

[Giz]

Somethings wrong with your loop somewhere. Can you post a diagram or drawing, and flow direction? It's hard to tell from the pic. There's pipes everywhere! I'm guessing the resevoir is at the top right of the case in a drive bay? Where do the pipes run too at the bottom right next to the pump?

I've got the 655 pump and it's powerful. I'd be surprised if you needed two of them. How many Y's and splits are in the loop?

[Spawn-Inc]

Somethings wrong with your loop somewhere. Can you post a diagram or drawing, and flow direction? It's hard to tell from the pic. There's pipes everywhere! I'm guessing the resevoir is at the top right of the case in a drive bay? Where do the pipes run too at the bottom right next to the pump?

I've got the 655 pump and it's powerful. I'd be surprised if you needed two of them. How many Y's and splits are in the loop?

there are no Y's or splits in the loop that i can see, which there shouldn't be anyhow.

loop order, to me, looks like

bay res>pump>120mm(or 220mm) rad>CPU>mosfet>mosfet>n/b>220mm rad>gpu2>gpu1>back to bay res.

while i run dual pumps for my loop (sig) i don't need to, i have the second pump so why not and it's also incase 1 dies.

[Giz]

So the top pipe from the pump goes to an internal rad at the bottom of the pc case? OK.
I can't see any Y's either but they could screw up your flow if fitted in the wrong places, like bypassing the cpu.

while i run dual pumps for my loop (sig) i don't need to, i have the second pump so why not and it's also incase 1 dies.
Nice to have a spare, but I would say the 655 pump wasn't the cause of his high CPU temps, and they are £70 each! I'd look for problems in the loop before shelling out on a second pump...

[Spawn-Inc]

Nice to have a spare, but I would say the 655 pump wasn't the cause of his high CPU temps, and they are £70 each! I'd look for problems in the loop before shelling out on a second pump...

no, i was just saying that for me since i had dual loops before i had 2 mcp655's so rather then just use 1, which can do it, it made more sense for me to put both in my loop.