• Welcome to Overclockers Forums! Join us to reply in threads, receive reduced ads, and to customize your site experience!

Primochill LRT doesnt work with BP Compressions

Overclockers is supported by our readers. When you click a link to make a purchase, we may earn a commission. Learn More.

dyckah

Member
Joined
Jan 9, 2005
hey, just a warning, the most recent tubing i got does not work with the same sized bitspower compression fittings i also recently got.
1/2" ID, 3/4" OD Primochill LRT Red tube, and Bitspower 1/2"ID 3/4"OD black compression fittings.
anyone else had this issue?
i contacted PerformancePCs about it, they told me theres nothing they can do about it, as tube size is more of a rough estimate, rather than an exact measure, so try and contact Primochill about it, see if they will do anything for me.
i have contacted Primochill about it, still waiting to hear back from them.
anyone else here had issues with the tube not fitting in compression fittings? when i stretch the tube onto the barb part of the compression, the tube actually stretches out to 15/16" and i just cant get the outer part of the compression fitting to thread on.
IMG_20150324_221050.jpg
IMG_20150324_220545.jpg

as close as i can get the threads.
IMG_20150324_220616.jpg
 
Yup, that seems about right. It can be tough and make sure to wear gloves when tightening. I use dual rotary so I have room to turn the fitting once its tightened to its thread.

I don't know if its me but that fitting looks a bit small. Do you have any other 1/2" x 3/4" fittings that you can test with? If they are, than they are the right ones as I am only used to the dual rotary versions.
 
When you tighten the compression cap it WILL cut into the tubing some.
Looks about like mine did.
 
I can not get the threads on the fitting close enough to thread together. Bought 8 fittings, a couple rotary 90s and the rest straight fittings. Same problem with all the fittings. I have some that are in use for my other build, which will be torn down soon, then I will have other fittings and tube to try it out with, but I think I will need to get different tubing to be able to use these fittings.
 
Note that Bitspower changed the design of the barb and the threads when they moved to V3 of their fittings.

You will probably note a V3 at the end of their part number on the packets that the fittings were in.

See below - I took a quick photo of two 45 deg fittings. The one on the left is an older V2 variant whereas the one on the right is the newer V3 type. Note the different length of the barb section [longer] and the shorter thread area. The overall length [thread + barb] is identical between the two. By reducing the thread area they effectively lengthened the overall barb shank. Not sure what prompted them to do this.

You can however still get the tubing on and the collar to fit. I just tried it with some Advanced LRT right before I took the pic below - Its just that it is a tad harder - You need to push the collar on fairly hard to get the threads started.

Note that the collar only needs to secure on lightly - There is no need to screw it down hard and cut into the tubing etc. Its function is to just hold the tubing onto the fitting, the collar is not there to seal the tube etc - The barb does that...!


T683jm.jpg
 
Last edited:
I just dragged out my DSLR and its macro lens for a couple of better quality closer shots, this time with tubing fitted.....

Tubing is Primochill's Advanced LRT - Fitting BP V3



nyqWE8.jpg



Note gap in threads ie. Collar is NOT screwed all the way down - Yet if I try and pull the tubing off there is no way it will pop off.

Zij8hK.jpg
 
Flat 6, if you compare my images to yours, look how much lower of a profile your hose has on the barb. Compare the outside of the hose to the start of the threads. Yours has a noticeable difference between the two, mine, the hose is as wide as the start of the threads. Probably only 1/32" different, but I think it is just enough to make the tube not fit.

Edit
And I just found some older primochill ½" id ¾" od tubing from a previous build, and it works just fine with these fittings. A little tough, but ends up looking just like that tubing you put on the fitting flat 6. If primochill won't send me new tube that will work with my fittings, then it looks like I will try some darkside tubing(I think its rebranded fesser tubing) from our Canadian WC store.
 
Last edited:
I have heard of people complaining about slight tubing diameter variances between batches so it maybe down to that?

I do have an unopened pack of Advanced LRT so I might just go and measure that and compare to my much earlier purchased batch - From memory I had purchased these two about a year apart.

Update: I just checked my two batches - One was purchased here in Aus and another from the US. Not sure on date stamps etc but the Aussie variant comes in a completely different looking box [White with blue lettering] and the US version is in the standard black box with yellow, white and blue text. However both measure the same - ID and OD both checked.
 
Last edited:
Yeah, it could just be an odd sized batch, I'm not sure. But either way, it doesn't work with my compression fittings, so something needs to get sorted there.
 
If the other same size tubing worked but this one didn't, than yes the tubing is out of spec and most likely a bad batch.

I would contact PrimoChill. I hear they take care of people when issues arise.
 
I sent them a message on Friday, but I guess they don't work weekends, so I'll probably have to wait for monday to hear from them. Hopefully they make things right.
 
I sent them a message on Friday, but I guess they don't work weekends, so I'll probably have to wait for monday to hear from them. Hopefully they make things right.

Yeah, none of these companies answer on weekends. Only on business days and hours. I would even try calling them on Monday if you haven't got a response say mid day.
 
Edit
And I just found some older primochill ½" id ¾" od tubing from a previous build, and it works just fine with these fittings. A little tough, but ends up looking just like that tubing you put on the fitting flat 6. If primochill won't send me new tube that will work with my fittings, then it looks like I will try some darkside tubing(I think its rebranded fesser tubing) from our Canadian WC store.


Yes the Darkside tubing is just fesser tubing.
 
I just dragged out my DSLR and its macro lens for a couple of better quality closer shots, this time with tubing fitted.....

Tubing is Primochill's Advanced LRT - Fitting BP V3



nyqWE8.jpg



Note gap in threads ie. Collar is NOT screwed all the way down - Yet if I try and pull the tubing off there is no way it will pop off.

Zij8hK.jpg


I am using BP compression fittings and Advanced LRT. My BP fittings leave no gap in between. I don't know what version BP fittings is mine, I bought them a year ago from FrozenCPU.



Bruce
 
Yeah, none of these companies answer on weekends. Only on business days and hours. I would even try calling them on Monday if you haven't got a response say mid day.

You would sometimes be surprised. I did get an email from someone at PerformancePCs @ 11 pm PST on a Sunday night. But yes, not expecting to hear from them until Monday
 
I am using BP compression fittings and Advanced LRT. My BP fittings leave no gap in between. I don't know what version BP fittings is mine, I bought them a year ago from FrozenCPU.

Do you recall how tight you had fitted the collars?

Generally the gap is there due to the thickness of the tubing. The collar is meant to compress the tubing slightly. If you screw it down further the collar will cut into the tubing which is what you don't want.

If you screw a collar all the way down with no tubing fitted you can get an idea of the very small gap that is left between the barb an collar.

Probably would not take much in tolerance variations between tubing and the fittings to make some difference to the gap size that is left.
 
Some of my fittings had a gap, of which some were slightly larger than others. Even some of the really soft Tygon tubing I had with the same fittings left a gap. If it's purely for aesthetics, that's one thing. From a performance or safety perspective, it's irrelevant as it will not harm anything.

After time, when the rubber had flexed a bit, I was able to clamp down a bit more.

That being said, it is, in reality, a non-issue.
 
I have a similar issue, the tubing (primo chill lrt) isn't thicker than the treads but the wall is too thick to get the compression piece to the threads. Now I'm stuck with no PC and trashed fittings (yes largely my fault) from trying to get them together
 
Back