Bitspower Front distro plate leak, lian li 011D. help appreciated

[Stevey]

Hey guys,

First time posting here, I have recently completed my first pc build ever, (open watercooling loop) and it actually didn't leak! I felt hugely successful given that this was my entry into building my first machine. What did happen though, was that I ended up with a bit of corrosion (brown gunk) building up in my loop after about 2 months of usage. Typical full load temps floated around 35-40c. Never went above 41c.

Relevant specs:
Case: lian li 011D
Bitspower gpu and cpu blocks
Bitspower fittings 14mm
Bitspower touchaqua sedna front distro plate with pwm pump
Petg hardline 14mm
XSPC rx360 and ex360 rads
Gpu 2080 super
Cpu i7 9700k

I suspect the brown stuff might have been the fluid. i used distilled water and a biocide/inhibitor (primochill utopia), but I can't be sure.

In any event, I have done an entire teardown, cleaned all fittings, rinsed radiators, etc. I was going to use a premix this time, and decided on xspc ec6 clear.

My attempt at reassembly was successful, save for the fact that my front panel distro plate now leaks after disassembling and reassembling it for cleaning. I've tried multiple times to reseat the o-rings, cranked down the Allen screws, slightly loosened em, etc. but it always seems to leak. Mind you this is a very very slight seeping leak, and always happens near the pump inlet at the base of the res.

I've searched the web a bit for how to properly reseat and reassemble a distro plate, but can't seem to find any good info. Am I missing something here? Do I need to apply a sealant to the o-rings? I'm assuming the seal between all the waterways is produced from essentially compressing the o rings between the two plates. The sheer amount of screws also made me feel like I needed to follow a torquing pattern, so I was always jumping across the plate as I gradually tightened to avoid over compressing unevenly.

I should also mention that I noticed that after disassembling, the thicker backing plate of the distro was warped upwards very very slightly, indicating that it might have been either over pressurized or vacummed from thermal exchanging. Is this normal? Admittedly I didn't install the included air valve fitting at the top of my res. instead, I just used a standard stop fitting plug. Speaking of this fitting, I'm also confused as to what this included air valve fitting does. I know you can press the air relief plug button to bleed air out. Aside from this, does work passively as the system cools and attempts to produce a vacuum condition? In either case, I'm worried that the warping is now causing the improper sealing of the distro.


Ive tried to find information regarding distro plate disassembly and maintenance, and haven't found much. Do I need to replace or get a new distro? I don't mind getting one, might try a side mount one instead since it's a smaller surface area and would be less prone to warping. Any help appreciated, thanks so much for reading. Included a Pic of the build and closeup of the leak for reference. Thanks again!

 

[Zerileous]

Acrylic is pretty fragile, and can easily be over torqued. I haven't worked with the Touchaqua panels. AFAIK there isn't a sealant for the o-rings. I would contact bitspower and see what they say, you may also want to try replacing the o-rings, if you can get them sent to you (or the sizes). I would ensure the o-rings are not pinched anywhere and are seated properly. It shouldn't require high torque.

The use or omission of the air valve is not a factor. It helps bleed the system when filling the loop. Also makes it easier to drain as you only need to press a button vs unscrew a plug. That is all.

If you end up needing to purchase a replacement, I'll take every opportunity to plug the Radikult parts. They can be found on eBay. He makes a few different models for the O11D.

 

[bassnut]

Try a bit of vaseline on your o ring .... just a shot in the dark though.

 

[occamsblade]

Hey guys,

First time posting here, I have recently completed my first pc build ever, (open watercooling loop) and it actually didn't leak! I felt hugely successful given that this was my entry into building my first machine. What did happen though, was that I ended up with a bit of corrosion (brown gunk) building up in my loop after about 2 months of usage. Typical full load temps floated around 35-40c. Never went above 41c.

Relevant specs:
Case: lian li 011D
Bitspower gpu and cpu blocks
Bitspower fittings 14mm
Bitspower touchaqua sedna front distro plate with pwm pump
Petg hardline 14mm
XSPC rx360 and ex360 rads
Gpu 2080 super
Cpu i7 9700k

I suspect the brown stuff might have been the fluid. i used distilled water and a biocide/inhibitor (primochill utopia), but I can't be sure.

In any event, I have done an entire teardown, cleaned all fittings, rinsed radiators, etc. I was going to use a premix this time, and decided on xspc ec6 clear.

My attempt at reassembly was successful, save for the fact that my front panel distro plate now leaks after disassembling and reassembling it for cleaning. I've tried multiple times to reseat the o-rings, cranked down the Allen screws, slightly loosened em, etc. but it always seems to leak. Mind you this is a very very slight seeping leak, and always happens near the pump inlet at the base of the res.

I've searched the web a bit for how to properly reseat and reassemble a distro plate, but can't seem to find any good info. Am I missing something here? Do I need to apply a sealant to the o-rings? I'm assuming the seal between all the waterways is produced from essentially compressing the o rings between the two plates. The sheer amount of screws also made me feel like I needed to follow a torquing pattern, so I was always jumping across the plate as I gradually tightened to avoid over compressing unevenly.

I should also mention that I noticed that after disassembling, the thicker backing plate of the distro was warped upwards very very slightly, indicating that it might have been either over pressurized or vacummed from thermal exchanging. Is this normal? Admittedly I didn't install the included air valve fitting at the top of my res. instead, I just used a standard stop fitting plug. Speaking of this fitting, I'm also confused as to what this included air valve fitting does. I know you can press the air relief plug button to bleed air out. Aside from this, does work passively as the system cools and attempts to produce a vacuum condition? In either case, I'm worried that the warping is now causing the improper sealing of the distro.


Ive tried to find information regarding distro plate disassembly and maintenance, and haven't found much. Do I need to replace or get a new distro? I don't mind getting one, might try a side mount one instead since it's a smaller surface area and would be less prone to warping. Any help appreciated, thanks so much for reading. Included a Pic of the build and closeup of the leak for reference. Thanks again!

These are kind of tricky I have one. Disassemble carefully. No alcohol on the acrylic, but you can use it on the o-rings. No Vaseline on the o-rings, it will break the rubber down. I know, it sucks. You have to clean everything up really good. If there are irregularities in the acrylic it will be very hard to get a good seal. I use a toothbrush. A little citric acid (lemon juice) goes a long way too. Once they are clean, dry everything. Take a q-tip and dry the o-ring channels. Wipe the o-rings down one last time before installing. Any lint, fibers or anything that does not allow direct contact with the plastic will cause a leak. if you can roll the o-ring or change its orientation it will seal better, but its a pain to get it in the grooves. Once you seat it in the channel put all of the screws in finger tight. Then take an Allen key and turn them until you see about a 0.5 mm area of connection to the plastic uniformly. Start at one area and work your way around. Like the others were saying do NOT over-tighten them. Its really easy to do that. The acrylic will crack. Mine is a EKWB board and they offer replacement o-rings for sale. I would imagine bitspower does as well. Its a slow process. If you see any fibers running across the mating surface, take it apart and start over. Its a pain, but it works.

As to the bend, mine has that too. Mine has never gotten hot, and my pump sucks so I don't think its heat or pressure. I suspect it comes from the way we loosen the boards when removing them. But its just a guess. These boards are pretty.... but they are a pretty pain in the butt! It's hard to get them to seal right, and they wick up any fluid that is spilled in filling, which can make a board that is not leaking look like it did.

That is a beautiful build BTW.

 

[maxfly]

If your certain its an oring or gasket that is leaking put a little silicone caulk in the channel before seating the gasket. A little goes a long way. It will squeeze out whan you tighten the screws if you use to much. Be sure to tighten the screws down before it dries or it wont seal properly.
GL!