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Water Block Design / Construction Building your own block? Need info on designing one? Heres where to do it

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Unread 01-12-2003, 07:50 PM   #1
-J-
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Need help choosing the mounting method of my new block.

Ok, i will be using the motherboard holes, but how should i hold the screws?

i really dont know how strong it should be. i though about using some springs, and behind the mobo a acrilic plate with holes for the screws.

would the acrilic hold the screws??

the acrilic plate shouldnt be thicker than 5mm cause i dont wish to mod the mother tray.

at least i would prefer not to.

this is a pic of the block im making.

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Unread 01-12-2003, 08:27 PM   #2
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Wow, that looks very similar to the block I am working on! There are alot of little electrical parts around the mounting holes so a plate maynot be all that good of an idea. I just use a nylon washer on each of the bolts and slide them through the back of the mobo. Then I put another set of nylon washers on and then some standard nuts. That tightens the bolts onto the mobo. Then slid the block over the bolts and use springs if you wish and then some type of thumb screw. Just cheack out the area around the back of the socket closely.
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Unread 01-12-2003, 08:32 PM   #3
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Well looking at your design again I havn't a clue what you are doing there. :shrug: Looks like you are going for a permanent mounting. Unless you cut a hole out of the mobo tray you will have to take the mobo out to take the block off. And it will be a pain trying to mount it correctly while attempting to tighten the block down through the back of the system. :shrug: I would make life a lot easier to make it removable from the inside of the case.
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Unread 01-12-2003, 08:43 PM   #4
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i dont mind taking out the mobo for mounting the block. i just prefer not to mod the mother tray.
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Unread 01-12-2003, 08:53 PM   #5
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Quote:
Originally posted by -J-
i dont mind taking out the mobo for mounting the block. i just prefer not to mod the mother tray.
It will be difficult to mount it that way, you will have to hold the block with one hand hoping it doesn't move and attempt to tighten the nuts on the otherside at the same time with the other hand and with anyluck not damaging the mobo in the process as it will be in the middle tedering. Any little slip and you just lost a good mobo.

If you are set on that though then just use some nylon washers first then some thumb screws. With out modding the mobo tray you are not going to have much room back there so you will have to be pretty pricise on the size of bolts you use.
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Unread 01-12-2003, 09:55 PM   #6
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can you put a photo of your waterblock mounting system plz

if modding the mother tray really simplifies this, i might consider it.
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Unread 01-12-2003, 10:09 PM   #7
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If you look under the block and to the right of the socket you will see the white nylon washer. Ontop of that is a standard nut. I do that keep the bolts in place when I take the block off so the bolts do not move around. Makes sliding a block on and off much easier. The way I have it there makes it to where you do not have to take the mobo out or any other mods to get the block off, and it makes it alot easier to mount the block as you can use both hands on the block. With the bolts anchored like they are side to side movement is minimized.
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Unread 01-13-2003, 07:34 AM   #8
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thanks, i might go that way.

PS: arent u using any springs??
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Unread 01-13-2003, 09:42 AM   #9
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Quote:
Originally posted by -J-
thanks, i might go that way.

PS: arent u using any springs??
After mounting and remounting several different blocks several different times they become unneeded.
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Unread 01-13-2003, 10:03 AM   #10
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Motherboard mounting hole makes things SO much easier:

http://www.voidyourwarranty.net/revi...2_mounted2.jpg

No fuss with tightening nuts around hoses and uneven mounting as a result.
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Unread 01-14-2003, 08:59 AM   #11
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thanks ppl.

i think i will cut some holes on the mother tray to make things easier.
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Unread 01-14-2003, 11:09 PM   #12
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hey jaydee116 quick question

have a question about the aluminum block you've made,

how are you sealing off the top plate? do you make a channel for an O-ring and screw it tight or...

i've got a copper block, and copper HC, i want to make an alum NB block since i have access to alot of alu (no more copper ), just not sure how to mount a top plate, copper i can solder, i mean my dad can solder but aluminum you cant. im also wondering if i use an aluminum block and a copper block, it i will get that terrible battery effect ppl keep talking about.

thx
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Unread 01-15-2003, 08:26 PM   #13
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Quote:
Originally posted by lukasz70
hey jaydee116 quick question

have a question about the aluminum block you've made,

how are you sealing off the top plate? do you make a channel for an O-ring and screw it tight or...

i've got a copper block, and copper HC, i want to make an alum NB block since i have access to alot of alu (no more copper ), just not sure how to mount a top plate, copper i can solder, i mean my dad can solder but aluminum you cant. im also wondering if i use an aluminum block and a copper block, it i will get that terrible battery effect ppl keep talking about.

thx
I just use clear RTV silicone, no O rings. Use some 400grit sand paper and sand the top a bit to creat some tiny channles for the silicone to settle in and apply a thin layer of it and tighten the screws. I don't know about the battery effect. I used to get a lot of slim build up but I started using methenol and it is pretty much stopped. I use brass heater cores and barbs with the AL blocks and don't have a problem anymore with the methenol.
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Unread 01-15-2003, 10:01 PM   #14
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thanks alot, jaydee116

methenol, hmm, do you dilute that with water? i was going to use antifreeze but it slow down performance

oh and heres that post i found about using aluminum and copper in one setup http://forums.procooling.com/vbb/sho...threadid=5430,

.
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Last edited by lukasz70; 01-15-2003 at 10:12 PM.
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Unread 01-15-2003, 10:49 PM   #15
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Quote:
Originally posted by lukasz70
thanks alot, jaydee116

methenol, hmm, do you dilute that with water? i was going to use antifreeze but it slow down performance

oh and heres that post i found about using aluminum and copper in one setup http://forums.procooling.com/vbb/sho...threadid=5430,

.
The methonal is on the form windsheild washing fluid. It is heavily diluted with water. The battery effect ,from what I understand, is caused by conductivity through the water from the different metals. The flaw in this argument is pure water is NOT conductive!!! If you use distilled water (water with its conductive minerals removed) and some anti growth stuff like Watter Wetter or methonal then it should be fine.
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Unread 01-15-2003, 10:57 PM   #16
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There are however other types of corrosion that go on, but they take a very long time to get to the point to where they are a problem. After a while these will make the water conductive enough to cause the battery effect. If you change the water now and then with freash didtilled water and whatever chemical to keep growth down there shouldn't be anything to worry about. But I never had a water cooling system go over 6 month strait without tearing it down and replacing everything.

In other words I can be totally wrong, but I never had any major problems.
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Unread 01-16-2003, 08:00 AM   #17
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thx alot,

how much antifreeze did you actually use to mix with the water?

havent finished my setup yet, im trying to work out alot of bugs, here my earlier post, you've probably seen it already, http://forums.procooling.com/vbb/sho...7675#post57675
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Unread 01-16-2003, 09:52 AM   #18
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Pure water is not considered conductive, but it's impossible to find pure water. Distilled water is ~twice less conductive than tap water. The minerals (less present in distilled water) appear in the water in form of ions, which increases the conductivity of water. The battery effect comes from the potential difference between the two metals. Having a potential difference and a resistance (even a very low one) will cause an electrical current to occur.

But the problem isn't so much that the galvanic corrosion eats away at Alu parts, it's that it leaves a residue in the coolant, which can gum up a loop.

Water Wetter helps to prevent this. Starting with distilled water is always preferable (and cheap, at 59 cents/gallon).

As for anti-freeze... you only need to use it if you plan on using a chiller. Otherwise, stick to the Water Wetter. There are other additives...
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Unread 01-16-2003, 03:01 PM   #19
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Quote:
Originally posted by bigben2k
Pure water is not considered conductive, but it's impossible to find pure water. Distilled water is ~twice less conductive than tap water. The minerals (less present in distilled water) appear in the water in form of ions, which increases the conductivity of water. The battery effect comes from the potential difference between the two metals. Having a potential difference and a resistance (even a very low one) will cause an electrical current to occur.

But the problem isn't so much that the galvanic corrosion eats away at Alu parts, it's that it leaves a residue in the coolant, which can gum up a loop.

Water Wetter helps to prevent this. Starting with distilled water is always preferable (and cheap, at 59 cents/gallon).

As for anti-freeze... you only need to use it if you plan on using a chiller. Otherwise, stick to the Water Wetter. There are other additives...
What about deionized water? If the water isn't conductive then the current caused by the batter effect will not happen as it doesn't have a path?? But yes, the build up can be an issue but it takes a very long time for it to become one if the right additives are added. The longest strait run I had with mixed metals was a little shy of 6months and there was the white slim in the system but it still worked just fine. And that was without any additives and just tap water out of the sink. No damage to the AL blocks or any other parts. I would definatly use water wetter or something similar if you plan on it being a semi permenat setup.
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