Alternative rads? What have ya tried?

[Blackeagle]

Most involved long in water cooling, know of the use of heater cores, made for computer water cooling & some oil coolers that have been used.

I've not tried anything other than a couple heater cores myself. But I'm interested in other alternatives that others may have tried.

Anyone tried a motorcycle radiator for instance?

Other alternatives?


Thanks guys!

[killernoodle]

I tried a giant oil can once, it was probably a 40 gallon can. It looked pretty cool and had Pennzoil written really big on the side, but it was really impractical (took a ton of water and was super heavy). It worked quite well though.

[rundymc]

bike rads? they're pretty common here in Singapore actually, in fact they're easier to find than car rads
as with car rads, they come in alu too
a/c condensors have been used alot as well

[Mars]

Jeez, bike rads are super expensive. Not to mention a lot of them are curved. I don't think they are as efficient, affordable and compact as a heatercore. I've seen people make there own rads out of copper tubes. Large scale though.

[Ruiner]

Are bike rads thinner than typical heater cores for a given area? If so, they might work better with low noise axial fans.

[JamesAvery22]

Ive seen a few very large car radiators that have copper tubbing and aluminum fins. Problem is they were all the kind that has tons of bends and is virtually just one really long tube so flow would be pretty crappy and Ive only seen 2 or 3 on ebay. Like the one this guy used but copper tubing:
http://www.silentpcreview.com/article171-page1.html
This would be the most practical as you could do what he did and attach it to the side of your case.

I think it was overclockers.com that had a guy using some sort of radiator that was used in something like a water heater or furnace or something just something that some people have in their basement I really dont remember.
But it looked like a 1 inch dia. copper pipe that was 8 feet long with hundreds of square aluminum fins brazed onto it.
Naturally he ran it passive. Sorry but for the life of me I cant remember what its intended use was...
This isnt very practical though as he had to put it in some closet to just hold it up.

[BillA]

baseboard heater pipe

[JamesAvery22]

Originally Posted by unregistered

baseboard heater pipe

Thanks.

Found the link with the reminder but the pics are all down =(

Overclockers.com forum link

[Mars]

Originally Posted by JamesAvery22

Ive seen a few very large car radiators that have copper tubbing and aluminum fins. Problem is they were all the kind that has tons of bends and is virtually just one really long tube so flow would be pretty crappy and Ive only seen 2 or 3 on ebay. Like the one this guy used but copper tubing:
http://www.silentpcreview.com/article171-page1.html
This would be the most practical as you could do what he did and attach it to the side of your case.

I think it was overclockers.com that had a guy using some sort of radiator that was used in something like a water heater or furnace or something just something that some people have in their basement I really dont remember.
But it looked like a 1 inch dia. copper pipe that was 8 feet long with hundreds of square aluminum fins brazed onto it.
Naturally he ran it passive. Sorry but for the life of me I cant remember what its intended use was...
This isnt very practical though as he had to put it in some closet to just hold it up.

What he used on the side of the case is an automotive "condenser". Looks like off of a GM. Condensers are far more restrictive than radiators, and most of them are made out of aluminum. Not to mention, you'll be lucky if you found a used condenser that didn't already leak.