My Radiator story....

WebMasta33 · 03-13-2002, 10:09 AM

Ok, well first off. I'm converting a Chevy Caprice HeaterCore into a watercooling radiator.

Well, I wanna use 5/8" barbs. The barbs I have are 3/4" on the thread size...I HAVE to put these in the top of the rad for my case design. I sealed the previous rad holes with WelBond Glue (it's waterproof), and then crimped them off.

Well, the largest metal bit I was willing to pay for was a 5/8" bit. Which is fine, because when I build my waterblocks, I'm going to use a ring saw to cut off the threaded side of the barb, and solder it in place.

Well, I tried soldering on my radiator, but the fins' solder started to melt, and some of the fins were peeling away, so I decided that soldering was a no no.

So what I've done, is I drilled out the top of the rad with the 5/8" bit. But to get a start point done, I just use a small bit. (I'm using a radial drill press for this)

Well, obviously 3/4" won't fit in a 5/8" hole, so I used some tin snips to make 16 cuts and then bent up the "tabs" to make the hole bigger. Then I placed the threaded side in, and pounded the tabs back in place.

Since solder was a no no....I bought this great Ace Marine Epoxy from Ace Hardware. I then epoxied the barbs in place. I did it in two coats, just to make sure I had a nice even layer.

When it dried, I had a leak. So I added a third coat, still had a leak. I thought I just screwed up, and I couldn't fix it. Well, I thought about that UV dye lite to trace it, but I didn't wanna waste any just on a radiator... Then I thought about trying to shine a flashlight inside, to see if light came through.

Well apparently when I made my first pre-drill with the smaller bit, I punched through the bottom of the top part as well. So I have no filled one of the air flow holes with the marine epoxy, and it's a complete seal

Moral: If it still doesn't work the 7th time, keep screwin with it.

decodeddiesel · 03-13-2002, 11:49 AM

heh, that poor heatercore must be a monstrocity now

Well keep screwing with it, but it sounds like you are doing a good job so far.

WebMasta33 · 03-13-2002, 12:54 PM

I'll post pics when I get it painted...

I'm trying to design a wood case now. My CoolerMaster 201SX is just too small for my plans!

decodeddiesel · 03-13-2002, 01:52 PM

coolermasta would make a cool media PC or a lan rig.

03-13-2002, 10:09 AM	#1
WebMasta33 Cooling Savant Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Nebraska Posts: 526	My Radiator story.... Ok, well first off. I'm converting a Chevy Caprice HeaterCore into a watercooling radiator. Well, I wanna use 5/8" barbs. The barbs I have are 3/4" on the thread size...I HAVE to put these in the top of the rad for my case design. I sealed the previous rad holes with WelBond Glue (it's waterproof), and then crimped them off. Well, the largest metal bit I was willing to pay for was a 5/8" bit. Which is fine, because when I build my waterblocks, I'm going to use a ring saw to cut off the threaded side of the barb, and solder it in place. Well, I tried soldering on my radiator, but the fins' solder started to melt, and some of the fins were peeling away, so I decided that soldering was a no no. So what I've done, is I drilled out the top of the rad with the 5/8" bit. But to get a start point done, I just use a small bit. (I'm using a radial drill press for this) Well, obviously 3/4" won't fit in a 5/8" hole, so I used some tin snips to make 16 cuts and then bent up the "tabs" to make the hole bigger. Then I placed the threaded side in, and pounded the tabs back in place. Since solder was a no no....I bought this great Ace Marine Epoxy from Ace Hardware. I then epoxied the barbs in place. I did it in two coats, just to make sure I had a nice even layer. When it dried, I had a leak. So I added a third coat, still had a leak. I thought I just screwed up, and I couldn't fix it. Well, I thought about that UV dye lite to trace it, but I didn't wanna waste any just on a radiator... Then I thought about trying to shine a flashlight inside, to see if light came through. Well apparently when I made my first pre-drill with the smaller bit, I punched through the bottom of the top part as well. So I have no filled one of the air flow holes with the marine epoxy, and it's a complete seal Moral: If it still doesn't work the 7th time, keep screwin with it. __________________ ========== --Soyo KT333 DRAGON Ultra (Platinum Edition) --AMD 1.4 @ 1.54 (11x) --768mb of PC2100 (@140FSB) --Asus v8200 GeForce3 @ 210/490 --Maxtor 40gb Quiet + 2 IBM 40gb 60GXPs (removable) + 8gb WD --Audigy --Maze 3, DD Gf3 block, 2x BIX, Eheim1250 ===========

03-13-2002, 11:49 AM	#2
decodeddiesel Cooling Savant Join Date: Oct 2001 Location: classified Posts: 534	heh, that poor heatercore must be a monstrocity now Well keep screwing with it, but it sounds like you are doing a good job so far. __________________ ...i hurt... do me a favor, disconect me... they can re-work me but i'll never be top of the line again ...i'd rather be nothing...

03-13-2002, 12:54 PM	#3
WebMasta33 Cooling Savant Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Nebraska Posts: 526	I'll post pics when I get it painted... I'm trying to design a wood case now. My CoolerMaster 201SX is just too small for my plans! __________________ ========== --Soyo KT333 DRAGON Ultra (Platinum Edition) --AMD 1.4 @ 1.54 (11x) --768mb of PC2100 (@140FSB) --Asus v8200 GeForce3 @ 210/490 --Maxtor 40gb Quiet + 2 IBM 40gb 60GXPs (removable) + 8gb WD --Audigy --Maze 3, DD Gf3 block, 2x BIX, Eheim1250 ===========

03-13-2002, 01:52 PM	#4
decodeddiesel Cooling Savant Join Date: Oct 2001 Location: classified Posts: 534	coolermasta would make a cool media PC or a lan rig. __________________ ...i hurt... do me a favor, disconect me... they can re-work me but i'll never be top of the line again ...i'd rather be nothing...

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