Here's the build log...
The cast:
 |
A rad (one of the two PA120.3s) with the gasket attached.
 |
Adding the fans (yate Mediums in Pull config)
 |
All attached and modded ready for the fan controller
 |
A test power up of the fans on the controller, seems my soldering went according to plan.
 |
One thing I didn't like was the heat from the power transistors on the fan controller - cue one home-made Alu heat sink.
 |
The "box". Someday I'll get this made in Alu (maybe - I'm starting to like the thing :) Took a few nights in the garage to get it sorted.
 |
A shot from the other side...
 |
Test drill of the rad mount holes - seems like they line up (thankfully!) First time too (beginners luck!)
 |
Time for the cutouts. This one shows the MCRes in the top and a impromptu 5 1/4" bay cutout for the fan controller.
 |
A little work with the jigsaw and we have air inlet holes for the rads.
 |
Tubing and cable holes added.
 |
Time to start mounting the kit inside.
 |
Fan (and pump RPM) controller/monitor getting wired in.
 |
Added some expanded steel mesh over the rad inlet (2 reasons: 1, stops me bashing the rad fins in, 2, keeps cat hair out (see later picture)!
 |
Wired the power feed in - nice disconnect connector (screw locked so I don't kick it out from under the desk).
 |
It lives! (don't mention the fingerprints! I'm not talking about it!!)
 |
No flash.
 |
The full cast (well, almost - just waiting on the drain valve)
 |
One of the good reasons not to use a Koolance GTX block - it can't even spread AS5!
 |
No wonder the core temp was in the 60s loaded! Surprised it hasn't cooked over the last 12 months.
 |
The V1000 after the traces of Koolance PC3 have been removed :)
 |
Replacement Acrylic top, with appropriate holes for tubing etc.
 |
The loop is put together. EK 8800GTX FC and a D-tek Fuzion with a 6mm nozzle installed.
|
The "air out" side of the box (the cat hair I mentioned is in the foreground :)
 |
The lower part of the loop, filled and bled. Distilled water, 5-ish% G11 mix, PT Nuke on backorder.
 |
The radbox, filled, bled and ready to go.
 |
The box in its final resting place - tucked nicely behind the 24" TFT and taken over by dragons in seconds *grin*.
 |
The connections under the desk. Neat and tidy - and easy to disconnect with only a teaspoon of fluid released, I like it.
 |
Post build notes:
Well, I can't read instructions :) - so I have to remount the EK 8800 block. Damn, how annoying.
The two DDCs make a fair bit of vibration in the wood box. Going to rework the pump mounts to decouple them better for a quieter life.
Temps are good with the fans @ 1000rpm. The loop has a E6600 B2 @ 1.3v and 3250Mhz. Idle is at ambient (21C to 23C), full TAT load is 36C. the 8800GTX idles at around 38C (windows desktop) and loads in the low 40s (ATI Tool). It's quieter than the Koolance stuff that got removed and has cut temps by nearly 50%.
PS: 24 feet of tubing though - all Tygon 7/16" (ouch). |
So I went on a mission to reduce the pump noise. One of the pumps dismounted and the 5mm silicone sheet pieces ready for a test.
 |
Overall picture. I needed music whilst doing this, so the system is running. Nothing like a challenge :)
 |
Whilst figuring out what to do with the silicone so I didn't overheat the pumps I went looking for the hotspots (circled). I was surprised:
 |
In the end, I decided on some Alu mounts as I had some 40mm Alu strip in the garage. I'm using them like feet to take the heat over the surface of the silicone. The rubber bands were the best idea I could think hold to hold the pumps in place without transmitting vibrations:
 |
Both pumps all done. You can hardly tell they're running now.
 |
< Insert 9 months and a lot of paint here > |
So, I finally get around to painting the box.
Here's what I was running for about two months whilst I layered the paint (yay!):
|
First things first having picked the box colour - the fan controller needed a change of makeup.
|
So I painted the box - car paint as recommended on XS. Ford Panther Black. That way I can use the stone-chip pen from the car.
Here's a close up of the paint effect:
|
The inside just got black gloss paint (for easy dusting and waterproofing):
|
and the other side:
|
The steel mesh got the coat of black metal paint it was promised (it came out quite well I thought). I used blowhole trim around the edges and super glued the ends together:
|
Here's the "out" side of the box with the painted mesh in place:
|
and at an angle for artistic effect :)
|
So with the radbox all ready to go, the first task is drain the system - did I mention drain lines rock?
|
The system then gets taken apart - completely, here's the Fuzion v1 after 9 months of daily usage (before cleaning), coolant was G11 5% (for colour mainly), PT Nuke and 0ppm TDS distilled H2O:
|
I also took the opportunity to clean the Tygon which had gone a little cloudy and was suffering from a poor flush job on my part of the PA120.3s (before and after cleaning shown):
|
Here's the tool I made - a pipe cleaner expoxied into a long PVC rod:
|
Whilst re-building I took the opportunity to re-work the tubing run - I didn't like the curly link between pumps, so I ended up going for a "Laing DDC elbow". This needed a stand to make the pump line up with the lower rad inlet though. The pump is mounted on silicon sheet and held down with elastic to decouple it:
|
And back in it all went. The pump mounts are held down by self-adhesive velcro.
|
All went pretty well, the leak testing did just that :) "Oooo look - a pretty fountain" :/ Nothing some tightening of clamps didn't fix.
So here's the finished radbox in all it's glory:
 
 
|
All in all, I don't want to know how much time and money went into this! All I know is that it looks good and works well - and that will do me nicely.
I'm impressed you're still reading this far down! |