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Dual 120mm Fan Heatercore (a quick how-to)
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kleptophobiac
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Very slick looking. I bet it'll beat the BIX2 performance wise as well....
cornelious0_0
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Nice stuff, it's always good to see custom stuff like this pop up every once and awhile in this world of pre-made, pre-modded hardware we live in today. 
*thinking it will pwn the BIX2 as well*
BIX2 overall dimensions: 10.75 x 5.25 x 1.77 inch
dimensions for '77 bonneville:
core w/o tanks: 10.75" X 5.625" X 2"
with the tanks: 12.5" X 5.625 X 2"
lol -- the '77 core is larger than the entire fricken BIX2 including the tanks.
the shroud that I am building is a little different than most of the dual 120 shrouds that I have built or used in the past -- it should kick things up a notch on the airflow.
diredesire
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I'm curious to see what you come up with
topcat989
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good write up! thx and keep up the good works
rogue_jedi
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this ought to come in handy some time soon. thanks for the cool write up.
Damn.
I just found this surplus place near me that has lots of nice and cheap heatercores lying around. Sucks to be me though, I've got no access to a torch and I have no clue where I'd even make use of one if I did !
Anyone have any other clever ideas/methods for modding the tubes for connection to either 1/2 ID or 1/2 OD tubing? For what it's worth, the cores I've seen at this place have perfectly round connectors..
I just found this surplus place near me that has lots of nice and cheap heatercores lying around. Sucks to be me though, I've got no access to a torch and I have no clue where I'd even make use of one if I did !
Anyone have any other clever ideas/methods for modding the tubes for connection to either 1/2 ID or 1/2 OD tubing? For what it's worth, the cores I've seen at this place have perfectly round connectors..
rogue_jedi
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you could try a) cut the inlet/outlet shorter, tap the inside, attach a hose barb or b) get hose that fits/stretches around the attached pipes and hose clamp it on.
Giblet Plus!
Limp Gawd
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I run a 72-75 Caprice core in my setup. I just cut down the 5/8" tubing (1/2" ID clearflex fits snug), and my particular type doesn't have wierd holes in the top tank.
My custom dual chamber plastic and epoxy shroud:
^nice work.
I was using the caprice cores, but the ones around here started coming in with really fuxored up fitting and the attachment to the tanks made them hell to get rid of...
pic of the last caprice core I did:
the shroud on that one is made from weld steel -- I spot welded the corners and then brazed the seams with 15% silver brazing rods.
the bonneville cores are a little easier to work with I think..
I was using the caprice cores, but the ones around here started coming in with really fuxored up fitting and the attachment to the tanks made them hell to get rid of...
pic of the last caprice core I did:
the shroud on that one is made from weld steel -- I spot welded the corners and then brazed the seams with 15% silver brazing rods.
the bonneville cores are a little easier to work with I think..
Giblet Plus!
Limp Gawd
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Looks nice.
I think your caprice cores are slightly different than mine. Mine just barely fits two 120s, and you have about a 1/2" of extra space.
I think your caprice cores are slightly different than mine. Mine just barely fits two 120s, and you have about a 1/2" of extra space.
diredesire
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nice work giblet (sorry for the thread jack) how did you paint that core? I'm curious as to how you painted the tips of the fins (brush perhaps?) but not the actual 'fins'. Nice color choice, too. Very... RED
Originally posted by diredesire
nice work giblet (sorry for the thread jack) how did you paint that core? I'm curious as to how you painted the tips of the fins (brush perhaps?) but not the actual 'fins'. Nice color choice, too. Very... RED
you can spray across the surface at a very slight angle and that will paint the tops of the fins and down about 1/16" into the fins.
not enough to harm cooling performance -- just enough to make it look nice.
I did the the black '77 core like that and it worked out great. you can't really see it in the pic because the flash resulted in a ton of glare off of the metallic paint in the fins. I'll try to take a better pic of it in under some bright light sans flash.
I managed to scrape together enough time over the weekend to finish the shroud but I didn't have enough time to do any type of write up on how I made it.
the shroud is made from 1/4" plexi and some seriously nasty adhesive that I found for plexi applications.
the metal shroud top that is seen in the 1st post I put up on this is still in the works but I ran out of the weld steel that I needed so I made one out of plexi for the time being -- seems like I always have a ton of that clear stuff laying around.
I will try to get some info up on the cuts for each section, etc. when I get some time.
on to the pics:
it has gaskets between the shroud and the core and gaskets between the fans and the shroud to make sure there is no air leakage. the gaskets are made from vapco cork tape (basically the same stuff that chipcon calls "sealstring" in the prommie kits).
it is fairly hard to tell in the pics, but the paint on the shroud and the core match up almost perfectly -- the angle makes them look like slightly different shades because of the metallic in the paint. when they are viewed from the same angle, they match.
the shroud is made from 1/4" plexi and some seriously nasty adhesive that I found for plexi applications.
the metal shroud top that is seen in the 1st post I put up on this is still in the works but I ran out of the weld steel that I needed so I made one out of plexi for the time being -- seems like I always have a ton of that clear stuff laying around.
I will try to get some info up on the cuts for each section, etc. when I get some time.
on to the pics:
it has gaskets between the shroud and the core and gaskets between the fans and the shroud to make sure there is no air leakage. the gaskets are made from vapco cork tape (basically the same stuff that chipcon calls "sealstring" in the prommie kits).
it is fairly hard to tell in the pics, but the paint on the shroud and the core match up almost perfectly -- the angle makes them look like slightly different shades because of the metallic in the paint. when they are viewed from the same angle, they match.
topcat989
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just picked up mine at kragens today. they wanted 31.99 bastiges - i told the guy screw that autozone has them for $17.99, and low and behold, he pricematched plus 5% looking foward to working on it.....
bastiges - i told the guy screw that autozone has them for $17.99, and low and behold, he pricematched plus 5% looking foward to working on it.....Originally posted by topcat989
just picked up mine at kragens today. they wanted 31.99
31.99? ouch - that would have been way too much - I checked with most of the local auto stores and on eghey and all the prices that I got were within a few $$ of each other.
back to the progress report.
I slapped the SanAce fans on the shroud and tested it with them blowing thru, then switched them around and used them to pull air through it - It got about the same temps either way...maybe a degree or two better with the fans sucking air thru the core (the divider plates in the underside of the shroud seem to be doing their job) but it is noticably quieter with the fans sucking air thru the core.
just for the h311 of it, I set my tbred 2100 back to stock speed and checked idle and load temps. with the weapon rev 2.0 cpu block I made a few weeks back, the CPU temp is showing 2 C over the mobo sensor at idle and 4-5C over mobo temp under full load. note that I am cheating a little - I'm using a Rainbow Lifeguard Quiet One pump. The RLQO pump is rated for 1140GPH and from what I have seen, that number is accurate.
If you have never used one of these pumps, they are amazing - zero noise and insane flow. two minor complaints: they are a bit large and they almost have to have a fan aimed at them as they can get very warm. otherwise, they roXor.
I think I need to retest it with an external sensor, check the coolant temp and figure that into the equation. The ABIT mobo I am using seems to be a little screwy on the temp readings. In any event, the '77 core is running 2-3C cooler than the caprice core that I was using. No real surprise there - it is a little bigger than the caprice core and my shroud design has improved some.
My next two projects will be the n.bridge block I built for my NF7-S & ardawg's weapon-built H2O system. The NF7 n. bridge block fits the NF7 spacing very well (I did all the measurements and then designed the block to the space I had available). It sports full insulation and an 80w pelt. It should keep the n. bridge nice and chilly.
the other project is a bit more large scale - ardawgy's garage shares a wall with his computer room and I could not refuse running copper pipe thru the wall. There is a lot of space in the garage and noise will be no concern. he gave me the go ahead to create a monster so this one is going to be fairly large as a straight H2O loop....but even larger when I finish the 7500 BTU waterchiller that is currently being put together for it on my workbench. Other components: 5 gallon double-insulated res for summer use, 700gph pump and it is switchable from the phase change res to a heatercore secondary loop for winter use... there will definitely be some pics of this one up soon.
topcat989
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that's what i thought. as soon as he said $31.99 i said "whoa!, i can get it for $17.99 @autozone! " and I started to turn and leave, he "I'll pricematch!" - so i went with that
Originally posted by weapon--
the other project is a bit more large scale - ardawgy's garage shares a wall with his computer room and I could not refuse running copper pipe thru the wall. There is a lot of space in the garage and noise will be no concern. he gave me the go ahead to create a monster so this one is going to be fairly large as a straight H2O loop....but even larger when I finish the 7500 BTU waterchiller that is currently being put together for it on my workbench. Other components: 5 gallon double-insulated res for summer use, 700gph pump and it is switchable from the phase change res to a heatercore secondary loop for winter use... there will definitely be some pics of this one up soon.
oh man, pics are a must
This is very affordable. Thanks for the info. What are the heater cores made out of? How do they compare to oil coolers and transmission coolers? Where did you pick up that powerful waterpump? I've been wanting to do some watercooling for some time but it seems expensive. However using the heater core you suggested should cut down costs significantly. Nice find.
the cores that I use are made out of copper and the tanks are brass. some of the heater cores for newer cars are aluminum and I don't use them as I don't want to run into possible corrosion problems as all of my waterblocks are copper.
heatercores are usually much more efficient heat exchangers than the oil coolers or transmission coolers -- at least the ones I have tried. The heatercores have several thin, flat channels that run between the tanks and this provides a lot of surface area for contact with the liquid running through the core. It also keeps the pressure drop at a minimum and there is much less of a hit to your flow rate than with other radiator types.
Rainbow, Dolphin, Iwaki and several others make some really mean pumps.
rainbow like the one I use:
http://www.epetpals.com/cgi-bin/commerce.exe?preadd=action&key=788379302276
iwaki pumps:
http://www.marinedepot.com/a_pu_iwaki.asp
any of the hella flow pumps are $$$$ but I dont worry about them dying or leaking...
With just the edges of the core painted the paint doesn't cause any loss of cooling performance. the side panels and tanks are not the parts that exchange heat so no worries there.
the paint on black core is Duplicolor black metallic from autozone.
I am talking to some different shops about powder coating the next ones...
topcat989
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Originally posted by weapon--
update on the 79 core project...
I soldered on some side plates and added a bit of paint.
the shroud is set for this weekend.
pic of course:
I'd like to know what you used for the side plating, and any writeup on the shroud would be appreciated
Originally posted by topcat989
I'd like to know what you used for the side plating, and any writeup on the shroud would be appreciated
the side plates were cut out of 22 gauge weld steel sheet that I got at lowe's hardware.
brass would have been a lot easier to solder to the sides of the core -- online metals would cut it to the right length -- I believe 22 gauge, 2" wide brass would be the ideal solution.
http://www.onlinemetals.com/merchant.cfm?pid=1590&step=4&showunits=inches
custom cut at the bottom of the page -- they would be maybe $2.50 a piece.
the shroud how-to got put on hold due to my job going insane...I am still going to do a write up on how I made the shroud but it might be a few days before I can get to it.
take a look at this shroud how-to:
http://www.dwpg.com/content.php?contid=3&artid=134&orgartid=134
^that is very close to the way that I make a shroud other than mine is tweaked to the size of the '77 core.
bit of info on my shroud:
the '77 core is approx. 275mm x 145mm.
2 120mm fans are approx: 240mm x 120mm (a lot of them will be 238mm x 119mm but the size difference is not going to make much of a difference)
I like to have a little clearance around and between the 2 fans so I try to space them out just a little but I also like to have the venturi shape (as opposed to just a flatsided box) to the shrouds that I build.
so, with all of that in mind, I decided on a top plate that would be 255mm x 130mm.
that allows for 5mm between the top of the plate and the 1st fan, 5mm between the 2 fans, 5mm between the bottom of the 2nd fan and the bottom edge of the top plate and 5mm between the sides of the fan and the side edges of the top plate.
I then space the top plate of the shroud about 1" above the fins with 1" nylon spacers from Lowe's. Once the top plate is on the spacers, I just measure out the side panels and then cut them a hair bit long so I can carefully fit the angles on the corners.
metal (22 gauge brass or weld steel sheet) or 1/4" thick plexi will work -- you just have to figure in for the thickness of the material you are using if you go with the 1/4" plexi.
side note on painting the core and the shroud (or just about anything for that matter)
checkout duplicolors adhesion promoter - it is spray can stuff that you can get at most of the chain autoparts stores. it seems to help the paint stick to plastic or metal quite a bit better. 2 light mist coats and careful with the spray - it will run if you lay it on to heavily.
I started toying with the idea of a new phase change system today so very little work got done on the shroud.
However, I need another bonneville for a different system that I am working on and I will need another shroud -- so I will force myself to take lots of pics of the shroud making process this time.
checkout duplicolors adhesion promoter - it is spray can stuff that you can get at most of the chain autoparts stores. it seems to help the paint stick to plastic or metal quite a bit better. 2 light mist coats and careful with the spray - it will run if you lay it on to heavily.
I started toying with the idea of a new phase change system today so very little work got done on the shroud.
However, I need another bonneville for a different system that I am working on and I will need another shroud -- so I will force myself to take lots of pics of the shroud making process this time.
Gargoyle_Hunter
Limp Gawd
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Is there a radiator that I can do this to for a single fan? Or should I not even mess with the smaller Rad and just go for dual fans?
cornelious0_0
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In theory yes, the dual fan rads are much more beneficial.....but they're not really an option for a lot of people. To make use of them effectively you're going to be increasing the noise of the system itself.....unless you use MORE quiet fans (example being 4 stealth fans as opposed to 2 Panaflo H1A's).
Personally I don't have the room for a dual fan rad in my caes ATM but I'd still be more then happy with "only" a single fan rad. The key is to set the rad up with 1 shrouded fan blowing on it, and one (shrouded or not) fan on the other side sucking air off/through the rad and out of the case. That's what I'm gonna be going for if/when I ever go with h2O and I can't wait to see what its like.
Giblet Plus!
Limp Gawd
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The common chevette core fits a single fan (or two in push pull) well. It performs well - slightly better than a BIX and almost as good as a BIX 2.
http://www.napaonline.com/cgi-bin/n...r=15557101&prmenbr=5806&usrcommgrpid=78756153
Gargoyle_Hunter
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Well I was looking at using the DTek Pro Core w/ shroud, but they seem to have removed from their web page. But if this is cheaper and better, why not go for it. I would just have to change the mounting location in my case (respect the old school InWin Q500 ) Looks like I'm gonna have to learn some plexi skillz though.
) Looks like I'm gonna have to learn some plexi skillz though.cornelious0_0
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Giblet Plus!
Limp Gawd
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The Dtek Core is the same as the chevette core. You can use the dtek shrouds on it if you don't want to make your own. 1/2" ID tubing can be slid over the 5/8" thick tubing of the core (the 3/4" is just a flare you can cut off).
Gargoyle_Hunter
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cornelious0_0
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Originally posted by Gargoyle_Hunter
That is the JR version. The Pro version is gone... And I was going to order mine this weekend
Ah, ic. Nm then.
Well I'm lucky to get the last procores at dtek . Ordered 2 of them and 2 shrounds seperately. I have all the WC parts but still need to build a box out from acrylic where I could put those 2 huge a** procores. They are slightly bigger than my PSU(Antec).
. Ordered 2 of them and 2 shrounds seperately. I have all the WC parts but still need to build a box out from acrylic where I could put those 2 huge a** procores. They are slightly bigger than my PSU(Antec).cornelious0_0
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Originally posted by DeViLdUdE
Well I'm lucky to get the last procores at dtek
Heh, ah well.....maybe I should just "settle" for a DangerDen HWLabs 120mm rad.....seeing as it'll at least fit properly.
the paint is duplicolor black metallic - made by the same company that makes the adhesion promoter I mentioned in my last post in this thread.
as far as the effect on the cooling capacity of the core, it has no effect on it provided you just do the tanks at the top and bottom, the sides of the core and then just lightly color the tops of the fins without spraying paint down into them.
other weapon core moddage...
this is a chevette core I did about 2 1/2 years ago. the paint has held up fairly well but you can tell it has been swapped around a little. It was in the case I setup for ardawg's H2O system but it got pulled when we went with the multi-room H2O plan.
Next one is a pic of the core that replaced the chevette core...this one is a bonneville core like the black one I posted pics of earlier...minus the flat side plates. It is mounted in the base of the Sun Mass Storage unit that became the enclosure for the H2O gear in the second room. phase one of that system is complete...time to move to phase 2 which is adding the waterchiller.
cornelious0_0
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Nice paint job on the core.....once I decide if I'm actually gonna GO with water cooling, I'll have to decide if I'm gonna paint the setup to match the job I'm planning for the case.
O the agony.
O the agony.
Originally posted by cornelious0_0
Heh, ah well.....maybe I should just "settle" for a DangerDen HWLabs 120mm rad.....seeing as it'll at least fit properly.
some options...
if dtek doesnt have the shrouds and procores that are the 6" x 6" size, you can always just get a chevette core and mod it in one of several different ways (most covered above) and then go with this shroud if you dont want to make one:
http://www.cooltechnica.com/Merchan...&Product_Code=Coolshroud&Category_Code=Shroud
black ice extreme....I use one of those to cool the block that is on my n. bridge.
if you want to sqeak a little more performance out of a BIX there is a shroud for those now:
http://www.cooltechnica.com/Merchan...t_Code=BI-Coolshroud-BLK&Category_Code=Shroud
want a BIX shroud that is UV pimped?
http://www.cooltechnica.com/Merchan..._Code=BI-Coolshroud-BLUE&Category_Code=Shroud
or
http://www.cooltechnica.com/Merchan...t_Code=BI-Coolshroud-RED&Category_Code=Shroud