MCR320 fitting question

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porkchop

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so all my watercooling stuff came in and I rigged it up in the sink to start my leak test...

all of the barbs were metal with o-ring seat with the exception of the MCR320 radiator.. it came with plastic fittings.. So I figure no big deal, threw some teflon tape on it and proceed to install it, but as I turn the fitting, it feels like it stripped the plastic threads.. I got it half cranked over hand-tight, and water seaps out from the fitting to radiator connection.

has any one else had this problem?

I did find some AN fittings (auto grade) that should fit onto the radiator, but they're anodized aluminum and I wasn't sure if the copper blocks, biocide, and etc would cause some weird corrosion?

any ideas??

Thanks,

Tommy
 
Stay away from the aluminum fittings...

It's a brass/copper radiator, so having any aluminum directly touching makes any other corrosion protections null and void!

Which version of the MCR is it? Older ones supposedly used the G 3/8 fitting, the newer ones use the more common G 1/4 I believe, so finding barbs for the new one shouldn't be too difficult.
 
porkchop said:
the alum fitting is anodized, would that still cause issues? I know bare alum would oxidize very quickly...

the radiator is the MCR320-QP-K
http://jab-tech.com/Swiftech-MCR320-QP-K-Triple-120mm-Radiator-pr-3320.html

according to swifttech's site, it uses a standard 3/8NPT thread.
Click to expand...

The thing with anodized aluminum, especially barbs, is that the anodization can wear off the threads when tightened a few times. Then you'd have bare brass/aluminum contact.

Anodization is generally enough, but it's not all that durable, so I wouldn't trust it around the barbed areas...

I know a friend with a similar issue, finding barbs for this radiator too... Petras has them, but they're OOS. Try emailing them, they're great people over there :)
 
porkchop said:
the alum fitting is anodized, would that still cause issues? I know bare alum would oxidize very quickly...
Click to expand...

When you stick copper and aluminum in direct contact with each other you can get a galvanic reaction. When the metals are in direct contact with each other there is no place for anti-corrosion agents to get in between them to prevent the corrosion. Depending on the quality of the threads you might be okay, then again most of the barbed fittings I see aren't very high quality stuff.
 
great! thanks for the info guys...

now the real question is that it seems swiftech's site states that it uses a 3/8NPT threading on the radiator, but some other sites state that it uses a G 3/8 fitting.

according to this site http://www.anver.com/document/vacuum components/vacuum cups/Fittings/vacuum-fittings-conversions.htm

G3/8 and 3/8NPT might be interchangeable, but not certain.. and swifttech being a Euro based company( I think?) that rest of the world uses "G / BSPP" fittings and only the US uses NPT...

so now the question is do I get G3/8 or 3/8NPT?

thanks again..

Tommy
 
Don't know, but BSPP and NPT aren't generally interchangable. Sometimes you can make them work, but it is a sloppy operation. Get the right fitting...
 
Top Nurse said:
Don't know, but BSPP and NPT aren't generally interchangable. Sometimes you can make them work, but it is a sloppy operation. Get the right fitting...
Click to expand...

agreed.

I just emailed swiftech for the exact thread size and style, better to get the info direct from the horses mouth... and If I can't get the right fittings I guess I can always braze a new one on =P
 
actually I just remembered I've used a local store called "The Hose Shop" for some of our racecars. The have a ton of selection of diffferent fittings.. www.thehoseshop.com

I found another source last night that had 304 stainless fittings also, but the link is stored on my home PC and I can't for the life of me remember the name... =P

I'll try to track some down and keep you guys posted.. =)

thanks again.

Tommy
 
why not make life a little easier and get some brass fittings and just JB weld them into place? if you do a goo job the JB wont be seend from the outside..and well it wont leak
 
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