Radiator bleed port as inlet/outlet

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mizer357

Limp Gawd
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May 12, 2014
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I was contemplating picking up one of the slim X-flow rads from Hardware Labs to clean up some of my tubing. Going through some unused stuff, I found one of EK's older, thick rads, the XTX360. It has a fill/bleed port on the opposite side of the dedicated inlets/outlets. Is it possible to use this extra port as an inlet/outlet (not sure how this port flows internally), and effectively use the rad in a crossflow scheme?
 
Do you mean, essentially using the radiator as a big splitter to split the loop?

That would certainly be unorthodox, but it might work. I'm not sure I'd try it though.
 
mizer357 said:
I was contemplating picking up one of the slim X-flow rads from Hardware Labs to clean up some of my tubing. Going through some unused stuff, I found one of EK's older, thick rads, the XTX360. It has a fill/bleed port on the opposite side of the dedicated inlets/outlets. Is it possible to use this extra port as an inlet/outlet (not sure how this port flows internally), and effectively use the rad in a crossflow scheme?
Click to expand...

Actually yes, but you'd lose roughly 45 to 55% of the rad's heat dissipation capability. In a "normal" rad (where both inlet & outlet are on the same side), the internal plumbing (flow path) does a U-turn on the opposite end of the radiator (where the bleed screw/port is situated), meaning the coolant makes two passes through the length of the radiator (back and forth). Using the bleed port as the inlet or outlet and sealing off one of the "real" ports with a plug fitting would result in the Coolant making only a single one-way trip through the rad. Unless your rads' total cooling value is way more than needed (at least 50% more) I'd strongly advise against doing this.
 
Thanks guys. Completely makes sense. Efficiencies (or lack thereof) aside, I'd imagine the bleed port as an inlet would flow out to both inlet/outlet ports on the other side, and maybe might work with some kind of Y adapter on the other side? Or even split the rad as Zarathustra suggested. Certainly more trouble than it's probably worth, but maybe something to tool around with at some point. In any case, the replies are appreciated.
 
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