DD maze4 issue need advice

this week i upgraded my PC some and in the process i decided to run air cooling for the time being while i tryed to figure out what was contaminateing my water system... well i found it




we know better than to mix alu and copper, but anodizeing should have rendered this a null point, regardless considering there was alu oxide caked onto my cpu block, (loop went pump>rad>cpu>nb>gpu>filler>pump ) means my rad has got to be filled with crap... and i had to SCRAPE it off (i used a plastic fork so i didnt mar the inside of the tdx) and seeing as how i cant just rip open the rad to scarpe at it what should i do???

there was nothing in the system but distilled water ( i had some dylite in the system at one point but it was befor i had this block and has been flush about 4 times sence then)

here the catch i had to void the warrenty to find this damage, do you guys think i have a leg to stand on here? im not so worried about the gpu block as i am the rad but regardless the gpu will have to be replace, the question is should the rad be replaced as well?

regardless im going to fire off a e-mail to the guys at DD and see what they can do about my gpu block. the copper base is just fine it all came off the top part.

First off, you didn't void the warranty... DangerDen just puts those stickers on there to indicate that the block was successfully leak/pressure tested after they assembled it. Shoot 'em an e-mail and they'll probably send you a new Delrin top for that Maze4 GPU. The anodisation on those old tops just slows the effects of galvanic corrosion, it doesn't stop them.

As for the radiator, the tubes are generally made of brass so I'm not sure how strong the reaction would be there... You could try a vinegar soak and see what happens.... Though, that may not actually do anything in this case...

could you clarify what actually happened to cause this? What kind of oxidation were you referring to? Aluminum + Copper?

if so, where was the aluminum from?

That's the trouble with not running any kind of corrosion inhibitor or not enough. With those blocks you need at least a 3 to 1 mix of water and antifreeze to prevent this from happening. 3 parts water to 1 part antifreeze. I've got mixed metal blocks I've been running for 2 years with that ratio with no ill effects.

You might try laying the rad on it's back and filling it with white vinegar and letting it set for a while. Conversly you can try automotive radiator boiling compund and dillute it with water at the recommended ratio (generally one jug for 16 quarts of water) and fill the rad with that. Do that then submerse the rad in hot water to make the boiling compound work. To prevent the water fron flowing back in the rad just stub some tubing on the barbs and keep it above the water level.

wow... so a 25% antifreeze mix?

I guess I need to go home and add some more pentosin.

but that's only if you are running mixed-metal blocks as you said right?

so how do i know if they're 'mixed-metals'?

btw, this is what i'm running
- MCP350
- Swiftech Apogee
- Swiftech MCW60
- MCRES-1000
- Swiftech 120mm Radiator

Your blocks are copper and plastic, you're fine.

thanks mat

Is that one of the old aluminum top Maze4s?

Yes, they came in red, black, blue and purple I believe.