My new 77' Boneville heatorcore pics.

Just going to add a little silicon to seal it all up and long screw threads through the heatercore to hold down the shroud. Im also going to line all the creases with aluminum foil tape. Please posts any comments that will help!!! and oh, i haven't cut off the pipes yet either.

Nice, I am currently trying to figure out what i want to do with my chevette heatercore...Should be something similar only with one 120 though

about 12-1/2" X 5-5/8 X 2" from top tank to bottom tank, the pipes comes out straight from the top tank, i've yet to saw them off at the bends. I was going to torch them out totally, but the pipes are just right to slide 1/2 " ID hosing over (maybe a little tight) but they are already brazed in there nice out of the box.

This is the final work done to the radiator. I use small thin threads and just pushed 8 of them through the fins of the Heatercore. Used washers on one side to back it and drilled holes that lined up with the fan shroud and the 8 holes on teh 2 120mm fans and pushed them all the way through.

Then i just used to aluminum tape (used for AC ducting and etc...) and ran it around teh shroud and loose gaps around teh fans to seal up the unit and make it air tight to all the air is directed accross the unit for the best job i could do. Then just hack sawed off teh pipes at the top and filed them down so when i slide the tubing over them it wount cut it up.

Me likey...

Definitely beats my cardboard shroud

Not bad! What's it cost to ship one of those to Germany?

Playing around with on of those too, I found that the tubes are 5/8 copper, and take adapters 5/8 compression to 1/2 NPT just fine. Easy way to attach hose barbs for the brazing challenged.

I use an early 90's mustang/capri heater core for my system. It is the perfect width for the case. I forot how much they cost but I think most heater cores can be found cheaper than a decent pc radiator.

gclg2000, a few questions.

First, what made you decide to use a heatercore as opposed to a radiator?

Second, is that a HC from a junkyard or a new one from an autoparts store?

Third if it's a used one, how do you clean it out to avoid problems with your W/C system, or do you clean it out?

Thanks

Autozone has a 90 mustang heatercore for $18.99. Dont use a used one, ever, you can never be assured that there isnt some sludge that is gonna gum up your waterblock and ruin a good cpu. Or even worse spring a leak. BTW double check the dimensions on the core if you go a mustang route, its been a few years and I have forgotten the exact year/spec.

qdemn7 said:

First, what made you decide to use a heatercore as opposed to a radiator?

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A heater core is a radiator. They just use them to heat air up, instead of cooling the liquid down (although it still does that, just to a lesser extent as the bigger radiator in front of the engine). Certain automotive heater cores outperform the conventional PC watercooling radiators, and some WC rads are just reworked automotive heater cores. I'd take a Chevette or Bonneville core over similarly sized PC rads anyday. And I did! I have a Bonneville core from 2Fresh.

Nice shroud, gclg2000. I'll be building mine once I get home in September.

edit: Automotive heater cores are way cheaper than PC rads too, as most people know. I got my Bonneville core premodded for half of what a brand new BIX2 costs.

I'm going to have to do this so could someone post some good heatcores or can I just pick any brand out and use that?

thats a really sweet looking rad. [H]ardcore DIY

nice job mate!

sorry guys, i had class all day.

Ok

1. like RickyJ said there is no real difference in the two. They are basically one in the same.

2. Its a brand new Heatercore from Autozone designed for a 1977' Pontiac Boneville with A/C (350 5.7L V8) for $17.99 + tax.

3. Likey RickkJ said, dont get a junkyard heatercore. These are relatively cheap in my opinion @ ~$ 20.

CrimandEvil, i would just measure the deminsions you want to use (that will fit in your case along with pump, resevoir and etc.....) and then search this forum for popular heatercore that do a good job. THis is a popular one but its very tall as you can see. May have to mount it on top of your case but in my case i have a huge tall tower and i just removed my HDD rack from teh bottom section and placed the HDD's in some 5.25" adapter brackets up top. It fits nice and cozy in my case.
Below is a pic of my case inards with the rediator sitting in it.


Another popular one i've read is from a 91" blazer and then of course the monte carlo ones too. Just fidn the size you prefer and go with it. And in my opinion BIGGER IS BETTER, that one i have fits 2 120mm fans on top of it, and those 2 guys really move some air. Also, make sure you have at least 1 inch of height for the shroud to hold the fans up off the fins and i just used Aluminum Ducting tape (not the classic grey "duct tape") which was $3.39 for a role of it from my local hardware store. The ducting tape helps seal the loose small cracks and etc. anothe alternative is silicon beading which i was going to do but it made such a nice fit and i just used a little extra aluminum tape to cover a small gap or two. It's airtight and has great suction. Which brings me to my next point. Those 2 fans on my setup are in a "pull" direction, i could have put 2 on each side and had push --> pull but i think that would have been overkill, but it would be more efficient.

$17.99 heatercore plus 2 120mm fans $20 + $3.44 for the 90 degree angled aluminum i made teh shroud out of and 3.39 for more than enough aluminum ducting tape and $7 for misc. Screws, washers and wing nuts. So my grand total was ~ $45 bucks for what i believe a super performing radiator.

Dangerden has radiators this size for like $102 JUST for the radiator, plus $20 (at least) for 2 120mm fans and 15.95 for "double heatercore shroud" so thats $138 + shipping for one pre made. My bet is those cool well too. But i could buy 2 waterblocks, and a pump for the money is saved on this. But im making my copper waterblocks too $25 for my 2 solid blocks from onlinemetals.com (CPU size & GPU size) which i'll be making with a drill press, pipe taps and plumbers barbs and i've got me 2 nice waterblocks for ~$ 36. I'll have pictures of the blocks up soon as they should be done by friday.

I would just like to say: Dangerden makes sells some great components and if you would like to buy their stuff it would work great!!!

And RickyJ, i made that shroud from 90 degree bend 1" aluminum metal from Home Depot for $3.44 or something. I just cut out one side of it so i could bend the corners together. Then just riveted the corners together (rivot clamp was $20 and 100 rivets were like $3). The next shroud i build i will just cut out 90 degree angles on one side of the aluminum bar and then heat up the metal by it, fold it together where teh 90 degree's become together and then just aluminum soilder the seems together (or aluminum duct tape). That 77' heatercore in combination with 1" 90 degree Aluminum bend metal allows for the 120mm fans to stradle nicely across the gap. If you have any more specific questions just let me know.

And Little Grabbi would you seriously consider buying one i made? You think people we be interested in a much cheaper highly effecient home made readiator at a good price?

Thanks for the replies guys and if i can help anyone or answer more questions just let me know!!!

And Little Grabbi would you seriously consider buying one i made? You think people we be interested in a much cheaper highly effecient home made readiator at a good price?

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I would. About $45 to make and sell them for around $55-60 (too much?). We should always support the home modders.

I called an AutoZone (It's one town over) just now and they have a 90' Ford Mustang for $17, is that good (I'm not a car guy so I don't know)? I can get the rest locally and I've found a really nice container that I can make into a res at the grocery store (who'd a thought).

Yeah, i'll have to build another and try to sell it to someone. I could even.....use the heatercore you specify and fan size !?!?!?! Make the shroud, mod the core and bolt up some fans + shipping? I'll check it out.

But that ford Heatercore does sound like a very nice price. I would go with it if it fits. And as far as the resevoir, i made one of those too...lol !!! about $7-8 bux. About a 3" peice of 1.5" diameter PVC pipe ($2) + screw to PVC cap ($2.30) + PVC end cap ($0.60) plus 2 1/2 inch tread to 1/2 plumbers barb ($.99 each) and 2 1/2 female adapters ($0.80 each i think).

Here is a couple of pictures of it. Add some primer, paint that sucker and your in buisness. (keep in mind my Case is huge, so you could make it a little smaller and the barb out the side) to help with size constraints.







Hope this helps you out bud!!

That looks nice!
Were can I get barbs like that? I'm going to have to get a few (actually I know a place but the prices are kind of high).
What I'm going to get is one of those little 1 gallon refillable water tanks that has a handle on it for $12.99 (they won't sell it unless I fill it with water lol) It looks quite nice and will have to sit outside my case though.

actually man i got those from Lowes, My cities Home Depot had soem but they were sold out. They were $1.66 from Lowes which is still kinda high but we are talking pennies now. I then went to a local family run hard store here in town and they had a huge selection of plumbers barbs which were $0.99 thats were i get them from now.

Lol also, you should get one of those huge ass 5 gallon water drums and use that as a resevoir. In fact thats not a bad idea.....get a mini fridge to fit it in......next to your case....and have 5 gallons of fridgerated water circulating threw your system at like 5 C....hrm....lightbulb

LOL that would be awesome.
I'll have to check out my local hardware store then, $1.65 doesn't sound too bad when you figure some places sell them for close to $2.25, I have to go there anyways to get some L corner aluminum and some other stuff.
Thanks for the help, now I feel confident enough to start putting a WC set together.
Sorry for all of the n00b questions too.

no problem at all man, just keep it simple.

Now im kinda getting curious about this mini fridge idea. People have done this for a while, but a mini fridge would fit perfect on my desk next to my tower. Just at first glance. sears.com has mini fridges' for $59 with a decent amount of space and get like a 3 gallon sweet tea jug from walmart add some barbs...instant huge resevoir. Think i may pick one up, wouldnt hurt to have in my college dorm/apartment... always could use a little extra space besides sharing the kitchen's fridge with 4 guys....

good luck!!!

One word: Keg
Now that would be awesome, cool your PC AND your brew! LOL

A guy sold his setup on eBay a year ago. He did the minifridge idea. I ran across his website that decribed the process. The real problem will be condensation. You will have to insulate your lines.. possibly seal up the motherboard socket/area around the cpu. The motherboard sealing is more along the lines of a compressor system that runs the cpu -140C.

The only other major problem is that fridges are not designed for a constant heat load. It will die much quicker than with normal operation.


But it is a neat idea... I thought about it but never had the guts to try it.

yeah good thoughts.

I figure though, by having a larger volume of water 3+ gallons, that the heat load wouldnt be much at all. I bet putting hot left overs would be more heat than the heat from a CPU and a GPU? What do you think? It's been 2 semesterds since i've took the Physics sequence maybe its time to wip out the old book, figure how much heat these things are putting out and do some math. My bet is it would be fine.

And plus what wouldnt be more pimp. A kegerator / water cooling mini fridge...Me and my roomates have mentioned making a kegerator anyways, i think im actually gonna end up doing this.

As far as condensation goes. I should just be able to insulate the lines, and the copper block(s) and thats it? I know they make material like this because people use this for the phase changing systems....i'll have to look around or maybe soemone can post some advice.

And i do have a year warrenty on it, but i'd have to drill holes in the side and for the tap.....wonder if the compresser and guts is covered seperately...

I've got a few questions. Does there have to be a spacer between the fans and the heater core?
Which way should the fans be blowing? It looks like you have them on the inside of the case blowing out. Shouldn't they be taking outside air and blowing in or does that just apply to air cooled cases?

what about pumps on the cheap? Do you have to buy one of the speacialty pumps, or is their something at Lowes that will work good?

No there does not have to be a spacer between the fans and the radiator, but YES you'll want to make one. And its more than a spacer.

#1
It does lift the fans up off the radiator eliminating the "Dead spot" in the middle of the fan, that dead spot right up against the fins wont cool that sections so it allows for that area to be cooled.

#2
Once you have the fans up off the fins those fans will then suck air from outside the radiator, thus not allowing for MAXIMUM air flow accross the fins. You see the copper blocks pull heat from CPU's, the water pulls heat from the Copper, the radiator fins pull heat from the water and the fans blow air that pulls heat from the fins. My design personally has the fans sucking air accross the radiator in a "Pull" direction. I believe this is the best way since its boxed in on one side i get all the air flow possible across the fins, if it were "pushing" (blowing) some air would escape and so the FAN SHROUD helps create and air tight seal and direct all the air sucked in by the 2 120mm fans to achieve the most heat transfer from the radiator. Now my radiator is going to be blowing that "hot air" if you will outside my case, however i am also going to have 2 80mm fans and one more 120mm fan blowing INSIDE my case so those 2 120mm radiator fans have enough air to suck out. Plus those radiator fans will draw air accroos the motherbaord and etc helped with temps too!!! I just dont want that "Hot air" blowing back inside my case, this is not wrong as long as you have other fans blowing the hot air out of your case, i just think it defeats the purpose a little to blow hot air back in.

Hope this helps man!!!!

vexter said:

what about pumps on the cheap? Do you have to buy one of the speacialty pumps, or is their something at Lowes that will work good?

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I'm thinking of going with a Hydor L30 (or a L20) based on all the great reviews it's had but I don't think I understand the whole submersible pump thing (do I hook it up like an inline and then place it in a res?) but it's getting some great marks and fits my budget.

I've got yet another good, price effecient solution for you. This is the pump that i have. The Via Aqua 1300 for $17.99 + shipping. Do a search for yourself on the reviews on it. IT been known as the best cost/performance pump around. I got it from http://www.drsfostersmith.com/ they sell a ton of Aqua Via models, some way bigger than the one i have. Here is a link to the Via Aqua Section, like i said i got the 1300 for real cheap. They have a ViaAqua 3600 (1057 Gallons per hour, and 600 Gallons per hour @ 4ft head) for $54.99. Now thats ALOT of flow and im only comparing that pump to the price of the Hydor L30. If you get soemthign that strong, you better make SURE you have proper fittings througout your system. I've never seen anyone getting a pump this strong, but heh...just for price comparison.

CD-11945 ViaAqua Water Pump Model 360 $9.99
CD-11946 ViaAqua Water Pump Model 480 $10.99
CD-11947 ViaAqua Water Pump Model 1300 $17.99
CD-11948 ViaAqua Water Pump Model 2600 $36.99
CD-11949 ViaAqua Water Pump Model 3600 $54.99
CD-11950 ViaAqua Water Pump Model 4900 $59.99

NOTICE: I DO NOT RECOMEND PLAYING WITH THOSE 2 BIGGER FLOW PUMPS. I WOULD MAKE SURE THE PRESSURE WOULD BE OK BEFORE I STUCK THAT INSIDE MY PC.

Once again, tons and tons of reviews on the Via Aqua 1300 from all kinds of overclockers websites.

oh, and inline means not in water, jus tthe lines running in/out of it. You can submerse some which is prob the best way to bleed system, but IMO making a resevoir box or buying one big enough isnt worht the hastle. Just make a seperate small resevoir or T-line.

Wow....okay I'll take one of those (yes, VERY big grin) the 1300 looks perfect! Damn I think I do this under $120.
I only thought about submerging it since the res would be big enough and I thought it would help to keep everything nice and tidy.

Okay so since I have you here I was wondering what you think of these parts:
Danger Den Maze4
Custom 1 Gallon Res (or was it 3, I'll get it tomorrow and see)
90' Ford Mustang Heater core
ViaAqua Water Pump 1300
Thinking of getting a relay kit
Tubing, Barbs, Clamps, and Coolant.

That about right? For tubing I'm going to go with Tygon, I'll pick up some clamps and barbs when I go to the HD store and coolant is either Xerex or Waterwetter. Am I missing anything?

BTW how is your pump setup then?

Ok my system is connected together as follows.

radiator out into my res; res out to the pump; pump out to teh GPU block, GPU block out the CPU; CPu out back to radiator.

Everything you got looks good. Man thing your going to be concerned with is FLOW RATE, that goes for all systems. Your only running one block so that Via 1300 outta be just great for that. Your resevoir is pretty huge (1 gallon) for inside a case, i dont know if i would go with that, cuz god forbid if it ever broke inside the case. You have a big ole radiator and i would bet thats good enough to cool the system. But do what you want, bigger is better as long as it's not dangerous or looks stupid in my opinion. Your coolant im assumign will not be ALL water weter, you just need a little bit of that in combination with your water. Just used deionized water (distilled from grocery store $0.99). Read up on the ratios of Water. weter to use together. The maze4 speaks for itself and everythign else looks good dude. Your first system should suck the most, and it should just get better and better.

Below i've posted a couple of pictures of some "no way i would build it like that" systems i've seen on this site and jus around the web.

Look at all the resistance this guy has on one pump. 3 Blocks, 1 HD block, Resv, Radiator, and notice how the top line on the pump is all kinked around with 90 degree bends...not to mention at most that is 3/8 ID tubing if not 1/4ID. Now that pump has a hell of a load on it with all that junk and look at the amount of tubing (distance) on top of that. Not good flow rate in my opinion.




=======================================
But if you look at this guy's (from the post your system sticky from this forum) his looks great. In fact whoever this guy is, i admire his setup and tried to follwo the basic concepts he did. Sticky is here.




1. Large diameter hose
2. Short distance of tubing
3. No kinks or hard (multiple) 90 degree bends
4. All the parts are fairly close to each other.
5. He has thick BRAIDED tubing (Lowes has it for $0.56 per foot)

Check around on the tubing, the Tygon stuff is great, but your good braded tubing will work good too...its just water. The guy's above cant be more than about 2.5 ft.

As far as the relay system, i didnt do it. I just ran the pump plug cord out the back PCI bracket slot. One day i may sell this pump or have to call for a warrenty replacement on it and having the power cord cut up....not for me...but the pump is cheap so thats your call.

Hope this helps cheif.

Awesome job, man. I like yours alot better than his.

Thanks for all of the help! I'm always amazed at what you can learn by looking at other people's stuff.
I'm thinking that I won't go the relay route since my system is on pretty much 24/7 anyways.

CrimandEvil said:

Thanks for all of the help! I'm always amazed at what you can learn by looking at other people's stuff.
I'm thinking that I won't go the relay route since my system is on pretty much 24/7 anyways.

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Yeah, and for the few hours it's not on you can always leave the pump running as most aquarium pumps are meant to be run 24/7 anyways.

exactly.

The main thing im hoping that anyone gets out of this thread is:

you can build a high quality system for very cheap.
I've spent like $250 on my setup. Big CPU block, big GPU block, HUGE radiator, nice pump and large resevoir. That would run you at least $300 pre made by a place like dangerden or something.

Plus you get the satisfaction of "i made that biatch."

Heres what i did with my 77 bonnie rad, actually got it to fit nicely in a mid size case. As you can see, it takes up the top 5 1/4 drive, but there is still a .75 inch space between the top of the case and the rad itself for use with a shroud. This pic is a lil old as i have gone down to 5/8th od tubing with those awesome Swiftech Coolsleve Coils.



The faceplate can hide the radiator totally from the front.


Yeah, they have been cut..lol

yep i laid mine in there like that just fitting it up, that works great. Nice colors and i like it alot. Nice, Nice, Nice mod man. Job well done.

This it great stuff. Ive wanted to water cool for quite some time. But ive always been discouraged by the cost. This is looking well within my range. THX for taking the time to share this info....