Tales of woe from watercooling

[aboutblank]

So I decided to make the plunge to watercooling. I'm having a few slight problems though. I got all my equipment and per recommendation, I cleaned them with vinegar following these instructions:

1. Flush the raditoar with distilled water. I suggest getting 2-3 2.5gallon jugs and just start pouring about 2.5-3gallons of distilled through the rad.
2. Pour Distilled or De-Ionzied water into radiator. - Pour until full, drain and repeat. Shaking the radiator when it is half full of water will help. Repeat this 3-5 times.
3. Following the same procedure as in step 2, repeat with vinegar.
4. Fill the radiator with vinegar, and let it sit for appx. 6-8 hours.
5.Flush the radiator after 6-8 hours, following the procedure of step 2. Repeat Step 3 as well.
6.Repeat Step 4.
7.Repeat Step 2.

Found Here

So I did that, flushed it with water a few times and let it sit. So then I basically did the same thing with the 2 blocks (TDX and Maze4). Filled with vinegar, let them sit and flushed them out with distilled water, then dried them. I noticed some discoloration on the bottom of the TDX, so I took both blocks apart to see if it was anything serious. Here are links to massive pics (upper right - full size) of the blocks. Page 3 is what I used to clean it, page 4 has pics of the blocks.

Page 3

Is it tarnish?
Will it affect the system?
How do I get it off and do I need to lap it after I do so?

My tubing is 1/2" ID and I got all the right fittings on my blocks. It's still really hard to get the tubing on. Picture of the tubing on block

Do you attach the block to CPU/GPU and then put on the tubing, or vice versa?

Thank you for helping out a noob.

 

[Walternowi]

Originally posted by: aboutblank
So I did that, flushed it with water a few times and let it sit. So then I basically did the same thing with the 2 blocks (TDX and Maze4). Filled with vinegar, let them sit and flushed them out with distilled water, then dried them. I noticed some discoloration on the bottom of the TDX, so I took both blocks apart to see if it was anything serious. Here are links to massive pics (upper right - full size) of the blocks. Page 3 is what I used to clean it, page 4 has pics of the blocks.

When cleaning with vinegar, did you immerse the components completely in vinegar? If not, you might have a reaction between copper, air and vinegar.

Somebody made that mistake and all he had to do was to put the blocks back in vinegar. See this thread for details:

http://www.xtremesystems.org/forums/showthread.php?t=92900&highlight=vinegar

 

[TrevorRC]

Had the same problem here. Copper oxidizes, and those pictures look VERY similar to what you describes.
Pictures:
http://jchemed.chem.wisc.edu/JCESoft/CC.../STILLS/REDOXCU/REDOXCU/64JPG48/11.JPG
Oxidized copper.
Add some Hydrogen gas...
http://jchemed.chem.wisc.edu/JCESoft/CC.../STILLS/REDOXCU/REDOXCU/64JPG48/13.JPG
And the copper oxide goes away.

The details are on this site:
http://jchemed.chem.wisc.edu/JCESoft/CC.../STILLS/REDOXCU/REDOXCU/64JPG48/13.JPG

2 Cu(s ) + O2(g ) --> 2 CuO(s )

CuO(s ) + H2(g ) --> Cu(s ) + H2O(g )
^^^^
Chemical Reactions.

So, if it IS copper oxidation, grab some hydrogen gas [Local school... hospitals..], immerse the copper in it.
Alternatives (including what I did) include sanding [With an 800grit--USED--sandpaper.]

 

[nealh]

Originally posted by: aboutblank
So I decided to make the plunge to watercooling. I'm having a few slight problems though. I got all my equipment and per recommendation, I cleaned them with vinegar following these instructions:

1. Flush the raditoar with distilled water. I suggest getting 2-3 2.5gallon jugs and just start pouring about 2.5-3gallons of distilled through the rad.
2. Pour Distilled or De-Ionzied water into radiator. - Pour until full, drain and repeat. Shaking the radiator when it is half full of water will help. Repeat this 3-5 times.
3. Following the same procedure as in step 2, repeat with vinegar.
4. Fill the radiator with vinegar, and let it sit for appx. 6-8 hours.
5.Flush the radiator after 6-8 hours, following the procedure of step 2. Repeat Step 3 as well.
6.Repeat Step 4.
7.Repeat Step 2.

Found Here

So I did that, flushed it with water a few times and let it sit. So then I basically did the same thing with the 2 blocks (TDX and Maze4). Filled with vinegar, let them sit and flushed them out with distilled water, then dried them. I noticed some discoloration on the bottom of the TDX, so I took both blocks apart to see if it was anything serious. Here are links to massive pics (upper right - full size) of the blocks. Page 3 is what I used to clean it, page 4 has pics of the blocks.

Page 3

Is it tarnish?
Will it affect the system?
How do I get it off and do I need to lap it after I do so?

My tubing is 1/2" ID and I got all the right fittings on my blocks. It's still really hard to get the tubing on. Picture of the tubing on block

Do you attach the block to CPU/GPU and then put on the tubing, or vice versa?

Thank you for helping out a noob.

ask MaxxRacer at XS

BTW do you thin kthe vinegar did this???

 

[Luckyboy1]

BTW do you thin kthe vinegar did this???

Use the baking soda mixed in water Luke!