cleaning Swifech MCW600(2) block

[trodas]

I bet everyone know these blocks. In case that someone did not know then, then there is few pictures to get the idea:

http://www.swiftnets.com/products/mcw6002.asp

http://www.swiftnets.com/assets/images/products/MCW6002/MCW6002-A.gif

http://www.swiftnets.com/assets/images/products/MCW6002/mcw6002-transparent.gif

http://www.swiftnets.com/assets/images/products/MCW6000/flat-base.gif

So, as anyone can see, the block is impossible to "open". My question is, how (witch fluid to use) is recommended to clean the block inside WELL :confused:

I would even go as extreme, as acids, because corroding a little the inside areas only increase their area and therefore made the heat exchange better.
The question is - how extreme one can go and for how long :confused:

Any suggestions come handy :)

[cartmanea]

Fill it with vinegar and let it sit for a couple hours to a day, then flush it out with water. That should really be all you need.

[BillA]

dilute ammonia in a hot ultrasonic bath - if you have access to one

[RaptorRaider]

Does anyone have (links to) internal pics of this block?


pHaestus' pictures are down and I'm not sure I've ever seen someone else show internal pics of this block.

[toledo]

Have you asked the technicall support ?

[MaxxxRacer]

toledo, BillA is the techincal suport. He designed the waterblock ;)

[BigStan]

dilute ammonia in a hot ultrasonic bath - if you have access to one
If you don't have acess to an ultrasonic bath, what would be a good alternative? Just soak it overnight?

[BillA]

sure, put it in solution on a warming plate too
do not boil

[toledo]

toledo, BillA is the techincal suport. He designed the waterblock ;)

Ops ....Didn`t know :D . BTW is a very nice block , low pressure drop and very efficient even in low flow rates ... ;) . Congratulations Billa .

Regarding cleaning the block, I’ve seen good results in similar applications using ultra sonic bath , it works really well even using just hot water, but it is usually not accessible .

[snowwie]

Does anyone have (links to) internal pics of this block?


pHaestus' pictures are down and I'm not sure I've ever seen someone else show internal pics of this block.

http://www.hardocp.com/article.html?art=Njc5

http://www.hardocp.com/image.html?image=MTA5ODgxMTAxNWZPZ3Q4SzBYMVdfMl8xM 19sLmpwZw==

http://www.hardocp.com/image.html?image=MTA5ODgxMTAxNWZPZ3Q4SzBYMVdfMl8xN F9sLmpwZw==

[trodas]

BillA - dilute ammonia in a hot ultrasonic bath - if you have access to one

Ultrasonic bath is not a slightest problem, but the dilute ammonia might be... I try asking...

Meanwhile - are you sure THIS get rid of not normal dirt, but oxidation dirt, eaten into the cooper? (the damn Coca cola idea...) I tried few testings with Cola and Vinegar and the resulting dirt looks pretty solid to me.
Do you think it will get down :confused: :confused:

I thinking more and more about some radical ideas with acids... after all, if they eat the block internals a very little, it only improve the heat transfer.


Internal oics of the MCW600x block:

http://www.hardocp.com/images/articles/1098811015fOgt8K0X1W_2_13_l.jpg

http://www.hardocp.com/images/articles/1098811015fOgt8K0X1W_2_14_l.jpg

[trodas]

Okay, I going to post some of my preliminary tests to create (or re-create) the kind of dirt on cooper, witch exist inside of the block, for the purpose of cleaning testing.

Preparing the poor cooper piece:
http://ax2.old-cans.com/1-prepare.jpg

Applied Coca cola and Vinegar:
http://ax2.old-cans.com/2-applicated.jpg

Let it dry and just wash it by flow of water, no mechanical cleaning:
http://ax2.old-cans.com/3-dryup.jpg

Added Vinegar to the left side + dry + wash by flow of water again.
http://ax2.old-cans.com/4-addedvinegar.jpg

Results from "cleaning" attempt by Pulirapid cleaner:
http://ax2.old-cans.com/5-cleaningattempt.jpg

...witch containing up to 24,5% of phosphoric acid and therefore it should clean well. But the results looks like it making things almost worser that better...
To my mind come the use of chlorhydric acid, witch is used to clean the metal sheets before soldering by iron, so it maybe can "eat" the crapy dirt, eaten to the cooper, away and after wash show a pretty nice surface?
Even it eat a bit of the surface, to make it sort of bumpy, it does not matter inside of the block - it could only make the heat transfer better.
It is worth the try? :confused:

BillA - thanks a lot for your suggestions. Could you pretty please add the concentration of the dilute ammonia, the optimal temperature (I assume the hotter the better, just don't boil, right?) and the cleaning time? (the more the better?)
And it is a chance this dilute ammonia with ultrasonic bath will clean throughly the dirt, almost eaten into the cooper surface? :confused: :confused: :confused:

[Holst]

I find that salt and vinegar works very well on copper.

[trodas]

Holst - why not try it :) How much salt per how much vinegar? :p:

/me preparing to attack kitchen supplies :D

[mad mikee]

If not what BillA says, I have always had good luck w/ tomato juice, followed by running alot of water through at high pressure (since you can't get a toothbrush in there :D )

[chinkgai]

we clean with this stuff called "simple green" at work. its a mixture of simple green and water...will that work? or will it react to the copper?

simple green:
http://consumer.simplegreen.com/cons_prod_ori.php

[MaxxxRacer]

chink, simple green is good stuff. I dont know the exact chemical makeup of simple green, but it should not dammage the copper, as copper is relatively non-reactive.

[Nanobot]

Simple Green is a high alkali cleaner,it's strong enough to weaken heat treated steel so thread carefully and try it on the bare copper piece you have first.
I doubt it's effectiveness on copper.

Maybe try those CLR mildew/rust stain cleaner types. I think it's also *very*high alkali base tho but it might be acid base,I'm not sure.

[trodas]

Done!

I let the specialits to handle this and they first come with a bit stupid idea, just to rub the stuff with nitric acid - you can see the strokes on each testing spot, if you look good:

http://ax2.old-cans.com/6-cleaning%20with%20acid%20layer.jpg

However the "geniuses" can't explain me, how they are planing to rub the inside of the block. Obviously, despite my trying, I can't get to their heads that the block can't and won't open... :(

Anyway, I finally convinced them to the hot amoniak ultrasonic bath. They made it 70C and for 30min. AND then they come with some sort of chemical polishing stuff (not cleaning, polishing!), and did a test with it. Results from top left - chemical polishing - hot amoniak ultrasonic bath and bellow original:

http://ax2.old-cans.com/7-final%20results.jpg

Unfortunately, it is NOT visible from the picture, how outstandingly clean and shiny the result of the chemical polishing is. I can't believe my eyes. The material was never ever (not even when it is new) so clean, nice and polished! :slobber: :slobber: :slobber:

The hot amoniak ultrasonic bath did good job too, tough. Even that it looked notably worser, it might perform better, because is it the more rough surface witch transer the heat better to the block, so I had to pick one way and I ended up with the beauty result of the chemical polishing.
They use it for pipes too, so I was convinced. Besides, the time is only 20 sec (!!!) to get such result, so...

The problem with the picture is, that the stuff is pretty reflective and it does reflect the surrounding dark-brown wooden wall lining, so that is why the photo did not entierly catch up this beauty.
Yet the beauty catched me and you can see part of me and part of my cam reflected into the chemical polished sample ;) :p:

Look real close - yes, the dark rounded thing is the objective and my Nikon has a silver body - also seen there ;)

And the block results? Well, outstanding.
I re-laped the bottom on quality piece of 8mm thick glass in water with grit 1000 sandpaper and despeite adding a M4CHIP block and NV-40 block on my O/C 6800GT card, the CPU temps remained the same. Dunno what much then the block effectivity increased after the cleaning, but for sure it has to be at least 7 to 12C - that is what I tip how much the new heatsources add heat to the loop (passive WC only, remember!) and also they do restricted the loop a little (despite my modification of the 6002, where I re-drill the holes to be 10,5mm wide all-lenght - but that was before these attempts to clean the block) ...

So far, Im very satisfacted with the chemical polishing results. The block was NEVER EVER as nice looking, when I get back to me, from the cleaning. Never even as a new one :)