XSPC DDC mod top, must it be PERFECTLY centered?

[Sly Fox]

It mentions in the instructions for the XSPC custom top that you should check to make sure it's centered on the impeller. That is that the XSPC intake is centered over the impeller intake.

I can tell you that with mine it does not line up perfectly once screwed in no matter what orientation you put it in in or how you screw it together.

But it's pretty darn close and the hole on the XSPC top doesn't go past the inlet hole on the impeller. It's just noticeably off center if you look at it dead on.

Hopefully this image will explain roughly what I'm talking about. Blue = impeller, glassy texture = inlet of XSPC top, black = pump/background.



That's approximately what I'm looking at here. The inlet from the top is feeding into the impeller inlet, but it's off center and there's nothing I can do about it.

Now I assume this won't affect performance negatively as I suspect that very few of these tops and pumps are cut to absolute perfection to the point where they line up flawlessly.

Or do I just have a bad top?

After my D5 died I'm a little bit nervous about a pump which I'm told is less reliable, so hopefully you guys can assuage my worries.

[MrToad]

I don't know whether they're supposed to line up perfectly or not...

But I do have three of these tops, and none of them do. All of them are slightly off centre.

Not enough to "cover" the centre of the impeller (if you know what I mean), but they are 1 or 2 mm off (depending on the particular top).

This didn't seem to impair the performance of the pump in any way though.

However, all the rest of the tops I've tried (EK V1, EK V2, Petra's and XSPC X-Res) did line up...

[hotdun]

I think what you're seeing is the spiral volute shape of the impeller chamber...like this: LINK

[Sly Fox]

I think what you're seeing is the spiral volute shape of the impeller chamber...like this: LINK

No no, I'm referring to the direct center of the impeller. Where the water is taken in.

[jetroho]

@Sly Fox ,
Yes the two holes should line up as perfectly as possible . If you recently got your top . XSPC has changed the bolts to shoulder bolts . That limit the movement of the top on the pump base .
I went to ACE Hardware and got 4mmx25 stainless allen screws to replace the XSPC screws . Had no issue with alignment after that .
j

[Jokester_wild]

I just fired up the two in my setup last night, worked fine. They are not perfect. There not built perfectly. Don't worry too much about it.

[tonyluu]

Is it going to leak if you don't have it dead center? Mines won't align either no matter what

[SNiiPE_DoGG]

Is it going to leak if you don't have it dead center? Mines won't align either no matter what

It's a spiral volute so it wont look perfectly centered, put the inlet center to the hole on the impeller, if it wont center turn the top 90 degrees, continue turning until it works