Leak central with EK GPU blocks!

[D749]

While I've been building computer for years this is my first time water cooling video cards and it's been nothing but a disaster. Specifically, one of my EK-FC LINKs keep failing to make good seal with the main EK block. I've broken down the loop 3 times now. The only leak in the entire loop is at the bottom EK LINK and I've triple checked o-rings for that EK-LINK. I'm not sure what the heck I'm going to do now.

Parts:
3x GTX 680 Lightnings
3x EK MSI GeForce 680 GTX Lightning VGA Liquid Cooling Block - Acetal + Nickel CSQ (EK-FC680 GTX Lightning - Acetal+Nickel)
1x EK FC Bridge Triple Parallel CSQ - SLI Connection - Acetal (EK-FC Bridge TRIPLE Parallel CSQ)

Video (NOTE: there's water visible before the pumps are turned on because I had been cycling the pumps): http://youtu.be/ybqKB5629u0

Pictures:

[noobzed]

In your chance, you saw it before power on the machine

[ohms]

I would check to see if the O-rings are perhaps the wrong size or degraded.

Is it all 3 links or is it the just the one on the bottom that you took the picture of?

[D749]

I would check to see if the O-rings are perhaps the wrong size or degraded.

Is it all 3 links or is it the just the one on the bottom that you took the picture of?

How do I tell if they're the right size or not?

Currently, the only link that leaks is the the bottom link (the third link). The second link was leaking at one point until I re-seated it. I've tried re-seating the third link multiple times but doesn't work for the the third link.

[D749]

Took everything apart a few more times. I'm beginning to wonder if it's not the o-rings themselves but the gap or lack thereof in the attacked pictures. The problem is I don't have much control over this gap as you can't exactly adjust how far back the link sits from the edge of the block. The holes, etc. are all pre-drilled, etc.

X = leak
check = no leak

[WaterFlex]

Oh, very sad

[D749]

Oh, very sad

It is. I submitted a support ticket on the EK website and included the video, pictures and a description of everything. I hope to get a useful reply (e.g., we'll send you out some replacement parts) but I'm not expecting much considering it's the weekend.

[gmat]

Sometimes the o-rings are dried up from being too long in storage and they lose their sealing properties. Wetting them before putting them in can help, some people mention vaseline or similar (make sure it doesnt attack rubber !). Still if your o-ring is dried and/or flattened you better get it replaced. EK will replace yours once they read your ticket

[D749]

Sometimes the o-rings are dried up from being too long in storage and they lose their sealing properties. Wetting them before putting them in can help, some people mention vaseline or similar (make sure it doesnt attack rubber !). Still if your o-ring is dried and/or flattened you better get it replaced. EK will replace yours once they read your ticket

Thanks. I did wet the o-ring with distilled water before installing them.

What I noticed again today is that the leak lessens or completely stops once the pumps are off. So there's some form of seal it's just really weak because once the pumps are on the the leak starts.

[Gimmpy224]

Took everything apart a few more times. I'm beginning to wonder if it's not the o-rings themselves but the gap or lack thereof in the attacked pictures. The problem is I don't have much control over this gap as you can't exactly adjust how far back the link sits from the edge of the block. The holes, etc. are all pre-drilled, etc.

X = leak
check = no leak

Honestly I think you are right on the money with the lack of the gap, something is not aligned properly. Probably a defect from the factory.

[cx-ray]

I had a similar problem with their older non-CSQ system. One of the EK links mounted about half a millimeter too low. The problematic one came from a later production batch. It wouldn't allow the triple bridge to seat flush across the three cards. I managed to fix it by drilling out the 3 screw holes by 1 mm and securing the link slightly shifted upward.

[AH64]

Beautiful setup - No doubt EK will come through and fix the issue.

[dengyong]

If you add anything that EK doesn't sell to the water, it will destroy their product. j/k

[CrazyNutz]

Check the areas where the o-rings make contact (i.e. the groves, etc.) look for tiny strands of the acetal/delrin material. Sometimes when they mill these the tiny hair like strands will form, this will cause water to wick out.

[tiborrr]

If you add anything that EK doesn't sell to the water, it will destroy their product. j/k

Please go crave back to your troll cave. Thank you.


@OP: Did you manage to resolve this issue? Hit me up on my PM otherwise.

[gejmer]

Bad depth groove for O-ring. Imho..

[Ardalista]

Perhaps try to isolate if it's a link or the main block causing your problems...

move one of the known good links to the affected position and see if it's still an issue?

Recently had an RMA with EK myself and they resolved things for me fairly promptly.

[D749]

I received a reply from EK. They're sending me some replacement parts. I'm not entirely sure what they're sending me but I'll update this thread once I receive the package. So far so good in terms of customer support.

[D749]

Just got back from a short vacation. EK sent me 3 new links and a bag of o-rings. They also threw in a bottle of coolant.

It more than likely won't be until next week when I can get back to working on the rig.

[felix_w]

Fair support from EK... please update with the failing item and it's picture if you can.

Apart from your thorough installation having saved your system, it could be educating for others to see the result.

[D749]

Update time.

I replaced all three EK links with the new links that EK sent to me (probably unnecessary but what the heck) and I replaced all of the EK link o-rings with the new ones that were also sent to me. The new o-rings are significantly thicker than the ones that shipped with my EK links and the new ones properly fill the recessed channel they sit within. I'm not sure how these other o-rings got into three different packages.

EK didn't send me replacement o-rings for the EK bridge, which would have been nice, but that was not as much as issue. Still, the o-rings that shipped with the EK bridge are similar to the original EK link o-rings in that they don't really fill the recessed channel on the EK bridge.

All that being said... so far so good. I'm running the loop (not the hardware) and don't see any water coming out from any of the EK links or bridge. :thumb: Time will tell.

[tastyrabbit]

You can get O-rings dirt cheap in any size:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/METRIC-NIT...item4ac00adb0b

I added a little e-poxy to my build when my block leaked.... I was too lazy to send it back... E-poxy is pretty useful, in the future I'm thinking of adding a thin layer to every connection just for safety.

[andressergio]

Ufff dont tell me this i have 3 ek blocks gpu only with bridge on the way...no the full cover ones hope nothing happens
Glad to hear they sent u that and fixed ur issue

[D749]

You can get O-rings dirt cheap in any size:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/METRIC-NIT...item4ac00adb0b

I added a little e-poxy to my build when my block leaked.... I was too lazy to send it back... E-poxy is pretty useful, in the future I'm thinking of adding a thin layer to every connection just for safety.

Thanks for the link.