GTX Corrosion

[Waterlogged]

Gabe what is the mil spec # so the croud can read the data/process involved.

They are (and always have been), listed on Swiftech's site, in the "Specifications" portion for the GTX.

[IanY]

This is verbatim communication, but in public forum, so I will share with all of you.

I'm no lacky, so take these comments and interpret them whatever way you wish.

Regarding glycol, or lack thereof:

yes this customer is admitedly running what he calls tap/demineralized water with no additive.

since when do we run only water in our cooling loops? all water-cooling systems must use an anti-corrosion/anti-fungal additive. algae alone will grow in a loop so fast that it will degrade the system in a matter of weeks.

people who say "I don't care that the guy is using pure water, swiftech should have known", might as well say "I don't care that the guy is using chloridric acid, Swiftech should have known."

Even distilled water used alone is unsafe, and will grow algea, which in term will promote mineralization and allow corrosion.

people have to start taking responsibility for their mistakes.

Comments regarding XS:

as I expected, reading the responses to my post at XS is hopeless. like "I've been using distilled water for 1 1/2 yr without additives in my system without any problems..." what this user doesn't say is how often he drained his system to exchange water-blocks. this doesn't make any sense. I refuse to talk to such biased individuals, fueling controversy.. useless, or even worse: counterproductive.

Further remarks:

Well I posted anyways, and look at the responses..

"I have been using pure distilled water for 1.5yr no problem". But he omitted to say that he is using a pure silver block (silver being a biocide), which apparently is one of 250 ever made, and telling everyone else, yes go ahead use pure distilled water!

My primary point is you shouldn't use pure distilled water without additives.

Got a beef? Take the war to the intended recipient. Don't shoot the messenger, because the messenger may fire back with a bazooka.

[IanY]

This was the initial response to my request for comment:

What do you want me to say? That we have sold thousands of these blocks, and seen no RMA to this date? The only point these guys are trying to make is that oxydation can occur, irrespective of the circumstances. Can your gas tank explode in your car?

You know, this is really a pity. We are working on new blocks, and we are questioning aluminum as a solution because a few vociferous individuals cry wolf, when the reality is that we have no problems. In the end, these people will be driving the price of the products up for the majority.

This was the comment about accountability:

The majority of the people are not dumb, and just because there are a few dummies out there does not mean that we have to make products just for them. There are protocols to respect in any technical environment.

Just the messenger.

DILLIGAFF ?

[Waterlogged]

MIL-C-26074E grade B.pdf Grade B - 0.0005-inch minimum layer

ASTM-B840-99 CLASS 1

TYPE A - COLORLESS
GRADE 1 - .00023

TYPE B - YELLOW CHROMATE
GRADE 2 - .00046

TYPE C - BRONZE CHROMATE
GRADE 3 - .00070

hmmm very thin when you get to class 6......microns

You might want to re-evaluate your thoughts about that. My math tells me that Grade 6 should be almost .0012 thick, if each Grade is indeed a .00023 step.

[Waterlogged]

bet you wont see that if sawed the gtx top in half

If that's the case, there's no way Swiftech should be claiming that the top is plated according to that Spec.

I don't have a GTX (nor will I) so I can't say exactly how thick each layer of plating is. Personally, I've been warning ppl about the plating since it came out and I was over @ DD's forums. Something about using zinc (even if it is mixed with another metal) just didn't sit right with me, being a sacrificial metal in some anti-corrosion systems.

[ZL1Killa]

so how do you go about fixing this corrosion? or does it only happen with certain coolants?

[NaeKuh]

so how do you go about fixing this corrosion? or does it only happen with certain coolants?

WOW talk about thread revival.

three easy ways to fight this:

1. if your using straight distilled, you need periodic flushes, like every 3-6months. 6 Months might be pushing it.
2. Use additives with some type of anti corrosion agent. Etyl Gly. is not an anti corrosive agent, its more of a biocide.
3. Get the GTX top gabe released because everyone complained and whinned about it. its 40 dollars but you never have to worry about a threadl ike this in your system ever.

[Kayin]

There's no way in hell that's mil spec. Even my old (1930s era) trumpets had more plating than that in heavy wear areas (on the piston valves themselves.)

The rhetoric, hubris and out and out dog-stubborn bulls*** in this thread is amazing. In fact, it's enough to make sure I do two things.

1. Be sure I use silver in my loop, possibly to the point of silverplating blocks. I know full well its biocidal properties, and nikhsub1's recommendation seals the deal.

2. Under no circumstances will I purchase or recommend Swiftech to my customers, after the idiocy I have seen presented here. Gabe, whatever you know about waterblock design, you have shown to lack about the usage of the products, as well as seem to wish to reject all intelligent discussion, dismissing it as FUD or lack of knowledge. Nikhsub1 has more knowledge than most of us put together, and you insinuate that he is a fool and not even in full knowledge of the up/downtime of his loop. Having watercooled from the time of the Maze2 forward, I can remember other times that this occurred-I seem to remember Swiftech selling anodized blocks and AL rads before, way back when-and it bit your ass then, too. Even AC has dropped the Al and seems to be making some really top-level stuff-so when you decide to join the 21st century, drop us a line.

I watched this thread for a long, long time before posting. Petra, Nikhsub, Waterlogged, I appreciate your work here and elsewhere.

I got new power tools for early Christmas. I'm gonna get back to making my own case. I have WAYYYY too much invested in that project to let it alone for long...

[ZL1Killa]

WOW talk about thread revival.

three easy ways to fight this:

1. if your using straight distilled, you need periodic flushes, like every 3-6months. 6 Months might be pushing it.
2. Use additives with some type of anti corrosion agent. Etyl Alcho. is not an anti corrosive agent, its more of a biocide.
3. Get the GTX top gabe released because everyone complained and whinned about it. its 40 dollars but you never have to worry about a threadl ike this in your system ever.

LOL!!! sorry, but I was looking into getting one of these, and lapping my 6400BE cpu