There are plenty of ways to mount
radiators and pumps but Antony Leather shows you an easy route that also avoids unwanted vibrations
We’ve previously covered mounting a radiator in your case
roof, but radiator stands offer one of the easiest ways to secure a radiator in
your case. They’re great if you don’t have enough space in your roof, or if you
don’t fancy taking a Dremel to it. All you need is a large enough space and a
vented side panel (if your case doesn’t have a vent, we’ll show you how to make
one in the future).
We’ll also look at how to mount your pump. There are many
ways to di this, but screwing the pump straight to your bay reservoir or case
can lead to significant vibration and noise. We’ve used one of Phobya’s pump
mounting sets, which includes neoprene pads and anti-vibration material. These
reduce vibrations from your pump, enabling you to reduce noise. They also enable
you to mount your pump just about anywhere.
1.
Download radiator templates
Download radiator
templates
Head to www.aquatuning.co.uk
and go to the radiators section. Here, under Accessories, you’ll find a section
called Radiator Templates. You’ll find freely downloadable templates of all the
major radiator sizes, which you can print out to determine which radiator will
fit best in your case.
2.
Test-fit
Test-fit
Test-fit your freshly printed template to see if it fits in
your case – in our example, we want to make sure it fits between the back of
the case and the drive cage. Also check for clearance behind and above the
template – expansion cards might get in the way, for example.
3.
Choose you radiator stand
Choose you
radiator stand
Radiator stands are fairly new on the water-cooling scene,
but they can make mounting radiators incredibly easy. They’re available in all
sorts of shapes and sizes, and even for external use. It’s as simple as
mounting the radiator to the stand, then mounting the stand to the radiator –
that’s it.
4.
Secure the radiator and fans to the stand
Secure the
radiator and fans to the stand
There are several ways to attach you radiator and fans to
the stand. Our stand was just thin enough to allow us to install it between the
fans and radiator using the standard mounting screws. However, you could also
install the stand at the rear of the radiator, depending on where you want it
to be positioned.
5.
Apply adhesive tape
Apply adhesive
tape
The stand can be secured in many ways. It has mounting holes
if you’re prepared to drill some holes in your case; you could also use Velcro
if you want to remove it easily or, like us, you could use 3M mounting tape. A
small a mount on each foot is enough to firmly hold the stand in place without
the need for drilling.
6.
Mount the stand
Mount the stand
If you’re using 3M mounting tape, you can simply press the
stand into the case in the position required. A firm push is all that’s needed.
It may help to install the fittings to the radiator prior to mounting it in the
case, but in any event, you should be able to remove the radiator from the
stand quite easily.
7.
Choose your pump mount
Choose your pump
mount
Neoprene is usually the padding of choice for mounting pumps.
This Phobya Noise Destructor V.1 set includes double-sided adhesive pads and a
large foam mid-section. The pads have screws holes for most major pump brands,
but you can usually just rely on the pads to hold everything together.
8.
Test-fit
Test-fit
Pace the pump on the mount in the desired location to make
sure it fits. The mount is over 1in thick, so you’ll need to account for this
in your plans – it does a sterling job of absorbing vibration though. You may
also want to trim off the excess padding and shape the mount to the base of
your pump.
9.
Apply the mount
Apply the mount
Protective plastic hides the adhesive sides of the pads, and
this needs to be removed, but leave on the outer edges for now. Stick the pads
to the foam and press down firmly to stick them together. Now remove one of the
outer edges and press this onto the base of the pump.
10.
Fit it to your PC
Fit it to your PC
Place the whole assembly in the desired location and, when
it’s in place, press down firmly to ensure that everything sticks together.
You’re now finished – with several layers of insulating foam and no direct
contact between it and your case, your pump should now only been seen and not
heard.
