Official GIGABYTE Forum
Your Tests and Reviews => Your Tests and Reviews => Topic started by: Dark Mantis on March 24, 2011, 07:22:00 pm
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EK-D5 X-TOP Rev.2 Pump Top
by Dark Mantis
(http://img15.imageshack.us/img15/8999/ektopboxed1.jpg) (http://img15.imageshack.us/i/ektopboxed1.jpg/)
This is a modification by leading watercooling block manufacturer EK in Germany for the very powerful and popular Laing D5/Swiftech MCP 655 pump.
For those who are not familiar with this pump it is a multiple speed pump and is favoured by the majority of the watercooling fraternity because of it's power and reliability. It basically comes in two parts - the housing and the pump motor. When doing this conversion only the motor is required. Now you might be thinking why remove the original housing just to replace it with another, well the new EK fitting allows the use of any 1/4" BSPP fitting as opposed to the fixed 1/2" of the standard top. It also allows for more directional pipe connections too.
(http://img813.imageshack.us/img813/9420/ekunboxed2.jpg) (http://img813.imageshack.us/i/ekunboxed2.jpg/)
OK so what is supplied in the kit, well there are the two halves of the body in which the original pump will be encased,a base plate to enable easy mounting, an O-ring to use as a water seal, a 1/4" BSPP blanking cap, 8 M4 x 16 mm allen bolts, two countersunk M4 x 10 mm allen bolts and the relevent 2.5 mm allen key.
(http://img857.imageshack.us/img857/9900/ekfront3.jpg) (http://img857.imageshack.us/i/ekfront3.jpg/)
On to assembly then. Remove the original pump housing by unscrewing the large threaded locking ring. The pump will then come apart letting you have the motor section and you can do what you like with the remains. Thread the wiring loom of the pump and then followed by the motor through the rear part of the new EK top and put the O-ring around the top of the motor section. You can then join up the two halves of the new body with the 8 bolts. Tighten carefully and I always like to try to tighten opposing bolts as I go around the outside. This stops too much stress and possible warping of the parts. Well now you have a pump again.
Bolt the plate underneath using the 2 countersunk bolts that are left and the 2 pre tapped holes in the body.
(http://img218.imageshack.us/img218/8120/ekpumptop4.jpg) (http://img218.imageshack.us/i/ekpumptop4.jpg/)
Decide on the location of the pump and which connections to use for ease of fitting and looks. You MUST use the centre hole as the inlet but you then have a choice of outlet holes. Screw in the required connectors firmly along with the blanking plug.
(http://img69.imageshack.us/img69/692/ektwohalves5.jpg) (http://img69.imageshack.us/i/ektwohalves5.jpg/)
You now have a pump ready for installation in your system.
(http://img716.imageshack.us/img716/5582/ekplate6.jpg) (http://img716.imageshack.us/i/ekplate6.jpg/)
The EK kit of parts is extremely well machined and designed and I would have expected nothing less for this manufacturer. All the parts fit perfectly and nothing has been forgotten. It is a definite improvement on the original.The new part works at least as well as the previous one and possibly even better depending of course on your choice of size of fittings. It certainly looks more attractive and is better for fitting into a case.
(http://img16.imageshack.us/img16/5310/ekpumpcomplete7.jpg) (http://img16.imageshack.us/i/ekpumpcomplete7.jpg/)
At the current price I wouldn't hesitate to recommend this kit and I really can't fault it in any way. Well done EK. 10/10
(http://img6.imageshack.us/img6/3258/darkmantisreviews10.jpg)
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Future use - another part of the watercooling loop that will be incorporated into my Gigabyte GA-P67A-UD5 review build.
As promised a picture of the completed pump in action although it is rather obscured by pipework. The pump itself works brilliantly and I have found that I only need to have it turned to about half of it's full potential to be more than adequate for my loop.
(http://img15.imageshack.us/img15/6955/syse3.jpg) (http://img15.imageshack.us/i/syse3.jpg/)