$400 DISTRO PLATE is about to let loose, can we FIX IT?

[@NathanBuildsRobots]

Make an ant farm out of the old one!

[@IIGrayfoxII]

He is not Ant Canada

[@johanvink2337]

@@IIGrayfoxII no but he might have tips for him. Or just look at any of his tutorials. Also, I wanted to make the antfarm comment but you beat me to it.

[@bwwilson1765]

Yes! This!

[@pockpock6382]

didnt he only get send replacement panels, not the whole tank. he would have to 3d print one or buy another one.

[@Novur]

The idea of 3D printing a case is something that never occured to me, I'm hype to see how it comes out!

[@theatermusic87]

Find some gasket material and set up a test bench so we can 3d print various impellers for the flow meter and see which is coolest looking

[@onehourleft]

The gasket material is real easy to find online by the roll.

[@HelloKittyFanMan.]

Turbines, not impellers, in that application. But oh shoot, other than that, you basically beat me to it (3D-printing cool new blade designs for the flow meter turbine), but with better detail than I said, and I found your post here a while after making mine. Mine was like this: Me watching this video: "Oh, cool! Let's see which other cool blade designs we can come up with that would work fairly accurately for that little flow meter dealio-bob there!"

[@Bloodhoun21]

Or custom Pump (Propeller/impeller?)

[@HelloKittyFanMan.]

@@Bloodhoun21: A flow meter of this sort with blades that look like fan blades is only a turbine, because turbine blades don't drive initially; they _get_ driven. Yes, then of course they can go on to drive something like a generator or whatever, but first they are _driven_ by a force on the blades. Other devices with blades like these are either fans, pumps, compressors, or propellers, because their blades _drive_ the fluid. Fans, of course, can get divided further, into blowers and impellers. Also: why are you treating "pump" and "propeller" as if they are brands?

[@DylanNeo]

biohazard design :D

[@CaveyMoth]

Owoooooooooooooooh, indeedy. Is this cooler an NZXT? Because it's Kraken.

[@yanickdewit147]

Lmfao

[@justrogue2264]

Just make a very small pinball machine out of it!

[@Majonez616]

Also, it's not a flow meter, it's a flow indicator.

[@James02876]

Try one of those DIY windshield repair kits

[@polygorg]

There should actually also be stuff for fixing acrylic

[@Mre942]

Yeah you must aply pressure to get the glue/resin in to the cracks, to do that you wuld probably need a specially made screw that you culd fill with air and that has holes where you wand the glue to go in to the cracks.

[@vincentguttmann2231]

I'm not that sure that would fix it reliably, and I would not want to risk it.

[@kayburcky7146]

I think it might still look funny after that

[@garremannen]

What the windshield guys do is that they use essentially a vacuum cleaner to suck the glue into the cracks.

[@mwint1982]

Windshield repair...I think they pull a vacuum

[@Dirkxke]

Not all the repair kits require vacuum. Some of them are pressed into the cracks using a screw. And some need nothing, they are runny enough to fill in without extra forces on them.

[@darkshadowsx5949]

@@Dirkxke a vacuum would have a better chance of working though.

[@teardowndan5364]

@@Dirkxke You really need a vacuum for this if you want to fill cracks as far as possible with the least stress possible and stop them from propagating further for good. If you press glue into cracks to fill them, you end up with pressurized air pockets trapped deep into cracks and the cracks will continue propagating from there.

[@fredscott3408]

How about using the old plate to test torque and see how much is really required and what will cause catastrophic damage? It will be good info for those who want to do DIY liquid cooling.

[@ledoynier3694]

finger tight is all you need :) From the factory, these fittings are too tight. Unfortunately he did not losen them up and retighten by hand. Personally i always remove any fitting and retighten by hand. as long as the oring is compressed, there's no need to go further.

[@jasonknight1085]

@@ledoynier3694 That's really where most people screw it up, 'cause you nailed it on the head. Once that ring starts to compress, you're DONE. Stop right there. Once there it has sufficient tension to stay on. You go past that point, that's where the bad things happen. But then IMHO liquid cooling as a whole is where the bad things happen. When most AIO's can even compete with a crappy five pipe 120mm single stack on peak temps, I'm really not impressed when I'm using double-stacks like the NH-D15's. To be fair though, I put functionality and longevity ahead of artsy-fartsy form factors.

[@ZachDxn]

@@ledoynier3694 good tip. Going forward I will always remove and redo all plugs having seen this.

[@Tseuq4gninaem]

why not chemically etch the distro play with channel name or fan showdown, add some rgb and make a new intro like the old mythbusters steel plate intro?

[@Bamfhammer]

3 things to try: 1: Use heat or flame to polish away the cracks. Put a fitting in without an O-Ring to maintain the shape of the threads then heat the cracks with a blowtorch or heat gun from the outside, essentially melting the acrylic back together into itself. I have used this flame polishing technique to successfully fix hairline cracks on an acrylic display box, but I don't know if it was water tight or anything. 2: Use a heat gun or blowtorch to actually flame polish the machined inside of the distro plate. I hate how they look with that raw machined look, and would much prefer to polish that out if possible, but I never see anybody do it, and I wonder if it is because it doesnt work well. 3: Use Weld-on 4 to glue the two halves together to see if you can make it water tight without a gasket.

[@Brazzelkanal]

You could try dichloromethane, it is used as a diffusion "glue" for acrylic, so it's very thin. And if it doesn't work, it welds pla pretty pretty good together, or smoothes the surface.

[@oOSpecialProskillsOo]

dcm is nasty tho, you can also huff it and pass out. or use it to put drosophily flies to sleep so you can count them and mark down their phenotypes to do some mendel genetic experiments

[@Berserkism]

@@oOSpecialProskillsOo who doesn't like huffing and counting phenotypes...ah, good times.

[@vincentguttmann2231]

Trichloromethane also works. TCM is commonly known under the name "Chloroform", so good ventilation is crucial when working with both DCM and TCM

[@Brazzelkanal]

@@oOSpecialProskillsOo I thought so when I saw the many interesting hazard stickers on the bottle 🤣

[@keleighshepherd345]

Is it fatiguing because of the load that the hard-line and coolant puts on the distro plate? Rather than overtightening?

[@The_Keeper]

It shouldn't be. Acrylic doesn't "fatigue" as much as some other materials, and the pressure in the system shouldn't be that high. However, One thing I've noticed that can make Acrylic crack up, especially over time is freezing temperatures. The colder it is, the more noticeable it gets. So maybe the Acrylic plates got exposed to freezing temperatures in transit, or were stored at a warehouse that got below freezing. I once was dusting my case and turned the canned air too much, and some of the compressed liquid gas got on my Acrylic side panel, and it instantly formed a LOT of very small hairline cracks...

[@dontdowhatido6503]

What if you do a drone fan showdown. Like test lift strength and sound.

[@Bllfrnd]

That’s why watercooling plugs often have no Allen key slot and are just knurled so you can’t overtighten it as easily.

[@radbanshee4508]

Has nothing to do with overtightening and everything to do with expansion, contraction and shrinkage. As he stated some of the plugs he never touched. I have 3 cracked distros and mine cracked around the screws that clamp the two halves together. I never touched any of them. Also note when he separated the halves and laid them on the table that they were warped. Distros have a short lifespan and are guaranteed to crack.

[@sandsonic4309]

Can't you just 3D print a new O ring with TPU or Nylon. If its to big maybe glue it together ? I never printed an O ring so I have no idea if it will work.

[@ale6242]

they do indeed work :)

[@Rooey129]

It's cracking because you misses the rubber washers that dampen out the vibrations.

[@rhl8673]

You can still use that plate. Just get some of the O-ring material from McMaster-Carr. Cut it to length and use some CA glue to stick the ends together. You can also get all of the fittings and screws from there.

[@SidneyCritic]

For auto engine stuff that we think is sus we get them Loctite dipped under a vacuum, ie, after the air in the cracks are evacuated the release of the vacuum pushes the Loctite into cracks.

[@keenanfinucan8778]

Looking at the shape of the part, there's a good chance that it is acrylic cut on a laser engraver. The edges of those parts tend to have internal stresses at the edges from the intense localized heat of cutting, and this can lead to cracking over time or even instantly if they are exposed to solvents. There is an "annealing" process that can be used to relieve those stresses. I wonder if the manufacturer is doing that or not.

[@shadowopsairman1583]

Sharp edges are stresspoints too, He has Crazing

[@shadowopsairman1583]

It's EK, an overrated company. He needs to do an RMA

[@shadowopsairman1583]

Ek needs to specify torque and torque pattern for each fastener and use a dial torque wrench to prevent crazing.

[@janezjavornik5432]

Afcouse they don't do that, they dont case about the quality, the only thing they care is money.

[@andrewvirtue5048]

One feature I'd like to see be tested for case fan blades is: How do they disperse the air behind them? More wide or narrow coverage? How deep is their funnel of coverage behind them? Cause how they disperse the air behind them is _another_ factor on how "well" they cool your PC parts. Maybe use more smoke so that its more visible behind them?

[@sinned1015]

The dust blowing was very satisfying. The milk colored coolant, not so much.

[@TacticalTushie]

I'm currently going through an rma with my 6800 xt water block. The customer support is weird/annoying. And hopefully my issues are fixed but it's starting to look like ek isn't actually all that great.

[@TheFallenAngel13524]

not as great as it used to be years ago. now it's pretty trash.

[@alusnova]

I also had one of the first distro plates from EK but for the standard pc011. This exact thing happened to mine but it did start leaking. EK replaced it under warranty and so far so good.

[@jeffvreeburg531]

Me to 😍 just 1 day warranty left haha lucky me and get the v2🤙

[@JackMott]

I see stuff like this and I think "Maybe using plastic to store heated water that you screw metal fittings into is fundamentally a bad idea" and then "maybe a bunch of water flowing around your PC is a bad idea". //air cool life

[@janezjavornik5432]

This! This man knows what he is talking about. Noctua nh-d15 fod the win. Better performamce at 10 times cheaper price.

[@jlchavis0844]

This is why I don't water cool. An extra $500 to get marginally better temps on top of the extra maintenance? I'm good good, thanks.

[@bismuth7730]

Maaaan i adore this channel. I guess its because you are just naturally a pleasant person. There is no video persona. Just you doing you

[@JB-xi2yv]

good to know you can take it all apart and replace the plate. I've one these and love it. No issues with cracking, but some weird noises and a white residue building up after changing the cryo fuel a third time. I saw you were using and air hose, possibly linked to a compressor. What compressor are you using? I've been looking around for one and wanted to get one, but didn't want to get a "shop" compressor for inside the house.

[@angst_]

Are they tapered pipe fittings or straight thread with an o-ring? I would guess the cracking is from tapered fittings. A straight ORB (O-ring boss) fitting might not stress the plastic unevenly.

[@seitenryu6844]

They're likely 1/4 BSPP(G 1/4), so just like ORB.

[@EnderMalcolm]

Take the old one, put LEDs on it, and have some water run through it as a desk piece. If it leaks, you only get water on your desk.

[@laliborio]

Thanks for sharing your case! How has it been doing today? Any new cracks?

[@PenitentHollow]

It seems to me that those types of cracks might be caused by expansion and contraction during heating and cooling. The only way to avoid that problem that comes to mind is having some kind of expansion compensation like rubber washers and gaskets but that might compromise it's water-tightness.

[@ChrisGR93_TxS]

i had 6 cpu ek waterblocks all cracked (never leaked tho) switched to phanteks and no more cracked threads. did not over tighten them* also the phanteks had a flat contact plate, all ek's was convex on the center

[@janezjavornik5432]

Exactly, EK is shit!

[@DarkArtGuitars]

Had the same thing happen to my 4-year-old EK Velocity block, but has been fine with the cracks for over a year now, mostly just cosmetic damage.

[@taylorsharp5928]

I have a thick acrylic lid for a vacuum chamber that was cracking around the valve fitting. I used heat to soften the acrylic enough for it to weld back together. The cracks just disappeared. You would have to be very careful not to deform or burn the acrylic though. Might be best to leave the plug loosely installed so the threads don't change shape. The fitting on my vacuum chamber lid is sealed with a thick rubber washer, so tolerances are less important in my situation.

[@Mrx1080]

Probably didn't like the heat cycling. This new one is most likely going to suffer the same.

[@Wulthrin]

my conclusion as well. seems like hard tubing problems to me.

[@steverpcb]

Heat the cracked areas up to about 150C and the cracks should weld themselfs closed, a hot air soldering station is the tool for the job. Too hot and the acrilic will melt, just right and there should be very little damage.

[@Meta-Drew]

Corsair's leaking water block, EK's cracking distro plate-- I can't imagine paying a premium for the headache of risky, pain in the ass cooling. Then again, I don't stroke off to my computer's aesthetics so maybe I'll just never understand

[@emsj86]

I’m sure all your hobbies makes perfect sense

[@Woyta]

EK is using cheap poor quality acrylic again? They will never learn.

[@janezjavornik5432]

Exactly! What would anyone buy this low quality crap.

[@georgivantov8411]

i have just ordered same distro plate and i am hoping those cracks won't appear. What my plan is to remove the factory end caps and screw them again. Also i am thinking if this thing happens to regular people will EK provide them with spare parts issued with warranty instead of repurchasing cause as you said this distro plate is freaking expensive?

[@edwinyi7064]

do you have any suggestions on how to prevent cracking the distro plate?

[@WiredHardware]

Great video, quick question how did you add a drain valve when it had a stop fitting, whitout spill everywhere during the transition??? Would love to know for my own purposes

[@MajorHardware]

Tipped it back until an air bubble was on the port then SPEED CHANGE

[@seanbryan2047]

My dude. I don't give a damn about pc's, but you make me give a damn and i appreciate you for it.

[@JimFeig]

How do you plan to use threads after you put glue in them?

[@terryborei8864]

Looks like the part that is cracked, is flat, get some gasket material, and a piece of acrylic, drill and tap the holes and you'll have a backup distro.

[@Oblithian]

if they didn't have threads but rather used helicoil it likely would not have cracked. If he is going to drill it, that would be my suggestion. But he definitely can use gasket maker for it.

[@sortofsmarter]

I used to work at a custom plastics manufacturing place. Mostly making over priced desks and lamps but all the holes that had to be drilled or taped always had to be done with a custom hot bit to soften the plastic in order to prevent micro fractures and even then we used small buffers in the holes to smooth them out. All it would take is one tiny fracture and it would spread all the way through the entire piece. And if you can imagine destroying a custom 2 inch thick 4 foot wide 10 foot long piece of acrylic$$$$$$$

[@FranklinClinton1]

You can fix it with pressure, just like here in Germany with Car Class. Im sure it will work 😉🇩🇪

[@jonahfastre]

Ah yes take your distro plate to Carglass :)

[@FranklinClinton1]

@@jonahfastre 🤣 yeah bro 🤣

[@HelloKittyFanMan.]

OK, @@FranklinClinton1, so that's in German though, right? But this is English that you're trying to use, right? So what about these capitals, since they're: 1. not in German, and 2. not even following the description you just gave me?

[@jonahfastre]

@@HelloKittyFanMan. cuz it’s a company name

[@HelloKittyFanMan.]

@@jonahfastre: What is: "Pressure" or "Sure"?

[@Arokhantos]

Could your case fit triple rad in theorie with your current distro plate ?

[@Retanaru]

I'm 2 months late, but the way you get liquids to go into those cracks is to seal them off, emerge them in the liquid and then apply a vacuum which will pull the air out. Then you apply pressure to force the liquids into the cracks. They do this on windshields all the time and it can be done DIY fairly easily with some clear tape and a syringe.

[@CyberDenSystems]

400 bucks? Dang, I'm under selling myself. Last 011 distro I did for someone was 150 and shipping. If you ever want any custom work done shoot me a message. I'll hook you up.

[@Evil_Chronic]

Did that include the pump though? I know it’s overcharged, but that’s one of the thing that drives the cost up since they are like $100.

[@CyberDenSystems]

@@Evil_Chronic you are correct. Since this post I learned they do include the pump with the cost. The distros I make for people do not include the pump.

[@DrTheRich]

are you using rubber/silicon washers now with the fasteners?

[@chainz186]

During the skillshare thing, on the right of the video is something black in the screen. You made my heart beat 6000times a minute cuz i thought my screen broke there😂😂😂

[@techforge-Nate]

Had V64 acrylic block with cracks up near the terminal that were iffy. Used the dremel along the crack until it was exposed and then dropped weld down into the crack. Then let each layer dry and backfill with more wild until filled, then sanded level. Took a couple of hrs over a few days and its never leaked a drop in over 12 months.

[@anthonyrocha3625]

what did you use to hide the 360 mounting section in the back of the case?

[@tiger78e]

Just another example of EK selling cheaply made overpriced JUNK

[@janezjavornik5432]

Exactly! EK is shit.

[@FunkyXF]

How did you drain the Distro? Can you just add a fitting with a soft tube there while its filled? Why it doesnt leak out of that

[@quentinfeerylawrence]

Just checked my EK-Quantum Reflection PC-O11D XL and have the same cracking around some of the factory installed fittings as well.

[@Darial-q8o]

Are there any recommendations from the manufacturer, with what effort should the fittings be tightened?

[@951PSI]

Acrylic can expand and contract a fair bit so wouldn't surprise me if that's just from heat cycle if the threads where a tight fit. Best way if the threads are slightly lose and the seal comes from the gasket only.

[@SwervingLemon]

5:10 Allergy trigger warning: May contain dust.

[@SaccoBelmonte]

For cracks like that to be penetrated by the solvent I think you need some form of vacuum pump or suction cups.

[@aaronallen7777]

Neat! I have been subbed to you since I found the fan show down. Now, at a different phase of my life I am building a PC in the O11 D-XL and while doing research on water cooling it and I find a familiar face. Love the build! Cheers

[@iLikePicturesNmusic]

What did you use to air clean the fans? Thanks in advance

[@williamhustonrn6160]

I have always been curious why they don't use actual glass due to all the cracking in distro plates. I had one from EK and it cracked on me, got replacement.. had cracking occur again shortly after on stuff i never installed.. so I sold it and moved to round reservoir... I have a friend who does laser etching on glass and she can straight up etch pictures people give them onto the glass surface and if you run it multiple times.. you can literally etch through the glass.

[@TheBig34papa]

I’ve looked around your channel, but couldn’t find what software you use for CAD. Thanks

[@ernielopez2761]

I had this exact same issue with the unit I purchased. Thankfully EK came through with a replacement unit!

[@stkistler17]

The cracks could be caused by the coolant you're using. I use to work at retail store that used acrylic display boxes. We were told to never use Windex to clean them because it would cause cracks like the ones you have.

[@syf_jojiahhh2834]

Alcohol cracks acrylic

[@razorgxp]

Could try the to see if the liquid gasket stuff will work on it.

[@ScottyMcCraigles]

You could do what you just tried, but do it in vacuum chamber. That might help stop the air in the cracks from preventing the capillary action of the fluid from entering the cracks (?)

[@TotalxTroll25k]

How are you not at a million subs yet? There are a lot of people missing out rn

[@TNizzleindahizzle]

So what you are seeing is called crazing. What it is is stress induced cracks in the material due to internal stresses from manufacturing. There is no easy post processing method to fix it. To prevent it from happening after manufacturing it, you would need to anneal the material just like you would a metal to relieve the internal stress in the material. Crazing can be initiated by UV exposure, heat, force, or chemical attack. A common initiator of crazing is an organic solvent such as alcohol or acetone.

[@bostontricker211]

could it be the expanding metal that is contacting the acrylic cause some of the fitting to crack?

[@IForgetYourName]

The fluid in the system reistically is only sitting a few (as in, less than 10) c above ambient temperature. I don't think thermal expansion would affect the nickel plated cooper plugs to such a vast degree compared to the acrylic that that would be the case. I've seen similar cracks occur on pumps/plates/blocks with acrylic tops that have been exposed to certain solvents, such as isopropyl alcohol. Im curious if he didn't flush the radiators thoroughly enough before installation and whatever chemical solvents that were in the system stayed in the loop, or if they somehow did get into contact with isopropyl.

[@TheFallenAngel13524]

They either changed their plastic supplier, too aggressive on tapping causing cracks to start during machining, or made the holes/threads too small allowing thermal expansion to crack it. None of my 3+ year old ek acrylic has cracked. every single one of my newer ek stuff has developed cracks after 5 months.

[@ovidiososoi9222]

Don't know if it sticks well but you could try to use some 3d printing clear resin and cure it. If capillarity doesn't work you could try a suction cup like the one for the drains to pressurize and depressurize until it fills the gaps.

[@BTG412]

Can you 3D print a fan shroud onto the #1 fan and make it better? Or even a shroud that bolts on top of a factory fan that makes it stronger?

[@WillCarterTech]

Could you make a liquid pump and then 3D print fins to see which design moves water better?

[@zackdawley]

I have the same distribution plate. I really hate you have to run lines all the way to the back for the radiators… well the bottom one anyway. I was able to mount the top one with short fittings, but it’s very tight.

[@MasterJoosch]

im about to build in the same case and pretty much all the same stuff, i dont want the distro in the front though can it go on the side? or is that the non XL version only?

[@MajorHardware]

There is another one that's made for the side

[@RkhanM]

what equipment you used to dust off those fans and rads, may i know

[@Wulthrin]

looks like compressed air and a blow gun to me. pretty effective anecdotally speaking

[@UHDFreddyEST]

what air compressor you use, i wery like to know. I'm tired of using ordinary gas pressurized ones. Best Regards UHDFreddyEST

[@davesmith9844]

Glad to see EK replaced the part, going to buy EK parts soon and reassuring to know they're reasonable. Not sure I would dust inside the house though, PC can draw the dust back in.

[@YashDowlut]

In those tough times where finding even water can be hard, I guess it's absolutely fine to just run your loop off milk....

[@scottjones7371]

what if you use the resin they use for car's windshields?

[@smash5967]

I would try hitting the plate with a butane torch, just lightly enough to melt the cracks back together. If that doesn't work, you could try annealing the whole plate in an oven (stick it on a sheet of float glass so it stays flat) and then hitting it with the weld on.

[@Majonez616]

Is it possible that it's due to thermal expansion?

[@janezjavornik5432]

Yes, that combined with EK shit very low quality plastic..

[@CrashedDreams534]

You can fix it by using a vacum chamber and a thinner glue or some diluting paste on top of it to disolve the cracks and then fill them with glue with will require new treads to be made

[@turgsh01]

There's a process in which mechanics use to fix windshield damage from stones and whatnot... maybe try that? You might also need to increase the damage before you're able to fix the damage (aka, expand it enough to get fluid to pass through it).

[@Berserkism]

Usually, it requires the crack to be about two or more inches from the edge; the suction cup is quite large for even a small crack in the screen; I doubt you can fix it that way.

[@krizby87]

Hi, you can use your drain tube to fill the loop, much faster that way, just hold the tube straight up and pour water in using a funnel.

[@MiddleofKnowhere]

Just ordered this distro plate. Hope it doesn’t crack.

[@alexserrano6614]

Was it bought or given as a sample? Did this happened because it was a sample unit or it was just too thight? (Sorry for bad spelling)

[@Mike-hr6jz]

Vacuum bag ,you put the acrylic panel in a vacuum bag like the ones that you get for clothing they hooked to your shop Vac when you inject the weld on the vacuum will suck it into those holes or cracks I do injection molding and essentially we vacuum most everything it will draw the stuff into the cracks check it out. Thanks for the video.

[@SilentRoses]

Proud of u btw, u gone from smol bean to huge channel :) it's only up from here!

[@Scoobydcs]

how does it attach to the case?

[@Budicles]

tap some led lights into bottom. try and use a small impeller pump. pour some of that iridescent cloud type coolant fluid. make a base for the wiring and use as a decorative piece

[@BrianVattiat]

Were those fittings NPT or BSPP?

[@LadyEmilyNyx]

I mean... draining and redoing the loop DOES sound fun to me... I redo my loop about every 6 months so... Maybe I'm just weird?

[@Druid_Plow]

I'm a smoker so I have to tear my system down at least 3 times per year for the dust and film. I actually enjoy it too. I remove everything that isn't either soldered, glued or riveted together. Everything gets a warm soapy bath, all the electronics get IPA and a soft toothbrush. then dry for a few hours before going back together with fresh thermal paste and pads where needed. Looks great for a couple weeks.

[@newroo]

yes weird :P haha

[@colinjava8447]

That does sound weird, it's more fun putting a new loop together or making small changes. It's amazing how much mess it makes when you take it all apart.

[@Druid_Plow]

PUMP IMPELLER SHOWDOWNS you can seal this back up with Blue RTV from the auto parts store. or probably get a proper gasket from EK. getting the pump to rip apart will probably be the most costly. Ranks based on gallons per minute, psi, etc. maybe another isolated loop for temp. lots of configuration variables though, although i don't think they would cause any significant difference in any test.

[@rompdude]

The plugs, are they a tapered fit or do they have an o-ring on the flat side of the nut? Using a tapered nut on something like this is asking for disaster. If so it may be wise to look at some different plugs, you may find the non tapered versions fit the holes, if not you could get a tap quite cheap to ream them out.

[@Bane9900]

I wonder if it would wick in if you used a pressure pot after dabbing it over the cracks.

[@arimcbrown]

Nice detail on seeing you dust of the fans, and preventing them from spinning. Good example!

[@PyromancerRift]

You should use a pressure release fitting if you can on the top hole. I think the pressure changing is either sucking in or pushing out the fitings and this is what make cracks.