Another SCWD MOD
- Thread starter Giovanni
- Start date
wakefreak33
New member
Did you ever get the modifications for larger ports figured out?
CoolUsername
New member
Yep your right. That's a cool idea.
No it wont stop. Think about it this way: Where the pump T's, the water can go two ways: down and up through the gearbox (which turns the gears) and out the hole, and just down and out the hole. Some percentage will go either way meet in the middle and then go out the hole. As long as the percentage that goes down and through the gearbox isn't 0 then the gears will turn and you will get alternating action. The only way to get 0 percent going that route is if the valve is shut off. If 50% is going that way it will just turn at 1/2 the speed as if 100% was going that way. I hope that made sense.
sugarbaker
New member
I'm wondering if you could post pictures of the gear box pieces... a little closer up (or higher res) than previously posted... I'm trying to see how the water coming in the bottom actually gets the plate (modified part) to turn. Maybe someone could go as far as making one from scratch? Just curious, thanks.
Steve
Steve
hahnmeister
In Memoriam
To get more flow, you would have to mod them at the inlets and outlets...
http://www.nano-reef.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=76847
Here's the original SCWD on Crack modding I did. I opened up the ports to 5/8" and even replaced them with 3/4" PVC for more flow.
As for the lid mod, just want to point out that you can simply use a 1.5" hole saw bit to open up the top... fast and easy.
you can also find more pics of the gearing and such at the link above.
The original SCWD modder,
'Undertheradar'
http://www.nano-reef.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=76847
Here's the original SCWD on Crack modding I did. I opened up the ports to 5/8" and even replaced them with 3/4" PVC for more flow.
As for the lid mod, just want to point out that you can simply use a 1.5" hole saw bit to open up the top... fast and easy.
you can also find more pics of the gearing and such at the link above.
The original SCWD modder,
'Undertheradar'
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hahnmeister
In Memoriam
Besides the removable cap, a removable inlet comes in even more handy. About 1/2 of the SCWDs I do this mod to are frozen solid because the small prop/impeller that is used just gets stuck due to calcium and pressure. If you can remove the inlet, it allows you to clean it very well, as well as open up the gearbox on the SCWD.
Otherwise, I have done a couple dozen of these by now, and all that you need is some PVC and pvc cement (with a little weldon 16 to fill in the gaps if needed). Both bond very well to PVC and ABS... no worries there. There must be a dozen of these in use now since I started... nobody has told me that their's busted. A couple stopped working, but after opening them up again, it was an easy fix.
Glad to see the SCWD on crack mod helped and started something...lol.
Something I noticed when modding though was how precise the inlet flow must be or the SCWD wont function properly. That monster PVC one that ej did must be problematic because even though it has a wide opening, the flow isnt being directed over the prop, so it doesnt work well...the water simply flows around. So the most I have done is used the existing body (whats left of it), and added 3/4" inlets and outlets, and up to 4 or 6 outlets at that (drill more holes and add the pipe on the outlets). By using the existing body, the flow gets pointed right over the inlet, which, for now, is the best way to do it.
The amount of flow increase is awesome.
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Giovanni
AKA Flippa
Fact is, there is no need for a removeable inlet. I tried that and had a hard time getting the gearbox out. I discovered that by having a removable cap you could remove the gear box more easily. First remove the drum, then all you do is press in the sides where it says SCWD a little and use a screwdriver to pop out the gear box from it's slots. No need to cut it out.
Also if you cut all your parts properly and don't butcher them up, you don't have any gaps to fill with weldon. The whole idea is to do the as inexpensivly as possible. One should think like a craftsman and sand and fit the parts together. Take your time and do it write.
With some people, why is it there is never time to do it write but always time to do it over?
Also if you cut all your parts properly and don't butcher them up, you don't have any gaps to fill with weldon. The whole idea is to do the as inexpensivly as possible. One should think like a craftsman and sand and fit the parts together. Take your time and do it write.
With some people, why is it there is never time to do it write but always time to do it over?
hahnmeister
In Memoriam
The removable inlet is handy because sometimes its the prop itself that needs servicing, not the trap door... and the whole gearbox just slides right out the front... and when in use, the pressure of the water flow holds the gearbox in place. If you make it so that you can remove it from the top (cutting into the ABS along the side of the gearbox), then the water pressure can push it up and out of place (unless you find some way of clipping it in or something, but thats alot of extra work) so that the trap door rubs against the top cap. If you chop the inlet the way I show in the NR thread, the gearbox just slides right out... no levering it out with a screwdriver (I tried that once, and it wasnt easy... almost broke the gearbox in the process).
As for the weldon, its just easier, thats all. I use a belt sander and all on most parts, but still, its not a competition for accuracy (the SCWD itself is molded pretty sloppy to begin with, so I could really care less), but you are right... if done properly, the PVC cement is all you need. But as of yet, I have not found a good way to make a flat connection for the 3/4" CPVC to the ABS on the sides of the body.
As for the weldon, its just easier, thats all. I use a belt sander and all on most parts, but still, its not a competition for accuracy (the SCWD itself is molded pretty sloppy to begin with, so I could really care less), but you are right... if done properly, the PVC cement is all you need. But as of yet, I have not found a good way to make a flat connection for the 3/4" CPVC to the ABS on the sides of the body.
hahnmeister
In Memoriam
look in the nano-reef thread. I posted pics of the internals including inside the gearbox.
jstraka1
Premium Member
hahnmeister,
In the "SCWD on crack" thread you mention the prop coming off and glueing it back on with a dab of superglue. Mine fell off also, and I am in the process of modding my squid. My main question is..... will the superglue hold the prop in place, or did you have to re-address that issue? It seems like a weak link in the chain.
Thanks, and keep up the good work.
BTW very nice job to both you and ICURN.
In the "SCWD on crack" thread you mention the prop coming off and glueing it back on with a dab of superglue. Mine fell off also, and I am in the process of modding my squid. My main question is..... will the superglue hold the prop in place, or did you have to re-address that issue? It seems like a weak link in the chain.
Thanks, and keep up the good work.
BTW very nice job to both you and ICURN.
hahnmeister
In Memoriam
The super glue has held the unit together fine. When you consider how it must have been done at the factory (its a plastic pinwheel stuck on a small metal shaft... not the easiest thing to secure well, prolly just molded on there, or used with some sort of glue), the super glue is prolly an improvement. I placed just the smallest dab of glue right on the metal by actually dipping the metal in the end of a superglue tube. Any more and it will ooze out and bond the shaft to the plastic most likely. So far, its been 6 months I think since I did that one and its been running fine.
Have you guys ever considered augmenting the input flow from another angle? For example plumbing in from the top?
I was thinking about the SCWD vs an oceansmotion device and it occurred to me that it might be interesting to try and divide the scwd into 2 parts, one higher pressure directed flow to run the gears and another high volume flow to provide the output flow.
Just more food for thought I guess...
I was thinking about the SCWD vs an oceansmotion device and it occurred to me that it might be interesting to try and divide the scwd into 2 parts, one higher pressure directed flow to run the gears and another high volume flow to provide the output flow.
Just more food for thought I guess...
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hahnmeister
In Memoriam
Then you do run into problems though. The outputs can only take so much flow, not only because they are at most 3/4", but also because if you have too much pressure on the revolving door, it causes the door to press up against the outlet as it passes it, and if this pressure is too great, the door will get pressed so hard that it stops moving. The input flow/pressure needs to be as proportional as possible to the output flow or the pinwheel doesnt get the power it needs to move the revolving door against the output flow.
Help!
I've opened up my broken SCWD and got out the drum (looks perfectly fine, not split! I hope it's not the gear box that's busted!), but I've run into a problem.
How do you actually get the gearbox out? It's sitting in there solid, held down by the black standoffs, and I'm not sure what to do next, without ruining the drum or the standoffs.
Edited to add: I tried the "pop it out with a screwdriver while pressing the sides", but nothing much happened.
Is there a reason to take out the gear box, if I'm reusing the SCWD body?
It looks like the drum is a little too large, scraping against a couple of areas that I'm planning on sanding down a bit.
I've opened up my broken SCWD and got out the drum (looks perfectly fine, not split! I hope it's not the gear box that's busted!), but I've run into a problem.
How do you actually get the gearbox out? It's sitting in there solid, held down by the black standoffs, and I'm not sure what to do next, without ruining the drum or the standoffs.
Edited to add: I tried the "pop it out with a screwdriver while pressing the sides", but nothing much happened.
Is there a reason to take out the gear box, if I'm reusing the SCWD body?
It looks like the drum is a little too large, scraping against a couple of areas that I'm planning on sanding down a bit.
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CoolUsername
New member
When I openned mine up I did have a split but also noticed little globs of ABS where the drum would hit as well. I just removed the drum and repaired/reinforced it (here I varied from the MOD suggested in this thread) and sanded down the spots where the drum would catch. Are you sure it's just not this problem and not the gears?
Remove the drum and blow hard in the inlet. You sould hear the gears spin freely. If it does ,you likely just have some sanding to do. If not, then your gears might need to be cleaned.
Looks like I need to get the gear box out to clean.
The gears don't spin when I blow into the inlet. I can turn them reaching in, but it's not super easy.
Also, for the people who have taken the gear box out: how easy is it to get back into it's intended spot after cleaning?
The gears don't spin when I blow into the inlet. I can turn them reaching in, but it's not super easy.
Also, for the people who have taken the gear box out: how easy is it to get back into it's intended spot after cleaning?
Giovanni
AKA Flippa
You can put it in a vise and compress it on the sides with the seems. Be very careful and only tighten it a little at a time. The gear box will start to get loose. You know you have enough pressure with the vise when you can get a small screwdriver between the standoffs and the gearbox. Use the small screwdriver to gently pop it out.
