Sleeving power supply leads

[JJ]

How difficult is it to sleeve a PSU like the Seasonic S12's, should I wish to do so? I'm assuming it requires removing then replacing any end connectors on the leads that you sleeve.

[m0002a]

You do not need to remove the connectors. The sleeving material gets larger in diameter as you shorten the length and reduces in diameter as you stretch it out to normal length.

Forum rules specify that signatures be limited to 3 lines max. Thanks.

[JJ]

You do not need to remove the connectors. The sleeving material gets larger in diameter as you shorten the length and reduces in diameter as you stretch it out to normal length.

It will even fit over the 24 pin mobo connectors? Also, most of the sleeved cables that I've seen have shrink tubping securing the sleeving material. What keeps it from expanding and slipping otherwise?

[m0002a]

It will even fit over the 24 pin mobo connectors? Also, most of the sleeved cables that I've seen have shrink tubping securing the sleeving material. What keeps it from expanding and slipping otherwise?

I don't think it will fit over the 24 pin mobo connector. However, the S12 comes with some clear plastic sleeving for the 24 pin mobo power that works fine, and wraps on in a spiral fashion.

The kind of sleeving that I was referring to that fits on the 12V lines is a woven mesh material that increases in diameter as you shorten the length, so that it will fit over the Molex connectors.

[mbetea]

Molex connectors are easy to remove with the right tool. Vantec includes the tool with a set of their Eazy-Grip molex connectors.

My experience is if you want the sleeve to look nice and tight, you definitely want to remove connectors. If you use the smallest diameter sleeve material for each lead, it's not going to expand enough to make it over the connectors. Of course you could use a bigger sized sleeve, but to me it looks cheesy. Really it just comes down to personal preference though.

[Aris]

IMO, black spiral wrap looks way better than that mesh crap, and theirs no problems installing it on any wires.

[ozdoc]

Forum rules specify that signatures be limited to 3 lines max. Thanks.

Getting off topic, but apparently official policy seems to be 4 lines max...

http://forums.silentpcreview.com/viewtopic.php?t=20194

[NapalmDeath]

Be sure to redo the connectors correctly.
Crossing the 12V line to the 5V line is bad.

I paid a company $50 to fully sleeve my Zalman after I bought it.
At the time you couldn't buy the ATX connector removal tool.

Take a gander at frozen cpu's list of parts for sleeving.
A lot of the kits include connector tools.
http://www.frozencpu.com/scan/se=Cable% ... d=dDqZe6kE

Unless you have windows or serious thermal issues, sleeving is just show.
I did notice the Seasonics didn't come sleeved and it was a factor in my choosing the Enermax Liberty.

[JJ]

Are the other non-molex cables removed with the same type of tool? I can see removing and replacing the molex and floppy connectors, but I'm not sure I'd want to tackle the 24 pin. I honestly think I'd skip the Seasonic S12s because this lead isn't sleeved.

[SilentKev]

Does anyone have a link or recommendation for a spiral wrap sleeving kit?

[dfrost]

but I'm not sure I'd want to tackle the 24 pin.

I haven't been able to remove more then a single contact from an ATX connector, even with a $25 tool designed for the job - the tool prongs very quickly broke trying to fit around both sides of the ATX female contacts.

Does anyone have a link or recommendation for a spiral wrap sleeving kit?

Spiral sleeving is available from the www.frozencpu.com link that NapalmDeath already provided. It works, but is noticeably stiff and hard to maneuver compared to mesh sleeving. I like having one or the other on the 20/24 pin cable and others that are being routed over edges that could cut through wire insulation. OTOH, unsleeved cables are much easier to bend/fit into out-of-the way places.

Mesh sleeves expand to about twice the nominal diameter, and heatshrink contracts to about half the original diameter.

I honestly think I'd skip the Seasonic S12s because this lead isn't sleeved.

Yeah, but the S12 PSU's are so nice otherwise - one of the best quieting upgrades I made.

[Locklear]

.. but I'm not sure I'd want to tackle the 24 pin.

Do yourself a favour and don't try. I did it with my phantom. The 24pin "tool" broke after the 3rd pin, and I havn't been so aggrivated in a long time as I was while doing this. Molex pins are easy, the ATX style ones are a royal pain.

[mbetea]

This is the tool I used for ATX, 12v, pcie connectors; works fine. One thing I have seen where quite a few people run into problems with this tool is they use it like the female molex extractor. There is no pushing or "popping" the pin out. Just slide it in (it will only fit in one way) and then slide the pin out. The biggest part that sucked about it was tagging and labeling all 23 lines.

[ultraboy]

.. The biggest part that sucked about it was tagging and labeling all 23 lines.

Totally agree.

For those who broke the ATX pin remover or doesn't have one: you can use 2 pieces of stapler wire (I hope that's the name..you know the stationary thing with U shape metal wire refill that you use to 'staple' a bunch of paper together - ).

Anyway, what you have to do is to bend out one side of the "U" shape so it's become a "L" shape. Make 2 of this "L" shape wires. Push the longer side of this "L" in to each side of an ATX pin you want remove, it will push down the locking wing - then just pull out the ATX wire lead. You'll feel awkward a little on the first 2-3 pins, but once you get a hang of it - it's quite easy.....and it's free. The only downside of this method is your thumbs get hurt a bit from pushing the "L" shape pins for so many times.

[geekbanter]

This is the tool I used for ATX, 12v, pcie connectors; works fine. One thing I have seen where quite a few people run into problems with this tool is they use it like the female molex extractor. There is no pushing or "popping" the pin out. Just slide it in (it will only fit in one way) and then slide the pin out. The biggest part that sucked about it was tagging and labeling all 23 lines.

I bought this tool when I decided to sleeve my PSU. I had trouble getting the pins to bend back far enough to actually slide out. What I did was bend the ends of the tool inwards by a few degrees with a pair of needle nose pliers. Worked like a charm. My biggest problem was using heatshrink at the psu, almost burned a wire and I accidentally got the flame too close and ended up melting a bit of sleeving on another wire.

Overall I enjoyed the project. I like getting the sleeving to fit tightly bundle the wires, helps with airflow and makes the lines easier to route and work with.

Cheers,

[JJ]

My biggest problem was using heatshrink at the psu, almost burned a wire and I accidentally got the flame too close and ended up melting a bit of sleeving on another wire.

What kind of blowtorch were you using? I have an oxy-acetylene cutting torch I was planning on using for the shrink tubing. I guess I'll have to be careful.

[Mr Evil]

A hot air gun is a safer way to shrink heatshrink tubing. Personally, since it is usually applied right after soldering something, I usually run the side of my soldering iron along the tubing, which does the job nicely without burning the house down.

An alternative to fiddling around with tools to remove pins from conenctors is to simply cut them off and crimp on new ones.

[mbetea]

An alternative to fiddling around with tools to remove pins from conenctors is to simply cut them off and crimp on new ones.

That is true. This last time around I didn't have enough ATX pins laying around, so I had to go the "long way" around

I like using a heatgun for the shrink tube. It's easier to work with than a flame and some of them can be adjusted for how hot you want it which is pretty nice.

[Aris]

Does anyone have a link or recommendation for a spiral wrap sleeving kit?

almost any local hardware store will have it. its cheep, and requires no tools to put it on. it does make the wires stiff, but you can just not wrap sections your going to tuck in out of the way places. i personally like how it makes the wires stiff, makes for a more proffesional finish imo to have them rigid than hangin all over the place. i also like how it has a solid color instead of see through like the mesh. ive seen a complete system done with mesh, loom, and spiral wrap, and IMO, spiral wrap looks the best and the most proffesional. Its also the easiest to do out of the 3, and the cheepest.

[frugal_guy]

There are a couple of guides to sleeving:Here

Edit: fixed the link

[TomZ]

There are a couple of guides to sleeving:Here

The Red Hat Society

[frugal_guy]

Sorry about that. I still don't know how that happened.

I meant to point to the guides section at pcapex.com. Here

[Tephras]

Well, at least that misplaced link provided some intriguing and tangible information on the activities of The Red Hat Society; "The standard answer to the question, 'What do you do?' is... Nothing."

[uwbandman]

Does anyone have a link or recommendation for a spiral wrap sleeving kit?

Hey everyone,
I just posted my find on a nice cable sleeving alternative here if youre interested.

http://forums.silentpcreview.com/viewtopic.php?t=29740