# Best lubrication for fan



## 4ektonik (Mar 4, 2019)

Hi.I have a question about lubricate for pc fan.i'm going to grease the fun and i think that grease to choose.IMHO i think to buy grease silicone in air spray/or oil silicone what will be better?
I read many articles and i vote for that option.
Help me what choose silicone  oil or grease air spray/in plastic box
Or maybe you have any other suggestion.I need you help.But pls advise me safe and best option in professional approach.


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## MrGenius (Mar 4, 2019)

Electric motor oil. Or sewing machine oil. Or any light machine oil. Or whatever...doesn't really matter that much...as long as it's oil...and NOT grease.


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## eidairaman1 (Mar 4, 2019)

MrGenius said:


> Electric motor oil. Or sewing machine oil. Or any light machine oil. Or whatever...doesn't really matter that much...as long as it's oil...and NOT grease.



+1


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## lexluthermiester (Mar 4, 2019)

4ektonik said:


> Hi.I have a question about lubricate for pc fan.i'm going to grease the fun and i think that grease to choose.IMHO i think to buy grease silicone in air spray/or oil silicone what will be better?
> I read many articles and i vote for that option.
> Help me what choose silicone  oil or grease air spray/in plastic box
> Or maybe you have any other suggestion.I need you help.But pls advise me safe and best option in professional approach.


I use dielectric grease whenever I service and re-lube fans.
https://www.amazon.com/Permatex-22058-Dielectric-Tune-Up-Grease/dp/B000AL8VD2


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## AsRock (Mar 4, 2019)

As Mr Genius said sewing machine oil. silicone ( Super Lube )  types can work to, i put some on some very old Rosewill fans about 7 years ago and still running like new.

If you use sewing machine oil or alike make sure you do not over do it and run the fan out of system before putting to use.


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## 4ektonik (Mar 4, 2019)

I think i would try silicone oil.

Thanks everyone.


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## silentbogo (Mar 4, 2019)

At home I'm using a small tube of odorless lube that came with my hair trimmer )))
Always forget to bring some "good stuff" from my office.


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## FreedomEclipse (Mar 4, 2019)

Avoid products like WD40 and '2in1' oil.  WD40 wont _'lube'_ anything but its great at getting water out of stuff like bike chains or unjamming some mechanical parts that have become rusted and stuck together..

2in1 will just turn into a sticky mess that will jam up your fans. silicone, lithium grease or sowing machine oil is always good.


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## jboydgolfer (Mar 4, 2019)

4ektonik said:


> best option in professional approach.



replace with a new fan.


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## lagginswag (Mar 4, 2019)

been using 3-in-1 multi purpose as well as the blue bottle for years to extend a fans life, with no bad results other than an oily mess here and there. blue is better for high rpm fans like delta, like 5k rpm etc.


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## Wavetrex (Mar 4, 2019)

MrGenius said:


> Electric motor oil. Or *sewing machine oil*. Or any light machine oil. Or whatever...doesn't really matter that much...as long as it's oil...and NOT grease.


Tried and tested multiple times. I have fans over 10 years old still running fine and completely silent, lubricated with sewing machine oil which is very cheap. WAY cheaper than buying new fans.


Whoever said "Buy new fans", shame on you.


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## Flyordie (Mar 4, 2019)

I've been using Lucas Oil Gun Oil. Works great for ball-bearing fans. Does dry out after about a year though of 100% on usage.


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## newtekie1 (Mar 5, 2019)

I use standard motor oil, 5w-30 because that is what my car takes.  I just keep it in one of those little oiler type cans.


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## Khonjel (Mar 5, 2019)

Picked up a little vial of "bearing lubricant" from my local cycle store a few weeks ago for $1 or so converted. I think the guy put wd-40.

Previously used sewing machine oil too.


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## Space Lynx (Mar 5, 2019)

FreedomEclipse said:


> Avoid products like WD40 and '2in1' oil.  WD40 wont _'lube'_ anything but its great at getting water out of stuff like bike chains or unjamming some mechanical parts that have become rusted and stuck together..
> 
> 2in1 will just turn into a sticky mess that will jam up your fans. silicone, lithium grease or sowing machine oil is always good.



I learned something today, cheers mate


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## AsRock (Mar 5, 2019)

Khonjel said:


> Picked up a little vial of "bearing lubricant" from my local cycle store a few weeks ago for $1 or so converted. I think the guy put wd-40.
> 
> Previously used sewing machine oil too.



You can use WD40 but it needs to be 100% removal after and a real replacement.


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## Rockarola (Mar 5, 2019)

Wavetrex said:


> Tried and tested multiple times. I have fans over 10 years old still running fine and completely silent, lubricated with sewing machine oil which is very cheap. WAY cheaper than buying new fans.
> 
> 
> Whoever said "Buy new fans", shame on you.


Sewing machine oil is formulated for high RPM bearings in a hot, dusty, dirty environment...that sounds like the average fan to me


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## infrared (Mar 5, 2019)

I used to use a drop of 10W40 synthetic, just because i had some on hand lol. I haven't had any fans go bad lately but the Antec 120mm fans I re-lubed lasted for years, ended up getting thrown away with the case but they were still kinda okay, just not worth keeping.


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## Komshija (Mar 5, 2019)

I use bike chain oil with PTFE (teflon). It's thicker than sewing machine oil.
Most oils will be OK, be that car engine oil, chainsaw chain oil, oil for fine mechanical parts, sewing machine oil... WD-40 will be good only as a short term solution and I wouldn't recommend it.


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## dorsetknob (Mar 5, 2019)

I Have used  extra Virgin Olive Oil  in the past  applied via Hypodermic Syringe (its Electrically  non Conductive) injected thru the covering Brand sticker/seal


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## Vario (Mar 5, 2019)

Thin automotive oils will work.  0W20 synthetic.


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## Wavetrex (Mar 5, 2019)

dorsetknob said:


> I Have used  extra Virgin Olive Oil  in the past


That is risky because even very good olive oil rots.
All organic oils rot eventually.

Only mineral/synthetic oil should be used (preferably designed specifically for small machinery, like the readily available sewing machine oil)

Motor oil is designed to be the most fluid at temperatures around 90-95 degrees Celsius, meaning for room-temp equipment it's not very good. I also recommend against it.


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## Susquehannock (Mar 5, 2019)

If you are using sprays heavy in solvents remain mindful they could be detrimental to certain plastics. WD40 is a good example. Mostly kerosene. And not made to be a lubricant in the first place. It's a water displacement product.

My preference is a tiny drop or two of heavy duty silicone from the spray can. Have checked the MSDS and confirmed it has no ingredients harmful to plastics. But only on fans that can benefit. Which brings up the next subject. Many ball bearings used in these fans are sealed units and cannot be easily lubed without disassembly.



Wavetrex said:


> Motor oil is designed to be the most fluid at temperatures around 90-95 degrees Celsius, meaning for room-temp equipment it's not very good. I also recommend against it.


Indeed. Multi-viscosity motor oils (probably 90% of the market these days) are designed to be thickest at higher temps. Thanks to those wonderful thermally sensitive expanding coil shaped polymer molecules. Number before the 'W' represents thickness at 32-f. After the 'W' represents thickness at 212-f.


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## 4ektonik (Mar 5, 2019)

Susquehannock said:


> If you are using sprays heavy in solvents remain mindful they could be detrimental to certain plastics. WD40 is a good example. Mostly kerosene. And not made to be a lubricant in the first place. It's a water displacement product.
> 
> My preference is a tiny drop or two of heavy duty silicone from the spray can. Have checked the MSDS and confirmed it has no ingredients harmful to plastics. But only on fans that can benefit. Which brings up the next subject. Many ball bearings used in these fans are sealed units and cannot be easily lubed without disassembly.
> 
> Indeed. Multi-viscosity motor oils (probably 90% of the market these days) are designed to be thickest at higher temps. Thanks to those wonderful thermally sensitive expanding coil shaped polymer molecules. Number before the 'W' represents thickness at 32-f. After the 'W' represents thickness at 212-f.


but oil  silicone will be as fine as silicone air-spray?


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## Susquehannock (Mar 5, 2019)

4ektonik said:


> but oil  silicone will be as fine as silicone air-spray?


Very glad you asked. One should always read the labels and instructions to be sure their particular product is plastic safe.  Some are. Some are not.


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## Static~Charge (Mar 5, 2019)

FreedomEclipse said:


> Avoid products like WD40 and '2in1' oil.  WD40 wont _'lube'_ anything but its great at getting water out of stuff like bike chains or unjamming some mechanical parts that have become rusted and stuck together..
> 
> 2in1 will just turn into a sticky mess that will jam up your fans. silicone, lithium grease or sowing machine oil is always good.


Many people don't realize that WD40 is actually a cleaner. Any lubrication that it provides is purely incidental (and short-lived).


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## MrGenius (Mar 5, 2019)

Static~Charge said:


> Many people don't realize that WD40 is actually a cleaner.


Actually, and far more technically, it's a Water Displacement agent. Hence the WD. Which was originally formulated to be used primarily as a rust/corrosion inhibitor. So any cleaning it does is purely incidental too.

But is has literally thousands of uses. Cleaning and lubricating a plethora of things being among them.

I don't recommend using it to lube fans either though. It's too thin(low viscosity) for that IMO. Plus it stinks. So you'll be smelling it for a while if you do.


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## 4ektonik (Mar 5, 2019)

i don't know is it true but
1)In some articals don't recommend to use lithium grease
2)Using graphine oil(it's have crumb which not good influence for the  cooler
3)Bad idea using very thick grease
4)WD-40 only for clean not for grease
5)Of course don't use oil food
6) some articles  saying use oil/some grease  silicone


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## MrGenius (Mar 5, 2019)

The reason to not use grease is due to the higher viscosity. Which can affect the rate at which the fan is able to spin(RPM). IOW, it's just too thick. You don't want something too thin or too thick. Too thin will have problems staying in place. Too thick will slow your fan down. That's how I look at it anyway. But there's more than one way to look at it. And there's no real "right" answer. It's more or less "whatever works...works".

EDIT: To add to that a bit. I've NEVER seen a fan come lubed with grease from the factory. If you ever find one I'd like to see it. Every one I've ever seen has had some kind of light weight oil applied for lubrication.


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## 4ektonik (Mar 5, 2019)

MrGenius said:


> The reason to not use grease is due to the higher viscosity. Which can affect the rate at which the fan is able to spin(RPM). IOW, it's just too thick. You don't want something too thin or too thick. Too thin will have problems staying in place. Too thick will slow your fan down. That's how I look at it anyway. But there's more than one way to look at it. And there's no real "right" answer. It's more or less "whatever works...works".


real answer have people who doing it's many times/often.Like people in computer business who serve it.If it works fine in many years and didn't do problems it's ok. P.S. I read comment,man use graphite grease,and after 3 years it was burn.Someone answer this man that problem was in grease,it was crumble by crumbs  which influence  on video card.
But your view  i think is good and useful


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## RealNeil (Mar 5, 2019)

100% Teflon Grease works for me. (got mine from the Space Program) Very hard to find, but very slippery and lasts forever too.


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## 4ektonik (Mar 5, 2019)

RealNeil said:


> 100% Teflon Grease works for me. (got mine from the Space Program) Very hard to find, but very slippery and lasts forever too.


 many specialization shops have silicone+PTFE(Teflon) i think it's will be as well


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## FreedomEclipse (Mar 5, 2019)

4ektonik said:


> i don't know is it true but
> 1)In some articals don't recommend to use lithium grease
> 2)Using graphine oil(it's have crumb which not good influence for the  cooler
> 3)Bad idea using very thick grease
> ...



You dont want anything too thick because the lube needs to permeate and really penetrate the bearing, thats why sewing machine oil or various chain lubes for motorcycles or bicycles work great so long a the viscosity isnt too thick. Its not going to do much if you apply a dollop of it outside the bearing. Its almost gotta be submerged and left for a minute or two to soak up the lubalicious goodness. You dont have to do this though.


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## John Naylor (Mar 5, 2019)

I have a Wang 8088 APC that I bought in the mid 80s.  I kept it for a DOS structural engineering program on it that we used till 2016.  Only part ever replaced was the PSU, which I took from 5 spare machines I was given when a client moved on to Windows based systems.  Best route for lubricating fans ? ... buy decent fans and you won't have to.  Have another build here from 2011 ... two fans died.    Contacted Antec and asked to purchase replacements as that fan was no longer "in the store".   Antec replaced them free of charge.




Static~Charge said:


> Many people don't realize that WD40 is actually a cleaner. Any lubrication that it provides is purely incidental (and short-lived).



Tell that to someone who has stepped on it after their kids used it in the kitchen and excess spray landed on the floor   ..... missed work for 2 days after finding myself flat on my back

Truth is, it is exactly the opposite ... it's the the volatile hydrocarbon that exists short term ...  it evaporates, leaving behind the oil.    That being said, it is a low viscosity oil and is not intended to last very long.   I find it particularly useful when using "hardware store" duplicate keys which tend to require a bit of "wiggling" to get to work ... a spitz of WD-40 every 3-4 years makes them work effortlessly.

From Wiki:

"WD-40 is the trademark name of a* penetrating oil* and water-displacing spray ... The long-term active ingredient is a non-volatile viscous oil which remains on the surface to which it is applied, *giving lubrication* and protection from moisture. This *oil* is diluted with a volatile hydrocarbon to make a low viscosity fluid which can be aerosolized to penetrate crevices.* The volatile hydrocarbon then evaporates, leaving behind the oil*. A propellant (originally a low-molecular-weight hydrocarbon, now carbon dioxide) creates pressure in the can to force the liquid through the can's nozzle before evaporating. The product is also sold in bulk as a liquid to industrial companies."

Also https://files.wd40.com/pdf/sds/mup/wd-40-multi-use-product-aerosol-low-voc-sds-us-ghs.pdf

The composition is:

LVP Aliphatic Hydrocarbon = 45-50 %
*Petroleum Base Oil* = < 35 %
Aliphatic Hydrocarbon = < 25 %
Carbon Dioxide = 2 -  3%

 Again, WD uses a* low viscosity oil* which is not intended for other than light loads.... and that's what we have in PC fans and why they use it.   If the fan is noisy, it has lost lubricant  which undoubtedly picked up some gummy residue and dust; the WD would / should help clear that out.  Lubrication of PC fans is generally only recommended for sleeve bearing PC fans. These are designed with a shaft spinning inside a cylinder of porous metal which is impregnated with a low viscosity oil.  The bearing is designed to have a sufficient amount of oil to last the fan's lifetime.   Sometimes this seal will fail and the way most find out about it is after some wear occurs and it starts to make noise.   Adding oil at this point is in essence addressing the symptom not the problem.... if it has leaked out, it will do so again.      Lubricating sleeve bearing fans successfuly involves ...  

a) peel back the label
b) use a professional specialist's tool aka "pointie thingie" like a toothpick or sewing needle to pry off the cap.
c)  Add a drop or 2 of oil in the lubricating well
d)  put back the cap.

Those caps are generally held in place by friction and you can sometimes skip this step if don't want to put in the effort.  If you use a *low viscosity oil as recommended for sleeve bearings*, it can slip in thru the teeny gap.  In other fans, the cap is glued and adding oil outside the cap is useless.  Sleeve bearings work by oil suspension. The oil has to be thin enough to get easily between the bearing and spindle, thick enough that it won't weep thru the seals at the end of the bearing but not so thick that it puts its own drag on the spindle.  When seal wear happens and the lube ends up weeping out adding more lubricant is a short term solution.  If the seal is worn enough to let the lubricant out, it won't stop any added oil from doing the same thing.   In short, if you need to do it, you will need to keep doing it ... for me, I'd rather just replace the fan.

Ball bearing fans are generally sealed and as such, adding oil is not an option. 

Best practices ... 

a)  Buy quality fans so you don't have to bother
b)  Consult your fan manufacturer

For the last 6 years, we've been using the Phanteks PH-F140SPs which topped the charts in silentpcreview,com's performance testing.  Whenever supply here gets low, I buy 10 or so when newegg has their "$5 off" specials (last purchase were $10.89 each).   We had one fan about 3 years ago, that made noise about 2 months in on the top of the case.  They are rifle bearing designs and one thing common to this type of fan is that the slide a bit along the shaft between "stops".   When used as push fans blowing down thru a radiator in the typical water cooling manner, at high speeds they can lift up and as fan speeds change up and down, they can make a chattering noise as the blade assembly rides the shaft hitting the stops.  I didn't think 1250 rpm was sufficient to do this and on top of that only one fan was making the noise.  So I contacted Phanteks to set up an RMA (5 year warranty), they sent two replacements "for my trouble" and didn't want the old fan back.     The noisy one was quiet when installed as a pull fan but I wound up installing it vertically and it was quiet that way also.  
If I find myself in a  situation where a fan makes noise, I'll RMA it ... or just pull one of the $11 spares off the shelf.


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## 4ektonik (Mar 5, 2019)

FreedomEclipse said:


> You dont want anything too thick because the lube needs to permeate and really penetrate the bearing, thats why sewing machine oil or various chain lubes for motorcycles or bicycles work great so long a the viscosity isnt too thick. Its not going to do much if you apply a dollop of it outside the bearing. Its almost gotta be submerged and left for a minute or two to soak up the lubalicious goodness. You dont have to do this though.


I just have thought what to choose oil/or air-spray silicone.I think i need to try oil.I'm just thought that oil is thin but oil is you could notice oil it's not like water it has something thick.So my choice is oil.I don' t really know is  air-spray silicone thick,but i guess it is


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## Caring1 (Mar 6, 2019)

Komshija said:


> I use bike chain oil with PTFE (teflon). It's thicker than sewing machine oil.
> Most oils will be OK, be that car engine oil, *chainsaw chain oil*, oil for fine mechanical parts, sewing machine oil... WD-40 will be good only as a short term solution and I wouldn't recommend it.


Just NO to the chainsaw CHAIN oil, the fan probably wouldn't even turn if you did manage to get some in it.
It is thicker and designed to stick to the chain as it rotates at high RPM.


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## Rockarola (Mar 9, 2019)

Caring1 said:


> Just NO to the chainsaw CHAIN oil, the fan probably wouldn't even turn if you did manage to get some in it.
> It is thicker and designed to stick to the chain as it rotates at high RPM.


Yeah, that'll gum up your fan. 

I used to do maintenance on some industrial PCs in a very dusty area of a factory. These were ordinary PCs placed in an industrial environment, so I needed a lot of compressed air and lube to keep them going. 
I've used Moebius Watch Oil (I collect mechanical wrist watches), cheap sewing machine oil and pro sewing machine oil.
Watch oil and cheap sewing machine oil works, but you'll need to relube pretty often since they lack staying power at higher RPM. 
My favourite is a veterinarians syringe with Singer Machine Oil, it'll get the job done and it'll last longer.


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## cornemuse (Mar 9, 2019)

I use 'gun oil' I bought at a local Army surplus store. Can looks like '3 in 1'oil cans, '3 in 1' is good too. I use gun oil on my sewing machine. Yeah, I sew!


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## Komshija (Mar 12, 2019)

Caring1 said:


> Just NO to the chainsaw CHAIN oil, the fan probably wouldn't even turn if you did manage to get some in it.
> It is thicker and designed to stick to the chain as it rotates at high RPM.


 It will spin and it will be OK. Chain actually runs slightly below 25 m/s on the bar, while some fan bearings will rotate up to 5000 RPM. I agree that chainsaw chain oil is certainly not the best solution, but it's also much better than "air lubrication" that I found on my R9 390 FirstD fans. Yep, these fans had 0 lube on the bearings.
I use  Taiwanese "Lifu" bike chain oil without issues for years. It's slightly sticky and approximate as dense as VG150 chainsaw oil. In other words, it's way denser than, for the example, Finish line's "dry" teflon oil (also bike chain oil). Denser oils will be better for fan bearings, especially if your fan has been running without any lubrication for quite some time or if you hear grinding noise. Some manufacturers these days don't even bother to lubricate the bearings, because it's "costly".


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## newtekie1 (Mar 12, 2019)

John Naylor said:


> Truth is, it is exactly the opposite ... it's the the volatile hydrocarbon that exists short term ... it evaporates, leaving behind the oil. That being said, it is a low viscosity oil and is not intended to last very long. I find it particularly useful when using "hardware store" duplicate keys which tend to require a bit of "wiggling" to get to work ... a spitz of WD-40 every 3-4 years makes them work effortlessly.



You are both wrong.  WD40 is designed to displace water.  It has ingredients in it that are lubricants, and things in it that are solvents, and hence it _sort of_ works for both of those things.  In fact, it works for a lot of things because of what it has in it.  The problem is it doesn't work the best at pretty much anything it does except it works really really well as a water displacement.

WD40 works well as a lubricant in applications where the parts aren't constantly moving and aren't moved often. In applications where the parts are moving constantly, the oil in WD40 just doesn't last that long.

You should be using the best tool for the job when possible, and WD40 is rarely it when it comes to lubrication.  That said, I have a big can of it, and do use it for certain tasks, it has its place.  But the idea of this thread it to find the best tool for the job of lubricating a fan, and WD40 ain't.  Now, WD40 might work really well for cleaning out the bearing, and even getting things freed up if they are sort of seized.  But after that, clean out the WD40 and lube the fan with a proper lubricant that is designed to work in a constantly moving condition.  Sewing machine oil, motor oil, heck even ATF would all be great at lubricating fans, because they are all designed to work on parts that are in constant motion.  They won't wear out quickly.  And they are also light enough viscosity that they won't gum up the fan.


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## Bones (Mar 12, 2019)

I use 3-n-1 with my fans, works fine and no issues to mention.

Remember those fans I dunked?









I did flush them out with WD40 initially to drive out moisture and followed up with 3-n-1 oil.
3-n-1 worked great with those and those fans are still going strong today.

Cleaned the way I did it in the vid or not, you will have to apply some and run the fans _outside_ of the case/enclosure - It will sling oil and that's why instead of doing all that I simply place them face-up on a flat surface atop a paper towel overnight after lubing and spinning them by hand only to work the oil in.
Make sure the opening/gap of the motor where you can get oil in is facing downwards so any excess oil can come out while the fan is sitting that way.

After the excess has come out THEN you can test them without all the flying oil mess. Cleanup the fans from the excess oil after that and they're ready to go.


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## newtekie1 (Mar 12, 2019)

Bones said:


> I use 3-n-1 with my fans, works fine and no issues to mention.



I used to use 3-in-1 oil, but had mixed success with it.  It works at first, but I found I had to go back and re-lube the fans often because the 3-in-1 oil would gum up.

The version with the blue label is supposed to not do that, but then I read that it is just SAE 20 motor oil.  So for the price you pay for a little bottle of 3-in-1 you can get a whole quart of motor oil...


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## lexluthermiester (Mar 12, 2019)

jboydgolfer said:


> replace with a new fan.


Not always the best advice or the best option. Fans are simple devices and most of the time easily maintained/repaired with a little know-how.

It should be noted that a lot of advice for oils have been given. However if a fan works on the sleeve-bearing mechanism, a light grease is a better and more suitable lubricant. Oils and other liquid based lubricants are better suited for ball-bearing based fans. Care to clean the fan bearings should be taken. Brake cleaner or 99% isopropyl works best.

Marvel Mystery Oil is my fav for ball-bearing fans as it soaks right in, doesn't evaporate or gum up and lasts a very long time(years at a time). For sleeve bearing fans, the dielectic grease I referred to earlier in the thread is arguably the best that can be used and for similar reasons.


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## Bones (Mar 12, 2019)

newtekie1 said:


> I used to use 3-in-1 oil, but had mixed success with it.  It works at first, but I found I had to go back and re-lube the fans often because the 3-in-1 oil would gum up.
> 
> The version with the blue label is supposed to not do that, but then I read that it is just SAE 20 motor oil.  So for the price you pay for a little bottle of 3-in-1 you can get a whole quart of motor oil...



If that's true then a quart of 5-20W should last forever, esp the synthetic stuff.
I too have noted with 3-n-1 it could become gummed up with dust and such sticking to the oil residue/oil itself but that's actually true with about any kind of lubrication in liquid form.
If for example something like graphite (Dry lube) could be used that would eliminate this dust matting problem but cons about it have been mentioned too.

We can discuss it forever if we want, fact is there is no perfect solution and all I can suggest realistically is go with what works for you.


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## newtekie1 (Mar 12, 2019)

Bones said:


> If that's true then a quart of 5-20W should last forever, esp the synthetic stuff.
> I too have noted with 3-n-1 it could become gummed up with dust and such sticking to the oil residue/oil itself but that's actually true with about any kind of lubrication in liquid form.
> If for example something like graphite (Dry lube) could be used that would eliminate this dust matting problem but cons about it have been mentioned too.
> 
> We can discuss it forever if we want, fact is there is no perfect solution and all I can suggest realistically is go with what works for you.



There is something else happening with the 3-in1 oil besides just dust sticking to it though.  The fan hubs are usually pretty sealed when I put them back together, I replace the plugs.  And when they failed again, it wasn't dust build up, but the 3-in-1 oil just sort of turning to gum and burning up.

Right now, I lube fans with 5w-30, because that is what I have on hand.  It is what I use in my vehicles, so the cost to me is 0, I just take a little out of the 5 quart jug I buy when i do an oil change.

I just put it in one of these and it lasts forever. Though I have to refill that oiler from time to time because I use it for more than just lubing fans.  I've also had ATF in it, again, just because it was what I had available at the time.  It works too for lubing fans.


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## Bones (Mar 12, 2019)

Oh yeah, have one of those mini-oilers myself but it's one of the older, all metal jobs with the little needle spout. 
Perfect for things like this.


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## Rockarola (Mar 14, 2019)

lexluthermiester said:


> Not always the best advice or the best option. Fans are simple devices and most of the time easily maintained/repaired with a little know-how.
> 
> It should be noted that a lot of advice for oils have been given. However if a fan works on the sleeve-bearing mechanism, a light grease is a better and more suitable lubricant. Oils and other liquid based lubricants are better suited for ball-bearing based fans. Care to clean the fan bearings should be taken. Brake cleaner or 99% isopropyl works best.
> 
> Marvel Mystery Oil is my fav for ball-bearing fans as it soaks right in, doesn't evaporate or gum up and lasts a very long time(years at a time). For sleeve bearing fans, the dielectic grease I referred to earlier in the thread is arguably the best that can be used and for similar reasons.


Brake cleaner or MC chain cleaner will do just fine, as long as it's formulated to strip greasy residue. 
Light grease will work great, as long as it is meant for bearings, but I've seen fans lubricated with blue copper grease (heavy grease, belongs in high load/low RPM applications)...poor things were barely moving. 
I usually recommend oil because grease is a lot more specific to the application. 

tl:dr Oil is easy, grease a little bit more complex.


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## lexluthermiester (Mar 14, 2019)

Rockarola said:


> but I've seen fans lubricated with blue copper grease (heavy grease, belongs in high load/low RPM applications)


That's just silly. 


Rockarola said:


> tl:dr Oil is easy, grease a little bit more complex.


Light grease is easy to use.


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## E-Bear (Mar 14, 2019)

80w90 rear differential oil. 



lexluthermiester said:


> Not always the best advice or the best option. Fans are simple devices and most of the time easily maintained/repaired with a little know-how.
> 
> It should be noted that a lot of advice for oils have been given. However if a fan works on the sleeve-bearing mechanism, a light grease is a better and more suitable lubricant. Oils and other liquid based lubricants are better suited for ball-bearing based fans. Care to clean the fan bearings should be taken. Brake cleaner or 99% isopropyl works best.
> 
> Marvel Mystery Oil is my fav for ball-bearing fans as it soaks right in, doesn't evaporate or gum up and lasts a very long time(years at a time). For sleeve bearing fans, the dielectic grease I referred to earlier in the thread is arguably the best that can be used and for similar reasons.



Brake cleaner melt some kind of plastics.


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## Rockarola (Mar 19, 2019)

lexluthermiester said:


> That's just silly.
> 
> Light grease is easy to use.


Yup, light grease is easy...if you know your lubricants, otherwise it's easy to screw up. 
(You should never underestimate the incompetence of the uninformed)


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## rockit00 (Mar 19, 2019)

Krytox is what we used in the military. Used in Oxygen regulators and Cryogenics. It is a synthetic thin film lubricant and is non flammable. It is also used in car racing ( Pinewood Derby Krytox Lubricant). That would be my choice. Comes in a bottle with a needle like applicator and .25 oz bottle would probably last a long time for PC use. Also appears to be the cheapest Krytox around for hobby use.


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## micropage7 (May 6, 2019)

i use this one





not the brand, but this is what i have


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## lexluthermiester (May 6, 2019)

I still recommend a light grease as it will not evaporate, easily degrade or attract dust.


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## delshay (May 6, 2019)

I have a question for this thread.

Would it not be to late to oil the fan as you would have been running for such a long time without lubricant? ie internal part(s) would have already worn down.

The only time you will notice there's a problem with the fan is when it start's to run slower or make funny noises, but by that time the damage is already done. If you want a fan to last longer, would it not be best to service it after a period of time before problems starts. ie Example: give it a service every 2-3 years.

Please correct me if I am wrong.


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## lexluthermiester (May 6, 2019)

delshay said:


> Would it not be to late to oil the fan as you would have been running for such a long time without lubricant? ie internal part(s) would have already worn down.


This would be another good use case for grease as the grease would fill in small gaps in worn down sleeve bearings.



delshay said:


> The only time you will notice there's a problem with the fan is when it start's to run slower or make funny noises, but by that time the damage is already done.


Not always. Sometimes a servicing will extend the life of a fan that is making noise or has a minor rattle.



delshay said:


> If you want a fan to last longer, would it not be best to service it after a period of time before problems starts. ie Example: give it a service every 2-3 years.


This would be ideal. I service the fans in my systems once a year, though they generally don't need it.


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## John Naylor (May 6, 2019)

newtekie1 said:


> You are both wrong.  WD40 is designed to displace water.  It has ingredients in it that are lubricants, and things in it that are solvents, and hence it _sort of_ works for both of those things.  In fact, it works for a lot of things because of what it has in it.  The problem is it doesn't work the best at pretty much anything it does except it works really really well as a water displacement.



What I posted was a direct quote from the manufacturer .... I don't think they are 'wrong" about the product they make.

If you have a cheap sleeve bearing fan, you can get oil in ... but if ya get it in, it's also goona come out,   Ball Bearing fans are usually sleeved.  Best way to lubricate .... buy one with sealed bearings and you won't have to ... and if ya try, it's not getting in anyway


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## delshay (May 6, 2019)

lexluthermiester said:


> Not always. Sometimes a servicing will extend the life of a fa that is making noise or has a minor rattle.



A minor rattle is a sign something has worn down. Fan is under a very tight tolerance so at high speed you want very little vibrations as possible. 
In my first posting i was thinking more about the wear & tear on the shaft.


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## lexluthermiester (May 7, 2019)

delshay said:


> A minor rattle is a sign something has worn down. Fan is under a very tight tolerance so at high speed you want very little vibrations as possible.
> In my first posting i was thinking more about the wear & tear on the shaft.


While that's true, a light grease such as a synthetic dielectric grease, or white lithium grease will do wonders to greatly dampen the noise and extend the life of a worn fan bearing.


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## Vlada011 (May 7, 2019)

It would be best to pay lubricant more than CORSAIR ML120 or Noctua NF-A12x25 PWM to fix 5$ worth fan.
That's best choice. Buy him and your kids will use him next time when become adult.


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