# How to maintain your fans, Also how to succesfully perform fan surgery



## de.das.dude (Sep 22, 2010)

Its common for fans to grow old and start making screeching or scratchy noises.
Their RPMs drop and so does their performance.

Its common for fans to grow old and start making screeching or scratchy noises.
Their RPMs drop and so does their performance.


So how do you fix this?

Simple.

I have used the stock AMD fan which is a dual ball bearing one.
specifications are.
 max rpm = 6500rpm
 voltage = 12V 
 Current = 0.45A
 4 wire PWM fan


The patients:






First step is to remove the sticker that sits on top. In the picture below, you can see that i am peeling it off.





sometimes beneath the sticker, there is another black cap like thingy.
it can be removed easily.
its shown here





Notice the C-Clip that sits in the middle. your next task is to remove it.
note: there may be more than one washer there.





see the black dirt around the shaft? thats bad.


In this next pic you can see the clip has been removed.





The washer is a key component in dissecting the fan. It is white, but the grease-dirt concoction makes it yellow/black

You need to take the washer out somehow.
The washer is generally a C shaped ring with a cut on one side. this cut is for easy fitting of the washer onto the axle. *Even if some fans have this washer, there are other round washers below this C shaped one* be careful not to loose those. Loosing them will make you fan wobbly and/or unstable.

*The best way to remove this clip is to use a pen point to press on the side opposite to the cut, and then use a pair of tweezers to lift from the side of the cut.*

after a while you should be able to do this with your fingernails, like me.

*If you are doing maintenance, stop messing with the fan at this step.
Just add two drops of lube, or use petroleum jelly or motor grease. no WD-40
Snap the C-clip back on and the sticker. thats done. If the sticker has lost its adhesive properties, just use a masking tape to cover up.
Try it now. If the screeching sound persists, continue...*


now, i have removed the clip, and separated the blades. you can separate the blades by simply pulling them away from the frame. Be careful as to not drop them.




if the fan blades drop, they can break.

in case of ball bearing fans you need to tap the shaft out.



You can see the coils in this pic with the frame turned upside down. Notice the areas of maximum dirt accumulation




dont mess with anything sharp, the coils are really delicate.
I advise cleaning with a 5-10% ethanol solution or kerosene.
You may use a can of deodorant as well, its fast and quick. and makes your fan smell manly (if you use manly scents )


The blades portion of the fan, after cleaning:






For those who still have the screetching or scratchy noise after greasing, on dis-assembling the fan completely, clean the axle with ethanol(or spirit or alcohol). clean the hole with ethanol too.
Then using your fingers put some grease on the shaft. No excess please. As excess grease = more dirt.

Also put a dab of grease in the hole in a way such that the shaft will push the grease through the hole during assembly.

The above step would result in a small amount of grease at the top of the shaft like this





Dont have to clean it. Smear it around.

Then put everything back again, and put on the cap. Dont forget the tiny bits!!
here is a hint of how to put the clip back in:









Hope this helped ya fix em ol fans!
cheers

do thank / rape me!

All support is appreciated!
queries? post 'em!


here are some more pics


Spoiler















































(c) de.das.dude


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## AsRock (Sep 22, 2010)

Cool i like to say never use WD40 as it's a de greaser but is harder to remove after and what you said to use is about the best.  

I find sewing machine oil best as it's thinner and will allow the fan to spin more easily. Which is all so good for CD\DVD\ players too

When moving that C shaped washer i place my finger over the hole so it don't go flying across the room lol.  And i use a tiny sized screw driver those you see in small boxes.


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## TechnicalFreak (Sep 22, 2010)

I use Malossi lubricant, made for the CVT on scooters, but works like magic for fans..


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## newtekie1 (Sep 22, 2010)

3 in 1 Oil is what I use, works wonders and 9 times out of 10 I don't have to remove the washer.


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## Bo$$ (Sep 22, 2010)

motor oil is a wonder, my most of my fans tend to start grinding and can't be fixed


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## PVTCaboose1337 (Sep 22, 2010)

The best lubricant is the same that I use on my firearms.  It is "Teflon Coating Lubricant, Medium" according the bottle it comes from.  It is like oil and teflon goodness mixed together.  I also recommend graphite lubricant.  It is like a powder, but works well, but it is messy.

EDIT:  FYI, if you don't have OPERATOR OPERATOR friends, just get this:  http://www.webbikeworld.com/t2/motorcycle-chain-lube/dupont-teflon-chain-lube.htm


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## Easy Rhino (Sep 22, 2010)

i have had a lot of expensive case fans go bad on me. i will try this out this weekend.


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## Black Panther (Sep 22, 2010)

I use Vaseline, works fine.

Even better is Lubrimax.


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## Easy Rhino (Sep 22, 2010)

Black Panther said:


> I use Vaseline, works fine.
> 
> Even better is Lubrimax.



*cough*


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## Kovoet (Sep 22, 2010)

Brilliant and thanks a lot for this


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## wolf (Sep 22, 2010)

I've always used sewing machine oil personally, never tried..... Lubrimax.


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## Bo$$ (Sep 22, 2010)

Black Panther said:


> I use Vaseline, works fine.
> 
> Even better is Lubrimax.



thats the same crap as WD40 right?

if so it will wear them out faster, use an oil best and cheapest


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## Radical_Edward (Sep 22, 2010)

I use white lithium grease on my fans. Works pretty damn well.


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## AsRock (Sep 22, 2010)

PVTCaboose1337 said:


> The best lubricant is the same that I use on my firearms.  It is "Teflon Coating Lubricant, Medium" according the bottle it comes from.  It is like oil and teflon goodness mixed together.  I also recommend graphite lubricant.  It is like a powder, but works well, but it is messy.
> 
> EDIT:  FYI, if you don't have OPERATOR OPERATOR friends, just get this:  http://www.webbikeworld.com/t2/motorcycle-chain-lube/dupont-teflon-chain-lube.htm



Sounds kinda cool.  I use Super Lube but the one i have is too thick for fans although they do a spray too.

http://www.super-lube.com/


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## Black Panther (Sep 22, 2010)

Easy Rhino said:


> *cough*



Have a minty sweet? 



Bo$$ said:


> thats the same crap as WD40 right?
> 
> if so it will wear them out faster, use an oil best and cheapest



No, WD40 does make plastic/nylon bearings wear out faster because it corrodes them.

Both vaseline and that product are suggested for example for the bearing in automotive gear levers - in many case it's made of nylon and if you use normal oil lubricant it will get ruined.


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## PVTCaboose1337 (Sep 22, 2010)

Black Panther said:


> Have a minty sweet?
> 
> 
> 
> ...



I have never tried Vaseline, but I would worry that it would be too thick.  I guess not.


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## meran (Sep 22, 2010)

Easy Rhino said:


> *cough*



LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOL lube


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## _JP_ (Sep 22, 2010)

It's a good guide, I might try it out with some "patients" here.
Call me lazy, but when (cheap) ball bearing and/or sleeve bearing fans broke down on me or start degrading performance, I just go buy a new fluid bearing fan. Less hassle, more performance and it will last longer. I can also go nuts and buy a maglev fan (expensive!, not available here) and never have to worry about that again.


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## theonedub (Sep 23, 2010)

I use wheel bearing grease (lithium based). Brought my YL L12 back to life


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## Raovac (Sep 23, 2010)

I do it the easy way, Throw the old one away and buy a new one.


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## AsRock (Sep 23, 2010)

Raovac said:


> I do it the easy way, Throw the old one away and buy a new one.



Easy way ?  , You could have the fan all sorted within a hour and for me at least would take 5 days to get a good new one which would cost any thing from $14 + postage and that to me is not the easy way.


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## LAN_deRf_HA (Sep 23, 2010)

I'm surprised any of this is needed. I just buy nice fans and they last me forever, only exception being those scythe slipstream fans. Both I got ceased and the sticker bulged out and they leaked grease, but I wouldn't consider those decent fans anyways.


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## meran (Sep 23, 2010)

_JP_ said:


> It's a good guide, I might try it out with some "patients" here.
> Call me lazy, but when (cheap) ball bearing and/or sleeve bearing fans broke down on me or start degrading performance, I just go buy a new fluid bearing fan. Less hassle, more performance and it will last longer. I can also go nuts and buy a maglev fan (expensive!, not available here) and never have to worry about that again.



nothing can stop in front of dust :shadedshu here in great iraq nothing can survive dust so cleaning and greasing is the way


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## (FIH) The Don (Sep 23, 2010)

awesome guide, thanks !!!


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## Melvis (Sep 23, 2010)

I use grease from a can with a long nozzle, works for me. Not all fans have an easy access point like the one you are showing, gotta squirt it from behind to fix this problem.

Wish my m8s would listen as both have thermaltake fans that are dieing after only 6months of use, my god there bad fans. zalman FTW. Second choice Coolermaster.


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## pantherx12 (Sep 23, 2010)

So WD-40 is no good huh?

Well the 25 fans need re-doing with something else then!

Why is it bad by the way? Never had a problem using it for other things.


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## Bo$$ (Sep 23, 2010)

Black Panther said:


> Have a minty sweet?
> 
> 
> 
> ...



i thought i bought something VERY similar, but i remember that it was called WD-55


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## Bo$$ (Sep 23, 2010)

pantherx12 said:


> So WD-40 is no good huh?
> 
> Well the 25 fans need re-doing with something else then!
> 
> Why is it bad by the way? Never had a problem using it for other things.



plastic issues...


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## erixx (Sep 23, 2010)

OP: hair oil?  Like the one Elvis used? Lol!


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## Thrackan (Sep 23, 2010)

Sewing machine oil ftw, though I never tried to get off that washer! Thanks for the info


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## de.das.dude (Sep 23, 2010)

I have been away for college and soooo many posts!!!
thanks guys for all your thanks and replies. really appreciate it.



AsRock said:


> Easy way ?  , You could have the fan all sorted within a hour and for me at least would take 5 days to get a good new one which would cost any thing from $14 + postage and that to me is not the easy way.


Half an hour infact.



meran said:


> nothing can stop in front of dust :shadedshu here in great iraq nothing can survive dust so cleaning and greasing is the way


same here, we have too much pollution.



Melvis said:


> I use grease from a can with a long nozzle, works for me. Not all fans have an easy access point like the one you are showing, gotta squirt it from behind to fix this problem.
> 
> Wish my m8s would listen as both have thermaltake fans that are dieing after only 6months of use, my god there bad fans. zalman FTW. Second choice Coolermaster.


Well, all the fans i had always seem to have an access point.



Thrackan said:


> Sewing machine oil ftw, though I never tried to get off that washer! Thanks for the info


Sewing machine oil...tends to collect dust.

I mainly use castrol AP3 protector series


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## _JP_ (Sep 23, 2010)

meran said:


> nothing can stop in front of dust here in great iraq nothing can survive dust so cleaning and greasing is the way


Yeah, dust is a problem. I somewhat regularly clean my case, so I don't allow too much dust to build up.


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## pantherx12 (Sep 23, 2010)

Bo$$ said:


> plastic issues...



Aye that's what I'm saying, I've never had a problem 

WD40 is my non body lubricant of choice


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## Arctucas (Sep 23, 2010)

The best I have used: Abu Garcia® Reel Lube.


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## de.das.dude (Sep 23, 2010)

Lube. LOL.


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## KingPing (Sep 24, 2010)

Sticky!!!


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## de.das.dude (Sep 26, 2010)

Yes!!!! any one who wants this stickied, show some sign!


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## Exile_Chavez (Sep 27, 2010)

I agree, before reading this thread I never thought to live my fans to help them run better, I always figured that thu were built to run without maintenance I guess I was wrong. Sticky this guy for people like me who wouldn't think of it!!!!!!


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## mudkip (Oct 1, 2010)

Easy Rhino said:


> *cough*


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## de.das.dude (Oct 10, 2010)

sneeky no sticky this thread


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## MohawkAngel (Oct 10, 2010)

I pass fans under hot bath water shake them to remove water and let them dip into a bucket of olive oil. After 1 hour of soaking remove the oil excedent and plug them. Before plugging into the case try them outside so the rotating fan will blow out the oil excedent and VOILA !


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## de.das.dude (Oct 10, 2010)

GHETTO! But funny neverthless... LOl


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## Altered (Oct 10, 2010)

Nice how to article. 

On the few fans that have no access plug or cap being *extremely* careful with a very small drill bit you can make a oiling hole. Make sure to just go through the plastic. Use a very light wt. oil such as sewing machine oil so that it flows into the hole.  A couple a drops usually does the trick. You can use a old sticker to cover the hole or some good tape after cleaning any oil that missed the hole. 

Surprised no one mentioned.


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## MohawkAngel (Oct 10, 2010)

Altered said:


> Nice how to article.
> 
> On the few fans that have no access plug or cap being *extremely* careful with a very small drill bit you can make a oiling hole. Make sure to just go through the plastic. Use a very light wt. oil such as sewing machine oil so that it flows into the hole.  A couple a drops usually does the trick. You can use a old sticker to cover the hole or some good tape after cleaning any oil that missed the hole.
> 
> ...



Yup. When you want to drill a hole there's nothing like K.Y.


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## streetfighter 2 (Dec 4, 2010)

I recently had to do surgery on an ancient 40mm fan that was pulled off a NB and re-purposed in my new machine as a SB fan.  I recycle! 

Fan specs:
Colorful CF-12407S
12VDC 0.14A
Sleeve Bearing

I thought this thread might enjoy some high(er) quality pics.

Here's the incredibly tiny snap ring (which is only visible after the sticker is peeled off):





Here's the front (back?) of the fan after the blades have been removed.  Notice the dirt on the coils and in the bearing?  That's going to generate a lot of noise!





This is the inside of the fan blades.  Notice how the old grease accumulated in the center after it bonded with dust?  That's going to add more noise!





I did something that I wouldn't recommend others do, I used WD40 (both as lube and to clean the dirty residue).  Don't do what I did.  I'm a professional!


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## micropage7 (Dec 4, 2010)

i use castrol motor oil 
its really make my fans run fast


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## de.das.dude (Dec 4, 2010)

micropage7 said:


> i use castrol motor oil
> its really make my fans run fast



same here!!! but they kinda get a lil hot LOL.


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## F1reFly (Dec 4, 2010)

i just spray some WD40 in it with the fan running and works perfectly, no need to take out or use much of your time. though their cheap enough i typically just replace them anymore.


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## RejZoR (Dec 4, 2010)

Sleeve bearing fans are easy to maintain. Repairing ball bearing fans is a bit more tricky. But can be done. You have to clean the whole thing just like you do with sleeve type, it's just that you have to take ball bearings out, clean them thoroughly from the outside and then submerge them into oil, to lubricate the inside again. You have to violently move them inside oil to force it through tiny opening of the shield. Wipe them clean after that, especially the inner ring where the rotor goes, otherwise it will be lubricated and will spin inside the bearing which is bad and kills the whole point of the bearing. So clean the bearing thorougly on the outside. Put it back and run it at slow RPM to spread the oil inside. It shoudl become much more silent after few seconds.
But the rate of success depends on how long it was running dry. The longer it was, the more bearings were damaged. But it will be always better than running them dry...


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## streetfighter 2 (Dec 4, 2010)

F1reFly said:


> i just spray some WD40 in it with the fan running and works perfectly, no need to take out or use much of your time. though their cheap enough i typically just replace them anymore.



You can't be serious?  I know WD40 isn't conductive but spraying a fan while it's running inside your case is just disturbingly dangerous.  WD40 is like a dust magnet and it often forms a capacitive gel when it does so.  It also breaks down thermal grease.



RejZoR said:


> Sleeve bearing fans are easy to maintain. Repairing ball bearing fans is a bit more tricky. But can be done. You have to clean the whole thing just like you do with sleeve type, it's just that you have to take ball bearings out, clean them thoroughly from the outside and then submerge them into oil, to lubricate the inside again. You have to violently move them inside oil to force it through tiny opening of the shield. Wipe them clean after that, especially the inner ring where the rotor goes, otherwise it will be lubricated and will spin inside the bearing which is bad and kills the whole point of the bearing. So clean the bearing thorougly on the outside. Put it back and run it at slow RPM to spread the oil inside. It shoudl become much more silent after few seconds.
> But the rate of success depends on how long it was running dry. The longer it was, the more bearings were damaged. But it will be always better than running them dry...



Ball bearing fans are definitely more tricky to clean but they should last quite a bit longer between cleanings.  (source)


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## erocker (Dec 4, 2010)

I use just a little synthetic brake caliper grease if a fan becomes noisy be it ball bearing or sleeve. The stuff lasts forever. 2 years ago I did it to one fan and haven't had a problem since.


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## avatar_raq (Dec 4, 2010)

@OP:
Excellent guide, many thanks!


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## silkstone (Dec 5, 2010)

I tried this with an old broken CM fan, but there seems to be no way to remove that little cap. CM must glue them down, i even tried "sawing" round the edge of the cap with a razor, to no avail


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## F1reFly (Dec 5, 2010)

streetfighter 2 said:


> You can't be serious?  I know WD40 isn't conductive but spraying a fan while it's running inside your case is just disturbingly dangerous.  WD40 is like a dust magnet and it often forms a capacitive gel when it does so.  It also breaks down thermal grease.



nah, it works great. i used to do that for years, even with house fans. But i mean c'mon, even if it could hurt them, you can buy 120mm fans for like $7 these days! 
Anymore, i've accumalated about 5 extra 120mm's like new in my closet. may come in handy sometime but their so cheap anymore i figured many computer enthusiasts had tons of them laying around.


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## de.das.dude (Mar 14, 2011)

guys i did a small experiment,

took everything apart, cleaned the axle with KEROSENE and put the blade in place with the C- Washer and instead of grease i filled to the brim of the whole with coconut oil and put the cap back on, and cleaned off the excess coconut oil. its working like a charm and theres no noise even though there were some when i used grease!!


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## AsRock (Mar 14, 2011)

de.das.dude said:


> guys i did a small experiment,
> 
> took everything apart, cleaned the axle with KEROSENE and put the blade in place with the C- Washer and instead of grease i filled to the brim of the whole with coconut oil and put the cap back on, and cleaned off the excess coconut oil. its working like a charm and theres no noise even though there were some when i used grease!!



Cool now the metal will be all silky and smooth . Noise has properly gone due to removing the crap that was rubbing.

I use superlube and do the same thing.

http://www.super-lube.com/where-to-use-super-lube-ez-160.htm


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## de.das.dude (Mar 14, 2011)

AsRock said:


> metal will be all silky and smooth



LOL. yes. and no the rubbin part was already clean, but there was a wooshy noise eft. that is gone now. and my 4yr old fan that has been tunnin continuously at 2700rpm is now at 2600rpm. almost as good as new.


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## Brandenburg (Mar 20, 2011)

I use 3 in 1 machine oil..  Fan was making all kinds of noise..  Now it just sounds like a jet motor..  was screeching bad before i put a few drops of oil in her

this beast .. is well... a beast of a fan
Scythe DFS123812-3000 "ULTRA KAZE" 120 x 38 mm Cas...


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## de.das.dude (Mar 21, 2011)

Brandenburg said:


> I use 3 in 1 machine oil..  Fan was making all kinds of noise..  Now it just sounds like a jet motor..  was screeching bad before i put a few drops of oil in her
> 
> this beast .. is well... a beast of a fan
> Scythe DFS123812-3000 "ULTRA KAZE" 120 x 38 mm Cas...



hi there, dirty ol' man XD


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## Undead46 (Mar 21, 2011)

Side note for everyone with Noctua fans.
You cannot remove the fan blades without breaking a plastic part in the bearing.


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## de.das.dude (Mar 21, 2011)

Undead46 said:


> Side note for everyone with Noctua fans.
> You cannot remove the fan blades without breaking a plastic part in the bearing.



i think u are talking about the C clip. and is it broken in half?


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## micropage7 (Mar 21, 2011)

silkstone said:


> I tried this with an old broken CM fan, but there seems to be no way to remove that little cap. CM must glue them down, i even tried "sawing" round the edge of the cap with a razor, to no avail



yeah some brand doesnt like if you do that so they glue that, i ever experienced the same thing on my 8600GT, i tried to open the it and i broke it 
and the last i replaced it with generic casing fan 
i use castrol motor oil as lubricant, so far it works nice


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## AsRock (Mar 21, 2011)

Dunno if he just on about the clip or what.   I my self would like to hear it better explained or even pictures ..


Zalman put there's in a plastic casing although a dremal is you friend lol.


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## Brandenburg (Mar 21, 2011)

Last time I lost a C clip, I improvised and used a bread tie.. Stripped all the cloth off the tie.. used a needle nose pliers to cut it to size and twisted the tie on.. Wasn't for a fan though.. was for a video card cooler.. Haven't had a problem yet


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## theJesus (May 12, 2011)

Black Panther said:


> I use Vaseline, works fine.
> 
> Even better is Lubrimax.


That makes me want to experiment with some of the different sex lubes I have


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## Athlonite (May 12, 2011)

um are you guys only just working this out now I've been doing this for the last 20 years the best thing to use was 3 in 1 oil but then I found a lubricant designed for skate board wheel bearings is far better it's like 3in1 but with a high graphite content


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## de.das.dude (May 12, 2011)

who cares about the oil LOL.


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## micropage7 (May 12, 2011)

Athlonite said:


> um are you guys only just working this out now I've been doing this for the last 20 years the best thing to use was 3 in 1 oil but then I found a lubricant designed for skate board wheel bearings is far better it's like 3in1 but with a high graphite content



graphite could flow electric. i dont think its safe enough although it performs well


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## theJesus (May 12, 2011)

Athlonite said:


> um are you guys only just working this out now I've been doing this for the last 20 years the best thing to use was 3 in 1 oil but then I found a lubricant designed for skate board wheel bearings is far better it's like 3in1 but with a high graphite content


I've only been alive for the past 21 years 
I've never actually bothered doing this since I view the death of a crappy fan as an excuse for me to buy a nice one (if one of the nice ones dies, I might do it), but I've known about it and am not a stranger to taking fans apart.


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## Athlonite (May 12, 2011)

micropage7 said:


> graphite could flow electric. i dont think its safe enough although it performs well



I spose it would if you used half a bottle a small drop is all you should need


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## FordGT90Concept (May 12, 2011)

I never thought of trying to repair a fan before by relubricating it.  Makes sense though except...most of the fans I see in this thread are sleeve bearing fans.  What about ball, twister, and hydro bearings?


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## micropage7 (May 12, 2011)

FordGT90Concept said:


> I never thought of trying to repair a fan before by relubricating it.  Makes sense though except...most of the fans I see in this thread are sleeve bearing fans.  What about ball, twister, and hydro bearings?



i guess coz its wide applied and you can find so many fans that use that from cheap to expensive thing so theres alot  people who use that than hydro or other


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## copenhagen69 (May 12, 2011)

great little guide here


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## de.das.dude (May 12, 2011)

FordGT90Concept said:


> I never thought of trying to repair a fan before by relubricating it.  Makes sense though except...most of the fans I see in this thread are sleeve bearing fans.  What about ball, twister, and hydro bearings?


i dont have any of those. moreover no camera anymore.



micropage7 said:


> i guess coz its wide applied and you can find so many fans that use that from cheap to expensive thing so theres alot  people who use that than hydro or other



as mentioned, i dont has those type of fans, i cant afford them.


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## FordGT90Concept (May 12, 2011)

CPU fans are virtually always one or two ball.  Case fans are almost always sleeve.

Hydro is not cheap but it lasts a long time.  Twister is what Enermax uses in its PSU fans.  You wouldn't have either of those unless you went out of your way to buy them. XD


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## D4S4 (May 12, 2011)

somebody try some grease with molybdenum disulphide additive - i know this stuff work UTTERLY AWESOME on almost every part of my bike, haven't tried it on the fans though


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## Peter1986C (May 12, 2011)

I think this should be stickied.


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## Mussels (Jul 26, 2011)

latest updates to this thread have improved it greatly.


For now at least, yes i think its worth a sticky. Someone will need to PM a mod of this section (no, that is NOT me)


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## Athlonite (Jul 26, 2011)

this is the remains of a fan that came on my HD5770 from HIS 












it was queer as there wasn't and actual oil hole and it was so brittle I broke it whilst trying to prise it apart and the other thing it only lasted 8 months before jamming so tight you couldn't even spin it by hand


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## micropage7 (Jul 26, 2011)

Athlonite said:


> this is the remains of a fan that came on my HD5770 from HIS
> 
> https://by1.storage.live.com/items/...lScreen/Bottom Remains.JPG?psid=1&ck=0&ex=720
> 
> ...



sorry to hear that


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## de.das.dude (Jul 26, 2011)

Athlonite said:


> this is the remains of a fan that came on my HD5770 from HIS
> 
> https://by1.storage.live.com/items/...lScreen/Bottom Remains.JPG?psid=1&ck=0&ex=720
> 
> ...



OMG thats a completely different type of fan, silly!
you could have RMA'd it to get a new card!


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## specks (Jul 26, 2011)

Athlonite said:


> this is the remains of a fan that came on my HD5770 from HIS
> 
> https://by1.storage.live.com/items/...lScreen/Bottom Remains.JPG?psid=1&ck=0&ex=720
> 
> ...



Isnt that a squirrel cage fan?


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## _JP_ (Jul 26, 2011)

I need to upload the pics I have, from my noiseblocker.


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## de.das.dude (Jul 26, 2011)

specks said:


> Isnt that a squirrel cage fan?



yes, it a blower type fan.

squirrel cage refers to the electrical type of motor.


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## AsRock (Jul 26, 2011)

Athlonite said:


> this is the remains of a fan that came on my HD5770 from HIS
> 
> https://by1.storage.live.com/items/...lScreen/Bottom Remains.JPG?psid=1&ck=0&ex=720
> 
> ...



Fan ran dry and got to hot which when it stopped it seized like a engine would do.. Unless it was so much dust allowed in which dried it up and that made it to stop.

Does show how cheap they are made though.


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## Athlonite (Jul 27, 2011)

The shop I bought it from is owned by chinks and they didn't want to know about RMA so I turned them into the consumer affairs dept and they're dealing to them...

no it's not an squirrel cage fan it's was this type below





and no it wasn't caused by dust my RV02 has dust filters 

It's just cheap ass Chinese piece of junk fan which HIS wanted me to send back to them the whole card at my expense stuff that $50 + a god knows how long a wait to get it back


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## de.das.dude (Jul 27, 2011)

yes. i am sure there was something wrong with the plastic. you see when a plastic has too much of hardeners in it or are exposed to excess heat when cooling and molding, they become brittle and powdery like so.



*also sneekypeet is considering stickying this thread, so its a good time to voice your opinions.
if this gets stickied, i would have finally done something worthwhile in my life.*


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## Peter1986C (Jul 27, 2011)

sticky-sticky!
Because de.das.dude is awesome and so is this thread.


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## de.das.dude (Jul 27, 2011)

Chevalr1c said:


> sticky-sticky!
> Because de.das.dude is awesome and so is this thread.



omg youre so awesome!!! DDDDDDD


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## theJesus (Aug 5, 2011)

de.das.dude said:


> *also sneekypeet is considering stickying this thread, so its a good time to voice your opinions.
> if this gets stickied, i would have finally done something worthwhile in my life.*


Put better pics in the OP.  Maybe ask other users who have posted if you can use theirs?

Oops, I didn't actually check the OP again lol


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## de.das.dude (Aug 5, 2011)

i did put better ones!
even mussels said its nice enough.


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## theJesus (Aug 5, 2011)

de.das.dude said:


> i did put better ones!
> even mussels said its nice enough.


 Post edited.


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## de.das.dude (Aug 5, 2011)

theJesus said:


> Post edited.



yes. thanks for enlightening my thread with your holyness.


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## TRWOV (Aug 16, 2011)

I once used dry silicone with a noisy fan and seems to work well. We'll see how long it lasts.


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## de.das.dude (Oct 31, 2011)

up up and away!


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## Irony (Oct 31, 2011)

My rig is all new, so I don't have any loud fans yet. but this is always good to know


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## mediasorcerer (Nov 1, 2011)

Great stuff das, ive been wondering exactly whats under the sticker, though i had a fair idea of course,ie the armature and copper windings, so theres a circlip on the axle it looks like, i wonder if graphite would be good lubricant as it doest accumulate dust as badly i dont think, sometimes lithium[may not be lithium but its white] grease is used in electronics i think, i use a vaccuum cleaner on my gear with the brush attached, they attract dust maybe because moving plastic might create static charge and the airflow is in a vortex that may swirl towards the centre at a guess ?
Great bit of info!
ps, I used your tweak guide too off steam a while back, that was very handy!


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## de.das.dude (Nov 14, 2011)

poll time  wanna redo this thread as i have a nice camera now, but only if others want it


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## BlackOmega (Nov 14, 2011)

very nice write up das!


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## de.das.dude (Nov 14, 2011)

thanks and just noticed this thread has 10000 views :OOOOOO


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## specks (Nov 14, 2011)

de.das.dude said:


> *also sneekypeet is considering stickying this thread, so its a good time to voice your opinions.
> if this gets stickied, i would have finally done something worthwhile in my life.*



Sticky! Saved me a few bucks. Thanks de.das.dude!




de.das.dude said:


> poll time  wanna redo this thread as i have a nice camera now, but only if others want it


GOGOGO!


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## _JP_ (Nov 14, 2011)

I can't believe this isn't sticky yet! 
What's the matter, the kid can't write or something? Give him some guidance then! 



de.das.dude said:


> poll time  wanna redo this thread as i have a nice camera now, but only if others want it


DOOO EEET!


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## de.das.dude (Nov 15, 2011)

will do eet next week, gotta go over some college exams first. they start day after tomorrow


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## Athlonite (Nov 15, 2011)

yeah that sounds like a good idea de.das but only really need for the pics that have to much flash reflection though maybe just use a nice bright light and no flash

P.S good luck with the exams bud


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## de.das.dude (Dec 12, 2011)

heres some pics which will be used in the update coming soon.


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## de.das.dude (Dec 12, 2011)

look at the through hole, you can see the line dividing the two ball bearings.






















taken with my nokia c6-00


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## Irony (Dec 12, 2011)

That'll be good. I could fix a fan just with your explanatory pictures.


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## Athlonite (Dec 14, 2011)

I'll put up a couple of pics about when fan surgery goes wrong if ya like


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## de.das.dude (Dec 14, 2011)

lol.


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## Athlonite (Dec 14, 2011)

No LOL it's a fan commonly used by the likes of HIS and Sapphire on their GPU coolers and can not be taken apart without stuffing it so if the fan goes toes up you either need to ghetto mod or buy a new cooler because HIS wont send out a new fan


the fans maker is Zunshan and the model is DF0801512LFG2C if your unlucky to have one of these fans on your GPU's cooler then don't bother trying to re-lube it you can't


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## Irony (Dec 14, 2011)

You could take the fan off and drop it in a bucket of wd-40 for a day or two. Then clean off the outside and reinstall. Or, if you didn't want to do that since it may not have the desired effect, you could ghetto mod it quite nicely with a modified 80-120mm fan. or you could put it in a liquid loop. Or you could wait until its winter and hold it outside; the possibilities are endless.


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## de.das.dude (Dec 14, 2011)

athlonite i have seen your fan i think.


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## micropage7 (Dec 15, 2011)

Athlonite said:


> No LOL it's a fan commonly used by the likes of HIS and Sapphire on their GPU coolers and can not be taken apart without stuffing it so if the fan goes toes up you either need to ghetto mod or buy a new cooler because HIS wont send out a new fan
> 
> 
> the fans maker is Zunshan and the model is DF0801512LFG2C if your unlucky to have one of these fans on your GPU's cooler then don't bother trying to re-lube it you can't



yeah i remember the last time i broke my MSI card fan after tried to open that


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## Athlonite (Dec 15, 2011)

de.das.dude said:


> athlonite i have seen your fan i think.



this is the second one slightly different fan and different cooler 






but same type of setup the shaft is upside down to normal so the windings are part of the blades



it's flipping weird


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## Irony (Dec 15, 2011)

Maintenance was never intended. Its like the difference between Volkswagen and Chrysler. Chrysler is one of the few companies that ever planned maintenance on their cars, and made things easy to fix and get to; whereas on the average volkswagen or porche, you have to drop the transmission to change something as simple as a heater hose or fuel pump. 

Fan makers don't plan on people fixing their fans; a decent percentage of fan sales is probably replacement.


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## de.das.dude (Dec 15, 2011)

Athlonite said:


> this is the second one slightly different fan and different cooler
> 
> http://www.hisdigital.com/UserFiles/product/3502_004_1_1600.jpg
> 
> ...



i think i can open that.


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## de.das.dude (Jan 30, 2012)

BUMP!!
updated. finally


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## itsakjt (Jan 30, 2012)

This article is awesome and presented wonderfully


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## claylomax (Jan 30, 2012)

Two people hate you! 
http://www.techpowerup.com/forums/poll.php?do=showresults&pollid=1622


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## de.das.dude (Jan 30, 2012)

and one of them hate spiders


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## theJesus (Jan 30, 2012)

de.das.dude said:


> do thank / *rape *me!


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## _JP_ (Jan 30, 2012)

Hey dude, your 1st post looks a little repetitive to me. It's as if I had to see the same stuff twice. Catch my drift?


theJesus said:


>


I know, right?


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## de.das.dude (Jan 30, 2012)

lulz fixed that problem. repetitive?


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## de.das.dude (Jan 30, 2012)

_JP_ said:


> Hey dude, your 1st post looks a little repetitive to me. It's as if I had to see the same stuff twice. Catch my drift?
> 
> I know, right?



yeah. i know looks like i pasted twice. i sometimes forget things i have already done.
i edited it in notepad and then copy pasta, so i pasted it twice accidentally.


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## _JP_ (Jan 30, 2012)

Yep, it's good now. Thanks. Good job.


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## arkas (Mar 31, 2014)

I've seen this post, fixed my fans and signed up to the forum just to say thank you. Thank you man. I used lithium grease and it's fine.

History: I had used WD 40 (failed) I also used 3 in 1 (failed also) I tried to inject lithium grease -inspired from a video where a man was regreasing his trailers wheels- (failed also) then I did the "surgery" and it's all good now.


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## de.das.dude (Mar 31, 2014)

if you use copper grease it stops the squeaking really well. wd and other stuff is just temporary fixes. WD is not a lubricant its a water displacer for removing rusty nuts losening hinges and etc


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## Mussels (Mar 31, 2014)

de.das.dude said:


> if you use copper grease it stops the squeaking really well. wd and other stuff is just temporary fixes. WD is not a lubricant its a water displacer for removing rusty nuts losening hinges and etc


^ this

WD40 is a cleaner, not a lubricant. its definitely worth using, but you gotta grease it up after.


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## Devon68 (Mar 31, 2014)

I had the stock fan on my old athlon PC getting stuck so I had to manually start it with my finger. So one day took it apart, cleaned it, and here comes the stupid part - I used cooking oil to lubricate it but after a day or two it just died.

I learned to NEVER USE COOKING OIL on a fan.


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## de.das.dude (Mar 31, 2014)

never use cooking oil. coconut oil(funny eh?) is still okay but cooking oil is just bad as it attracts dirt.


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## micropage7 (Mar 31, 2014)

de.das.dude said:


> never use cooking oil. coconut oil(funny eh?) is still okay but cooking oil is just bad as it attracts dirt.


yes, although its oily, i just use it for door
if you have any left motor oil, you can use it. just one drop and it will fine


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## de.das.dude (Mar 31, 2014)

its about the viscosity... not other things... if its too thin... it wont work, line in the case of WD. if its too viscous it will create heat.


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## Vario (Mar 31, 2014)

I've used 3 in 1 before with decent results.  Also have used Sewing Machine oil, which was ideal.


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## erocker (Mar 31, 2014)

I use this on all of my fans:


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## theJesus (Mar 31, 2014)

I'd post what I use, but I'd get an infraction.


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## Peter1986C (Apr 1, 2014)

Do not click the spoiler in sensitive environments, although I do not see the issue.


Spoiler



I bet it is Durex Play


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## AsRock (Apr 15, 2017)

Thought i should give this thread  a bump as seen as i just did some maintenance on a fan i needed for a little project.

I use oil and  superlube, although 1st i use CRC electronic cleaner to get the rubbish out of the bearings, then soak them in Sin synthetic lube which i used to use with RC cars, after putting the bearing back in i seal one side with the super lube so the oil don't leakout then seal it from the other side.


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## Aenra (Apr 15, 2017)

Nice info in this thread, thank you for bumping! Though i'll be honest, this is a touch too much for my taste. As in i'd have thought this can be avoided/not strictly necessary.

All my rigs so far, i never had a fan going bad on me. Bit of care during blowing (and that only once a month, if not rarer) and that was it. Of course, i pay premium for fans, O.K., i replace everything with Noctuas or others of equivalent pricing, including the case ones. And that's it.
(exception being the GPU fans, these motherbuggers are just bound to start rattling sooner or later. Which.. is why i bought the GPU in my sig, lol. I swore i'd never have a GPU-attached fan again. If that means custom loop in the next rig, so be it)

Of course, Murphy's being Murphy's, i bet you i'll have to return here eventually


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## flexy (Oct 6, 2017)

I don't know how many I already brought back to life, tons. Basically ALL fans go 'put at some time. (Talking about after some years or so).
Nice instructions, doing the same thing, just be careful not to lose the small rubber rings and the washers when you open up the fans.
Take the entire thing out, clean the axle and the hole with 96% alcohol. Clean everything, also the washers, and of course the entire fan, blades etc.
Put it back. One drop of sewing machine oil on the axle/hole. Put the final ring and then the washer back (note the order there, the rubber goes first, then the washer), then the nylon clamp ring and then put the cap on and the label. Done.

The entire thing to do is easy and effective, not even a reason to get new fans really. But in my case (PUN!!) the problem was not so much fixing the fan, but mounting the fan back on the HSF with zip ties. The GPU was blocking access there so I had to take out the GPU. Since the HSF was also dirty I took the opportunity to take out the entire HSF, which of course also meant applying new MX4 on the CPU etc.  I always hate it when something which SHOULD be simple and only should take 2 mins turns out some major op 

Anyway...not sure whether Vaseline or sewing machine oil would actually be better, this time I used oil since the old fan was all greasy, I might actually have fixed this one (a Scythe) before once.

** As for fans with ball bearings...what you can do there is to put the bearings into alcohol....leave them in there for a while and later dunk them in oil. Just an idea.

*** Edit 2: In your PC bios, keep the setting activated where it monitors your FAN speed. Otherwise you will never know when your fan actually craps out! The BIOS and it sporadically reporting that the fan is not turning ("CPU FAN ERROR") or turning slower than it should as it happened here is also a sign that the fan is going and needs to be replaced or this fix.


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## jboydgolfer (Oct 6, 2017)

quick & easiest way to clean Case fans????? open case up , with power, or power fans on outside of case, get paintbrush, and gently touch it to the spinning fan blades, cleans dirt/dust off SUPER fast, and makes fan cleaning easy as can be.


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## RejZoR (Oct 6, 2017)

It's not recommended to fill the bearing chamber with oil. It'll cause the fan blade rotor to slip within the bearing and cause unwanted noise. Bearings should be either replaced or thoroughly cleaned and re-lubed (for which you need to use the vacuum chamber approach to force in the lubrication agent). Filling oil chamber is only recommended for sleeve bearing based fans.

I usually clean fan blades with a micro fiber cloth. Compressor doesn't remove it all, plus it sprays compressor oil which later causes more dust to stick...


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## Athlonite (Oct 6, 2017)

jboydgolfer said:


> quick & easiest way to clean Case fans????? open case up , with power, or power fans on outside of case, get paintbrush, and gently touch it to the spinning fan blades, cleans dirt/dust off SUPER fast, and makes fan cleaning easy as can be.



That only cleans the top side of the fan not usually the place that dust accumulates the most try doing that to the underside and the fan will stop turning. You're better off turning of the system and removing the fan allowing you to get to both sides of the blades it also allows you to check for cracks in the fins of which I've found the coolermaster sickle blade fans to be the worse for especially if they're a few years old


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## Athlonite (Oct 6, 2017)

RejZoR said:


> It's not recommended to fill the bearing chamber with oil. It'll cause the fan blade rotor to slip within the bearing and cause unwanted noise. Bearings should be either replaced or thoroughly cleaned and re-lubed (for which you need to use the vacuum chamber approach to force in the lubrication agent). Filling oil chamber is only recommended for sleeve bearing based fans.
> 
> I usually clean fan blades with a micro fiber cloth. Compressor doesn't remove it all, plus it sprays compressor oil which later causes more dust to stick...



I'll usually use a compressor first then an old horse hair paint brush then iso alcohol to get rid of any stick shit left behind


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## de.das.dude (Oct 9, 2017)

jboydgolfer said:


> quick & easiest way to clean Case fans????? open case up , with power, or power fans on outside of case, get paintbrush, and gently touch it to the spinning fan blades, cleans dirt/dust off SUPER fast, and makes fan cleaning easy as can be.


true, but this is not for cleaning fans


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## Kabouter Plop (Sep 30, 2020)

Could't find any answers but how long a fan usually last after lubricating it with white vaseline or something equally as good before it starts making noise again ? i have alphacool fans hydraulic fan bearing since may 1 month ago 1 started to fail and grind fixed up with white vaseline now works good again, now today another fan started to make ticking noise also lubricated now, im worried i end up lubricating them all 1 by 1, can i expect them to last least 6 month's or should i expect to replace them soon ?


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## Caring1 (Oct 1, 2020)

erocker said:


> I use this on all of my fans:


That's what she said.


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## de.das.dude (Oct 6, 2020)

Kabouter Plop said:


> Could't find any answers but how long a fan usually last after lubricating it with white vaseline or something equally as good before it starts making noise again ? i have alphacool fans hydraulic fan bearing since may 1 month ago 1 started to fail and grind fixed up with white vaseline now works good again, now today another fan started to make ticking noise also lubricated now, im worried i end up lubricating them all 1 by 1, can i expect them to last least 6 month's or should i expect to replace them soon ?



vaseline dries out pretty quickly. thats why i switched to grease.


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