Thinkpads Forum

Hi All
I have what I think is a 'Thinkpad Dock II', which I'm starting to use with my old faithful T22. The Dock is the type with an 'extension plate' on it.

I want to open up the unit to disconnect the Dock's fan, as it's too noisy for my current position. I'm mechanically and electronically competant to do this and willing to take the risk.

However I can't work out how to remove the extension plate from the Dock, in order to remove the Top plate. The Hardware/Service manual I've seen mutters darkly about 'no service kit for the top plate for this model' or something similar. There seem to be two screws with large heads (but small philips-cross fittings, if you get me) which hold the plate on. They don't respond to turning and I think there's something else going on.

Any clues? Worst case, could I break off the extension plate? It doesn't seem to do much other than add to the aesthetics a little.

Thanks for any ideas.

Jon N

I pretty much just pulled mine off, then disassembled to disconnect the fan. I don't remember the exact steps, but since I wasn't worried about aesthetics, I didn't worry about precision to the operation.

Hi there
thanks. In fact i made some progress shortly after posting my query - I saw the bushes the two screws were screwed into, and saw that they were turning in the platic. After a bit of experimenting and further investigation, I dremelled them out. And then with a bit more work determined how the plate was still held on (with double-sided tape etc.) and managed to disassemble it properly. I then managed to confirm my guess as to the fan connector, and after a couple of attempts to reassemble everthing, we seem to be there!

Thanks for your help
Jon N

Do you have the HMM for the Dock II? Don't have it at work, but I thought that I had one at home....

Here is the link for the HMM

Thanks ... yeah, you're looking for chapter/topic 2020, "Thinkpad Dock II top cover." I may do this myself, as that fan kinda annoys me, too.

Does anyone have an idea of what the fan is cooling, aside from a PCI card which could produce some heat (e.g. graphics accelerator, or...?)? I know my little Firewire card can't cook too hot. Or is it to cool a hard drive or optical drive in the Ultrabay? (Which I do, incidentally.)

Hi guys
thanks for the various comments ... I had the HMM, but it doesn't explain how to remove the extension plate ... and without removing the extension plate you can't remove the top panel ... and for want of a nail... (British Nursery Rhyme ... 'the kingdom was lost' etc.)

Anyway, as mentioned, I got the extension plate off, and disconnected the fan from the connector on the PCB. It takes a bit of reassembly, but all seemed well ...

... until the power failed.

It happened when I was cheching that my T22 was 'locked on' properly to the Dock (It wasn't quite, at the time), so I don't know if this made a difference. But now, there's no power LED coming on the Dock when I power it up, and seemingly no juice coming out.

I've disassembled it again looking for a fuse. If there is one it is buried inside the switch mode power supply. I'm beginning to look at opening that up, however (a) that's not easy and (b) I know that these are not easily repairable - quite apart from the high voltages inside. So I dissuade anyone else from doing this.

So for me at least it's starting to look like my Dock II is beyond repair, unless anyone knows different. I haven't seen a HMM which goes into such disassembly.

I'm telling all of this because it's possible that it was the disconnecting of the fan which caused all this. Personally I'd doubt it ... but you never know. I thought outher people had disconnected the fan without trouble ... maybe I've been unlucky this time.

Regards
Jon N

Sorry to hear about your problem. I disconnected my fan, and the unit has been working fine for several months.

davidspalding wrote:I guess I don't know what you mean by teh "extension plate." My HMM shows how the sliding plate that adjusts for T30s comes off.

Oh, yes I do now. I took the top off to investigate the fan, and see that the T30 extension plate comes off with the top. Why do you want to take it off, I wonder. It has mechanics underneath that might be unslightly.

Hi David
By 'extension plate' I meant the plastic plate which is attached to the underside of my Dock II, and which the T22 sits *on*. Not all Docks have this, I think. It may be required/preferred depending on which model of Thinkpad you attack to the Dock

The HMM doesn't explain how to remove this, and it didn't seem that the top cover could be removed without taking it off. In fact, I worked this out - there is a screw on the underside of the dock 'hidden' by the extension plate.

Jon N

Based on what I've seen of the Minidock and Dock II you DO NOT want to remove that lower plate. On mine, it's all one-piece with docking and locking mechanisms.

What works, don't try fixing. You'll have less trouble that way, guaranteed.

BTW - the dock with the "removable" extension plate is not a type II dock. I have taken this docking station apart after the power supply failed. The fan cools the power supply. The dock is very high quality inside and a little overengineered. But that is the quality of IBM.

Ok. In theory the dock is tamper resistant. The extension plate is to prevent removal of memory and cards while docked. So - to take off there were two security torx (Torx TR) head screws and I had to cut a plastic tab (less than 1/4 inch of plastic) to remove it.

http://buy1.snapon.com/catalog/item.asp ... ir=catalog

BTW - the power supply fuse is hard to find. You can find a used docking station on ebay for about $100 bucks or less.

Hi there a31pguy

I've done a bit of checking and you're right, my unit is a DOCK I (Model 2631), not a Dock II. I don't know what the difference as far as the extension plate, is - mine has a couple of screws with small (especially for the screw head diameter) crosshead 'slots'. No torx tools required.

As it happens I've recently taken delivery of a replacement Dock (also a Dock I), bought cheap on eBay. This too is not quite right ;-(. The key is bent and even after bending back seems not to be removeable. This I can live with. What concerns me more is that the hooks which hold the thinkpad to the Dock aren't locking/freeing with the turn of the key. It looks like I might have to take this one apart as well, sigh.

You mention the Power Supply Fuse. I'd still like to examing the PSU on my old Dock - can you advise on opening the PSU case up? It's not opening for me and I don't want to break anything with too much force...

Cheers
Jon N

I would not advise taking the PSU apart. You might want to just swap the parts you can and call it a day. I took apart the entire power supply and found that IBM just lists the whole assembly as an FRU. I found that IBM was the manufactuer and I couldn't find a fuse online. The price of the entire dock on ebay was less than the replacement cost of the PSU FRU.

Hi There
Yesh, I understand the issues re. dismantling/repairing a SMPS. It's really down to curiosity at this point. Like I say, I've taken delivery of another unit.

This second one has a bent key which I've just broken by trying to straighten ;-(. So I'm having a go at swapping the switch barrels over. Luckily this seems like it might be relatively easy, without removing the whole lock assembly.

If I write off the first unit as U/S I will probably dismantle the PSU anyway, just for kicks

Jon N

Hey curiosity is a good enough reason for me. Well that was the reason I took my father's blender apart when I was five!

... of course he wasn't too happy with it!