Processor fan noise

[fje]

Hi, I own a T42 since several years and since a couple of weeks it seems to me as if the processor fan does a different noise as the usual one. It seems to me as if one rolling (or "bearing", don't know the correct english word) needed lubrication...

I opened the keyboard and tried to blow hard over it.. obviously some dust came out, but it still makes that sound.

Is there an easy way to put some oil or similar thing without the need of dismounting the full processor/fan kit? Is there any place I could find any picture of how to do it?

Thanks so much for any idea of help.

Javier

[Harryc]

Here's a good procedure - http://www.overclockers.com/forums/show ... p?t=437021
Recommend that you use a good quality bearing oil and NOT WD40.

[fje]

Thanks so much!

I'll try to do it .... even it implies to disassembly the fan/processor assembly and I would prefer not to do it....

I'll try also to find a good oil

Thanks and kind regards.

Javier

[poshgeordie]

Hey Javier - great to hear from you again. Are you in Madrid or on the beach at the moment?!!

Good link from HarryC, and agree about using a very light oil. We do this all the time and use sewing machine oil.

I'm not happy with using a screwdriver to separate the two metal parts since most likely you'll bend one of the parts. Also I would be very surprised if it was possible to force the two halves together again with the pliers.

We use a Dremel mini grinder to grind away the tiny metal tabs that holds the fan part to the copper coloured heatsink, and then the two parts come apart very easily.

We then use epoxy glue such as Araldite Rapid to glue the two metal parts together again.

Talking of taking fans out and cleaning them etc, and referring more to other laptops other than Thinkpads, we clean every fan assembly from every laptop which comes in for repair and it's quite normal to find a thick "rug" of fluff and hair etc across the heatsink vanes which means no air will be able to pass through.
If you own a non Thinkpad laptop I'd encourage you to clean the fan and heatsink assemblies since it could well prevent a temperature related failure.

Have a very Happy Christmas Javier!

[fje]

Hi, Nick, how do you and your leg do???

I'm just now in Madrid and next week I'll have to be in Barcelona, due to a family hospital intervention.... Beach is quite far in the time, even I'd like to be there, even it is raining at this days...., but much better seeing than the one I have in Madrid, even I live at the Retiro Park.

The laptop I'm referring to is my Thinkpad T42 you very well know... By the way, the graphics reflowing work you did is still working OK. The Bluetooth depends on the weather, as if it had reumathisme..

Your comments are also valuables, not only from the technical point of view, but because it forced me to come to my internet dictionnary searching for several words.. "sewing", "grinder" (can I translate this one for a "cutter" like thing?)... etc... You will never go to sleep without learning something new...

Have a very good Christmas and a very succesfull New Year... How are going your reflowing jobs?

Kind regards.

Javier

[poshgeordie]

Javier - my leg is OK after many visits to the doctors! Otherwise I'm well and looking forward to Christmas.

Would you like to have some of our snow and very cold weather for your rain?!

I'm pleased your T42 is still behaving itself, and at least the Bluetooth continues to work most of the time.

The grinding tool we use is this one which we use with a Dremel tool like this.

For Sewing machine oil we use this.

Our work is going very well indeed and we now reball every chip (take the chip off the board and fit new solder balls and then reflow it back on again).

[fje]

Hi, Nick, thanks.

I understand now the way you suggest todo it.... but I'm not sure I will be able to do it, because if I'm not worng it implies to disassembly all the processor-heatlink-fan assembly. I'll try to have a better look at how they are assembled in my T42 and try to find out the best and less risky way to do it.

Regarding the sewing machine oil it is the same I was thinking about. Thanks.

Finally, we already had snow in Madrid a couple of weeks ago and most probably we will have again it in January.... so, better you don't send yours to us, stay with it, surely it will do the seeing much nice )))))

regards.

Javier