reliable source to replace a noisy T30 fan

[printf]

i have a T30 that has served me over the years.
there is just some problem with it's fan:
-it is sometimes loud, i got used to working next to it, but i definitely can't sleep while it is turned on
-sometimes it starts with the "fan error" message then shuts down, then i have to restart it - it only happens maybe 2 times in a row maybe in 2-3 weeks

the first one is the more annoying, but what concerns me is that i don't want it to suddenly die.
i have looked around on ebay, but first i wanted to ask if are there any specific things that i should look after when buying the replacement fan?
do the third-party ones worth it? (if they even exist)
or should i try someplace else than ebay?

thank you

[singbad]

The fan error is what you get if the fan doesn't spin up fast enough at boot time. Maybe it's spinning too slow all the time and thus is required to run longer and more often. Does the fan run too fast or too often? Is the noise from the air flow or does it sound 'mechanical', like from a damaged fan or motor bearing?

You could inject a droplet of WD40 underneath the rotor (more precisely: between the motor's PCB and the rotor). WD40 would help for a week or two.

I prefer a molybdenium-disulfide (Mo-S2) lubricant spray. I don't have a US / UK brand name at hand but look for something containing Mo-S2. It should be found next to WD40 on the the shelf of a good hardware store. The spray will clean the motor's bearing from the old gummy oil film and leave some Mo-S2 lubricant in place. This should should be repeated after a while, a few times, the more times the better.

I use a syringe with a hook needle (I bent it round a corner) to get the lubricant into the motor. A can of non-gaseous Mo-S2 lubricant would be more conveniant since the gas expands inside te syringe and pumps out more liquid than desirable.

You can get to the fan motor via the comm bay where the modem and WiFi cards are inserted but you better remove the keyboard and have a look at the whole cooling unit from the other side. Better clean it if it looks like this: http://ftp.nuclear.free.fr/T30/Fan3.jpg

BTW, what's your CPU speed? If it's 2GHz or more your fan should be labeled

IBM PN/FRU 46P2958 / 46P3132, Toshiba PN MCF-203AM05
or
IBM PN/FRU 91P8907 / 91P8908, Toshiba PN MCF-206AM05

Best regards,
singbad