Re: [OT] Making CPU fans spin [was: Re: Seeking advice...]
On Wed, 01 Dec 2010, Andrei Popescu wrote:
> This is the first thing to do as soon as I have "my" Debian running on
> the "other" machine ;) Is WD40 suitable for such fans?
No. WD40 is never suitable for bearing lubrication.
> (In case someone is wondering, I'm talking about FRU 42W2780 for
> Thinkpad R61i type 8198-CJG)
It is a thinkpad, you should know already to look in the thinkpad forums and
thinkwiki, where you will find people who managed to hardware-hack a T43 to
use SATA directly by removing the SATA-PATA bridge, etc. If it can be done
properly, someone there has done it.
http://forum.thinkpads.com/viewtopic.php?f=29&t=87448
http://forums.lenovo.com/t5/T61-and-prior-T-series-ThinkPad/T60-T61-Fan-Cleaning-Replacement/ta-p/247953
If you search more, you will find better posts I believe.
FYI: don't go cheap in the lubricant. If you want to mess with the fan
lubricant, get a can of the highest quality bearing lubricant you can (it
will NOT be liquid), and instead of six months, it will last for six years.
Never EVER use anything that will change its flow density or "cook" in the
-10°C to +120°C range. Don't use anything that has solvents (like WD40).
And you will have to clean the old stuff from the fan as Peter told you.
If you DO remove the thermal sink assembly, be advised that you need high
quality thermal compounds to replace the stuff Lenovo used, and you need to
apply it _right_, so get the proper tools first. I.e. go straight to Arctic
Silver 5 or one of the top-rating (AAA+) compounds. Do NOT use anything
conductive or any of the ones who react with other metals.
OTOH, just by doing a proper Arctic Silver 5 application AND cleaning the
fan, you can expect a drop of at least 5°C on the CPU when compared with the
performance your ThinkPad had fresh out-of-the-factory. After it cures,
anyway.
The thermal interface between the thermal sink and the CPU (and if you're
very unlucky, the GPU or the northbridge) *can* crack on thinkpads. It is
your number one suspect if a thinkpad ever overheats and shutdowns (or
engages the emergency CPU clock modulation) with a still working fan (even
if the fan is somewhat dirty).
--
"One disk to rule them all, One disk to find them. One disk to bring
them all and in the darkness grind them. In the Land of Redmond
where the shadows lie." -- The Silicon Valley Tarot
Henrique Holschuh
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