How to relubricate a fan and/or service a troublesome/noisy fan.

[lexluthermiester]

It should be noted, re-lubing a fan will not repair or restore worn bearings.

This is where my thicker oil + grease combo comes into play. This combination acts as a buffer to bearings with physical wear. Helps even with severe cases of noise and wear. This is especially useful for fans on GPU's that can not easily be replaced.

As a side note, excellent image quality, Lex and if you didn't use a tripod, I envy your steady hands!

I did not use a tripod, so envy away!

https://www.amazon.com/Liberty-Synthetic-Lubricating-Grandfather-Clocks/dp/B00AZMGFI4

I've never seen that one before. Looks interesting.

https://www.amazon.com/3M-3311-Silver-Aluminum-Foil/dp/B007Y7EP5I

This tape is something I've seen and yes it will do very well to replace the label covering the back of the fan housing.

 

[Bill_Bright]

This is where my thicker oil + grease combo comes into play. This combination acts as a buffer to bearings with physical wear. Helps even with severe cases of noise and wear. This is especially useful for fans on GPU's that can not easily be replaced.

That makes sense.

I did not use a tripod, so envy away!

Anti-shake camera? (I am trying to make myself feel less old!)

 

[lexluthermiester]

Anti-shake camera? (I am trying to make myself feel less old!)

No anti-shake, at least that I know of. I do just have steady hands.

I put a piece of electrical tape in place of the sticker

Electrical tape is a bad choice. The adhesive is very weak. Metal tape with a rubber based adhesive is better.

 

[Shrek]

I purchased some 30mm plastic round stickers (search for 'BLC 529' on ebay) but haven't used them yet.

 

[lexluthermiester]

I purchased some 30mm plastic round stickers (search for 'BLC 529' on ebay) but havn't used them yet.

You mean these?

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They would likely work well, but who knows about the adhesive.

 

[maxx2575]

one of my case fans likes to rattle if it's really cold outside

 

[lexluthermiester]

one of my case fans likes to rattle if it's really cold outside

That fan needs cleaning and grease+oil.

 

[maxx2575]

That fan needs cleaning and grease+oil.

yes, but will that help if my fan has been doing this since I first built this thing over 5 years ago?

 

[oobymach]

I have done this before with cheap sleeve bearing fans, extends the life by a bit. Some fans make noise when mounted a certain way, oiling probably won't fix that.

 

[Frick]

Yeah I don't for the life of me get why electrical tape isn't made better. I've seen many mechanics use it even on wiring in engine bays of cars, only for it to come unstuck.

It tends to not handle heat well. And just as a general note electrical tape is almost always the wrong thing to use for the things most people use it for.

 

[nomdeplume]

yes, but will that help if my fan has been doing this since I first built this thing over 5 years ago?

That one got past what is assuredly rigorous QC tolerances and testing before going out the door. It might be what is known as a good test subject.

 

[Bill_Bright]

yes, but will that help if my fan has been doing this since I first built this thing over 5 years ago?

I hate fan noise so I would have replaced it about 4 years, 364 days, 23 hours, and 55 minutes ago.

To answer your question, I would say at this point, no. It won't help - at least not for long. If it has been rattling for 5 years now, there most likely is a lot of excess wear with the bearings and the channels they run in. Such wear (friction) makes the bearings smaller and the channels larger. That results in more "slop", more noise, and even more wear.

A fresh application of lubricant may deaden/muffle the rattling noise. But before long, the lubricant will be pushed out of the way and into the open spaces caused by the wear. Then the noise will continue to get louder and louder. As some point there will be enough "slop" where the bearings will jam up and the motor will seize - assuming you don't replace the computer before then.

 

[Frag_Maniac]

It tends to not handle heat well. And just as a general note electrical tape is almost always the wrong thing to use for the things most people use it for.

Yeah it's bad enough the quality of the material is such that it becomes less pliable over time, but the adhesive is also very weak and vulnerable to temp.

 

[Shrek]

Probably not relevant here, but who knows.

I had a couple of electric motors that developed chattering
Avoiding Stick-Slip Chatter in Low-Speed Bearings | Machine Design
that was cured by oiling.

both were fans, but not computer fans.

 

[lexluthermiester]

yes, but will that help if my fan has been doing this since I first built this thing over 5 years ago?

It should. If it's still spinning and at a reasonable speed, then a grease+oil relube job should fix it up quite well. The mix is easy to do and not expensive. You don't need the 10W40 grade I use, 5W30 or 10W30 will work just as well. Make sure to use full synthetic though, it's important. I've made a similar mix with Marvel Mystery Oil.

extends the life by a bit

Extends life by A LOT in my experience, which is extensive.

Some fans make noise when mounted a certain way, oiling probably won't fix that.

True, but then that's not a lubrication problem, which really doesn't apply here.

Probably not relevant here, but who knows.

I had a couple of electric motors that developed chattering
Avoiding Stick-Slip Chatter in Low-Speed Bearings | Machine Design
that was cured by oiling.

both were fans, but not computer fans.

Fans are fans, they're driven by electric motors mounted on bearings of one type or another. That article does shead light on some of the physics and mechanical aspects of how lubricants interact with the surfaces they're intended to provide cushion to. Very interesting.

 

[bobbybluz]

I love the smell of Marvel Mystery Oil in the morning... lol

The stuff has been around for 100 years. They have a version I use in my Snap-On air tools.

 

[Shrek]

You don't need the 10W40 grade I use, 5W30 or 10W30 will work just as well. Make sure to use full synthetic though, it's important.

I agree, fully synthetic.

Extends life by A LOT in my experience, which is extensive.

Also agree, I have fans that last a long time after oiling, but I tend to oil them before they are in distress.

I love the smell of Marvel Mystery Oil in the morning.

I used to like the smell of Duckhams oil, they added a scent and dye; it was a beautiful green.

 

[lexluthermiester]

I love the smell of Marvel Mystery Oil in the morning... lol

The stuff has been around for 100 years. They have a version I use in my Snap-On air tools.

Nice.

I used to like the smell of Duckhams oil, they added a scent and dye; it was a beautiful green.

I've heard about that stuff but never used it. Gonna have to look it up.

 

[xrobwx71]

I hate fan noise so I would have replaced it about 4 years, 364 days, 23 hours, and 55 minutes ago.

To answer your question, I would say at this point, no. It won't help - at least not for long. If it has been rattling for 5 years now, there most likely is a lot of excess wear with the bearings and the channels they run in. Such wear (friction) makes the bearings smaller and the channels larger. That results in more "slop", more noise, and even more wear.

A fresh application of lubricant may deaden/muffle the rattling noise. But before long, the lubricant will be pushed out of the way and into the open spaces caused by the wear. Then the noise will continue to get louder and louder. As some point there will be enough "slop" where the bearings will jam up and the motor will seize - assuming you don't replace the computer before then.

In this case, would a heavier weight oil be better?

 

[Bill_Bright]

Extends life by A LOT in my experience

Also agree, I have fans that last a long time after oiling

The problem is, there is no way to quantify this. I've seen fans that sounded like they were about to explode and fly apart any second last years. There is just no way to predict how long they will last. No doubt, if lacking lubricant and you re-lube a motor, that will help extend its life. It may last weeks or years. But it may have lasted weeks or years anyway.

Even 2 identical fans operating under identical conditions will have different longevity.

I have my dad's old Craftsman drill press. I mean this thing is 60 years old. The motor has sealed bearings. He used it extensively and I have put many hours on it too. But these days, when you start it up, it fails to spin. However, give it a little help to get it started, it will spin and hum along all day long.

I had a similar issue with a circular saw, but it was too scary for me to give the blade a flick. I value my digits too much!

In this case, would a heavier weight oil be better?

No way I can answer that. If you read through my posts above, I have noted multiple times we don't know what is in there from the factory. But I will say heavier weight oil may be too heavy (thick) and you may have to give a blade a little flick to get it going. And then it might run slow, at least until it warms up.

And once again, no amount of the best, perfect match lubricant will repair damage (excessive wear) already done.

 

[Shrek]

Hopefully not off topic

I got a refurbished hand drill that would not always start up, but I was too lazy to return it; turned out one of the brushes was not running well in its holder. A clean up and a little silicone oil has it starting each and every time now.

 

[lexluthermiester]

The problem is, there is no way to quantify this.

Sure there is, experience. And while that is technically a subjective thing, it is NOT without merit.

Even 2 identical fans operating under identical conditions will have different longevity.

While true, the difference is usually minimal in practical application of usage.

And once again, no amount of the best, perfect match lubricant will repair damage (excessive wear) already done.

I didn't say it would. However, a good well made/matched lubricant can make a fan usable and quiet even the noisest of well worn bearings. The whole point of a lubricant is to provide a cushion between two surfaces that have friction. The thicker(within certain limits) the lubricant, the better the cushioning effect. So even a fan with bearing damage can be put back into reliable service with the correct lubricant. It's always better to service and repair rather than replace, especially in this day&age where resource/waste management is so very important regardless of whther it an individual citizen or a business/corp entity.

At the end of the day, if a person performs a service/repair and it works, they come out ahead and the part in question will not need replacing. If it doesn't, then they know they can dispose of said part knowing that due diligence was done and a new part was actually required.

Hopefully not off topic

I got a refurbished hand drill that would not always start up, but I was too lazy to return it; turned out one of the the brushes was not running well in its holder. A clean up and a little silicone oil has it starting each and every time now.

That is actually related. A drill motor operates in the exact same way as a fan motor, just with much more torque and power. The principles are identical.

 

[Bill_Bright]

The problem is, there is no way to quantify this.

Sure there is, experience. And while that is technically a subjective thing, it is without merit.

Exactly! Because it is subjective, it is indeed, without merit - that is, there is no basis for fact there.

Before you say "yes there is", note what I said! I said you cannot "quantify" the increase in life expectancy.

You can have two identical (model number) fans operating in the exact same environment powered by the exact same power source yet still have significantly different life spans. And that's without the user making any modifications, or performing any maintenance.

But, no two identical fans are truly identical. There are multiple parts (multiple balls/sleeves, for example) inside each bearing assembly and there typically are two bearing assemblies on each motor. Therefore no two identical model number fans will wear in the same identical manner.

Consequently, there is no way, regardless your vast experience, to "quantify" your claim that oiling "Fan A" will result in extending the life of that fan by "A LOT" compared to "Fan B" which you did not oil.

Even the term "A LOT" is subjective and cannot be quantified in this scenario.

So come-on Lex! Why are you being argumentative here?

I said you cannot "quantify" (to calculate or measure actual numbers) how long the life will be extended.
You replied, you can, then immediately contradicted that by saying it is "subjective" (or based on opinion).

I say no 2 fans are identical, then you reply "that's true". But then attempt to rationalize by saying it is "usually minimal".

"Usually" means nothing here. Fans with sealed bearing chambers don't "usually" ever need to be unsealed and reoiled. Fans don't "usually" fail when brand new, but some do. Most users will replace their computers before their fans fail. It doesn't change the facts.

I said,

Very nice tutorial, Lex. No doubt, performing these tasks will definitely prolong the life of many fans.

It should be noted, re-lubing a fan will not repair or restore worn bearings. Once damaged, that damage is done. It may quiet some noisy bearings for a while, but it is a temporary fix. So this re-lubing procedure would be a great "preventative maintenance" step to perform before damaging wear occurs in the first place.

"temporary" could still mean years!

The problem is, there is no way to quantify this.

There is just no way to predict how long they will last. No doubt, if lacking lubricant and you re-lube a motor, that will help extend its life. It may last weeks or years. But it may have lasted weeks or years anyway.

And once again, no amount of the best, perfect match lubricant will repair damage (excessive wear) already done.

All of that is 100% true.

...with the correct lubricant.

if a person performs a service/repair and it works, they come out ahead

Never disputed.

 

[Shrek]

I've been wondering if there is any virtue in using fully synthetic power steering or automatic transmission fluid over engine oil.

 

[lexluthermiester]

@Bill_Bright See edit. I left out a word the was intended to be included.
Yeah, you're doing the nit-picking thing again and I'm having none of it.

I've been wondering if there is any virtue in using fully synthetic power steering

No idea, never tried it...

or automatic transmission fluid

Nor this. It would be an interesting experiment.