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Recently, one of the fans in my laptop has been much louder than usual, sounding something like a phone's vibrator. I planned to oil both fans in the laptop while it was open.
I oiled the first fan, no problem. Most fans I've oiled in the past either have a sticker covering the bearing, or a sticker and a small plastic cap. This one just had the sticker.
Upon removing the sticker from the problematic fan, however, I encountered something I haven't before. This fan has a metal cap over the bearing.
The smallest units on the ruler are .5 mm. The cap is about 5.5 mm in diameter. As you can see from the scratches and the chewed up edge, I haven't been able to pry it off with an exacto knife.
Has anyone else lubricated a fan like this before? I'm wondering if I might have clearance to drill a 1 mm hole in the cap with a drill press without hitting the shaft, then simply cover it with tape.
The fan is a Toshiba MCF-J02AM05.
DC 5V
0.12A
3.0 CFM
I've found it available used at http://www.pchub.com/uph/laptop/88-29484-4460/Cooling_Fan__Dell_Inspiron_9200.html for ~$18 shipped, haven't found anywhere cheaper. That seems a little steep to me, so I may just buy one from eBay. If anyone else knows where I might source this fan, let me know. I've never purchased obscure parts like this.
I'll probably buy a replacement fan before drilling into it (if that's the only way I might salvage it) just so I'm not out of a computer.
I'm using 3-in-one multi-purpose oil as I didn't have any sewing machine oil on hand.
I oiled the first fan, no problem. Most fans I've oiled in the past either have a sticker covering the bearing, or a sticker and a small plastic cap. This one just had the sticker.
Upon removing the sticker from the problematic fan, however, I encountered something I haven't before. This fan has a metal cap over the bearing.
The smallest units on the ruler are .5 mm. The cap is about 5.5 mm in diameter. As you can see from the scratches and the chewed up edge, I haven't been able to pry it off with an exacto knife.
Has anyone else lubricated a fan like this before? I'm wondering if I might have clearance to drill a 1 mm hole in the cap with a drill press without hitting the shaft, then simply cover it with tape.
The fan is a Toshiba MCF-J02AM05.
DC 5V
0.12A
3.0 CFM
I've found it available used at http://www.pchub.com/uph/laptop/88-29484-4460/Cooling_Fan__Dell_Inspiron_9200.html for ~$18 shipped, haven't found anywhere cheaper. That seems a little steep to me, so I may just buy one from eBay. If anyone else knows where I might source this fan, let me know. I've never purchased obscure parts like this.
I'll probably buy a replacement fan before drilling into it (if that's the only way I might salvage it) just so I'm not out of a computer.
I'm using 3-in-one multi-purpose oil as I didn't have any sewing machine oil on hand.
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