SOLVED Blade Master fan maintenance

[tikithorsen]

The fan has been doing a lot of noise lately when ramping up (rattling, tickling, etc) and the cooling performance as diminished some too.
So I was going to give it a drop a oil but (as you can see in the pictures) the spot where a rubber cap would be is there is a solid piece of hard plastic which can not be removed.

How can I give this fan some maintenance before it stops working altogether?

I know that the simplest solution is to buy a new one but is not that easy because finding the same fan as a replacement is really difficult and/or expensive.

 

[Nebulous]

Can you drill? Or use an Exacto knife and gently ream the cap out.

 

[wagex]

what a coincidence. i came into work this morning to my cpu fan grinding away. went to pull the sticker to oil it... same issue lol also same fan. lmk what you find. i happened to have a spare fan in the office, but if i can get it oiled be nice to have a spare still.

 

[knoober]

Can you drill? Or use an Exacto knife and gently ream the cap out.

This is the only way that I have ever read about, and I have done a little reading about maintainence. I've done it and it works. The fan hub is exposed right away usually. A smear of high temp automotive grease might be the best bet because it isn't a liquid and therefore won't leak out. Ive used hot glue to seal the hold back up, but that still won't hold liquid in the hub (and don't get any glue on the spindle either - it impedes performance )

If you find any other solutions be sure to post them, because I am curious too.

 

[Nebulous]

This is the only way that I have ever read about, and I have done a little reading about maintainence. I've done it and it works. The fan hub is exposed right away usually. A smear of high temp automotive grease might be the best bet because it isn't a liquid and therefore won't leak out. Ive used hot glue to seal the hold back up, but that still won't hold liquid in the hub (and don't get any glue on the spindle either - it impedes performance )

Hot glue to seal up the hole is perfect! Or rough up the entire back enough to use rubber silicone to make a "cap".

 

[tikithorsen]

Thanks everyone for the replies but drilling/cutting is what I was trying to avoid since I have no experience doing anything of the sort.
I will use it like this for some time and when it becomes unusable either because is not spinning properly anymore of the noise I will resort to the drilling/cutting.

I am still scratching my head wondering why the the heck Cooler Master would not leave that part removable for maintenance like 100% of all the others fans I used/seen.

 

[knoober]

The last one I cut through was a Lian Li!

 

[Nebulous]

Thanks everyone for the replies but drilling/cutting is what I was trying to avoid since I have no experience doing anything of the sort.
I will use it like this for some time and when it becomes unusable either because is not spinning properly anymore of the noise I will resort to the drilling/cutting.

I am still scratching my head wondering why the the heck Cooler Master would not leave that part removable for maintenance like 100% of all the others fans I used/seen.

You don't have to have experience, just a steady hand and patience. You can do it. If you were closer I would do it for you.

 

[batboy]

A little lube will quiet it down for a while. But, if you're hearing rattling and ticking noises, then the bearing/sleeve is probably toast. Time for a new fan.

 

[tikithorsen]

It does not seem like I have an option, after 6 years It seems is time to replace the fan in any case so I will do the drilling/cutting.
I will report back whether it was a failure or a success.

 

[trents]

It will be a temporary measure. In two or three weeks it will be rattling again.

You could also replace it with a less expensive fan. That would be a more lasting fix.

 

[tikithorsen]

It will be a temporary measure. In two or three weeks it will be rattling again.

You could also replace it with a less expensive fan. That would be a more lasting fix.

I did an extensive search and can not find any Blade Master fans to buy, the only ones I found that I can afford were Arctic Cooling F12 and ID-Cooling PL-12025 / SF-12025.
Correct me if I am wrong but AC F12 seems to focused too much on silence neglecting CFM and pressure.

 

[Nebulous]

Actually I have the F12 Pros and they move a decent amount of air while keeping noise levels down. I used these on a Raijintek Morpheus on both my R9 290 and my 7970's. I still have the fans. If airflow/pressure is what you're after, then go for the Gentle Typhoon Blacks :

http://www.performance-pcs.com/dark...-fan-550-1850rpm-58cfm-black-edition-pwm.html

If you're going to put them on that CM Hyper 212, then either will do.

 

[tikithorsen]

Actually I have the F12 Pros and they move a decent amount of air while keeping noise levels down. I used these on a Raijintek Morpheus on both my R9 290 and my 7970's. I still have the fans. If airflow/pressure is what you're after, then go for the Gentle Typhoon Blacks :

http://www.performance-pcs.com/dark...-fan-550-1850rpm-58cfm-black-edition-pwm.html

If you're going to put them on that CM Hyper 212, then either will do.

Thanks for the information, sadly Gentle Typhoon are non-existent over here, I will probably end up with the F12.

 

[Nebulous]

Thanks for the information, sadly Gentle Typhoon are non-existent over here, I will probably end up with the F12.

Yeah you'll like the F12's.

 

[batboy]

Neb is right on target as always. One more thing to add, what about Noctua brand fans? Can you find them? If so, might want to take a look at them before you decide. I have a pair and they are quiet. Not enough static pressure for a rad fan (in my opinion), but are great for case fans.

Neb, funny you mentioned Gentle Typhoon, I just put 3 of those fans on my radiators today. I love them. Quiet with decent static pressure for rads. After 15 years, my trusty Mechatronics fans were getting loud due to worn out bearings. I didn't realize how noisy they had gotten until I put the new fans in. Night and day difference.

 

[tikithorsen]

Neb is right on target as always. One more thing to add, what about Noctua brand fans? Can you find them? If so, might want to take a look at them before you decide. I have a pair and they are quiet. Not enough static pressure for a rad fan (in my opinion), but are great for case fans.

Noctua fans are 4 times the price of the F12 and five times of the SF-12025.
I know that they are super quiet but the price is not worth it for me, particularly since temperatures will start to rise in my region soon, specially n the summer (last summer it was around >35c all the time) and no A/C. So I prefer a fan that I can set it to max RPM and not worry about my CPU overheating.

I decided to buy the ID-Cooling SF-12025, it might not be the quietest fan but I know it will serve me well in the heat of summer.

Thanks for the advice everyone.