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fix seized video card fan?

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D

djscrew

Member
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Joined
Nov 4, 2010
One of the fans on the card in my Sig has totally frozen and does not spin at all anymore. I don't think I noticed this until playing PS2 for 10 hours without break and discovering that the whining sound coming from my PC was the over 90C passed barrier. I looked in and noticed only one fan was going. I tried the obligatory remove from case and dump compressed air into it method but came up dry in terms of any improvement.

Any suggestions to how I can fix this fan? I would prefer to hold off on a new card until next summer when the GTX 7 series is going to be coming around, especially since it can handle BF3 and PS2 on highest settings without issue.
 
Here's what I've done to breathe new life into old fans (Note that this will only work for a fan which has a bearing that's not overly worn and just needs to have its bearing(s) cleaned and lubricated.):

  1. Remove the video card from the case.
  2. Unscrew the HSF from the video card.
  3. Unscrew the fan from the HSF.
  4. Look at the bottom of the fan. There's likely a small round circular sticker affixed to the center. Carefully remove this without tearing it. A razor blade is helpful.
  5. Under the sticker, there may be a small rubber plug. Carefully remove it with a very small screwdriver.
  6. You should now see the bearing. Spray a tiny amount of WD40 into a disposable container, like a small paper cup (NOT styrafoam!).
  7. Using a cotton swab (Q-Tip) soak up the WD40 until the swab is totally saturated.
  8. Use the swab to clean the outer surface of the bearing, allowing the WD40 to drip well into the bearing.
  9. Manually spin the fan until it frees, adding WD40 if needed.
  10. Once the fan is freed up, spray compressed air into the bearing.
  11. Apply a drop of Zoom Spout turbine oil or 3-in-1 oil to the bearing and allow it to penetrate. Try not to get any oil on the surface where the sticker goes. Keep the card oriented with the open bearing up so as not to spill any oil.
  12. Manually spin the fan to allow the oil to penetrate.
  13. Use a paper towel to absorb any excess oil if it is over-filling the hole in which the bearing resides.
  14. Replace the rubber plug, if it was previously found.
  15. If a sticker was found:
    1. Wet a paper towel with acetone and carefully clean the sticker mounting surface.
    2. Apply a tiny amount of cyanoacrylate (crazy glue or super glue) on the sticker mounting surface and replace the sticker. Alternately, you can cut a small square of clear packing tape and apply it.

That's it. Your fan should now easily last another year.
 
Hmm, solid advise and I have seen some similar proposals around here in regards to fan bearings. I suppose my pie in the sky idea of a magical wand fix that makes a fan work again was a bit far fetched.

My issue is that I'm a noobie with video cards and haven't removed a HSF from one before, so I am nervous that I could screw something up and I don't want to be without a PC for while if I do. Regardless, I shall try this and it will give me an opportunity to remove a heatsink from a video card and reapply it. I just need to get a 660 Ti for insurance. The 460 will fill it's role as a super sexy PhysX card.
 
One thing that I inadvertently omitted in the instructions is to be sure to properly clean the die and HSF with acetone and apply AS5 (or TIM of your choice) to the die before re-seating the HSF.

Removal and installation of a HSF from a GPU is very similar to doing it on a CPU: Don't force things, take your time and apply the TIM thin, smooth and even on the die. It's actually pretty easy (check out a few videos of how it's done), and you'll notice even better temps than when it was new, as AS5 is an all-around better TIM than the stock material.
 
hafa said:
One thing that I inadvertently omitted in the instructions is to be sure to properly clean the die and HSF with acetone and apply AS5 (or TIM of your choice) to the die before re-seating the HSF.

Removal and installation of a HSF from a GPU is very similar to doing it on a CPU: Don't force things, take your time and apply the TIM thin, smooth and even on the die. It's actually pretty easy (check out a few videos of how it's done), and you'll notice even better temps than when it was new, as AS5 is an all-around better TIM than the stock material.
Click to expand...

This. It is a lot easier than I thought it would be, too. Had a 9800GTX fan croak and an ATI-6750 fan do the same. Removal of the HSF, repair of the fan, and reapplication weren't any more painful than doing so on a CPU, and both cards ran quite a few degrees cooler with their new, carefully applied TIM (As opposed to the glop and stick method manufacturing uses)
 
txus.palacios said:
You can always "ghettomod" your card with another 90mm fan and zipties.
Click to expand...

Lmao :attn:

Got a buddy with this getup-- He couldn't get it to work 100% perfect-- The tie is just lightly ticked by the fan blades, so it forever sounds like somebody zipping a sleeping back up. I'd throw my pc out the window :D
 
txus.palacios said:
You just need skill with the zipties to avoid that. I'll try to upload a badly-drawn diagram tomorrow (2315 here)
Click to expand...

Aye, I have a fan blowing on my NB and mosfet heatsinks that is secured by zip ties. Really easy to avoid the noise, but he refuses to redo his jury rig, opting for "It'll eventually stop making that noise"

..augh
 
So, bad news: I pulled the fans out and they're junk. I have pictures but there is no way to access the bearing, it's sealed. I took a few pictures to show but they turned out like crap and I think you get the idea anyways...

What a shame. MSI's cooler really sucked a big one, if I was an average user it would be a waste of a good card!

I think I can still fix it though by mounting some smaller fans on it, there are 2 holes that I can secure a fan to, we will see! I can also go leet passive cooling! (it's a Physx card after all ....!)
 
djscrew said:
So, bad news: I pulled the fans out and they're junk. I have pictures but there is no way to access the bearing, it's sealed. I took a few pictures to show but they turned out like crap and I think you get the idea anyways...

What a shame. MSI's cooler really sucked a big one, if I was an average user it would be a waste of a good card!

I think I can still fix it though by mounting some smaller fans on it, there are 2 holes that I can secure a fan to, we will see! I can also go leet passive cooling! (it's a Physx card after all ....!)
Click to expand...

I'd do something crazy at this point like mount a NB cooler on it or something haha. Or try to get an aftermarket or something of the sort-- Sucks with the fan though :(
 
what video card exactly do you have? like with a link, most of those fans on the dual fan coolers are relatively inexpensive and are pretty easy to replace
 
It's a Power Logic DC BRUSHLESS FAN

Model # PLD08010S12HH^ep

(it is apparently raised to the power of "ep")

EDIT:

pchub.com seems to be selling these ;)
 
ya tie a fan to in and call it good thast what my 8800GTX in one of my lan computer is doing works great
 
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