need to oil fan

**OldChap** · 12-13-2012, 07:00 PM

Anyone got tips to oil an ati fan bearing?

Seems at first glance to be sealed but maybe you know better?

**Moo** · 12-13-2012, 07:18 PM

Replace it if it is bad. Oiling them doesn't last very long before they are making funny noises again and it attracts dust like a magnet.

**CrazyNutz** · 12-13-2012, 07:26 PM

I oil my fans. I use 40w synthetic oil as it stays in place (for the most part) last the longest, and does not gunk up.

Key thing is do not over oil, just 1 or 2 drops, and when you peal back the sicker and remove the plug do not contaminate the area where the sicker adheres to with oil. ( also if the sticker will not re-adhere or is damaged you
can use clear packing tape, and trim it with a razor blade.

With this method i typically get about a year of 24/7 use out of my fans before i have to re-lubricate.

**D_A** · 12-13-2012, 07:36 PM

I use sewing machine oil for mine, but that's about the only difference. If the fan is REALLY bad I'll pop the circlip and pull the shaft right out and clean it properly. It gives me much freer spinning fans when I do that though it's not really cost effective if you work out a dollar value for your time. If you can't get another fan for whatever reason then the time cost is irrelevant if you need to keep the system running.

**hedge** · 12-13-2012, 07:38 PM

I think most of the fans on video cards are a ball bearing and those are sealed. Some of the cheaper video cards use a sleeve bearing which can be pulled apart and lubed, but those kind usually don't last long. I only lube my case fans because they have a small reservoir for lubricant. For that I have used motor oil and also Teflon lubricant.

**Sparky** · 12-13-2012, 08:05 PM

Ball bearing fans are not sealed. I've oiled those a lot.

I don't like sleeve bearings for longevity reasons. I loathe the sleeve bearing fans that use a plastic shaft. What the heck is up with that?

**BlindFreddie** · 12-14-2012, 03:18 AM

I've tried cleaning shaft & housing with oil-free solvent (lighter fluid aka "Shellite") and running them dry. Some plastic bush/metal shaft combos work best that way, but not the fan I tried.
Have also tried "White Lightning" dry wax/Teflon bicycle chain lube - that didn't work either.
Now I use Triflow oil - like sewing machine oil but with other magic ingredients like Teflon, favoured by skaters & cyclists.

**OldChap** · 12-15-2012, 01:32 PM

I must have broken something when trying to pop the fan shaft out of the bearing. It is oiled and spins freely again but applying volts does not help

Not to worry though ..... neoprene foam tape, tie wraps and a little ol' 80mm Delta axial fan are doing a good job. Out of deference to the others in the room I am running it at 5v (card runs 61?)

**D_A** · 12-15-2012, 02:21 PM

There's a tiny little, often nylon, clip that holds the shaft in the bearings. It's a fiddly little bastich to remove without breaking it but not too bad once you get the knack of it. Without it the fan shaft will float free and bind up or even just fall out. Most annoying.

**OldChap** · 12-15-2012, 02:54 PM

Now that it is broken I will strip it down some more in the hope of learning just exactly which way to approach the job in future. This one is one of the mid mounted fans. I found the other end mounted ones on ebay so when I needed one of those I just replaced it.

**gearhead** · 12-18-2012, 09:56 AM

When my case fans start making noise and stop turning, I toss them and buy new ones. Never thought of oiling them

. My favorite fans are a set of Thermaltake 120mm fans that came with a temp sensor and a speed adjuster. Monster CFM and they have lasted 5 years or more. I grafted the speed adjusters to the front panel of my case for ease of use. Not available anymore, at least not anywhere I have looked.

**Conquistador SW** · 12-18-2012, 02:22 PM

I never had much luck using oil on sleeve bearing fans. They will never be as quiet and most of the time they will get worse again very fast, especially if they are mounted horizontally.
The slower spinning sleeve bearing fans seem to do fine however when mounted vertically.

For 120mm fans I only buy gentle typhoons now and from the ~10 that are running, all still are as good as new after more than a year 24/7 use (vertical and horizontal).