Fan bearings drying out (again)

One idea to try: When it's cold, introduce some graphite lubricant into the bearing, and let it soak in. But it's not cheap. Buy it at your local motor factor, or online.

I'm wondering whether the fan was originally oiled or had graphite or similar lubricant. It's possible oil+graphite has made a sticky mess inside the bearing.

(similar to the idea that you use graphite on locks rather than oil, because the oil eventually evaporates to leave a sticky residue)

Theo

Or they are sintered bearings and need taking out and soaking in oil for a day or two to replace the lost oil.

If the original lubricant was a solid grease then the WD40 may have dissoved some of it.

There are discussions online about whether WD40 is more of a solvent than a lubricant.

In which case, soak in WD40, then when there is nothing in there, lubricate with graphite oil. Only when cold, though.

Sintered bearings gone dry?

While adding oil does get them going again, it's not a permarnent fix.

"geoff" used to post here, has a business reconditioning boiler fans (among other parts), and said that the only fix is new bearings -- even solvent soak and wash and than re-oil in vaccuum doesn't last.

New bearings from aliexpress?

Thomas Prufer

Shouldn’t a PC’s own internal fans keep it cool enough without external help? Have you vacuumed it out recently?

Tim

Take my Optiplex 780. There is only enough cooling for base hardware. Put anything hot in the box, it will overheat.

Some pre-built PCs, have NO PLACE to mount the cooling we need. Puny cases. No holes where they are needed.

Today, I took shipment of a monster (new) PC case. Why did I have to buy that ? Why, to get room for the fans. The previous case, had no place to put a fan where I needed one. The machine will not have a lot of fans, but it's the location of the fans that counts, for various purposes. It's not a computer case, it's a "fan mounting framework".

And that PC has an excellent exhaust fan. 37.5mm thick, 110CFM, almost enough to run a Henry. But the air does not go where needed.

A lot of the fans at the computer store, no longer even have ratings of 35CFM. They are somewhat lesser ratings. Ratings low enough, they do not print the value on the box. But I can tell while using them, they're "useless" fans. The fans have LEDs on 'em. It's a pastel beauty contest, and no longer involves engineering concerns.

So yes, I can imagine a person being in a bad place, for cooling.

The machine I'm typing on, the 5.25" trays are no longer used. You can take three trays out of service. Remove the trim. Place a metal framework in front of the PC (the facade is plastic and four screws hold the frame). Mount a 120mm fan in your new framework. And blow cool air in through the front of the case. Now you don't need a table fan.

Like rowing a boat, you have to examine the fans and make sure they're all rowing in the same direction. Air-in at the front, air-out at the back. Even though the case with the bodge on the front, has NO exhaust fan hole, there's still a grill-work for the pressurized case to exhale. And that's an example of what you do when you're desperate. The optical drive from that PC, is in a portable casing beside the PC. I can still play a DVD, just not via the

*******

Some OEM computers, only have an ambient temperature spec of 35C.

The machines we used at work, a few had a 50C rating for ambient. We used to put those machines in the thermal chamber, along with a test instrument also rated at 50C, and ramp the lot of them up to 50C :-) Worked fine. Because they had the specs for it. Only I didn't have the specs for that. Two of the staff could stay in the chamber on one of those runs. I on the other hand, would make excuses and exit :-) I'm not designed for work in boiler rooms :-)

Now see, if nobody made 50C rated equipment, we couldn't do runs like that in the chamber. Bastards. Nobody ever needed me, during the -20C runs.

Always check the specs on your prospective PC. To see if it even has a thermal rating. You'll be shocked, if it's one of the 35C lunch boxes.

Some PC power supplies, come with a 50C inlet spec, so they can take operation in a hot casing. These are likely to be Gold or Platinum rated ones, that don't make a lot of their own heat.

Paul

WD40 is not lubrication.

You have used WD40 to lubricate it. These types of cheap motors use phosphor bronze bearings that actually adsorb oil into them,. Wash out the muck with IPA and use 3 in 1 oil or sewing machine oil.

And keep adding oil for a few days as it gets absorbed

WD40 is definitely more of a solvent than a lubricant.

Remember that Water Displacing formula 40 is intended to leave a sticky waterproof film. That film is carried in a solvent that evaporates - so I can imagine it could wash something else away too.

If you want a spray lubricant ask your local bike shop.

Andy

WD40 is not a good lubricant.

Is this an identifiable bearing that could be replaced?

It sounds like it has failed, and no amount of lubricant will fix it properly.

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