Cooling Fans and WD-40

My chipset fan on my abit IC7 is strangely whiny, and I figure if I sprayed some WD-40 on it it could easy up the ball bearings and silence the whining.

My question is, could WD-40 on the bearings of the fan or dripping slightly onto my mobo be dangerous?

 

just a tine little bit..

i`d give it about 5 seconds b4 the WD-40 dripped onto the mobo and killed it..

 

True. WD-40 is Kerosene based and besides conducting electricity is also combustible (keep clear from sparks, then...). Silicone lubricants do not have these problems however. Or Molybdenum Disulfide, but try and get your hands on that...

The problem with lubricant however is that it is sticky to dust particles, so they are more likely to collect and clog up your fan.

Besides, a whiny fan is usually a dying fan. Just replace the little sucker (blower?) for a nice Zalman passive heatshink to solve your problem and experience longer lasting quiet mobo joy!

 

WD40 will also disolve the greese in the bearing if there is any. Silicone lube, as nexxo said, is the way to go but it will need checking periocially.

 

i use WD 40 in my fans every 4 months and leave them out for 3 hours after spraying into them and they are quiet as hell

 

I think we are missing the most obvious issue....IT STINKS!

spray that near a fan your going to be smelling WD-40 for a couple of weeks :/

'doc

 

I've used sewing machine oil which seems ok.

 

[ot]

is there something wrong with me? ... I LOVE the smell of WD. Not as nice as burnt 2 stroke though (especially with castrol R additive).
[/ot]

 

yeh wd40 is basically a solvent, works in the short-term.

i use a teflon based dry-lube for bike-chains, it's in a bottle not an aerosol so u can apply it with-out plastering it everywhere

 

NO IT ISN'T! Sewing machine oil has a habit of attacking plastics. Don't use!

 

^^^ Same approach as me. I used WD40 years ago, to discover the same as cheebs (omghi2u! ) and Nexxo, in that it dissolves any vestiges of the original grease. Then I discovered the teflon-based bike grease (I used Finish Line, by memory), peeled back the sticker over the fan bearing with a scalpel and squidged a bit in before replacing the sticker. Shut it right up for months.


[Edit] Mmmm, Castrol R...

 

Any light oil will probably attack plastics, some more than others. It's just really a question of it it really matters much, or if you care.

 

Mmmm = Understatement .... When i smell it i have a tiny orgasm ... does that make me odd?

 

Just get a new fan.... The one on my NB just died after wining for awhile, I've got the same mobo and all. Thinking it's just 'cos the smaller fans are a touch rubbish

 

ooooh eerie, finish line here too