Lafnbug said:
So, how did you manage to remove the fan blades from the motor housings on the SilverStones? I ordered several to get me going, and a (recommended) can of CAIG deoxIT, but I am afraid to pull too hard on these things. I really wanted to get in there and give them all a nice preventative soaking... I bought (2)181's. and (1)121.
Caig has a few products. The D5 or D100 is for cleaning electrical conductive surfaces, the gold is for gold plated or dissimilar metal conductors that do not really need cleaning and the Shield, for protecting the already unoxidized.
I used the Shield s5 spray on the motor windings and circuit board, and covered the wires where they attach to circuit board with dielectric grease as pretty much every single fan developed green corrosion here and either the wire broke or or simply corroded off when used as intake fans pulling in fog and salt air and condensation. Hoping these measures are effective. Time will tell.
To remove the impeller, peel back the sticker over the hub. on the 121 there is a little plastic washer which fits in a groove and holds impeller in place. Very easy to remove with some tweezers, but also easy to lose. Take precautions. Returning it is also pretty easy with the right tools, but a very small socket to press it down evenly makes it even easier.
The FM181 uses a very small Metal Snap ring to fit in the groove on the impeller hub. I basically made a tool from a set of very small needle nose set of Harbor fright pliers whose ends i filed down even smaller to be able to fit in the snap ring grooves and open it up by setting the hooks n the snap holes and opening the pliers. A third hand would be helpful.
This snap ring is deserves all the pirates curse words you can think up when it goes flying off into never never land. My AP182, I basically bought a new Kit with many many different sizes of snap rings to replace it, and needed it again on the fm181.
Again take measures to prevent losing this retainer, and some eye protection is likely wise too.
I mostly removed mine to turn my fan impeller black and trying to paint it evenly so as to not throw off balance. Removing it does not really make access to circuit board any easier and one can spray the motor windings and circuit board without removing the impeller using the red stray on the spray can of Deoxit shield.
Not sure spraying the windings does anything. on all my failed fans the copper was still shiny.
One can also tape over where the wires enter the hub to further impede corrosive humidity.
The industrial Noctuas should not require any of this preventative voodoo.
One day....... perhaps by next summer. As I said I really don't need to improve my ventilation any more, the Noctuas really are the only thing I could do to improve it without cutting new bigger holes in my roof and getting or making a larger mushroom type vent, and they could save some battery power too being 25% more efficient.
Perhaps Noctua might have upgraded their industrial offerings by then too.
