Help unscrewing two screws to fix computer fan
 

One of the fans on my computer has been out for a while now. I've been compensating by placing a large box fan inbehind my CPU in order to cool it down. I tried moving it manually, but there seems to be some resistance. My guess is that it is because of massive dust build up. In order to disassemble the fan to get at the problem, I must unscrew four screws.

I managed to get two of the four screws out (yellow arrows point to them) but can't get the other two out. (marked in green) There is a metal piece (marked in red) and the smaller fan (marked in blue). Both are in the way, so it is not possible for me to unscrew them with a screwdriver.

I managed to get past two other screws when taking another computer piece off by placing the bit into the screw, then using needle nose plyers to twist it around 3/4's of a turn, then unscrewed it the rest of the way by hand, which really, really hurt my fingers. I do not believe this can be done with these two screws, however.

Any ideas?

what is that fan connected to? Looks liek your power supply?

If it is on the power supply, carfully remove the power supply by unscrewign the fans on the back of your case. make sure your computer is laid down on its side for this. slide it out, and you should be able to do it easy...

if not, can you give more picks, from a greater distance?

Yes, it is hooked directly onto my power supply. It heats up really, really fast.

I have managed to get the left screw out, but can't get the right one out now. If you look to the right of the right yellow arrow, you can see a lime green piece. This helps keep the power supply in place. Additionally, there are two screws to help out. If I can get both screws out, which will be like hell, I can just take the entire power supply box out and work with it from there , which would be a lot easier. The problem with doing that is that it's hard to unscrew both screws because of all the wires. This tower is jam packed full of stuff.

It looks to me like the Green plastic thing, should be able to slide one way or another, to get it out of the way of your Power Supply. If not, asses the situation. If you think your PSU, (power supply) can stay in place with out it, break the damn thing off!

I've seen a type of screwdriver with a 90 degree angled tip. Perhaps that could help?

Break it off?! Are you crazy?!?!?!

Hey wait, IT WORKED!

Ok, I just snapped that green thing right out, unscrewed the screws, took the power supply out, segregated the power box from the fan, and am now disecting the fan.

Can't seem to see how to fix it though now that I have it in front of me now. If it's dust build up, it's inside the little circle thing I can't get to. Guess it wouldn't hurt to deal with it agressively since 1) it doesn't work anyway and 2) I have other ways to cool my system.

Wish me luck and thanks a lot Ultragames!

Wo0t! No prob man. Any time.


Pst: Member of the month! ;)

BTW, a fan should only die after 40,000 hours. So if your comp is taht old, then thats understood. If not, im asumeing your comp is stock? If it is, it may be under warenty.

Any who, hope you have a new fan to put in it. I have NEVER seen a PSU fan on the out side like that, was it liek that when you got it?

Hmmm. I keep my computers running all the time. 24/7 without a break. It broke about 6 months after I bought it. Doesn't seem like it should have though. I originally didn't run it as much as I do now either.

And the fan was like that when I bought it. The big one brings air into the power supply box while the little one shoots air outward. (toward you if you're looking straigh down at it in the image I provided above.)

I'm trying to pull apart this fan, but can't get it to come apart. I tried that one law "if it's broken, force it. If it breaks, it needed fixing anyway" in my pursuit to disect my fan and I'm sure have broken it because there is a green chip and I heard it snap. There is seriously no way to get inside this little bugger. I've put all my might into it and can't open it up no matter what I do.

Guess the next question is: "how much does a new fan cost and what's a good brand to invest in?"

WAIT! The fan on the bottom of your PSU blows air in!? I THINK NOT! The one inside your comp must suck in, and the one facing the out side of your comp must blow out.

The most expensive fan is like 11 bucks...

http://www.svc.com/80vanthertem.html


Get that!! Make it blow INTO your PSU. And, this is VERY important. DO NOT TOUCH ANYTHING IN YOUR POWER SUPPLY. Im talking you getting electricuted and dieing bud. The tansisters in it can hold ALOT of juice for a long time. DO NOT touch anythign in there!