Stuck fan on motherboard

[bobbintb]

This isn't really UnRaid specific so feel free to move it (I tried Tom's hardware but their page seems to have issues on every browser and computer I try). My server was having issues and I was having a hard time connecting to it so I went downstairs to do a hard reboot. When I was done there I noticed a fan on a heatsink on my motherboard wasn't spinning. I tried to manually spin it with my finger and it was completely stuck. I don't know if I can replace the fan or not. It looks permanently attached. Maybe I can oil it. Any ideas? I've never had an issue like this. It's an ASRock Z87 extreme11/ac and it's the bottom left x-fan in this photo:

[SSD]

The CPU has no HSF. Assuming you removed it - but that is the most important!

 

But the chipset and I guess that is VRM or another chip have HSFs too. I am surprised the fan would not spin with your finger. I would suspect some sore of physical blockage - you might turn upside down and try to dislodge if there is a bit of plastic or something causing the problem.

 

If no luck, I don't see screwholes on the lower left one - but maybe there are some I don't see. If so, the fan should pop out and you should be able to find an aftermarket replacement. The upper right fan has screws visible and probably easier to swap that fan out.

 

Otherwise you might try to contact ASRock support. They may have suggestions if other users have had similar problem. The may offer to send instructions or sell/give you a new fan or HSF.

 

If you want to pop off a HSF, search for instructions on the Internet. They tend to be glued and not come off easily. Again - look for instructions but I expect they will advise to let the MB get hot and then try to pop it off, when the glue is more pliant. Then you'll have to clean off the old stuff and probably buy some new TIM made for these types of uses. Regular CPU TIM is not stcky, and wouldn't hold the HSF in place.

 

 

PITA I know. But good luck!

[S80_UK]

There are three small screws accessible throuigh the fan.  It's also possible that the cable the runs out to the fan header has shifted and is blocking the blades - check that first.

[pwm]

4 hours ago, SSD said:

The CPU has no HSF. Assuming you removed it - but that is the most important!

Even more importantly: that motherboard doesn't have a CPU at all 

[JonathanM]

6 hours ago, SSD said:

The CPU has no HSF.

Psst. Stock photo. Not actually OP's board.

[dmacias]

If the fan really is seized up. You could just remove it and replace it with a 40mm or 60 mm or bigger fan mounted on top of the heatsink. You could use long screws, rubber or plastic fan mounts by pressing them between the fins to mount the fan to the heatsink.

[SSD]

1 hour ago, jonathanm said:

Psst. Stock photo. Not actually OP's board.

 

ROFL.

 

Was getting late!

[JonathanM]

21 minutes ago, dmacias said:

You could just remove it and replace it with a 40mm or 60 mm or bigger fan mounted on top of the heatsink.

That assumes no PCIe cards extend over the offending area.

[dmacias]

That assumes no PCIe cards extend over the offending area.

Ah didn't think of that.

[S80_UK]

One other thought - I have seen fans like this get stuck before, and in that case pressing the centre part of the fan towards the motherboard freed up the bearing. Just make sure the board is secure first.  

[Jcloud]

If you remove the fan, underneath it there probably the actual fan manufacture name and fan model on the bottom - common brands being Sunon  or Dafron. Once you find the manufacture and model it should be rather easy. However, whether or not you can get the fan without ordering from China or Hong Kong, that's a different matter.  I'd go with, "stick a big fan on it," option assuming you have the room with your PCIe cards.

[bobbintb]

Thanks for all the advice. I did contact ASRock support as well but I figured, correctly, I'd get a faster response here. There is indeed screws underneath. They were just a little covered with dust so I didn't see them. It is definitely stuck and not something just blocking it. I'll have to see about getting a replacement but at least now I know how to get it off. I pulled the sticker off, hoping I could access a lube point or something but there was none. Thanks for the help everyone.

[pwm]

18 hours ago, Jcloud said:

If you remove the fan, underneath it there probably the actual fan manufacture name and fan model on the bottom - common brands being Sunon  or Dafron. Once you find the manufacture and model it should be rather easy. However, whether or not you can get the fan without ordering from China or Hong Kong, that's a different matter.  I'd go with, "stick a big fan on it," option assuming you have the room with your PCIe cards.

I once had a similar issue and ended up using a large fan and then manufactured a card board shroud to direct the air to the correct location since there wasn't a good way to fit a square fan over the round opening of the original fan. The larger capacity of the replacement fan made up for the inefficiency of using the shroud.

[pwm]

17 hours ago, bobbintb said:

Thanks for all the advice. I did contact ASRock support as well but I figured, correctly, I'd get a faster response here. There is indeed screws underneath. They were just a little covered with dust so I didn't see them. It is definitely stuck and not something just blocking it. I'll have to see about getting a replacement but at least now I know how to get it off. I pulled the sticker off, hoping I could access a lube point or something but there was none. Thanks for the help everyone.

 

It's common that dust can come into the bearing, increasing the friction until the fan isn't strong enough to rotate. Even if cleaned, it's likely that the bearing surfaces have accumulated enough wear that if you clean the bearing the fan will instead start to vibrate. So you get lots of sound, and now and then the fan may rattle so hard that it locks up and is stopped. And then you hear it spin up again with lots of noise.

So it's seldom practical to try to lubricate or clean a fan that is stuck.

[bobbintb]

I looked through all my old motherboards and salvaged circuit boards but couldn't find a spare. But I managed to get one online for less than $8. I just wish it would get here sooner.