Tutorial: How to replace Thinkpad T61 CPU Fan HSF, Fix Fan Error, Cool down CPU!

[@oscargimenez9977]

Thanks a lot from Germany. Without your film it would have been impossible!

[@cosd3799]

danke sön

[@demeaningplebny1363]

Thanks for the concise, well presented tips in this video. This enabled me to replace the fan, apply the thermal paste properly, and I even replaced a cracked palmrest while I was at it. The fan error and cooling problems we were having are now gone and we're looking for a lot more life out of this nice machine!

[@GarageMaxedOut]

DeMeaning Plebny glad it helped!

[@patch7891]

There was no missing screw. That spot is for one of the palm rest screws. Other than that, fantastic tutorial. Really helped me service a laptop I wasn't familiar with. Thank you!

[@tswrench]

Great instructional video! One minor thing: the screw on the left side of the bezel that you thought was missing, is actually thru-hole for the screw that comes up from the bottom to secure the palm rest. I noticed that mine seemed to be missing too and I thought it to be too much of a coincidence...and it was.

[@choro76]

I thought the screw was missing as well, found a screw and placed it and then tried to reassemble the laptop and certainly I learned that it was a through-hole.

[@peterrice2928]

Thank you, I followed your careful and thoughtful instructions (nicely paced) and successfully replaced a fan.

[@mikenugent5196]

Good tutorial. I have worked on IBM/Lenovo machines going way back. Your tutorial manner, wording, tones are spot on. I hope many folks find it useful.

[@EgoShredder]

I've read of people on the online forums successfully using aluminium foil layers coated with thermal paste, which is attached to the thermal pad because that often is damaged during the process. Your video here will be useful for me when I come to upgrading the cpu on my Thinkpad z61p laptop.

[@hyperionsixzeroeight5064]

Thank you for the excellent tutorial on the repair. Following your instructions I just repaired my T61 for a grand total of $14.95, the cost of the fan/heatsink assembly on Ebay. This is one of the best step by step tutorials I have seen. Thanks again for uploading this tutorial.

[@GarageMaxedOut]

You are welcome!

[@mpfyffe]

I can't believe I got to watch this video for free, it too is one of the greatest instructional videos I have ever seen, someone should have to pay for this quality instruction. Thanks for letting us watch for free!!

[@guan01gmailcom]

nice video, I have two T61, do not get the fan error but want to re-paste the cpu to lower the heat over all. Video is 8 years old, but still extreamly helpful and detailed with tips.

[@GarageMaxedOut]

Guan Guan glad it could help!

[@jimbojones485]

Thanks so much.. Replaced just the fan, wish I had've replaced the whole thing. Couldn't have done it without you

[@VernessaTaylor]

Very thorough and straightforward. I had to upgrade the fan once before and used Inside My Laptop's article "How to replace cooling fan in Lenovo ThinkPad T61 laptop" which was great with clear screenshots. This time, I used your video which let me get through the upgrade a bit faster. Thanks for taking the time to show-and-tell.

[@fallingmanuk]

Thank you so much - this was very helpful. Despite 20 years working with PCs and laptops, I'd never had to take a laptop apart till now, as there was always a third party maintenance guy to do it, and this was easy to follow.

[@paolobartolli4501]

Excellent tutorial. Completed this repair on my old but trusty laptop 2 months ago. All is working fine, fan is quiet and running well. Would not have attempted this without watching your video first. Thanks for sharing!

[@relearn1]

Finally easy to follow common sense instruction. Some people are honest.

[@GarageMaxedOut]

Glad I could help!

[@me1not1a1number]

Very thankful, sir. Highly appreciated. This cpu fan is also repairable: first, unstick the tape from the cover and unbend the holders of the fan, removing in it from the sink. Next, remove the impeller and clean it up. Add one drop of lubricative oil on the center stick and gently push it back. Connect it with the sink and set new tape to cover the small gap between the ventilators and, the fun and,... that's it!

[@noeh23]

Thank you, helped a lot. Kudos for a nice tutorial with a walkthrough commentary + hints and tips.

[@xnadchrist]

thanks for the video, I successfully replaced my T61 fan! will not be able to do it without this tutorial! :D:D

[@shannonmbell8466]

Thank you so much!! You were a wonderful teacher. My computer now works again!!

[@Nemyue]

Thanks! It was really helpful. I sprayed some silicon oil at the fan's bearing and its much quieter now.

[@zahirparker7546]

I know I am kinda randomly asking but do anybody know a good website to stream newly released tv shows online ?

[@johnnyrey4554]

@Zahir Parker flixportal

[@zahirparker7546]

@Johnny Rey thank you, I went there and it seems like a nice service :) I appreciate it!!

[@johnnyrey4554]

@Zahir Parker Happy to help =)

[@bobl42]

Worked great. Thanks! One difference: My T61 had an additional bracket holding down the heat sink on the right. No problem, just 4 more screws to remove.

[@tammhoward]

Thank you for this video! I didn't replace the fan but I did use an air compressor and blew the dirt out of it and oiled it and it is working so far. Thank you!

[@alanhung2595]

A great tutorial! Help me to repair my laptop. I found that it was not necessary to replace the whole fan set, the fan can be removed from the heat sink and adding some lubricating oils to the fan spindle works.

[@GarageMaxedOut]

Glad I could help! Just be careful using WD40 on the fan, I would recommend sewing machine oil instead. Since WD40 is a mild solvent, it will not keep the fan quiet as long as sewing machine oil. But I'm glad everything is working for you!

[@OnlyEpicEmber]

This video seems very descriptive, which is good. I'm going to try and use it for a CPU and ram replacement in my t61p, I believe the chassis is exactly the same.

[@OnlyEpicEmber]

...I broke it

[@deathider78]

Thanks for that good explained video. Because i have to change the fan too, because it's damaged (Fan Error). It's not my first Thinkpad that i repair, but its the first time to change a fan on a T61.

[@cbjma]

Thanks for your suggestion. The fan was completely removed before compressed air was applied. I took the fan out and laid it to the side and powered on. The fan does its own spin up during POST and stops and the computer boots up. I put the fan back in place and the fan starts and does not stop duiring POST resulting in a fan error. I tried holding the fan in different positions with differnt startup results. I suspect 1 of the 3 fan wires is iffy. I may order a new fan or try to rewire plug.

[@praveenbokka24]

Thank you very much for the video. Very nice demo. I could able to fix my laptop's fan error my self.

[@paulgjackson]

Thanks again for this video, just used it to replace the thermal interface material on a T61 I am donating.

[@GarageMaxedOut]

No problem, that's what its here for. Yeah the hsf is a little more expensive, but it's really a quick job if you are just swapping them.

[@GarageMaxedOut]

No problem, glad it could help! Yeah, a lot of times you can get away with just relubing the bearing.

[@walk4fun]

This was very helpful. It gave me the confidence to consider changing the fan myself. Thanks for sharing!

[@GarageMaxedOut]

Glad it could help!

[@phollands]

Super Video. I've just done a successful fan change for my T61 using this. Thanks so much.

[@vladimirtokarev1284]

Thank you very much for this excellent video! Very easy to follow and it made replacing the fan on my T61 a breeze.

[@seanwbruno]

Thanks for the walk through, I just used it my T61 today.

[@tommis1985]

Great tute!

[@GarageMaxedOut]

No problem! Hope you are running cool once again

[@jcvjcvjcvjcv]

I'll check when I get home again. I replaced mine 2,5 years ago: still have the old one in a closet. But the parts that IBM/Lenovo offers are the whole assemblies; the copper + the fan. The only part that actually needs to be replaced is the fan itself.

[@GarageMaxedOut]

It depends on usage- I suggest downloading HWMonitor (free). This will tell you your CPU temperatures. You can check them while the computer is at idle and while it is running programs. Google your cpu model to find out the max temperature Intel says it should run at, then just make sure that your fan is keeping it below that temperature.

[@herrvonbartosh1]

Thank You for this video! My laptop is alive again!

[@GarageMaxedOut]

Glad it could help! I also have a macbook version of this for those who need it- kzbin.info/www/bejne/q6XXXoaJhqaMiaM

[@l1zard7]

Tank you. Your video helped a lot fixing my broken fan :)

[@andreygolovchenko]

Great video! I got that screw missing too (and I purchased the original product a while ago).

[@GarageMaxedOut]

I would double check to make sure that the fan is firmly plugged in (little two pin connector on the side). Also, you can reset your cmos (see my video for removing thinkpad passwords for a how-to).

[@GarageMaxedOut]

You should be able to put the screen all the way back with no issues. If not, someone was in there and may have hung something up. If so, you can check the wires, but the header on the motherboard may have been damaged. The only way to tell is to open it up and visually inspect it.

[@jasonf6182]

Great tutorial !! used this as a guide to fix a noisy fan in mine Thanks alot for this

[@GarageMaxedOut]

You are welcome, glad it helped!

[@ronlevenberg2985]

Great video with lots of good tips!

[@GarageMaxedOut]

No problem, glad the swap worked for you!

[@GarageMaxedOut]

It is not a standard fan that you can buy on newegg/amazon/etc. You can find hsf assemblies on eBay for $15-20, so honestly even if the fan can be separated I am not sure it is worth it. You will at least double your replacement time, and then you have to deal with compatibility. If you want to minimize costs, the only alternative I would suggest is using some light machine oil (not WD40 or any solvent) to re-lube the fan bearing. I have done this on desktop fans with success.

[@GarageMaxedOut]

Gotcha! Yeah sometimes stuff that that doesn't become clear until once you have it back together after being apart once or twice

[@VernessaTaylor]

That's good to know. I remember wondering how I'd lost it the first time I disassembled the Thinkpad.

[@jiwen3019]

Very clear descriptions! Thanks so much!

[@EgoShredder]

Well I am not sure what the original keyboard is without removing it, but the service manual states the model I bought. The two designs are very different for the key mechanisms that the caps attach to. It's luck of the draw too as z61p are more rare and another came up last week, in very good condition compared to mine and with a faster CPU; my cpu is the Core Duo T2500; the other had a Core 2 Duo T7200.

[@GarageMaxedOut]

Yeah I definitely agree with that, my concern was just how long it might last. With an IBM part its probably a Sunon or similarly good brand, I did not see a brand on the $5 ebay ones. Really, its just $5, I'd buy one to try, check temps with HWMonitor, and im sure it will be comparable.

[@Judezki92]

Big thanks for this tutorial, it helps a lot indeed!

[@EgoShredder]

I noticed the keyboard here is very worn just like mine. I bought a used replacement from Ebay (minus one key), only to find the keycaps have a different design underneath, so I could not just pop off the caps and attach them to my existing keyboard. I checked the service manual for my z61p and was careful to buy the right keyboard model number too.

[@DeepSociety]

i put in the old one and cleaned it before. that works.The new fan doesnt look exactly the same, though it fits in perfectly. Maybe its that... thx

[@GarageMaxedOut]

If the connection is the same, then you should have no problems. What happens sometimes is the bearing dries out in the fan causing it to spin more slowly- that is a common cause of the fan error.

[@cbjma]

Thanks for a very clear and detailed explanation on how to replace the fan. I was just trying to clean it and used a compressor to blow air through the fan blades probably spinning it much faster than ever before. Now when I put the original fan unit back in place the initial startup winds up the fan (which makes more noise than before) and POST stops with FAN ERROR. I'm guessing that I ruined the fan with that blast of air. I'm curious if you are aware of anything of this nature?

[@GarageMaxedOut]

@Xeonspec You'll need to buy a hsf that is the same as your exact model. So, look for a 15" WS T61 hsf, with whatever gpu your model has. Avoid 14" hsfs because they will be shorter.

[@cisco760ca]

Well on my laptop i used a really thin copper shim with a really light coating of artic mx-4 thermal paste and i seen about 5 degrees lower in difference. Remember the gpu runs alot hotter the cpu .So i tried what ever i could to run it cooler and that's the only way that i know of to do that. It does cool it alot if done right .

[@GarageMaxedOut]

Did you buy a brand new, NOS one? Or was it used? If it was used, someone might have just sent you a broken unit. Some have a little dot in the middle that you can leak some light machine oil into to alleviate the problem- if yours does you can try that. Use sewing machine oil if you have it, never use WD40/PB blaster/etc

[@cicalone70]

Thank you today this video solved the problem with my t61..

[@surman3853]

FANTASTIC tutorial! Thank you so much!

[@jiabaod]

Thank you so much for this video. Incredibly helpful!

[@GarageMaxedOut]

Yes, as I mentioned (I said a quarter of a pea size, you don't need very much) you will need to replace the thermal paste on the cpu. If you remove the thermal pad from the gpu and try to only use thermal paste, you will overheat your laptop because of the space gap there (thermal paste is not enough to join them properly on this laptop). You will either need a new thermal pad, the old thermal pad if it is in good condition, or you can use a copper shim and thermal paste.

[@GarageMaxedOut]

Well, I would not recommend against them, but you can usually find an OEM unit for one or two dollars more. Much like anything, a generic product will probably be fine- its just the longevity that is questionable. I usually stick with OEM parts if I can help it. Again, it should work fine, I just have no experience with that exact fan. I just did a video on relubing a fan. If you have yours apart, see if it has the reservoir. If so, add some sewing machine oil and get it working again.

[@dankaiser1364]

Thanks for such a great video. I followed the instructions step by step and now my computer won't start at all. It doesn't boot and has a black screen. Any suggestions?

[@GarageMaxedOut]

Well, the majority of thermal pastes out there don't contain metal for this exact reason so im not sure if I'd jump to that conclusion just yet. Hook it up to an external monitor first to see if you are getting video that way. If so, the monitor cable probably just got a little loose when you were under there and needs to be reseated. Failing this, pull both ram sticks out and try to boot the computer. Let me know if it has beeps or not with the ram removed (hit the volume up button to unmute)

[@GarageMaxedOut]

No problem! Greetings from the US!

[@GarageMaxedOut]

Possibly, but atidvag could be a number of issues. Have you changed any drivers recently? It usually means a bad driver or a faulty graphics card.

[@GarageMaxedOut]

Happy to help!

[@pch137]

Thanks, very helpful.

[@GarageMaxedOut]

Do you have some numbers for the difference? I figured the difference was negligible in an application like this, and you'd have to use either thermal paste or adhesive anyway so it wasn't worth fooling with. I really haven't measured the differences though on this model.

[@GarageMaxedOut]

If your fan was on when you blew air in it, you could have broken it. If it was off, it is extremely unlikely you damaged it. I would reseat the fan connector and see if that solves your problem.

[@GarageMaxedOut]

Glad you liked it!

[@GarageMaxedOut]

You are saying you have 2 keyboards with the same FRU number but different key caps?

[@GarageMaxedOut]

This will stress the laptop (memtest just ram and ubcd you can choose what test to run), and tell you if your hardware is ok. If everything passes, something happened to your windows install. If something failed, you'll then know what the problem is. If your gpu has failed, unfortunately you'll need to replace the motherboard. It sounds bad, but its not too hard once you tear into it.

[@gustavomariani4225]

Hi, great tutorial. Do you know what's the problem when the T61 don't boot beeping 3 times ? . tnx

[@GarageMaxedOut]

No problem, glad I could help

[@GarageMaxedOut]

I'll put a couple good links in the description. For this application, I would just recommend a good name brand solution- you don't need to buy IC Diamond or anything. Arctic silver 5 has been the go-to for several years now, however if you find some on sale that is a name brand, I would not hesitate to use it for this. Benchmarks put most thermal pastes within a few degrees of each other (I'll post a link to that information as well).

[@GarageMaxedOut]

Probably not. I would do this- Get the laptop fully assembled, then remove the ram and reseat it. Make sure it is fully seated, then boot the computer with an external monitor and try to get into the BIOS. If you can get into the bios, that is a good sign. Use another computer to download either "memtest" or "the ultimate boot CD". UBCD will have a bunch of diagnostic tools, memtest is just a memory testing tool. Burn it to a bootable disk, then boot your t60 with it and run a test overnight.

[@GarageMaxedOut]

Does it not turn on at all? If so, it sounds like your keyboard/power switch is not hooked up. Make sure it is seated properly and let me know what happens.

[@GarageMaxedOut]

Are the beeps all the same length? Depending on your answer, it could be a poorly seated ram chip, faulty gpu, or faulty motherboard.

[@DeepSociety]

the new fan started to spin then interupted. is there any solution to this? i cleaned out the old fan, its better now, but i would like to replace it sometime. thanks for your help man! its appreciated

[@ahzyar]

Fantastic video!

[@GarageMaxedOut]

Very weird, maybe it was actually a production issue. Its non critical so I wouldn't worry about it, but you can get screw kits for around $5 on ebay. I bought one just to have spares to replace missing ones in different thinkpads I have around.

[@ella317]

Thx for a fantastically detailed instruction. Just one question: my new fan had some tape on the area next to were the thermal pad is. Do I need to remove it? It is stuck on really fast.

[@GarageMaxedOut]

Nope, it can stay

[@GarageMaxedOut]

Glad it could help!

[@jcvjcvjcvjcv]

What would you say of those $5 fans from China? I think it's rather a big waste to replace all that fine copper. Just the fan should be good. Right?

[@BoardSkate73]

How can one reset the connector? My laptop gave the error when the screen bent down too far. I don't think the fan is old or ruined, I just think the connection got messed up.

[@sizr]

Thanks man! This really helpeg.. nice one ;)

[@DeepSociety]

i replaced and when i start, i get fan error" on the screen. what could be wrong?

[@philipgwyn8091]

Man, getting that keyboard connector back in is not easy.

[@paannnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn]

it's eawsy

[@WonderGoal33]

How thick should a replacement thermal pad at least be for the northbridge?

[@cisco760ca]

Instead of the thermal pad why don't you use a thin copper shim . Cools the gpu alot better.

[@GarageMaxedOut]

I no longer have any of these to measure, however I have put a link in the description to what I would buy.

[@alsibir]

Thanks a lot!

[@dankaiser1364]

I haven't changed any drivers that I am aware of. When I was reconnecting everything, I did accidentally put one of the long heat sink screws into the spot where the shallower screw was supposed to go. Could I have ruined the graphics card when I did that?

[@Xeonspec]

Thanks!

[@MultiJackie47]

i like this video too.i want learn about laptop is good .increse i need to fix my laptop for my self or some one laptop is good to know about laptop and desktop computer is good depend on your self.i wish i know every thing about laptop and desk top computer in my head.