How to Open and MOD EK-Vardar F3-120 PC Fans
by Diy Tech in Circuits > Computers
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How to Open and MOD EK-Vardar F3-120 PC Fans
These fans are among the top tier radiator fans and really liked by PC water cooling enthusiasts.
Fan specs:
Mechanical and electrical specifications:-
Speed: 1850 rpm (+/- 10%)-
Rated Voltage: 12V DC-
Power Draw: 1.44W- PWM
Connector: 4-pin PWM header
Dimensions: 120 x 120 x 25 mm
Performance characteristics:-
Max Air Flow: 63 CFM
Noise Level: 29.5 dBA
Requirements for this MOD
- 2 Needles
- Any glue cleaner or few drops of petrol
- Tape
- Spray paint
- Cloth for cleaning and drying
- A small bowl to clean the fan blades
- A small box to keep tiny parts of fans ( Its imp )
Removing the Fan Blades
- Remove the sticker at the back of the fan
- Get 2 needles and place em between the oval shaped gaped present on the black metal clip ( See pic one for reference )
- Now move these pins apart like you are trying to open that clip.
- When the clip is stretched apart enough the pin comes off mostly by itself as the spring between the bearings pushes it.
- It might sound a bit complex but just stretch that clip apart by placing needles in that oval portion and rest will be done by fan :D
- Once you have that pin removed the blade can be pulled.
- After pulling the blade remove the bearings and the spring. Its really simple use needle to pull out bearings
- Once all the things are pulled place them in a small box like i did. These things are tiny and if lost on floor will be really hard to find.
- Repeat the steps for other fans(s).
Cleaning
- Clean the sticker remnants by scraping off by nails or use some plastic thing. Dnt use metal it will scratch the plastic.
- To clean the glue left by sticker use petrol/wd-40 or any other cleaner like these having acetone in it. Even perfumes / body sprays can be used.
- After all that take a bowl, fill it with water and mix some washing detergent in it.
- Put the blades ( only ) in the solution for 2-5 min and then rotate them in there to make sure all the dirt is clean.
- Now run some fresh water over the blades and dry em.
Masking for Painting
- Tape the small holes at the fan top.
- I used a less wider tape and covered the fans from inside ( see pics for reference )
- Then used a wider tape to cover the whole magnet area.
- Use a blade to cut the access tape
Painting and Results
- Make sure that masking is done properly.
- Spray outside use mask too as aerosol spray cans have a really bad smell.
- Shake the can well for 2-3 mins
- Maintain a distance of .7-1 foot from the object while painting
- Spray in a rhythm and keep the can moving like a car windshield wiper moves.
- Keep your layers of paint as thin as possible and rest 5-8 min after every layer.
- After painting let it dry for 24 hrs and clean once with a clean cloth to remove dust.
- Assemble back ( I dnt think u will need a guide to do that now )
- Enjoy
Sorry about the low quality pics :P