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In this post I explain how to replace a noisy or failed cooling fan in a Lenovo ThinkPad T61 laptop.
This guide might work for some other Lenovo ThinkPad models. If it works for you, please mention the laptop model number in the comments after the post.
The cooling fan is a part of the heat sink assembly. If the cooling fan fails, the whole heat sink assembly has to be replaced.
It’s possible that you can separate the fan from the heat sink and replace it separately, but in this guide I’m replacing the whole assembly.
Let’s remove the cooling fan assembly and replace it with a new one.
Turn off the laptop, unplug the AC adapter and remove the battery.
STEP 1.
Remove four (red) screws securing the palm rest.
Remove one screw (yellow) securing the keyboard.
STEP 2.
Lift up the palm rest.
STEP 3.
Place the palm rest upside down so you can access the touch pad cable underneath.
STEP 4.
Disconnect the touch pad cable from the motherboard.
By the way, both memory modules are located under the palm rest. If you are replacing or upgrading memory modules, you don’t have to follow the guide any further.
A Lenovo ThinkPad T61 laptop can take up to 4GB RAM total. You can install up to 2GB memory module into each slot. You should use DDR2 PC2-5300 or PC2-6400 memory modules.
STEP 5.
Lift up the keyboard and place it upside down.
STEP 6.
Disconnect the keyboard cable from the motherboard.
In order to disconnect the cable simply lift up the the connector, same way you disconnected the touch pad cable.
If you are replacing the keyboard, you don’t have to follow this guide any further.
You can find a new replacement keyboard by the Lenovo FRU part number printed on the label. In my case the keyboard part number is 42T3209.
Need a new keyboard for your Lenovo ThinkPad? Search here.
STEP 7.
Remove three screws securing the speaker cover.
By the way, the CMOS battery is located under the keyboard.
STEP 8.
Remove two screws securing the speaker cover on the bottom of the laptop.
STEP 9.
Remove the speaker cover.
STEP 10.
Remove four screws securing the cooling fan assembly brackets. Remove both brackets.
I would recommend taking a close up picture of the lower bracket, so you know how the wires are routed. The picture will help you to rout wires correctly when you assemble the laptop back together.
STEP 11.
Remove two screws securing the left speaker.
Disconnect connectors shown by two arrows.
Move the left speaker with cables to the right side, so you can get to the cooling fan assembly.
STEP 12.
Disconnect the cooling fan cable from the motherboard.
Remove four screws securing the cooling fan assembly.
STEP 13.
Lift up the cooling fan assembly as it shown on the picture below.
STEP 14.
Remove the cooling fan assembly from the laptop.
If you are replacing the failed cooling fan assembly with a new one, most likely the heat sink already has thermal grease pre-applied.
On the other hand, if you are installing a refubished cooling fan assembly, you’ll have to apply thermal grease on both chips shown below.
You can search for a replacement cooling fan assembly by the Lenovo FRU number from the failed fan.
The FRU number is printed on the label. In my case, the FRU part number is 42W2460.
You can find a new or used cooling fan assembly here.
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February 1st, 2012 at 9:00 am
@ Lu,
The cooling fan replacement procedure will be very similar. Just in case, you can take a look at the Lenovo T60 service manual. It has step-by-step disassembly instructions. Fan removal shown on the page 81.
I guess it’s up to you. You can replace the entire cooling fan assembly (cooling fan and heat sink) or just the cooling fan itself. It’s possible to separate the fan from the heatsink.
The entire cooling fan assembly is more expensive but easier to replaced. Just the cooling fan is cheaper but takes more time to replace.
Both parts available on eBay.
January 28th, 2012 at 6:54 am
Thank for your great instruction. I have a Lanovo T60. It has fan noise. Should the cooling fan assembly be replaced? Is the replacing procediure of T60 same as of T61 ?
Thanks
January 15th, 2012 at 6:39 pm
Just want to thank you with the detailed and pictured instructions. Although I had the X series instead of the T series of Lenovo, but I managed to dissect my laptop for the first time in my life! Thanks again!
January 4th, 2012 at 1:55 pm
Thank you for your great instructions. I am so fortunate to have found your website! Everything looked exactly like you had pictured, and the step-by-step directions were very easy to follow. Thank you again!
December 14th, 2011 at 2:47 pm
@ Mike,
Probably all CPUs listed in the service manual.
Here’s the manual: ThinkPad T61 and T61P service manual.
The CPU list starts on the page 141.
December 13th, 2011 at 8:01 pm
Tremendous job done here. 1 additional question, what is the fastest CPU I can install in the T61P 15″ screen? Lenovo should have a list of CPU’s that are fully compatible, but where the heck is it?. Many Thanks on the fine Tech Article! Mike
December 13th, 2011 at 12:35 pm
Hi–
The link you gave me took me to the same 18 pages. Fourteen steps. Each describilng the T61 cooling fan replacement. Can you please email me the one page. In fact, I’m not sure what you’re looking at. No offense. That directions on a fan replacement, when what seems like 50 screws are involved, is difficult to imagine.
December 13th, 2011 at 12:28 pm
@ Debbie,
All instructions located on this page:
http://www.insidemylaptop.com/replace-cooling-fan-lenovo-thinkpad-t61-laptop/
If you are talking about pages listed after the guide, they are pages with comments, not the instructions.
December 13th, 2011 at 12:08 pm
Hi–that’s strange. I have 18 pictures in 14 steps on 14 of 18 pages. Can you please email me the 1 page of directions.
December 13th, 2011 at 11:11 am
@ Debbie,
I’m not sure what you are talking about.
The guide has only one page: STEPS 1-14
All instructions published on one page.