30 Nov 2003, 16:06, CHARLES ANGELICH (1:123/140), wrote to WAYNE CHIRNSIDE:

Hi CHARLES.
.........................

 CA> ...  I have a 233mhz machine that only needs a
 CA> new fan for the powersupply (very thin muffin fan not easy to
 CA> find I suspect) and I can have that machine running only Linux.
 CA> KNOPPIX would be a good starting place. :-) 

When I 'reconditioned' this power supply from the junk pile, I remembered
how often many of the fans need replacing and/or bearing re-oiling.  I took
the fan out of the case and mounted it on the back, rather than the inside.
 Now I can access or replace the fan _without_ having to open the machine,
remove and disassemble the PS, and all that other mess.

Applied to your situation, you wouldn't need a 'very thin' fan for a
replacement, as any one that matched the screwholes would work fine.

In this instance, I _did_ have to play with the screwholes a little, as the
original design called for the screws to pass through the metal case and
thread into the plastic fan.  With the external fan, the screws now have to
pass through the plastic fan and thread into the metal case.

I enlarged the holes in the relatively soft plastic fan so I could use
larger size sheet metal screws that would grip in the existing holes in the
case.  Alternately, I could have used smaller screws and put four of those
little automotive clip-on thread things on the metal case.


     Good luck...  M.

--- Msged/386 TE 06 (pre)