Average cooling heatsink + fan durability?

[The Bean]

The last, and only time I got a cooling heatsink + fan, it fell apart after only half a year of 'light' bashing (just bumpy surfaces, no jumps). Both fans barely worked after a month, and a bit later, it all fell apart. Guess wich brand it was
That was with light bashing and a PLASTIC CHASSIS, so it should've been the best case scenario for fan drability.

So, how durable are for example Yeah Racing fans? Assume I'll be using it with a metal chassis 1:8 6s vehicle on skate parks. Should I get a cooler for cooling, or should I spend some more for a larger motor for less heat?

 

[RCBro80]

People swear by these: https://www.ebay.com/itm/Sanyo-Denk...x40x28mm-Aluminum-Frame-Fan-New-/232713994722

I haven't used them, but I assume the aluminum body helps a lot. Fan blades are still a weak point so you need to add a screen to to protect them from rocks.

 

[Skattdriver]

Just a tip in case you clean the car with compressed air hitting directly the fan. Maybe this is not necesary what breaks it but for sure don't do any bad and help a bit for durability.

A computer technician once told me that the small fans in laptops (really similar to ones in our RC) broke sometimes due to people cleaning them with compressed air forcing the bushing and the motor of the Fan to spin on more RPM for what they are designed.

What I do is to hold a cable strip on the fan just to avoid it moving when blowing air.

 

[The Bean]

Tnx for the tip! But it seemed like the problem was more like dust ruining the fans: both of my ESC fans (I've broken 1 esc) still work, and those have been through the same as the motor cooler.

But fans can be replaced (and upgraded). My main issue is that the heatsink itself, and the thing the fans were mounted to, just fell apart. I now also see that the heatsink of yeah racing coolers is what the fans are mounted to. I don't think I would have the same problem.

Tnx for the tips!

 

[olds97_lss]

Personally, I went with the powerhobby heat sink and used some 30mm alloy framed fans on it. They seem to hold up for a long time with lots of big air/chassis slaps. I even replaced the 35mm fans in my max6's with these 30mm fans. They blow a ton of air at 7.2V (max6 bec runs up to 7.2V). They blow a lot even at 6V.

To get them to fit the powerhobby heat sink, I had to egg out the holes a bit on the fans as they are a bit thicker walled than plastic 30mm fans.

I did try the fans that came with the heat sink and they seemed ok, but I replaced them anyway as the alloy framed ones seem to hold up so much better.

https://www.amazon.com/Powerhobby-Aluminum-Heat-Turbo-Speed/dp/B07ZPNJQ6T
https://www.rcjuice.com/hobbystar-turbo-ventilator-esc-motor-fan-30x30mm-gold.html

Can get the fans in a few colors, but they are running a sale on the gold ones at the moment for $11 vs $15 they usually cost.

I have those fans on both heat sink's in my ERBEv2 and outcast 6S as well as the max6 esc's in both trucks. I also have them on my MMX in my savage flux (had to remove the cover and just bolt it on due to the fan not fitting in the housing) and I made a mount next to my 2200kv castle motor in the savage for another fan. I have a 40mm version of it in my stampede 4x4 on the motor cooler as well.

You see those fans rebadged everywhere. Not sure who really makes them. I see them around with surpass, hobbystar and a few other names.

Outcast:

ERBEv2:

40mm in the stampede:

I did break that one in the stampede... I accidentally jammed a screwdriver in it while trying to bend the screen a bit during the first run with it... oops.

I've since ordered some 35mm versions from surpass/aliexpress and they will get here in a month or so. Hoping they fit in the max6 housing, odds are they won't and I'll have to modify the housing or fan to fit them in even though they use 35mm fans.

 

[leroychurchill]

Personally, I went with the powerhobby heat sink and used some 30mm alloy framed fans on it. They seem to hold up for a long time with lots of big air/chassis slaps. I even replaced the 35mm fans in my max6's with these 30mm fans. They blow a ton of air at 7.2V (max6 bec runs up to 7.2V). They blow a lot even at 6V.

To get them to fit the powerhobby heat sink, I had to egg out the holes a bit on the fans as they are a bit thicker walled than plastic 30mm fans.

I did try the fans that came with the heat sink and they seemed ok, but I replaced them anyway as the alloy framed ones seem to hold up so much better.

https://www.amazon.com/Powerhobby-Aluminum-Heat-Turbo-Speed/dp/B07ZPNJQ6T
https://www.rcjuice.com/hobbystar-turbo-ventilator-esc-motor-fan-30x30mm-gold.html

Can get the fans in a few colors, but they are running a sale on the gold ones at the moment for $11 vs $15 they usually cost.

I have those fans on both heat sink's in my ERBEv2 and outcast 6S as well as the max6 esc's in both trucks. I also have them on my MMX in my savage flux (had to remove the cover and just bolt it on due to the fan not fitting in the housing) and I made a mount next to my 2200kv castle motor in the savage for another fan. I have a 40mm version of it in my stampede 4x4 on the motor cooler as well.

You see those fans rebadged everywhere. Not sure who really makes them. I see them around with surpass, hobbystar and a few other names.

Outcast:

ERBEv2:

40mm in the stampede:

I did break that one in the stampede... I accidentally jammed a screwdriver in it while trying to bend the screen a bit during the first run with it... oops.

I've since ordered some 35mm versions from surpass/aliexpress and they will get here in a month or so. Hoping they fit in the max6 housing, odds are they won't and I'll have to modify the housing or fan to fit them in even though they use 35mm fans.

How did you fit the aluminum fans on the power hobby mount? I got some new fans and I can't get them to fit.

 

[Sandracer_NL]

How did you fit the aluminum fans on the power hobby mount? I got some new fans and I can't get them to fit.

You need to drill (I used a Dremel) the holes in the aluminium fan housing a tiny bit.

 

[leroychurchill]

You need to drill (I used a Dremel) the holes in the aluminium fan housing a tiny bit.

Can i see a picture please?

 

[Sandracer_NL]

If you install one fan on the heatsink and try to install the second one, the screw holes on the second fan don’t align with the holes in the heatsink. If you look from the top of the fan you’ll see that those screw holes need to be a tiny bit (about 1 mm) bigger. Don’t forget eye protection when drilling in the aliminium.

 

[leroychurchill]

If you install one fan on the heatsink and try to install the second one, the screw holes on the second fan don’t align with the holes in the heatsink. If you look from the top of the fan you’ll see that those screw holes need to be a tiny bit (about 1 mm) bigger. Don’t forget eye protection when drilling in the aliminium.

How does the Dremel cut a hole though? Wouldn't it just make it wider and once it is wider how is the screw going to screw in?

 

[Sandracer_NL]

If you make the holes just large enough for the thread the head of the screw will secure the housing. But I also put fan cover on top on the fan and it all sits really secure.
I took my time and used a bit on force to dremel the hole in which direction I wanted it to go; so it got more of a ellipse instead of a circe. Tried to fit it. Drilled again. Fit again. I drilled away a really really small bit each time that’s way I needed to drill about two or three times each hole.
I heard someone grind off a bit of the housing instead to make them fit

 

[Greengaunja]

People swear by these: https://www.ebay.com/itm/Sanyo-Denk...x40x28mm-Aluminum-Frame-Fan-New-/232713994722

I haven't used them, but I assume the aluminum body helps a lot. Fan blades are still a weak point so you need to add a screen to to protect them from rocks.

Not disputing what you recommended, just an attempt to learn more here. Is 4000 rpm sufficient? It's a stark contrast to two I ordered for my motor @32000 rpm. Others chimed in this was a good one, so really what am I missing? Is mine an overkill? Drainage on batteries?

 

[Sandracer_NL]

Not disputing what you recommended, just an attempt to learn more here. Is 4000 rpm sufficient? It's a stark contrast to two I ordered for my motor @32000 rpm. Others chimed in this was a good one, so really what am I missing? Is mine an overkill? Drainage on batteries?

I got the Rocket fans in 30 mm at 28k rpm. They use about 650mah each.
I ran 4(!) of them () last summer on a separate 2s 3000mah lipo. The 3.7v alarm went of after around 70 minutes. So no worries about draining your lipo.
I now have two 30mm Rocket fans on the Kraton and two Hobbywing 50mm fans on the DR8. The last two came with the Hobbywing heatsink fan combo and spin at around 7k rpm I read somewhere. Night and day difference with the Rockets.
Once the HW fans can’t handle it anymore I replace them with the Rocket fans.

 

[leroychurchill]

If you make the holes just large enough for the thread the head of the screw will secure the housing. But I also put fan cover on top on the fan and it all sits really secure.
I took my time and used a bit on force to dremel the hole in which direction I wanted it to go; so it got more of a ellipse instead of a circe. Tried to fit it. Drilled again. Fit again. I drilled away a really really small bit each time that’s way I needed to drill about two or three times each hole.
I heard someone grind off a bit of the housing instead to make them fit

Do you think shaving down the fan would affect it negatively?

 

[Sandracer_NL]

No, just thought that making the housing holes a tiny bit larger was easier. Also the cool looking aluminium housing stays looking cool.

 

[olds97_lss]

No, just thought that making the housing holes a tiny bit larger was easier. Also the cool looking aluminium housing stays looking cool.

I've done both. Egging out the holes on the bottom of the fan was waaaaaaaaaaaay less work. Just get a cutting bit for a dremel, or an old drill bit and elongate the holes to the side. The screws I use hold the screen on with washers, which are larger than the entire hole anyway, but if you used tiny screws that went down inside the fan holes and relied on the ledge, then you'd have problems.

I have one of these bits to elongate the holes in things:
https://us.dremel.com/en_US/product...ries/dremel-9910-tungsten-carbide-carving-bit

Once you elongate the holes on the bottom, start the screws for both fans (after adding the spacers and loctite). Once you have all 8 started, then you can tighten them a bit at a time until they are all tight. Worked for me.

On the one where I ground the enges of the fans, I only have a dremel, typical file, sandpaper and recently bought a finger sander. I used the finger sander to grind material off the fans on the meeting edges, but it took quite a while. If you had more industrial type grinder, it would take a minute.

I only have this:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B072Q2FTLY

I bought it for the sole purpose of knife edging my wear plates for skids that I make for my trucks. Takes down material a lot faster than a dremel, but doesn't sound like I have a machine shop in my apartment... like having a bench grinder or a grown up angle grinder. One of the downsides of living in an apartment... no room for the right tools and likely not having the right ventilation or sound proofing for the big tools (welder, torch, grinder, saws, etc).

 

[Arrma Addict]

Just a tip in case you clean the car with compressed air hitting directly the fan. Maybe this is not necesary what breaks it but for sure don't do any bad and help a bit for durability.

A computer technician once told me that the small fans in laptops (really similar to ones in our RC) broke sometimes due to people cleaning them with compressed air forcing the bushing and the motor of the Fan to spin on more RPM for what they are designed.

What I do is to hold a cable strip on the fan just to avoid it moving when blowing air.

View attachment 124137

I learned this after wrecking two fans with compressed air. I use a tooth pick now. No fan problems since.

 

[Greengaunja]

Anyone know if top fan guards/shields or whatever are sold separately? Downside of some Amazon venders:

Nor are there any screws but that I have a garage full of. Just need guards to go over the screens.

 

[Sandracer_NL]

Anyone know if top fan guards/shields or whatever are sold separately? Downside of some Amazon venders:
View attachment 125468
Nor are there any screws but that I have a garage full of. Just need guards to go over the screens.

Yes they are sold separately. You can get them from Rocket or any other you can find. If you want to see how the carbon Rocket fan covers look see my build thread.

 

[SrC]

Just a tip in case you clean the car with compressed air hitting directly the fan. Maybe this is not necesary what breaks it but for sure don't do any bad and help a bit for durability.

A computer technician once told me that the small fans in laptops (really similar to ones in our RC) broke sometimes due to people cleaning them with compressed air forcing the bushing and the motor of the Fan to spin on more RPM for what they are designed.

What I do is to hold a cable strip on the fan just to avoid it moving when blowing air.

View attachment 124137

Good tip.
I do the same. I lock the fans always.
I learned years ago from doing just that. Overspinning my fans in my PC's when blowing them out. Bricked a few expensive fans before I learned. The hard way.