5015 fan blower motor with the air intake and air duct reversed

thingiverse

This is an ambitious project to see if I can create a 5051 fan that has the intake duct on the right rather than the left. The reason for this is that many people use these fans because they're cheap and compact, but often when using two of them, at least one has a severely restricted air intake due to its proximity to something else. Manufacturers should seriously consider making a version with the duct on the other side so we don't have to modify any, unless one already exists that I'm not aware of. I've added this information to Thingiverse in hopes that someone will take up the project or at least find it interesting. I'll provide as much information about what I've learned so far, keeping in mind that I'm a novice maker, so be warned. The reversed fan duct step files are modified from one found on OnShape in the public area, where all files created in OnShape via the free version are available for use by anyone, including mine. Removing Parts from a Standard 5015 Fan ===================================== - Learn from my mistakes (I've killed two and have run out!). - The exact fans I used can be found here: https://www.banggood.com/3PcsPack-TEVO-DC-12V-505015mm-5015-Radial-Turbo-Blower-Cooling-Fan-For-3D-Printer-p-1345093.html These come with grease in the motor, which is a good sign they're pretty good for the money. An old one I had had no grease at all! - The original case opens easily; it's just clipped together. - The blade part of the fan (the bit with the metal shaft) is held in with some kind of miniature cir-clip washer. If you use a knife or very small bladed screwdriver, it will fracture and allow you to separate the two parts of the motor. An old version from a different manufacturer had a larger, split plastic cir-clip that was easier to remove. - The PCB says 24V, so are they using a standard PCB for different versions, or can you run these fans at 24V? I haven't tried, but it's something for you to consider. Creating the New Fan ================== - IMPORTANT - When putting the stator on the new right-hand side (RHS) case half, push on the windings, not the PCB, or it will separate and rip the wires off! - The old stator will happily hot-glue to the new case. - Insert the brass bush from the old fan into the shaft of the new fan case(DON'T use a soldering iron!!). If your printer is set up correctly, it will be tight to push in (use a bit of grease from the fan if it won't move) but it will fit.