witterth Posted January 2, 2011 Share Posted January 2, 2011 The fan in a Trace Elliot AH500 had been making some funny clicking/catching noises then the sound stops, but then again the fan carried on regardless. Anyway on NYE the fan stopped alltogether, at the sound check, so I luckily noticed it, and used a spare I'd been carring due to previous worries about the Fan. I was worrried hot venue and running amp without fan. could do severe damage to more expensive bits. Anyone know how difficult it is to repair and what to expect pricewise? Its a AH500 mark4 so quite old (but Emily loved him-thats how old it is, if you get that reference!!)so Id like to get it fixed So...? Ideas chaps? W Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
icastle Posted January 2, 2011 Share Posted January 2, 2011 [quote name='witterth' post='1075469' date='Jan 2 2011, 04:59 PM']The fan in a Trace Elliot AH500 had been making some funny clicking/catching noises then the sound stops, but then again the fan carried on regardless. Anyway on NYE the fan stopped alltogether, at the sound check, so I luckily noticed it, and used a spare I'd been carring due to previous worries about the Fan. I was worrried hot venue and running amp without fan. could do severe damage to more expensive bits. Anyone know how difficult it is to repair and what to expect pricewise? Its a AH500 mark4 so quite old (but Emily loved him-thats how old it is, if you get that reference!!)so Id like to get it fixed So...? Ideas chaps? W[/quote] Probably not a hugely expensive repair. If it's an old amp then you might be able to fix it yourself by removing all of the caked on gunk from the fan (vacuum cleaner and a paintbrush would do the trick) and making sure the bearings are running freely (a wee squirt of WD40 would do the trick here but make sure you wipe any excess off before powering it up). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
witterth Posted January 2, 2011 Author Share Posted January 2, 2011 [quote name='icastle' post='1075483' date='Jan 2 2011, 05:10 PM']Probably not a hugely expensive repair. If it's an old amp then you might be able to fix it yourself by removing all of the caked on gunk from the fan (vacuum cleaner and a paintbrush would do the trick) and making sure the bearings are running freely (a wee squirt of WD40 would do the trick here but make sure you wipe any excess off before powering it up).[/quote] Thanks MR Ic! On listening to the fault a friend of mine (who plays in the band) thought it may be the bearings that were at fault, but cleaning is a good place to start,so thanks. I do think it may be more than that, But will try. I was told not to use WD40 as when dust gets on it sits there (stuck to oil) where as switch cleaner cleans things then evaporates(?) again, thoughts/advice Cheers W Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
icastle Posted January 2, 2011 Share Posted January 2, 2011 [quote name='witterth' post='1075551' date='Jan 2 2011, 06:17 PM']Thanks MR Ic! On listening to the fault a friend of mine (who plays in the band) thought it may be the bearings that were at fault, but cleaning is a good place to start,so thanks. I do think it may be more than that, But will try. I was told not to use WD40 as when dust gets on it sits there (stuck to oil) where as switch cleaner cleans things then evaporates(?) again, thoughts/advice Cheers W[/quote] Yep - switch cleaner is better if you have a can to hand. Internal fans are usually a pretty standard size and fit so a visit to your local Maplin with the busted one should get you are replacement pretty easily. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
witterth Posted January 2, 2011 Author Share Posted January 2, 2011 [quote name='icastle' post='1075559' date='Jan 2 2011, 06:24 PM']Yep - switch cleaner is better if you have a can to hand. Internal fans are usually a pretty standard size and fit so a visit to your local Maplin with the busted one should get you are replacement pretty easily.[/quote] Right thanks Bit scared of doing such work myself though at least I know it wont cost a fortune now maplins for switch cleaner I thought? Thanks again W Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MarkBassChat Posted January 3, 2011 Share Posted January 3, 2011 I would also fix it with WD40 (it helps in most cases). If not, just write down the symbol of the fan and search it in google. You will know what is the price. Mark Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flyfisher Posted January 3, 2011 Share Posted January 3, 2011 WD40/switch cleaner may help for a while, but if it really is a bearing problem then it'll likely only be a temporary fix. If you can find a suitable replacement fan then a DIY repair shouldn't be too difficult. The only tricky bit is likely to be where the fan wires are fixed to the circuit board. If they are soldered directly to the circuit board then a little skill and care is needed, to avoid damaging the PCB tracks. If they are connected using some sort of plug/socket arrangement then it's likely to be more tricky unless you can find a spare fan connector and have a suitable crimp tool. In this case, I would leave the plug/socket alone and cut the wires from the old fan, leaving ample wire on the connector, then connect the new fan to the old wires and use some suitable sleeving to insulate the joints. If this leaves a longer length of wire then just be careful to tuck it away, or fix it with ty-raps, in such a way that it can't become tangled in the new fan. The amp should, of course, be disconnected from everything whilst doing such work and if it's a valve amp then be careful to ensure all capacitors are properly discharged. Leaving it unplugged overnight should do the trick. Otherwise, this sort of repair is more of a mechanical fix than an electrical one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
icastle Posted January 3, 2011 Share Posted January 3, 2011 [quote name='witterth' post='1075563' date='Jan 2 2011, 06:28 PM']Right thanks Bit scared of doing such work myself though at least I know it wont cost a fortune now maplins for switch cleaner I thought? Thanks again W[/quote] Yep - Maplin will do fine for a can of switch cleaner. There's really nothing to be scared of - if you are comfortable getting to the fan and giving it a clean then you are only 4 screws and two wires (a red one and a black one usually) away from replacing the fan anyway! The only other things to remember are to: 1) Unplug the amp from the mains before taking the cover off. 2) Make sure that the fan isn't sodden with switch cleaner when you switch it on - it won't do any electrical damage if it is but it'll make a hell of a mess! (think slapstick comedy involving a liquidiser and a lid that comes off!) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
witterth Posted January 3, 2011 Author Share Posted January 3, 2011 Thanks for all your help guys. I will take this to a tekkie, but now armed with a bit of knowledge!! ATB W Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bobby K Posted January 3, 2011 Share Posted January 3, 2011 (edited) [quote name='witterth' post='1075469' date='Jan 2 2011, 04:59 PM']Its a AH500 mark4 so quite old (but Emily loved him-thats how old it is, if you get that reference!!)[/quote] Well, I liked the Bagpuss reference I love my VA350 in much the same way, my fan generally behaves well but I will keep an eye on it Edited January 3, 2011 by Bobby K Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Soliloquy Posted January 4, 2011 Share Posted January 4, 2011 I bought an old TE head last year, I unfortunately had to sell it due to the weight. I amazed though at how quiet the fans were compared to modern amps. The build quality was superb, how many are still working fine today ? I wonder how many of the new amps will be working still in 30 years time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
weepaul Posted January 4, 2011 Share Posted January 4, 2011 Same thing happened to my Trace. Got the exact same fan off ebay for about £15. I just cut the wires conecting the old fan and twisted the wire from the new fan together,then used some insulating tape. Job done and no prolems(so far ) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stevie Posted January 4, 2011 Share Posted January 4, 2011 (edited) I swapped the fan in my Trace AH-300 because it was noisy. It was relatively easy to do. The fan connecting wires were held in by two small screw clamps attached to a circuit board. The only awkward part was having to move the power amp board because it was stopping me from getting my screwdriver into the the clamps when I came to replace the wires. When buying a new fan, choose one that has a similar consumption to the one you are replacing. In other words, if the original one is 0.1W, that's what you should be looking for. The best place to buy them is a specialist computer store. I recently bought a Panaflo for about £3.50 from Scan computers. The good ones aren't very expensive - so go for a respected brand. It really is pointless soldiering on with a duff fan when they are so cheap and easy to swap. There are plenty of tales on the web of duff Trace Elliot fans causing the output transistors to blow up. Depending on the output trannies, the repair can be well over £100. Edited January 4, 2011 by stevie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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