IBM ThinkPad T41 Fan Replacement

Close the screen and turn the closed laptop over.

Remove all 17 screws on the bottom of the computer.

The yellow marker at the rear denotes the UltraBay device retaining screw. This screw is optional as the UltraBay mechanism will hold the drive or battery in place anyway. The yellow marker at the front denotes the hard disk caddy retaining screw.

Remove the extra RAM cover, by lifting where the screw was and pulling out.

Turn the laptop right side up and open the screen.

Lift the keyboard, using a spudger at the seam between the keyboard and trackpad.

Unplug the keyboard’s ribbon cable, by lifting up the edges of the plug.

Remove the keyboard.

Close the laptop and turn it over.

Remove the five plastic stickers covering the screws on the front edge of the case.

Unscrew the five screws that were hidden by the stickers.

Turn the computer right side up and open the screen.

Lift the trackpad assembly by placing hands on both edges and then pull towards you till it is free of the case.

Unplug the trackpad’s ribbon cable by pulling on the white plastic tab.

Pull off the one black and one white coaxial cables by lifting the tabs labeled main and aux (for auxiliary).

Push apart the retaining clips.

Pull the wireless network card out.

Remove the screw on the left hand side of the case, above the expansion slot.

Lift the black plastic border by lifting on either side.

Once the sides are up, pull the border towards you and away from the screen.

When lifting up, there are two pairs of plastic clips hooking into the fan grill. If you pull hard enough the border will come away, but it's better to push the clips with the spudger.

Pull the sheet metal cover away from slot.

Lift out the expansion slot by starting at the entrance hole and pulling upward.

Remove the three screws holding down the modem in the upper left corner of the laptop.

Lift the modem up, unplugging it from the motherboard as you lift.

Pull out the wire that connects the modem to the screen.

Unplug the other cable that attaches the modem to the motherboard

Close the computer screen.

Remove the four screws on the back of the laptop, near the right and left hinges.

Open the laptop screen.

Remove the single screw that secures the left hinge to top of the computer.

Remove a single screw from the metal plate that secures the display cable.

Pull the metal plate away from the display cable.

Disconnect the display cable.

Carefully pull up the long antenna cables that were attached to the wireless network card.

Lift out the screen.

Unsnake the black cable from the black plastic frame.

Remove the sheet metal piece, which was underneath the modem.

Remove the rubber microphone cover in the upper left hand corner by lifting up the gray metal frame.

Lift away the gray metal frame.

Remove three screws near the edge of the computer, holding the optical bay and HDD covers.

Remove three other screws on the other side of the covers.

Lift out the optical bay and HDD covers.

Lift out the black plastic frame.

Unplug the fan from the motherboard.

Remove the three screws on the fan.

Lift the fan out.