Thinkpad T61 fan sounds like it's percolating coffee....

[Gray_Area]

I bought a replacement, but I can't figure out how to change it out. (It's all so interconnected, I got half-way and chickened out.) Any place special I should go to get this done?

[Samstag]

It's really not that hard.

http://www.insidemylaptop.com/replace-cooling-fan-lenovo-thinkpad-t61-laptop/

It's almost as easy as typing "thinkpad t61 replace fan" and clicking the first link that comes up.   

[Gray_Area]

Hmmm. I was almost there. I have no thermal grease, though. And might as well replace the CMOS battery. Well thanks. Maybe I'll get to it.

[Gray_Area]

I ended up finding a killer tutorial on Youtube. He replaced the whole assembly. I re-used the heat sink, and replaced the fan. Much quieter - the old one was wobbly and hence scrapping on the fan chassis - although for some reason it doesn't run consistently at a speed, and gradually increasing/decreasing, but instead whirring up then slowing down, whirring up then slowing down. I did use newly bought goop.