heat sync gel / glue

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ap14rcf70

... this wasn't very bright of me -- i was pulling on the heat snyc
(with fan built in) sitting on top of an AMD-K6-2 processor -- I didn't
realize that it was held on by some kind of gel or glue -- now it won't
"re-stick" (for lack of a better word) -- once I stand the tower up it
will stay for about two minutes and then fall off ..... what would be
the smartest way to reattach it? Thanks everyone.
 
.. this wasn't very bright of me -- i was pulling on the heat snyc
(with fan built in) sitting on top of an AMD-K6-2 processor -- I didn't
realize that it was held on by some kind of gel or glue -- now it won't
"re-stick" (for lack of a better word) -- once I stand the tower up it
will stay for about two minutes and then fall off ..... what would be
the smartest way to reattach it? Thanks everyone.
Click to expand...

Sounds like you need to clean off the old thermal adhesive
and apply new. See:

http://www.arcticsilver.com/products.htm#epoxy

and

http://www.arcticsilver.com/

-- Bob Day
http://bobday.vze.com
 
.. this wasn't very bright of me -- i was pulling on the heat snyc
(with fan built in) sitting on top of an AMD-K6-2 processor -- I didn't
realize that it was held on by some kind of gel or glue -- now it won't
"re-stick" (for lack of a better word) -- once I stand the tower up it
will stay for about two minutes and then fall off ..... what would be
the smartest way to reattach it? Thanks everyone.
Click to expand...


A socket 7 CPU should have a heatsink with a clip on it
which fastens to the socket lugs. There are no systems that
should be without this clip, so it would seem whoever had
last installed a 'sink on that CPU had not done so
correctly.
 
there is a silver bar/clip on the bottom of the chipset if the tower is
standing up - but that doesn't hold the heat sync on --- there is also
a piece of metal running through the heat sync i believe helped to hold
it in place but i can't get it back the way it was - not sure if i bent
it or what -- my bad - i should have mentioned that before
 
there is a silver bar/clip on the bottom of the chipset if the tower is
standing up - but that doesn't hold the heat sync on
Click to expand...

I don't know what you mean above, but we might be able to
ignore this clip and focus on the next one.

--- there is also
a piece of metal running through the heat sync i believe helped to hold
it in place but i can't get it back the way it was - not sure if i bent
it or what -- my bad - i should have mentioned that before
Click to expand...

Socket 7 heatsinks are held down with a clip quite similar
to (usually compatible with) the simplier one-point latching
clips on socket 370 or socket A.

I suspect that the "gel" you saw was merely dried up thermal
compound or thermal pad- it was not ever intended nor is a
safe way to try to hold on a heatsink.

Figure out how to bend the clip back to make it work, or
look aroud for another heatsink. Socket 7 CPUs don't get
very hot (relatively speaking) so any moderate sized (not a
tiny 1/2" tall 'sink like a Pentium 1 would use) 'sink
should suffice. You could, theoretically, epoxy the
heatsink onto the CPU but it seems the harder and least
desireable option, IMO.

If you were really desperate, you could probably take some
solid strand stripped copper wire, about 14 gauge, and wrap
it between the two opposite socket lugs to hold down the
'sink then twist the two ends together to increase the
tension. It's a fiddly way to get the job done and if at
all possible just try to bend clip back so it works.

Also note that if you visited an old mom-n-pop computer
shop, they may be throwing away old systems. Even if a
system didn't have a great heatsink in it, you might be able
to pull the clip off and reuse it on your present 'sink.
Some may not work so well but most socket 7 heatsink clips
were more similar than different.
 
there is a silver bar/clip on the bottom of the chipset if the tower is
standing up - but that doesn't hold the heat sync on
Click to expand...

You don't mean the ZIF lever that holds the CPU in it's socket ? (small lever on
one side of the socket, clips down flat)

See: http://tinyurl.com/8trxm
--- there is also
a piece of metal running through the heat sync i believe helped to hold
it in place but i can't get it back the way it was - not sure if i bent
it or what -- my bad - i should have mentioned that before
Click to expand...

Does it look something like this: http://tinyurl.com/cs6tb

That sounds like the heatsink retention clip.. and they can be quite tricky to
get back on.. usually the clip on one side is slightly larger to allow you to
press it down with something flat.. (if you're using a screwdriver, be
extremely careful as it can slip and damage the board)

Clip the smaller side on first, then use a screwdriver or something to push the
other side down and onto the socket..

Regards,
Chris
 
there is a silver bar/clip on the bottom of the chipset if the tower is
standing up - but that doesn't hold the heat sync on --- there is also
a piece of metal running through the heat sync i believe helped to hold
it in place but i can't get it back the way it was
Click to expand...

Some of the older clips have a lug that's best handled with a 3/16" -
1/4" nut driver rather than a screwdriver.

The K6-2 has a large flat surface on its package and uses a heatsink
enough that it can be secured with glue alone, and the amount of heat
is modest enough that no special thermal glue is needed, just regular
epoxy or silicone rubber RTV. Silicone rubber (noth silicone paste or
grease) actually holds quite well and has the advantage of being soft
enough that it can be sliced through if the heatsink should ever
require removal. Before using any glue, thoroughly clean both surfaces
and degrease them with alcohol.
 
Some of the older clips have a lug that's best handled with a 3/16" -
1/4" nut driver rather than a screwdriver.

The K6-2 has a large flat surface on its package and uses a heatsink
enough that it can be secured with glue alone, and the amount of heat
is modest enough that no special thermal glue is needed, just regular
epoxy or silicone rubber RTV. Silicone rubber (noth silicone paste or
grease) actually holds quite well and has the advantage of being soft
enough that it can be sliced through if the heatsink should ever
require removal. Before using any glue, thoroughly clean both surfaces
and degrease them with alcohol.
Click to expand...


You're right, but why would anyone go through all that if
all they need is a heatsink clip (or not merely to bend the
original a bit) ? This is all a bit like reinventing the
wheel... it's just an ordinary socket and the heatsink is
supposed be held on with a clip.

If a less optimal thermal transfer material is used, it
increases the necessary efficiency of the heatsink. Given a
particular 'sink it means the fan needs be
faster/louder/shorter-lived.

If someone were to permanently attach a 'sink to the heat
spreader, it is still possible to remove the entire heat
spreader as it is held on by silicone rubber on the four
corners, that can be sliced through with a long (but not TOO
long) X-Acto knife. There is a silicone bonding in the
middle between the core and heat spreader too, but after
having removed several in that era myself, it seems the
spreader and core separate rather easily once those 4
corners are cut, it is not a great stress on the core to
manually pull apart.
 
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