I had taken off 7 out of the 8 bolts on my friend Pat’s intake manifold. On the 8th bolt, every do-it-yourself mechanic’s nightmare happened: the bolt head stripped.

Preventative Step

The first step before trying to remove any bolt, broken or undamaged, is to use WD-40 or, preferably, PB Blaster. Unfortunately, I didn’t take my own advice on that before the bolt stripped. (more…)

Tool List

• #2 Philips screw driver (to unscrew the side of the case)
• Canned air (to blow the dust out of the case)
• *optional Air compressor with air nozzle.

Ever have the problem of a computer randomly shutting off or freezing? When this occurs it’s most likely from a lack of air flow caused by dust buildup. This problem can be fixed in fifteen minutes with a few simple items. This tutorial will show how to take the case apart and what needs to be cleaned to ensure proper airflow.

Before opening the case or blowing the laptop out, be sure to turn the computer off to avoid shock and to keep from damaging the fans. Once the computer is powered off it’s time to start. If the computer is a laptop the simplest option is to blow the air into the vent to try and remove any dust that may have built up inside the case. A laptop can be disassembled, but I can’t go into detail on that due to the great variation in laptop case designs. If the computer is a desktop, the first step is to take the side of the case off. This can be done by unscrewing the 3 Philips screws on the back side of the case. Once the screws are removed slide the side of the case backward and pull out to remove it. Depending on the design of the case, a handle or some sort of latch may have to be pulled so the side can be removed. Also, some cases hinge open like a door. Once the case is open it is recommended to move the case outside to keep dust from blowing around indoors.

Now it’s time to pull out the canned air or the air nozzle, if an air compressor is available. Before starting to blow out the case be careful not to damage the components of the computer by hitting them with the canned air or the air nozzle. When blowing out the case there are a few areas that need the most attention. The first area that needs attention is the CPU heat sink. This area of the computer is very prone to collecting dust. When cleaning the CPU heat sink, be sure to clear all of the dust out by blowing air through the fins of the heat sink. Another area prone to large amounts of dust is the video card heat sink. The best way to blow out the video card heat sink is to remove the card from the computer. This can be done by unscrewing the card if its screwed in, disconnecting the power cable from the card if it’s equipped with one, and pressing down the retaining clip on the motherboard while firmly pulling the card. Also, there should be various heat sinks on the motherboard. Be sure to clean the heat sinks on the motherboard as they are also prone to collecting dust. Additionally, the power supply should also be blown out, as this can be a dust collector.

Once all of the dust is removed from the case, put the video card back in and reassemble the case. Now that everything is clean, the computer should not freeze and will be quieter because the fans wont have to run as fast. If the computer continues to freeze despite cleaning, take a look at the article Optimize OS X Performance for some tips on how to optimize OS X. Or go to http://www.blackviper.com/ for tips on how to optimize Windows. That’s all I have for now, hope you’re now enjoying a cooler and quieter computer. Be sure to check back every Friday for the a new tip of the week.

Material List

• About 6 Velcro Straps (will vary depending on how many wires need organized).
• About 20 twisty ties (once again, will vary depending on how many wires need organized).

Finished Product

Ever have problems with a tangled up mess of wires inside your computer case? Clean wiring makes future upgrades to the computer easier, helps with case airflow, and looks a lot nicer than wild wires. I have found a few different ways to keep wires very neat. These tips involve the wonderful Velcro straps, twisty ties, and a hiding spaces for all of the extra wires.

I had previously organized all the wires inside my case with twisty ties. The downfall of using strictly twisty ties is that every time I needed to add or remove a wire from my computer (I frequently add and remove wires from my computer) it involved untwisting several twisty ties and then re-twisting them. I solved this problem by using Velcro straps . Using Velcro straps, I can quickly add or remove wires from my computer, while keeping everything fairly tidy looking.

Once I get everything routed using Velcro straps, I then use twisty ties shorten cables that are to long. After I’m done shortening the wires and routing them, I then place any unused cables or cables with large amount of excess, behind the drive bays .

Once all of the cables inside the computer are bundled together, shortened, and hidden, the computer will have much better air flow and will look much cleaner. Additionally, future upgrades will now be much easier to complete. Use this project in combination with my Cheap Do It Your Self Cable Organization to get cables under control inside and outside the computer.