Enclosure ZS-A4 V2 Owners - how the heck did you fit that chassis fan??

SilverJS

Airflow Optimizer
Original poster
Feb 8, 2018
244
117
Hey all again,

First - apologies for the two posts in quick succession, kinda felt that combining both questions would clutter and/or derail conversation.

So I've got my ZS-A4 V2 up and running, all is well (mostly) - but for the life of me, I couldn't figure out how to install that front 120mm fan properly. The instruction manual that was made available on the Taobao thread (which was otherwise quite helpful - thanks much again to the individual who translated that) was of very limited use to me in this regard.

There I was, having spent considerable time cable managing to make sure that fan got no interference...and I just couldn't get it to work. I mean - I could secure either the bracket holding the fan, or the fan to the bracket, but not both. So if any of you have done this, I'd be eternally grateful for a bit of help...=)

Cheers!
 

tinyitx

Shrink Ray Wielder
Jan 25, 2018
2,279
2,338
Judging from the .docx installation manual, the 120 fan is first installed onto the mounting bracket (ie not using a 2.5'' drive) and then the assembly is mounted onto the case frame.
Are you using a 25mm thick fan? If yes, then that might be the problem as the spec says it only supports 120x20 fan. That extra 5mm might explain why.
 

SilverJS

Airflow Optimizer
Original poster
Feb 8, 2018
244
117
Using a 12x15 Noctua. And that's the thing - if I secure the fan to the bracket, I have no way left to secure the bracket to the case (if using a 120mm fan, that is). Unless I'm missing something...

And the translated PDF document makes it seem like I have to slide everything in - the fan/drive bracket included. But that way, I can't really secure the bracket...=)
 

tinyitx

Shrink Ray Wielder
Jan 25, 2018
2,279
2,338
Using a 12x15 Noctua. And that's the thing - if I secure the fan to the bracket, I have no way left to secure the bracket to the case (if using a 120mm fan, that is). Unless I'm missing something...

And the translated PDF document makes it seem like I have to slide everything in - the fan/drive bracket included. But that way, I can't really secure the bracket...=)
Yes, you will have to slide everything in.
I have searched a little in the net (especially in the Chinese forums) to see if anyone has installed a 120x15 fan but I found none. Many owners have commented that it is very very difficult to install 120x15 fan. So, there is only 1 word that I can give you. It is not 'easy' but 'patience'.

I do not have the case and so I am 'speculating' and this is how I would try it:-
1. secure the fan to the bracket with 2 rear screws (ie the 2 positions further away from the front), going in from the fan top
2. now, slide everything in carefully. There is an video online to show (with 2 pieces of thin paper on both sides to ease the sliding in)
3. then, at this time, the fan-bracket should be in its relative final position. Insert/install 2 screws from the case bottom at the 2 positions closer to the case front. These 2 screws will pass through the case frame, the bracket and the fan and through the fan screw hole. The screws should protrude out a little bit so that you can use a nut to tighten. Something like the fans in this pic below:

So, the fan-bracket is held onto the case bottom frame with only 2 (instead of 4) screws but I think this should provide sufficient anchorage.
As these 2 screws are very close to the case front, the nuts should be able to be applied fairly easily.

(Of course, if you have tiny hands and good skill, you can use this screw-nut method for the 2 rear screws as well. If so, the fan will need to be first temporarily fixed onto the bracket with thin double sided tape).

If and when I have time, I might contact the case seller/builder and ask him directly. Or, you can ask him yourself?
 
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SilverJS

Airflow Optimizer
Original poster
Feb 8, 2018
244
117
Oooh...is that a Deng I'm spotting in that photo...? =) Wonderful case.

Yeah - I kinda thought about doing it exactly the way you described (2 screws to hold fan, 2 screws to hold bracket to case). The problem was that while the bracket was secure, the fan was only as secure as the screws would go deep, which meant that there was at least a 10mm gap between the screw top and the fan. I'm not sure the fan would have moved THAT much either way, to be honest, but still. This is probably the one part of the instructions that's really unclear to me, but the rest was well done.

In any case - I think I've kind of dropped the ZS-A4 V2 in favor of my Sunmilo after all. Too much of a pain in the behind to take the V2 apart for a tinkerer like meself...
 

tinyitx

Shrink Ray Wielder
Jan 25, 2018
2,279
2,338
Oooh...is that a Deng I'm spotting in that photo...? =) Wonderful case.

Yeah - I kinda thought about doing it exactly the way you described (2 screws to hold fan, 2 screws to hold bracket to case). The problem was that while the bracket was secure, the fan was only as secure as the screws would go deep, which meant that there was at least a 10mm gap between the screw top and the fan. I'm not sure the fan would have moved THAT much either way, to be honest, but still. This is probably the one part of the instructions that's really unclear to me, but the rest was well done.

In any case - I think I've kind of dropped the ZS-A4 V2 in favor of my Sunmilo after all. Too much of a pain in the behind to take the V2 apart for a tinkerer like meself...
You have good eyes! Indeed, it is a Deng F15. If you like, check out my still ongoing build log under Builds.

And, which Sunmilo case are you pursuing?
 

SilverJS

Airflow Optimizer
Original poster
Feb 8, 2018
244
117
I'll check it out, thanks.

C01S. :). I'll post an album shortly, once I've figured out my best config. I'll also post a couple of PSA's in the meantime - like, Accelero III doesn't fit in the ZS-A4 V2, Accelero Twin Turbo doesn't fit in C01S, etc... :)

Cheers!
 

hanke

Case Bender
New User
Oct 24, 2020
2
0
I'll check it out, thanks.

C01S. :). I'll post an album shortly, once I've figured out my best config. I'll also post a couple of PSA's in the meantime - like, Accelero III doesn't fit in the ZS-A4 V2, Accelero Twin Turbo doesn't fit in C01S, etc... :)

Cheers!
Hi there,

Not sure whether you were able to install it but I recently did a build with ZS-A4 V2 as well and I thought I would share my way.

You need to use the long screws that comes with the case (the longest ones) and screw them in from the bottom of the chassis. So the screws will go in, through the chassis, then the fan, then the HDD bracket. That way the fan will be kept in place by the chassis and the HDD bracket. It’s a bit hacky but it works.
 

SilverJS

Airflow Optimizer
Original poster
Feb 8, 2018
244
117
Ah!! The HDD bracket on top of the fan?? Of course - so now those screws have something you screw into! Never thought of that! Makes sense now that you say it. I'll have to check it out but it makes intuitive sense.

Thanks for that!!
 

hanke

Case Bender
New User
Oct 24, 2020
2
0
Ah!! The HDD bracket on top of the fan?? Of course - so now those screws have something you screw into! Never thought of that! Makes sense now that you say it. I'll have to check it out but it makes intuitive sense.

Thanks for that!!
Not a problem at all, glad I could help! :)

Let me know if you run into any issue.