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Painless Performance F5 Dual Fan Controller
1. Short of the controller kit, all you need to supply is the fans and a vehicle to install them in. Painless Performance has kits for both metric and SAE threaded sensors available, so check and see what you need before ordering. Wires, tie-wraps, splice connectors and switches are included along with a great set of instructions with pictures. And the most important part - stickers.
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Painless Performance F5 Dual Fan Controller
2. The F5 controller module has its main wires soldered directly to it for one less connection to get loose and possibly fail. It’s the little things like this that set Painless apart.
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Painless Performance F5 Dual Fan Controller
3. Our old electric fans were in good shape, but we pulled them to check the bearings/bushings anyways. The best way we have found to release the old fan mounts is to melt them off and install new ones. For under $10 a set at our local parts store, it was good insurance.
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Painless Performance F5 Dual Fan Controller
4. Like the wire says, Painless. This is especially true with directions like this on every wire in the kit.
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Painless Performance F5 Dual Fan Controller
5. We placed the fuse and holder close to the battery and screwed it down. After crimping the non-insulated connectors included in the kit, we soldered them and added some heat shrink to seal it all up.
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Painless Performance F5 Dual Fan Controller
6. Our Edelbrock Performer intake already has an extra provision for a temperature sensor, as well as one for the gauge in the cab. The OEM sensor already had thread sealant applied to it, and the Weather Pack connector will keep water and dirt out for years.
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Painless Performance F5 Dual Fan Controller
7. Mount the control box in an easy to reach location so that you can access the temperature settings. Ours fit nicely under the dash on the passenger side using some double sided tape and routing the wires into the engine bay through the firewall with a grommet. You can mount it under the hood, but we felt this was a better protected location.
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Painless Performance F5 Dual Fan Controller
8. With the override switch all wired and buttoned up in out Painless Performance console, all that was left was to set the temperature dials, and drive away.
Story & Photos by Bryan Irons
Automotive electric cooling fans seem to be the mainstay of both the OEM and aftermarket builders today. It’s no wonder, with advantages over their mechanical counterparts like increased fuel savings as well as reduced wear on water pump bushings and fan belts. Running electric fans for an off road rig just makes sense; with high load, low speed crawling, an electric fan is able to move the same volume of air across the radiator regardless of engine RPM.
Although the fans themselves are pretty much fool proof, whether it be a junkyard score or a new unit, controlling them is not. Having a properly designed controller makes the advantages of running electric fans that much more apparent. Installing the F5 dual fan controller from Painless Performance was just what the company name suggests… Painless.
We have used different types of controllers over the years, which has resulted in a list of key criteria.
1) Topping the list is dual fan operation, running two large CFM fans ensures that if one kicks the bucket on an outing, we are assured the remaining fan will keep us cool.
2) A manual override to shut the fans off for deep-water crossings is another bonus we won’t do without.
3) Solid state technology mean no moving parts such as relays to wear out at inopportune times, and allows for variable fan speeds as well. Variable speed may seem like a gimmick to some, but it allows the unit to better regulate the coolant temperature, extends fan life and makes for a quieter ride.
4) Another must have is a quality temperature sensor that threads into a water jacket in the engine, not a push in style that gets mashed in the radiator fins.
The F5 has all of the above features plus a few extras like A/C switch-on (for those with it), vehicle speed shutoff when on the highway, and easy two set point adjustments. Our kit included all the wiring, connectors, fuses, terminals, temperature sensor and switches we needed for the install. The quality of Painless’ parts and assembly is apparent, and it’s no wonder as they have won SEMA’s Best New Product of the Year three times in the company’s 20+ year history.
Included in the kit are a great set of instructions with recommendations, as no two installs are the same. The coloured wiring diagram and labeled conductors make installation a breeze and we easily completed it in a lazy afternoon. Check out some of the highlights as we gladly removed our old troublesome unit and installed the F5… Painlessly!
Painless Performance - 817-244-6212 - www.PainlessPerformance.com