Pantera Electronics Radiator Fan Controller Installation Manual IMPORTANT: Radiator Fan Controller Theory It is necessary to understand the theory of the Radiator Fan Controller (RFC will be used throughout the document) in order to realize the importance of following the installation instructions. The RFC is a closed loop controller, this means the temperature sensor converts coolant temperature to an electrical signal that is compared to a reference and operates the fans at a proportional speed to lower the temperature of the coolant. The slowest fan speed is 45% of maximum speed and is initialized approximately 130F (54C). The 130F (54C) is the reference temperature that the RFC regulates the coolant leaving the radiator. The RFC will continually monitor and adjust the fan speed regardless of the external factors to maintain the 130F (54C) coolant. When the coolant is less than 130F (54C) the fans will be completely off. When the fans operate at 45% of maximum speed the current is low and the fan speed is slow and may not be noticeable. Fan motors have brushes internally that are consumed with use but the 45% operation reduces brush wear considerably. Since the coolant temperature is 130F (54C) maximum entering the engine, the engine thermostat will control the engine temperature at 180F (82C). It's important that the engine has coolant below the 180F (82C) so that the thermostat can regulate the engine temperature and not exceed 180F(82C). Engine temperatures exceeding the thermostat temperature would be an engine temperature that is not regulated and can cause pre-ignition detonation if the timing is optimally set for best performance. Radiator Fan Controller Specifications Recommended Fans: (2) Spal part# 30102029 (Suction) Type# VA10-AP70/LL-61A. OR (1) large fan at 30 Amps Maximum. Fans with higher operating current can be operated, see pages 17, 18 and 19. Fan current output - 17 Amps maximum per fan, both fans 35 Amps max. total. Controller input power (Terminal 3) - 0.1 Adc, 11 Vdc Min, 18 Vdc Max. Fan input voltage (Terminal 6) - 18 Vdc Maximum. Air conditioner input control (Terminal 5) - Current - 0.01 Adc, 9Vdc Min. 17 Vdc Max. Pantera Electronics Rev. 04/19/2018 1
Radiator Coolant Flow Determine which radiator tube is the inlet and outlet of the radiator. The direction of coolant enters the drivers side water pump inlet and exits from the thermostat housing, it is logical to fill the radiator from the bottom to the top. That would mean that the coolant leaving the engine would be connected to the lower radiator connection. This is the best arrangement because it also forces the air out of the radiator by this flow direction. The original de Tomaso radiator was modified by Ford dealers to convert it from the conventional radiator flow to a cross-flow design. The cross flow design can be recognized by the spit in the end tank where the inlet and outlets are located. Sometimes the tank is portioned internally and only a solder joint across the end tank is visible. Many after market including Fluidyne radiators designed for the Pantera are also the cross flow design. The RFC needs to monitor the coolant leaving the radiator after the heat was removed by the fans, therefore it is imperative that the temperature sensor is installed in the position where the coolant exits the radiator, this would be in the radiator tank near the upper radiator outlet or a inline TEE connection near the outlet. Radiator Condition and Antifreeze The radiator should be in good condition, free of any sludge, radiator sealant or tube damage. Standard Ethylene Glycol (green) anti-freeze mixed at a 50/50 ratio with water should always be used and changed at regular intervals. The heat transfer characteristics of the 40% Ethylene Glycol antifreeze to 60% water is optimal, additional antifreeze will move less heat and can cause cooling problems. Antifreeze contains wetting agents and does not need additional wetting agents, additional additives upset the proportion of water to antifreeze and will change heat transfer characteristics. The GM type temperature sensor used in this system is electrically isolated and does not introduce electrical potentials to the cooling systems. The RFC operates optimally with either Copper/Brass or Aluminum constructed radiators, and will adjust automatically for the type radiator even if the radiator is changed at a later time. Water Pumps The Ford 351 Cleveland factory water pump should be replaced with a water pump with an enclosed impeller, this design is more efficient an will pump more coolant for the same engine RPM than the original water pump. The recommended water pump for the Ford 351 Cleveland is: FlowKooler, P/N-1648. 2 Pantera Electronics Rev. 04/19/2018
Thermostat Use the proper thermostat, the Ford 351 Cleveland requires a particular thermostat. The factory Ford water by-pass orifice plug is necessary to complete the by-pass valve. RobertShaw P/N 333-180 or equivalent Ford part - Water Pump By-Pass Orifice Plug. Fans, Shrouds and Grills Cutting holes in the front hood to install auxiliary grills does NOT improve air flow for cooling. The Panteras unibody was designed to extract the air from the back of the radiator to the bottom of the car via the tunnel geometry of the trunk floor. Fan shrouds are not required for the Pantera engine cooling application and it is recommended NOT to use them. Shrouds add air resistance and don t allow augmented air flow. If your radiator presently has a fan shroud it is not necessary to remove it. Fans are available from many sources but the best quality and most efficient fans are manufactured by Spal. These are the optimal fan to use with the RFC. Spal USA 1731 SE Oralabor Road Ankeny, IA. 50021 (800) 654-7725 www.spalusa.com Spal part number: 30102029, Type VA10-AP70/LL-61A (suction) 12 Fan blade diameter, (305mm) 3.5 deep, (87mm) 13.5 Amps @ 13.0 volts Pantera Electronics Rev. 04/19/2018 3
Workmanship Wiring and connections have to be of high quality and quality workmanship. Do not twist bare wires together and tape as a connection, use only crimp terminals and the proper crimp tool. Wire should be the proper size for the current handling in the application. Soldering the wires by an experienced person and using shrink tube insulation is an excellent way to make connections. Generally automotive fans capable of requiring 10 to 15 amps each mandating a wire size of 14 AWG per fan. Use tie wraps to keep wiring organized and retained in position. The RFC needs to have fully insulated quick disconnect terminals. See Image 9 for the type of insulated terminal recommended for the RFC further in this manual. Engine Settings Engine idle speed can have a large effect on proper engine temperature when idling for long periods. Even if the engine can idle at 600 to 700 RPM the volume of coolant moving is insufficient to maintain the proper engine temperature. An idle speed of 900 to 1000 RPM is necessary to regulate the proper engine temperature. Items needed in addition to the Radiator Fan Controller Adapters are needed for mounting the temperature sensor to a particular radiator type. The original factory radiator requires an adapter with 3 mounting holes with a center hole taped 3/8 NPT. The Fluidyne radiator requires a threaded bushing with 22 mm x 1.5 threads on the outside and 3/8 NPT threads on the inside. Both adapters can be purchased from Pantera Electronics. 1) Quick disconnect terminals 0.25 wide in the sizes to match the wire size. See Image 4 for the type of insulated terminal recommended for the RFC further in this manual. Yellow Quick disconnect female terminal, 10 to 12 gauge wire, PE part # FTY. Blue Quick disconnect female terminal, 14 to 16 gauge wire, PE part # FTB. Red Quick disconnect male terminal, 18 to 22 gauge wire, PE part # FTR. 2) Ring lug with hole size for connection to battery and 5mm stud. 3) PVC insulated wire Do not use solid wire, it is not designed to flex or vibrate, use fine stranded electronics grade wire only. Wire size 14 AWG for 10-15 amps, 12 AWG for 16-20 amps and 10 AWG for 25-30 amps. 4 Pantera Electronics Rev. 04/19/2018
4) Fuse and fuse holder suitable for supporting the current consumption of both fans. Pantera Electronics part # IFH or equivalent. (see page 13) 5) Permatex Blue RTV Silicon Gasket Maker 6B. 6) Teflon tape. 7) Qty (3) Stainless steel Nylock nuts, thread M4 x 0.7. Re-use the Nylock nuts from the relays or purchase qty (2) Stainless steel Nylock nuts, thread M5 x 0.8. Note that the aluminum enclosure is designed to be water resistant NOT perfectly sealed against intense water pressure. Do not apply water through the use of a pressurized hose directly on the enclosure as water ingress is possible and will permanently damage the Radiator Fan Controller. Mechanical Installation Phase: Mounting of the RFC requires a location where a constant airflow across the front plate where the terminals are located, is important for long term reliability. High power fans over 15 amps each mandate mounting in the RFC in the position behind the fans or radiator in the location of the original of the fan relays is best. This also keeps the wires short between the RFC and fans which minimizes electrical losses and electrical noise. The box size is designed to fit behind the headlight actuator tube and the horizontal support beam. One of the studs that the relays are mounted on is used for mounting the RFC box. There is a wire harness steel strap that must be removed by cutting with a saw. The box does not have a mounting hole pre-drilled because the location of the stud on the Pantera can vary from car to car. It is important to mount the box with the left hand side of the box against the support beam that runs parallel the length of the car. This traps the corner of the RFC box in the corner of the 2 support beams maintaining a square mounting position. The RFC box with lid and terminal strip must be low on the support beam so that the barrier edges of the terminal strip rest on the headlight tube. This interference fit is required due to the minimum clearance of the hood and the top forward edge of the box. After mounting the RFC box, the forward edge of the box and cover (with electronics) will need to have a radius about 1/8 deep to clear the hood geometry. With the cover installed using the screws, use a half round file or a rotary sanding drum in a hand held drill to remove material to make a clearance radius. Note since there are variances in the Pantera body assembly, this clearance modification may not be needed. Determine this by closing the hood with a piece of thin card board laying on the RFC and check for deformation from interference. [Image 4] Pantera Electronics Rev. 04/19/2018 5
Mechanical Installation Phase Continued: 1) Install the up-grade fans and wires for the fan motors, use the same color wires for each fans polarity. Example: RED for (+) and BLACK for (-) on each fan motor. 2) If using the factory radiator, remove three screws that retain the top temperature switch. 3) Disconnect original wiring and remove original relays, save the hardware. 4) Remove 3 screws or 3 nuts that retain the factory upper thermal switch from the radiator. Clean the mounting flange of any gasket and sealant. 5) Install the temperature sensor plate using the gasket and Permatex Blue RTV Silicon Gasket Maker 6B or equivalent high temperature sealant. Use the sealant on the screw threads and torque the 3 screws or nuts equally. 6) If installing temperature sensor in a Fluidyne radiator, install 22mm adapter into the top radiator position without Teflon tape, the O-ring seals the fitting. (the adapter has straight threads, not pipe threads) The metal ring supports and controls the amount of compression of the O ring. Do not remove the metal ring. 7) Wrap Teflon tape about 2 turns around the temperature sensor threads, and install the temperature sensor. Do not over-tighten, the Teflon tape will seal the threads. 8) Temporarily install a few crimp terminals on the terminal blades on the RFC, this will maintain a space for the crimp terminals later. Position the box square in the area where the horizontal beams intersect and the crimp terminals rest against the headlight tube. The relay stud should be in interference with the backside of the box. Carefully use the stud to scratch a mark on the backside of the box. Remove the 4 Phillips head screws that retain the RFC cover and remove the cover. Drill a hole slightly larger than the stud and replace the cover on the box. Test fit the box in position; if the box is not square resting against the beams or the terminal strip is not resting on the headlight tube, elongate the hole in the direction required. DO NOT DRILL THE HOLE IN THE BOX WITHOUT REMOVING THE COVER, DAMAGE TO THE ELECTRONICS CAN BE PERMANENTE AND UN-REPAIRABLE. After the box is in proper position use 1 of the flat washers and locknut to retain the box. You must use a locknut or lock washer or the nut may loosen and cause permanently damage to the electronics during operation. 9) Install the gasket and cover and 3 of 4 screws. (It s next to impossible to install all 4 screws) 6 Pantera Electronics Rev. 04/19/2018
Factory radiator with sensor plate installed for temperature sensor. In this image the factory sensor had studs with nuts. [Image 1] Factory radiator with sensor plate installed for temperature sensor. In this image the factory sensor had screws. [Image 1] Fluidyne radiator adapter installed for temperature sensor. [Image 3] Pantera Electronics Rev. 04/19/2018 7
Use Teflon tape on the threads of the temperature sensor to seal in the adapter. [Image 2] P/N - 32mm-22-6 Adapter for Fluidyne radiators. Note the 22mm threads are straight and sealing is accomplished by the O ring. No need for sealing tape The metal ring controls the amount of compression of the O ring. Do not remove the metal ring. The factory sensor switch can be left installed as a plug for the lower sensor port. In this picture a custom blocking plate was fabricated. Adapter for factory radiators. P/N - TSA-1 8 Pantera Electronics Rev. 04/19/2018
Radiator Fan Controller mounting hole location guide. Note this is an approximate location, the stud location may vary from car to car. Use this as a reference only. [Image 6] Radiator Fan Controller installed against side and radiator support beam. [Image 7] Mount RFC box in the corner with terminals close to headlight lift tube. Pantera Electronics Rev. 04/19/2018 9
Radiator Fan Controller installed on chassis with hardware. Note it took 2 drilling attempts. [Image 8] 1st drill hole. Use a flat washer and a lock nut. Install the selfadhesive gasket by removing the backing and place on the inside cover plate edge. Install screws in the 4 corners. [Image 10] The forward edge of the box will need to have a radius about 1/8 deep to clear the hood geometry. Use a half round file or a rotary sanding drum in a hand held drill to remove material to make a clearance radius. [Image 4] 10 Pantera Electronics Rev. 04/19/2018
Electrical Installation Phase: Disconnect the Battery by removing the negative or ground cable from the battery terminal. 1 - Ground wire for the temperature sensor. (note either sensor wire can be connected, the color does not matter) 2 - Signal wire for the temperature sensor. (note either sensor wire can be connected, the wire color does not matter) 3 - PINK wire, (+12V) power for RFC only, not fan motors, originally connected to one of the fan relays. 4 - YELLOW or RED, speedometer indicator wire, originally connected to one of the fan relays. 5 - GREEN wire, A/C terminal for front mounted condenser, same as the A/C compressor clutch wire. (does not need to be connected if not needed) 6 - RED (+12V un-switched) wire from a fuse connected to the (+) Battery terminal or amp gauge. 7 - (+) or RED fan wire from passenger side fan motor. 8 - (+) or RED fan from drivers side fan motor. 9 - (-) or BLACK fan wire from passenger side fan motor. Internally these (3) terminals are connected together. 10 - (-) or BLACK fan wire from drivers side fan motor. 11 - BLACK ground wire to chassis ground. Passenger s side of the RFC TERMINAL NUMBERS 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 Driver s side of the RFC Pantera Electronics Rev. 04/19/2018 11
Terminal 4 - Note: At some time in 1974 the factory stopped installing the Fan indicator in the speedometer. You may have to add this wire, the factory color was red or yellow. Crimp a red quick disconnect on one end of a 20 AWG wire and run it from the speedometer to terminal 4 of the RFC. Remove the bulb socket from the back of the speedometer and check to make sure there is a bulb socket installed. Crimp a red quick disconnect on the other end of the wire and insert on terminal 4 of the RFC. Terminal 5 (Front mounted A/C condenser only) Connects to the Blue/Blk wire that powered the rear factory fan. This will cause the fans to operate at maximum speed regardless of the temperature sensor in the radiator. Terminal 6 The RED wire from (+) Battery terminal or AMP gauge, the wire size needs to be rated 2x the current of a single fan motor. This terminal is the input to the RFC that supplies the current to both fan motors. In the photo a 10 AWG RED wire is used with a YELLOW quick disconnect terminal. Terminals 7, 8, 9, & 10 - The fan motor wires need to be a wire size to support the maximum current that the fan is rated. This rated is generally found on the fan motor housing or in the accompanying instructions. Do not leave excessive wire lengths (feet) but leave enough to route neatly in the chassis. The BLACK fan wires do not connect to the chassis ground, the BLACK wires must be connected to the RFC. Terminal 11 - BLACK wire to chassis ground, the wire size needs to be rated 2x the current of a single fan motor. This terminal is the ground or (-) to the RFC or return path for the current to both fan motors. In the photo a 10 AWG BLACK wire is connected by crimping a 0.25 female quick disconnect terminal and installing it to the RFC. Then crimp on a ring tongue terminal at the other and install it under the stud that mounted the other relay. Note the use of flat washers and a locknut is important. See page 12. Factory radiator fan relays with the pink wire for terminal #3 and the yellow wire for terminal #4 on the RFC. Note, early 1971 Panteras have the relays in the relay box in the passenger foot well. 12 Pantera Electronics Rev. 04/19/2018
High quality insulated quick disconnect terminal manufactured by Molex. [Image 9] Stack-up: Flat washer Ring terminal Flat washer Lock nut. [Image 5] Pantera Electronics part # IFH harness with fuse holder for the high current connection from (+) battery or (+) ammeter terminal to RFC. Pantera Electronics Rev. 04/19/2018 13
Behind the Console Wiring: The RFC needs to have a fuse connected in line or in series with the (+) battery or (+) ammeter terminal. This fuse value must be equal to the combined current of both fans. The fuse holder should be of high quality and be rated for at least 30 Amps. There are 2 possibilities when connecting to the (+) battery or (+) ammeter, if connected directly to the battery use a large ring terminal and connect to the (+) battery clamp. This connection will not allow the ammeter to indicate the current that the fans are using during high current demand on hot days. Some Pantera ammeters are not in very good condition and connecting the directly to the battery is still the best decision. If the ammeter has been rebuilt or replaced by a modern gauge that can support the additional fan current then it can be used to monitor the current. There are 2 terminals on the ammeter a large cable connects to the battery and the other connection to the car wiring. The RFC should be connected to the terminal that connects to the car wiring allowing the ammeter to display the current consumed by the fans. NOTE: It s important to keep this installation manual for future reference since revisions to this product change the contents of the installation manual. Infrared image of the Pantera radiator, Spal fans and RFC in operation. 14 Pantera Electronics Rev. 04/19/2018
Spal fans are the fans of choice and are easily powered by the RFC. They provide are very high air flow, high quality bearings and low noise blades in a compact envelope. Spal fans installed on factory radiator re-cored to Pantera Electronics specs. More efficient and weighs less than the factory core yet retains the same appearance. Pantera Electronics Rev. 04/19/2018 15
Note that the aluminum enclosure is designed to be water resistant but the modifications for this application are not perfectly sealed against intense water pressure. Do not apply water through the use of a pressurized hose directly on the enclosure as water ingress is possible and will permanently damage the Radiator Fan Controller. Power-up Test: It is assumed at this point that the coolant has been re-filled and all mechanical items are completed. After checking wiring to confirm correct connections to the RFC, install a fuse in the fuse holder. 1) Re-connect negative battery cable and note that there will be a faint spark during this connection. This is normal and this is caused by electrical storage devices in the RFC. These devices do not consume power all of the time, only during initial connection to the battery. When the key is OFF none of the indicators on the RFC should be illuminated. 2) Turn ignition key switch ON and the POWER or most left hand GREEN indicator should be ON. 3) After the ignition key switch has been ON for approximately 12 seconds the READY GREEN indicator will turn ON. 4) Turn OFF ignition key switch, and turn back ON, start engine. This process of turn OFF and back ON resets the READY indicator. 5) After the engine is running before the radiator is hot, both POWER and READY indicators should ON. When the radiator reaches the RFC set point the YELLOW indicator will illuminate and 2 RED indicators will illuminate and both fans will operate at a low speed. 6) Check the orange indicator in the speedometer is should illuminate whenever the YELLOW indicator on the RFC is illuminated. 7) As the radiator increases in temperature the fans should increase in speed, when idling poor coolant circulation is due to the water pump is operating too slowly. Occasionally increase the engine speed to 1,500 to 1,800 RPM, this will cause a slug of hot coolant to enter the radiator and increase the speed of the fans. The speed of the fans varies slowly and may not be readily apparent. 8) If during this testing the fans do not turn on or stop after operating, check the YELLOW indicator. If it is flashing at once per second it means that the (+) battery or (+) amp gauge connection fuse is open. This will also flash the orange indicator in the speedometer. 9) This completes the testing. 16 Pantera Electronics Rev. 04/19/2018
Pantera Electronics Rev. 04/19/2018 Radiator Fan Controller Wire Diagram, Standard Connection, (2) Fans at 15 Amps each Maximum 17
Radiator Fan Controller Wire Diagram, Optional Connection, (2) Fans at 30 Amps each Maximum 18 Pantera Electronics Rev. 04/19/2018
Pantera Electronics Rev. 04/19/2018 Radiator Fan Controller Wire Diagram, Optional Connection, (1) Fan at 30 Amps Maximum 19
Radiator Fan Controller Wire Diagram, Optional Connection, (2) Mirriah Fans Disclaimer The products from Pantera Electronics have been design and manufactured with the best quality components known to the engineer. The installation instructions have been written to assist the owner in the proper use and installation of the products. Pantera Electronics can not be held responsible or held liable for the interpretation or incorrect implementation of the products. 20 Pantera Electronics Rev. 04/19/2018