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How to Install a Fan Into ESC

Electric-powered remote-controlled vehicles and aircraft rely upon a speed control unit, designed to allow the operator to throttle the rotational speed of the connected electric motor. Electronic speed controls offer more efficiency and proportional operation than conventional mechanical speed controls; however, ESCs have the potential to generate power-robbing heat, which also reduces efficiency and the life of the speed control. Installing a cooling fan for your ESC will help combat damaging heat conditions and extend the vehicle's battery run-time.

Things You'll Need

ESC cooling fan with mounting bracket
Double-sided tape
Tamiya plug pin removal tool
Soldering iron
Solder
Heat shrink tubing
Wire cutters

Instructions

- 1
  Remove the vehicle's body post clips. Remove the body and set it to the side.
- 2
  Disconnect the battery pack from the ESC.
- 3
  Attach the ESC cooling fan to the top portion of the ESC cooling fins, with the fan wiring on the same side as the ESC wiring. Certain proprietary ESC cooling fans will snap directly on top of the cooling fins of the ESC, while others require a special bracket that will position the fan directly over the ESC, while avoiding direct contact between the two components. Use double-sided tape to affix the bottom sides of the bracket to the plastic ESC casing.
- 4
  Examine the wiring connection used for the ESC cooling fan. Certain electronic speed controls may feature a female connection plug, designed specifically to supply power to an optional cooling fan; connect the two connections together if this is the case. If the ESC does not have provisions for an optional cooling fan, proceed to the next steps.
- 5
  Remove the red "positive" connector pin from Tamiya-style ESC battery connectors, using the pin removal tool. The pin removal tool will depress the metal pin, which will allow you to pull the wire out of the rear side of the connector.
- 6
  Strip 1/8-inch of insulation from the red "positive" cooling fan wire.
- 7
  Solder the red cooling fan wire to the crimped portion of red "positive" ESC battery wire pin. Do not solder the "positive" cooling fan wire to the barreled portion of the pin, or use more solder than necessary.
- 8
  Insert the red "positive" back into the plastic battery connector. Repeat the pin removal process for the black "negative" ESC battery connection wire. Repeat the wire connection process for the cooling fan's black "negative" wire.
- 9
  Replace the vehicle's body and body clips to finish the installation process. Be sure to keep the battery pack disconnected from the ESC when not operating the vehicle.

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