Painless Harness vs Speartech
TECH Resident
Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 841
Likes: 2
From: Tampa, FL
Well, I haven't used Speartech's harness, but I know tech help at Painless is not without extreme pain. You call and get some jackass with a flowchart telling you what they think is next vs. a real person with experience who knows what they are talking about.
Speartech customer service is TOP notch! John answered questions for me well before I purchased anything, then after I had received the harness he was more than willing to assist with any questions I had. Never wait more than a day for a response via email (many times response was immediate), always returns a phone call, never annoyed with a question even though I'm sure he's heard it a million times.
Check out this thread which has a few pics of my harness https://ls1tech.com/forums/conversions-swaps/555491-got-my-speartech-harness.html
Check out this thread which has a few pics of my harness https://ls1tech.com/forums/conversions-swaps/555491-got-my-speartech-harness.html
I'll pile on here with a vote for Speartech. I don't have any experience with Painless. I have one of his custom harnesses. I think "custom" is the keyword here. My harness was made specifically for my car, everything I needed and nothing more, custom adjustments in length to my specs. Everything labelled and fit exactly right. John's tech support is also the best, I did most of mine via email and when I had questions or ran into issues due to my own ignorance, his response was quick, patient and usually right on the money. I think the key difference is with Speartech you are dealing with the guy who realy knows his stuff, designs and builds it. With Painless the guys you get when you call are providing canned answers based on a trouble shooting chart. They have to be able answer questions on all of the Painless products so there is know way they can have the knowledge that John does. Painless makes excellent products, no doubt or they would not be as succesful as they are, but for our type of application, I think Speartech is the way to go. If I do another EFI project, he is the only place I'll go.
my $.02
Pat
my $.02
Pat
My vote is for Speartech also. I had a painless harness on my LT1 Monte. It was more like a "generic" harness. Didn't have wires to control the fans, aldl connector was not the correct year. Little things but they were a pain. They do label their stuff too, but I would still go with Speartech. John's tech support is excellent. He will help you out with any questions you have, very knowledgeable.
Staging Lane
Joined: Feb 2006
Posts: 50
Likes: 0
From: Sacramento, Ca
Can't compare only recommend. I got my harness from John at Speartech. It arrived with the box destroyed by UPS. John took it back and checked it out, I believe he even put it on an engine to make sure it ran out O.K. Can't beat service like that.
Jim
Jim
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Actually, I have them both. I have a Painless set up for my Belvedere and used Speartech in my trans Am.
I got the Painless one first, having traded it for parts. the LS1 engine I have for that car did not include a harness, so a complete, new in the box deal sounded good to me.
Whereas my Trans Am engine had the factory harness, so I opted for Speartech to modify it and make it stand alone. It seemed to be more economical while achieving the same result.
The above posts are pretty spot on. John has been super friendly and helpful in answering questions, even after I made my purchase. Everything was labeled so it probably as easy as it will ever get for installing.
Same for the painless harness. Everything is labeled, the instruction book is clear and easy to understand. It includes part numbers, etc, too.
The differences I've noted are the following:
1- Painless requires the use of a '98 computer, so it makes it a little harder to track down specifically. And you may still need it reprogrammed
2- The Painless set up has a vats bypass module. the speartech doesn't. one more part under the hood and to be wired up, etc....
3- the Painless wiring seems to have longer wires- allowing you a little more freedom to locate the PCM where you want, etc. Not that this is any fault of Speartech, as it's the factory harness. It just works out this way.
4- Speartech included the fuel pump relay. I have to go buy one for my Painless wiring.
otherwise it's pretty similiar. I don't think you'll go wrong with either one.
I hope this is helpful.
I got the Painless one first, having traded it for parts. the LS1 engine I have for that car did not include a harness, so a complete, new in the box deal sounded good to me.
Whereas my Trans Am engine had the factory harness, so I opted for Speartech to modify it and make it stand alone. It seemed to be more economical while achieving the same result.
The above posts are pretty spot on. John has been super friendly and helpful in answering questions, even after I made my purchase. Everything was labeled so it probably as easy as it will ever get for installing.
Same for the painless harness. Everything is labeled, the instruction book is clear and easy to understand. It includes part numbers, etc, too.
The differences I've noted are the following:
1- Painless requires the use of a '98 computer, so it makes it a little harder to track down specifically. And you may still need it reprogrammed
2- The Painless set up has a vats bypass module. the speartech doesn't. one more part under the hood and to be wired up, etc....
3- the Painless wiring seems to have longer wires- allowing you a little more freedom to locate the PCM where you want, etc. Not that this is any fault of Speartech, as it's the factory harness. It just works out this way.
4- Speartech included the fuel pump relay. I have to go buy one for my Painless wiring.
otherwise it's pretty similiar. I don't think you'll go wrong with either one.
I hope this is helpful.
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It's all been said...I've had two of John's harnesses and they are 2nd to none. More importantly, if you ever have a question, he's right there with an immediate response! Don't forget about the Customer Service when evaluating products!
Joined: Sep 2004
Posts: 3,148
Likes: 12
From: Downers Grove, IL
Originally Posted by tuske427
2- The Painless set up has a vats bypass module. the speartech doesn't. one more part under the hood and to be wired up, etc....
Staging Lane
Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 82
Likes: 0
Speartech.... Without a doubt, I would recommend Speartech! John's customer service is the best I've seen for a somewhat complicated product. As stated before in this thread, he answers all questions in a very timely manner and put up with some of my "dumb" questions and didn't even flinch! For my money and performance there isn't even a close second place to consider!
Chuck
Chuck
