DIY Electric Car Forums - Blogs http://www.diyelectriccar.com/forums/blog.php DIY Electric Car Forums - Information and community support on how to convert existing gas and diesel engines into electric and how to build new electric vehicles (EV) en Fri, 20 Nov 2009 21:46:30 GMT vBulletin 60 http://www.diyelectriccar.com/forums/images/misc/rss.jpg DIY Electric Car Forums - Blogs http://www.diyelectriccar.com/forums/blog.php EV Dashboard http://www.diyelectriccar.com/forums/blog.php?b=92 Tue, 10 Nov 2009 17:09:20 GMT Here is an add-on display for the Paktrakr. It runs on a dash mounted GPS system but the app can also run on any Windows Mobile 5 or 6 phone or pda.... Here is an add-on display for the Paktrakr. It runs on a dash mounted GPS system but the app can also run on any Windows Mobile 5 or 6 phone or pda. I'm just getting this finished up so contact me if you are interested in helping test the bits. I'm not planning on charging for the "basic" version.

http://mt-ev.blogspot.com/2009/10/ev-dashboard.html

Note: The backend to the system is flexible and could be modified to talk to any EV system. ]]> johnb http://www.diyelectriccar.com/forums/blog.php?b=92 My Conversion status as of 2009-10-09 http://www.diyelectriccar.com/forums/blog.php?b=90 Sun, 18 Oct 2009 02:53:02 GMT Have removed exhaust. Fuel system, found centricity for shaft, and done general maintenance of rig. Next will buy motor, and mount.... getting... Have removed exhaust. Fuel system, found centricity for shaft, and done general maintenance of rig. Next will buy motor, and mount.... getting excited. ]]> lou-ace http://www.diyelectriccar.com/forums/blog.php?b=90 So close, yet so far http://www.diyelectriccar.com/forums/blog.php?b=88 Wed, 30 Sep 2009 00:58:28 GMT I got the tranny disconnected and started to lift but the engine is stuck. There's not enough room. Not sure what to do next.

http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo...eat=directlink ]]> rmacey http://www.diyelectriccar.com/forums/blog.php?b=88 Lift-off (out) postponed http://www.diyelectriccar.com/forums/blog.php?b=87 Tue, 29 Sep 2009 02:21:33 GMT I thought the engine/tranny was connected to the frame with three engine mounts, two bolts on the side and one connection in front. After removing... I thought the engine/tranny was connected to the frame with three engine mounts, two bolts on the side and one connection in front. After removing these three connections I started to lift. Something didn't feel right. I looked under the car (again) and noticed that the tranny seems connected to the underside.

Thanks to a post on a VWvortex forum, I now know that I need to remove 2 bolt connecting the tranny to the floor plan. Maybe tommorow. ]]> rmacey http://www.diyelectriccar.com/forums/blog.php?b=87 10-9-8...3-2-1 Lift off (almost) http://www.diyelectriccar.com/forums/blog.php?b=86 Mon, 28 Sep 2009 00:45:57 GMT We (Stu and I) disconnected the axle from the outer CV joint (basically disconnected the axle from the wheel). The only thing left connecting the... We (Stu and I) disconnected the axle from the outer CV joint (basically disconnected the axle from the wheel). The only thing left connecting the engine to the car were the engine bolts . We connected the lift, removed the engine bolts (holding the engine from the frame) and started to lift. The passenger side started coming up higher than the driver which didn't seem right. Also the intake manifold hit the frame. We ran out of time. But at least we're doing something interesting. ]]> rmacey http://www.diyelectriccar.com/forums/blog.php?b=86 My Conversion Journal - help me begin please http://www.diyelectriccar.com/forums/blog.php?b=85 Fri, 18 Sep 2009 06:58:04 GMT Hi there. I am interested in using a forklift motor to convert to an EV. An owner of a forklift wreckers told me that a 24V electric palletjack motor... Hi there. I am interested in using a forklift motor to convert to an EV. An owner of a forklift wreckers told me that a 24V electric palletjack motor would be good for a small car. He said that he would sell me a motor that can lift about 3.5 tonne, and a variable SCR, gearbox and accelerator, all from a pallet jack for $600-$1000 (AUS$). He said I shouldn't overvolt this motor. I'm not sure whether it will be good because I never heard of an EV with decent acceleration and range being under about 96V. but then I thought that maybe I could use lithium batteries to get decent range??? they are between 2-3V each. Or could AGM gel batteries be put in parallel effectively? Would this make for very poor acceleration? When I asked him that he said something about the gearing making it fast and he says it will fly up to about 100kph. Should I instead be getting a 36V or 48V forklift motor, because they can be overvolted and hence can put more batteries, and the cheaper AGM. Can they be overvolted to say 96V? Can you recommend any motors that are under say $1000 and will fit under the bonnet/boot? The forklift guy said that the 48V motors are too big and heavy. I have no idea what they cost.


On another topic… is a rear-engine RWD car easiest for a novice? or front-engined FWD? Is a Porsche 924 an easy car to convert? Some other cars I’m thinking of converting are an old BMW such as a 318i, 1994 EUNOS 30X, Maserati Bi-Turbo, Lotus Elite; Mazda MX5, RX7, Pontiac Fiero; Nissan Exa, 200SX or any number of sporty Nissans, Toyota Celica or any number or sporty Toyotas, Honda Integra or any number of sporty Hondas, MG 1997-8, old MG sports. How do I roughly work out what acceleration, speed and range I'll get from an EV? Or any other more expensive cars with a blown engine. Any useful discussion (or confidence instilling talk) would be appreciated. I'm looking to begin soon.


Other topics: Is a battery management system essential and what is a good one? What is the cheapest way to charge the batteries, whilst preserving their life? ]]> bodkin77 http://www.diyelectriccar.com/forums/blog.php?b=85 Out of gas (tank) http://www.diyelectriccar.com/forums/blog.php?b=81 Fri, 21 Aug 2009 21:45:38 GMT Stu and David came over today. Make progress. We got the gas tank out. Apparently, did not get all gas out of tank. No smoking at our house for a... Stu and David came over today. Make progress. We got the gas tank out. Apparently, did not get all gas out of tank. No smoking at our house for a while please. Postponed trying to disconnect transmission from cv joint due to one lousy stinking bolt/screw (see previous post). Instead we're going to disconnect axle from wheel, lift the engine and then try to disconnect transmission from axle.

For photos see:
http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo...eat=directlink
http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo...eat=directlink
http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo...eat=directlink ]]> rmacey http://www.diyelectriccar.com/forums/blog.php?b=81 Planning a 1995 Mazda b2300 conversion http://www.diyelectriccar.com/forums/blog.php?b=75 Fri, 31 Jul 2009 17:46:00 GMT I have purchased a 1995 Mazda b 2300 small truck with the intent of converting it into an EV. Purchase price was $ 650.00 with a blown motor on... I have purchased a 1995 Mazda b 2300 small truck with the intent of converting it into an EV. Purchase price was $ 650.00 with a blown motor on 7/15/2009, the seller bought this truck at an auction, untested, just to discover that it has a serious problem, blown piston ,rings, or valves, who knows, it did run but smoke, whooiee!!! it has new paint and a fairly clean interior, 4 speed trans/w overdrive, manual windows, manual steering, and drove fairly well, I was afraid on the test drive that it was going to throw a rod at any time, so I towed it home!

At present (July 29, 2007) I have removed, hood, radiator all hoses, exhaust manifold, and all wiring harnesses, ( 2 hrs work). I have reviewed Bob Braynts book as well as the el moto motorcycle book ( which was entirely to expensive for the 40 page leaflet style thing they sent me, $40 I do not recommend it!!) I haven’t got this thing totally mapped out yet but I am leaning toward the warp 9 impulse motor from Netgain, and the zilla controller and a 144 volt configuration. What I would like to do is remove the motor, trans, and driveline and mount the motor on a plate above the 3rd member ( differential) and use a direct drive configuration with a ribbed belt and drive wheels for a total reduction of 7:1 ( this seems to work well for the motorcycle( see fig #1).

Thus far I haven’t found any examples of this being done, but it seems to make sense to me. With the weight saved from the removal of the transmission and driveline and reduced length of the drive mechanism I would need to wire the motor through a reversing switch, and work out the best single drive reduction for starting and best possible speed but I’m hopeful that these are technicalities that can be worked out. Soo that’s about all I have for now all coments and help would be appreciated and I will continue to post as I progress….. thanks lou-ace.... ps I have pictures and a detail of the drive I'm considering, but for some reason It won't cut and paste here.... apologies
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]]> lou-ace http://www.diyelectriccar.com/forums/blog.php?b=75 1 more @#$! bolt http://www.diyelectriccar.com/forums/blog.php?b=74 Thu, 30 Jul 2009 02:10:48 GMT Buddy David came over again. We got all the bolts except for one off the tranny on the passenger side. That one bolt is the only thing keeping the... Buddy David came over again. We got all the bolts except for one off the tranny on the passenger side. That one bolt is the only thing keeping the engine in (except the engine mounts themselves). If anyone has tips, secrets etc for hard to remove bolts, now would be a good time to share. I would be most appreciative.

We gave up on that bolt and went to the rear. We have to drop the rear axle assembly to remove the gas tank. We got both shocks/coils off and loosened the four bolts keeping the bracket in. It shouldn't be hard to get the thing off from here. Getting it back on will be another matter. ]]> rmacey http://www.diyelectriccar.com/forums/blog.php?b=74 Near the point of no return.. http://www.diyelectriccar.com/forums/blog.php?b=73 Tue, 28 Jul 2009 00:00:15 GMT I've never been confident that I'd succeed with this project. However, until now, I could have the car (or what's left) towed away. I'm about to drop the rear axle. At that point, I'm not sure it can be moved. I suppose there are ways to move wrecks. Still I have the sense of getting in deeper and deeper. ]]> rmacey http://www.diyelectriccar.com/forums/blog.php?b=73 Hooray for Engineers. http://www.diyelectriccar.com/forums/blog.php?b=72 Mon, 27 Jul 2009 23:56:07 GMT Working on this car has given me an appreciation for engineers. Given what we put our vehicles through, they are amazingly reliable and durable... Working on this car has given me an appreciation for engineers. Given what we put our vehicles through, they are amazingly reliable and durable (that point came to me when I could not drill a hole in the gas tank).

Why they need so many types and sizes of bolts is beyond me, but there must be a reason. ]]> rmacey http://www.diyelectriccar.com/forums/blog.php?b=72 Getting there... http://www.diyelectriccar.com/forums/blog.php?b=71 Fri, 24 Jul 2009 01:53:55 GMT After breaking a bit last night, I got a new one today. All the bolts from the transmission to one axle (drivers side) came out. Now I have to do... After breaking a bit last night, I got a new one today. All the bolts from the transmission to one axle (drivers side) came out. Now I have to do the other. I'd be more excited except it will be very difficult because the access is limited. If we had been able to remove the intake/exhaust manifold, I'd have access. ]]> rmacey http://www.diyelectriccar.com/forums/blog.php?b=71 What a mess! http://www.diyelectriccar.com/forums/blog.php?b=70 Thu, 23 Jul 2009 02:26:06 GMT Tonight David M, brother of Stuart M, came by to lend a hand. We removed one bolt that connects the transmission to the axle/CV joint and then the... Tonight David M, brother of Stuart M, came by to lend a hand. We removed one bolt that connects the transmission to the axle/CV joint and then the bit broke. I'd really like to get that transmission disconnected from the axle so we can raise the engine.

Without that bit, we went to remove the gas tank. To remove the gas tank, we have to lower the axle. We took off the wheels and disconnected the brake lines. We got stuck removing the bolt for the coil/shock absorber and called it a night.

Garage is looking pretty bad. ]]> rmacey http://www.diyelectriccar.com/forums/blog.php?b=70 Chevy Launches New Site for Volt http://www.diyelectriccar.com/forums/blog.php?b=69 Thu, 16 Jul 2009 15:39:27 GMT Chevrolet recently launched an information and social networking site for their upcoming Electric Vehicle, the Volt. The site is full of photos of... Chevrolet recently launched an information and social networking site for their upcoming Electric Vehicle, the Volt. The site is full of photos of the vehicle and videos on the manufacturing process and technical aspects of the vehicle. It seems to be just getting started but looks to be the best way (besides DIY Electric Car, of course), to get current information on the Volt.

The site is www.chevroletvoltage.com ]]> rbgrn http://www.diyelectriccar.com/forums/blog.php?b=69 <![CDATA[Electric Pedicabs - future for London's transport]]> http://www.diyelectriccar.com/forums/blog.php?b=68 Sun, 12 Jul 2009 23:45:08 GMT London belongs to one of the largest cities in the world. It's transport also belongs to the one of the most developed. London's undergrounds is one of the most developed in the world but also one of the oldest in the world counting over a 100 years. There is also an excellent network of overground trains and if we think of it all of these are powered by massive electric drives. Overall the benefits that come from electric drives are huge, there is simply no pollution in the direct way, it's quiet and efficient.

The reason of this blog is however to concentrate on the electric pedicabs. For those who aren't familiar with the term pedicab = cycle rickshaw. These were on the streets of London for the past 10 years however they were running only on the pedal power. The problem with it is that these are too slow and are messing around. While the industry is unregulated some of the lads started using electric motors (hub motors) similar to those produced by golden motor and run these pedicabs on the lead acid or gel batteries.

It was all fine for about two years until police found out that these are not legal on the public road. In the UK there is a law that says that the maximum weight of the electric tricycle can not exceed more than 60kg inc the batteries, the fact is that the law is from the 1983 and is slightly out of date. The big problem was that these rickshaws weighted around 140kg with the batteries and could not be classified as a cycles but motor vehicles. If these would be classified as a motor vehicles then there would be a requirement of actually having the MOT and car tax disc displayed. So the closed circuit became a problem for riders and operators alike.

The illegal pedicabs were running for period of around two years in the London's west end until this day arrived.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/london/7766458.stm

Police impounded around 20 pedicabs with electric assist. The truth is that these pedicabs didn't do any harm to the environment. Even completely opposite, the traffic was moving faster. Right now the pedicabs in central london are again running on the pedal power only cause loads of traffic.

The big question arises now is it possible to create the electric pedicab that will actually fall in to the category of less than 60kg. The electric pedicabs would actually make the urban transport better and cleaner. The BLACK CABS in London and ther eis 150,000 of them pollute London in the massive way. All of them runs on diesel engines making even more pollution than the ordinary petrol engines.

There is currently only one company which is based in London that works on the development of first legal electric rickshaw. Maxpro Pedicabs has already developed the first legal electric pedicab rickshaw Maxpro Street Flyer that weights just about 60kg with the batteries. The vehicle is still not in the mass production but it's likely to be available in the end of the year based on what the manufacturer says. Wish them all the best with getting on the project.

This blog is not about promoting the pedicabs or pedicab industry but about making people's awareness of light weight electric vehicles and their contribution these could make to reduce CO2 emissions. These light weight rickshaws powered by electric motors could significantly eliminate the pollutions and CO2 emissions in many inner cities not only London but world wide. The current big halos about global warming and CO2 emission reductions by the most developed countries should be taken seriously not just in pure words. The truth is that by doing small things we can actually do a lot more and it's all up to all of us how to make our carbon foot print smaller.

__________________________________________________ ___

External resources:
BBC NEWS - http://news.bbc.co.uk
Maxpro Pedicabs - http://www.pedicabshop.com ]]> yendrek3 http://www.diyelectriccar.com/forums/blog.php?b=68