[david85]

I have finally started the real part of the conversion.

The engine and transmission are out, and I did some minor measurements under the hood to see how the 200Ah lithium cells would fit. Still have to pull the fuel tank, lines and exhaust system. A cold snap is on the way, so the warm weather is over. Shop is not heated.....

The amount of room behind the front bumper is very encouraging. I figure I can fit at least 24 of the cells under the hood. I will know more once the motor and drive are installed, but at the very least I already have room for 24 of the 48 cells. There is also lots of space behind the bumper corners, not sure what I can install there...maybe the vacuum pump and a few inches of sound insulation on top.

The aluminum sheet metal for the battery boxes is on its way. Sorry, no updates on the brushless motor yet. But I am considering a warP 9" if that proves to be too hard to get in a timely manner. I could always upgrade later and sell the brushed system.

The battery shown here is my sample and the cells are the same model as what the 144V battery will use. There is room for a string of 12 cells right where the radiator used to be, and another 12 cell string against the firewall. The rest should fit below the trunk floor in a custom drop box, so cargo room will be the same after the conversion. In theory, there is also more room at the fuel tank location, but considering how hard it is to get to, I might just leave that empty for now since I already have all the room I need. The only catch is I won't have a place for the spare tire anymore, but it may even fit under the hood. Will have to see.

[rctous]

very cool I didn't know you were doing lithiums,, wished i had them in my budget but NO WAY,, if you are considering the Warp 9 be sure to look closely at the length of the motor they are pretty long, I have the Warp 9 impulse which is shorter,, I will show you pics of it in the bay and then you will know for sure about the length. I was surprised at how close it was in the Storm, a Warp 9 never would have fit. You know I will be following this!!

Brian

[david85]

I concluded that there was 20" of space from the transmission mating face to the structural beam on the opposite side of the engine bay. The engine block is 18" if I remember right. Isn't the warP 16" and change? What sort of space did you find in your car?

Yep I'm using a 200Ah 144V LiFePO4 battery direct from mainland china. I'm aiming for 100 miles of real world range, but with a brushless motor, more is likely (less loss, and regen). The battery is rated at 1C constant and 5C peak rated, so it should perform well. Not quite a tesla roadster, but might out run a stock saturn even with the humble warP.

[rctous]

Originally Posted by david85

I concluded that there was 20" of space from the transmission mating face to the structural beam on the opposite side of the engine bay. The engine block is 18" if I remember right. Isn't the warP 16" and change? What sort of space did you find in your car?.

never took any measurements on the Saturn I know I have plenty of room for the Impulse motor.

[rctous]

looks like the old engine from the back of the block to the very front bolt on the pulley is about 19 inches,, also mt motor adaptor is 1- 1/2" thick as well so that needs to be factored in. It looks like the Warp 9 is about 3 " longer than the Impulse,, that would not have fit in the storm but I should have this one mounted by Thursday and we can look at the pics to see if the room is there.

[david85]

Work on the rear battery box has started. The hole in the floor is cut, and I hope to start work on the actual aluminum battery box tomorrow. My Dad is nearly finished with a metal break he made for the shop press, and I just wrapped up the cad drawing this evening.

The rear beam for the suspension is in the way, so I will not be able to fit 26 cells directly under the trunk, but I can use the space left by the fuel tank to make up for that. This would make for a nice low center of gravity as well as preserving all the interior space. There might be room for the charger in the space over the rear beam but I will have to see once that arrives.

The wood blocks seen under the car are mock ups for the battery cells.

[rctous]

what was the width of the hole in the trunk? Also from the back of the hole to the frame there,, what is that distance? Do you know?

[david85]

No problem. I've got the notes right in front of me.

The width of the hole is exactly 30" and from the rear of the hole to the beam is 21", with the overall length of the hole being 26.5". Depth is about about 8.5" without hanging below the rear bumper or pushing up past the trunk floor. My battery will be about 9" tall, so the battery will hang down slightly to keep the foor flat.

I have no idea if your saturn will be the same being a coupe though.

[rctous]

ya that sounds about the same, I am attacking the front first to see how many I need to put in the back, hoping 5 only in the rear and I think 7 will go up front,,,, shoot to get 5 batteries side by side I need 34 inches,,, is there 34" between the frame or did you cut flush right to it? As well adding 320 pounds to the rear will certainly lower the car probably too much bit we'll see.

[david85]

I'm not sure if the weight will be too much on mine but I will have to see as well. I think you are talking about your car regarding the 320 lbs, but actually, thats about what I expect my car to end up with on the rear. My car is rated for over 3000lbs GVW so it would in theory still be within the limit, but harder springs might be needed anyway.

I cut the floor out flush with the outer edge of the wielded flange of the chassie, so if I really wanted, maybe another 1.5" of side clearance could be scrounged up, but that would affect the structure more than I want. I am a little spoiled because my batteries will fit in any orientation so I have a lot of flexibility to use up every last inch of space if I have to.