[Roadstercycle]

Hi Everyone, Thought I'd show you some pics of my Tesla conversion. P90 Performance motor, 32 KW battery pack, Damien McGuire motor controller, Corvette wheels to fix the offset, coil over rear shocks on a full Model S rear suspension. Build took about 3 months. It was a fun build for sure. My first EV build and a big thanks to Thunderstruck EV, EV West, EV-TV and others that offered insight and solutions. The car is a blast to drive and is a rocket ship now. I don't have very good numbers for 0 to 60 as I live in LA and it's really congested to do a good drag race start around here. My non full throttle pulls have been right at 5 seconds with a Draggy. I'm sure 4 seconds or better should be possible in a better environment. Irwindale raceway on a Thursday night is in my future. Then I'll get the facts. I'm running a 10" Android display to be able to set the motor parameters since the Damien motor controller has a built in wifi so it was a great match. No laptop needed or a very expensive motor control solution.

 

[4G63T]

Thanks for posting . I actually saw some of your build videos on YouTube a few months back. Thanks for creating those as well.

I hope you don’t mind me sharing ,

 

[remy_martian]

I'm interested in more details on the battery pack build - will check out the youtube channel...

 

[Roadstercycle]

Sharing is great. I have 6 build videos on Youtube featuring the Mustang. Just lookup Mustang GT Tesla motor swap. Hopefully it helps someone with their build.

 

[brian_]

I assume that this is two packs worth (12 modules) of the LG Chem modules used in the Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid. They're nicely packed in, but apparently without any protective housing and without a cooling system. Overall a tidy package.

 

[4G63T]

Did you start in the Ford Focus AWD rally car project? I’m curious to see how you mount the motor and awd setup .

 

[Roadstercycle]

Yes, it's started. I have almost all the parts lined out and just waiting for things to clam down before I go hunting for the donor car. The motor and awd mounting is going to be pretty rad. Very unconventional for sure but should give a lot of people a WTH (what the heck) moment and open the door to a lot more single motor awd setups. That's my thought anyway. Getting the drive back to about a 9.85 ratio was absolutely the challenge but now after a lot of thought and design work it seemed like it was a easy solution. Of course I feel that way in hind sight now that it's designed and built. Pics may come soon in another Thread I'll start.

 

[4G63T]

Sounds good. Before I started my current build and Purchasing dual drive units , I considered making awd setup with single drive unit as well . Placing it under the rear seat where the fuel tank was and orienting it sideways to have drive shaft run to the rear diff and another one to a “rear diff” in the front of the car.

But I couldn’t figure out solution to the diff ratios to Still equal out to 9:1 area and gave up on that. Looking forward to your next build .

Regarding your android display, does it display battery “life” . I’m not sure if the inverter/ logic board has that capability to read and report.

 

[Roadstercycle]

The android display does not show main pack battery just the 12 volt battery. If you look at my second picture you'll see my battery, amp hour etc meter showing red numbers.
The Tesla motor turned sideways does not work unless you put a limited slip in it or weld the gears and then the ratio (about 27 to 1) would be for going straight up walls or rock climbing with a top speed of about 45 or 50 mph. Not the right way to go.

 

[Roadstercycle]

I'm interested in more details on the battery pack build - will check out the youtube channel...

The batteries are from a Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid. Very powerful and has quick drain qualities. The faster the drain the more instant power you can get out of them.

 

[Roadstercycle]

I assume that this is two packs worth (12 modules) of the LG Chem modules used in the Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid. They're nicely packed in, but apparently without any protective housing and without a cooling system. Overall a tidy package.

You are correct. It's a rolling classroom. I tried to keep everything as open as possible to be able to teach people how it works and all the pieces. That's why the rear electrical system has a poly-carbonate clear plastic shield so I can explain and point to everything without anyone including myself putting fingers in there. Hard to teach if you can't see the components.

 

[brian_]

The Tesla motor turned sideways does not work unless you put a limited slip in it or weld the gears and then the ratio (about 27 to 1) would be for going straight up walls or rock climbing with a top speed of about 45 or 50 mph. Not the right way to go.

That would be for the entire Tesla drive unit (including transaxle), not just the motor. This is the reason that Zero EV is offering two fixes (for the Tesla large drive unit only):

• a spool to replace the differential; and,
• a replacement primary reduction gear set, to change the overall reduction gearing from motor to axle outputs to 4.5:1.

In a longitudinal placement, the output would still be offset far from the motor axis, so packaging in a typical rear wheel drive vehicle such as a Mustang would be a problem. The gear set which Zero EV offers to support longitudinal placement and output to conventional final drives is intended for Land Rovers, in which the propeller shafts are offset significantly (as is usual for at least the front output of a transfer case).

I think that if using a Tesla drive unit, it belongs at the axle just as it is in a Tesla, but for anyone determined to use the motor in a traditional layout the alternative would be to remove the motor from the transaxle, which requires either tolerating a huge transaxle side housing as the end housing of the motor, or modifying that housing, or replacing with a custom motor output end housing. Essentially no one does those things.

 

[Roadstercycle]

Except me of course. My setup is pretty clean. Yes I am quite familiar with the Zero EV setup. I've talked to them a couple times about their setup. Unfortunately they could only do so much reduction inside the case. Again not what a normal car with small tires needs.

 

[brian_]

Except me of course. My setup is pretty clean.

What are you an exception to? Your Tesla drive unit is mounted at the rear axle (which is the most common approach); I was discussing the options for longitudinal mounting and driving a separate final drive unit, which isn't what you did. Yes, your conversion using the Tesla subframe and suspension is very tidy.

Yes I am quite familiar with the Zero EV setup. I've talked to them a couple times about their setup. Unfortunately they could only do so much reduction inside the case. Again not what a normal car with small tires needs.

I see no need to use the longitudinal drive unit configuration in a 2WD car, but for anyone considering that...
If the Tesla motor can run to 14,000 RPM (just from memory, so I may be off), with a 4.5:1 reduction in the drive unit that's up to 3100 RPM input to the final drive. With the 2.73:1 to 3.55:1 final drive gearing of a 2007 Mustang, that's 1140 to 876 RPM at the rear axle. A 2007 Ford Mustang GT Coupe has 235/55R17 or 235/50R18 tires; the slightly shorter 17" tires turn about 766 revolutions per mile so 1140 to 876 RPM would be 89 to as low as 69 MPH. With the 2.73 final drive gearing, that's enough for street use and most solo competition, but not enough for high-speed track work.

But really, the re-geared setup by Quaife from Zero EV is for 4X4's, not Mustangs. It's also in the Hickey Speed / EV West "Electraliner" salt flats racer, to enable a much higher top speed than would otherwise be possible, even though the drive unit is used in the normal position driving the axles as intended.

 

[Roadstercycle]

Sorry, I guess we got off track here. Someone is talking about the my new AWD Ford focus setup and somebody else is talking about the Mustang. The Mustang is a traditional Tesla setup. The exception to is the new AWD drive setup that Brian was talking about in my next build. My AWD is not your conventional Tesla motor setup. My Motor and inverter are split apart. I'm driving my system directly with the motor shaft, no Tesla gears in the setup.

 

[brian_]

Sorry, I guess we got off track here. Someone is talking about the my new AWD Ford focus setup and somebody else is talking about the Mustang.

Yes, that's what had me confused. I had skipped over the Focus part, and not realized that was still being discussed in this "07 Mustang GT Tesla Conversion" thread. It would be interesting to see the Focus setup... in another thread.

 

[4G63T]

Regarding your Mustang:

Have you driven enough by now to calculate approximate mileage your getting with your battery pack?

Also , As your not liquid cooling the batteries are you measuring the temperature in some way? If not by a temperature sensor, perhaps with one of those infrared temperature guns ?

 

[Qckslvrslash]

Looking at your photos I am not seeing any BMS leads off your batteries. Are you not running a BMS or is it just removed for the photos?