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VW motor coupling concept

3902 Views 2 Replies 2 Participants Last post by  gottdi, 
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I have a different approach to coupling the loads and I would like a second opinion from the EV community.

This isn't the most straightforward approach, so try and bear with me.

I bought a used Impulse 9 motor that has a coupler already installed on it with the bolt pattern for a 1995 Saturn Wagon. I am using a 1972 VW beetle which does not have the same bolt pattern to mate to the VW flywheel.

Rather than purchasing another coupler, I was wondering if I could rework the VW flywheel and then create another coupler to match up the VW flywheel to the coupler made for the Saturn bolt pattern.

The picture below is of the original VW flywheel:


This picture below is what the flywheel will look like after our rework (remove the extended surface and add holes):


Here is another picture of what the reworked flywheel will look like from the clutch surface side:


I need that surface to be flat in order to create another plate to couple the flywheel to the current Saturn coupler.

I've already selected fasteners so that the clutch plate doesn't interfere with the fastener heads on the clutch plate side.

My only question is: Does anyone see any problems with reworking the flywheel surface like I plan to?
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EVfun

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#2 ·
A few small things to watch:

Make sure the recessed area doesn't interfere with any part of the clutch disc or leave part of the friction material hanging over the edge of the new recess (that could get grabby.)

Make sure you provide a method to properly support the VW Beetle input shaft. Provided the VW input shaft is not to large you can have a Oilite Bronze bushing made, it doesn't have to be a needle bearing like stock.

Make sure you can get the flywheel clutch face positioned like stock, the clutch disc needs to stay in very close to the same position on the input shaft splines.

If you go this route you will have to make up a new flywheel in the future if this one get damaged or excessively worn. Not sure that is a big deal because you want to spend the money to shave a replacement flywheel down in any case.

Is it possible to use a Saturn flywheel with a VW clutch disc? If the size is close it could be easier to go that direction. Clutch swaps are not unheard of. It is kinda old-school hot-rodding, but there is nothing wrong with that.
 
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#3 ·
If you still use the original pressure plate you need to cut the surface where the pressure plate attaches to the same depth you cut on the flywheel face to keep things matched. I have had this done many times before. So what ever take from the face you take the same from the face where the pressure plate attaches. You will see the importance of that if you forget to do that.

Pete :)
 
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