%@$%*#^&*$#

Well, except for a couple small details, the car is finished. I wanted to create a little more fanfare for this occasion but I must say how disappointed I am in the 8V batteries. I had wanted 120V for the performance needed in California's hills but was space limited for this chassis. Ten 12V batteries would have fit the bill space/weightwise but my past experience with those (Trojan 5SHPs) was very negative and I saw no news to change my mind about those. The 14-8V (CG8s from Interstate) that I chose also seem to have the high internal resistance that causes excessive voltage drop when drawing high currents. As soon as you ask for more power, depressing the throttle the current rises as you expect but a corresponding voltage drop also occurs. Consequently Amps X Volts increases only modestly and you bring more heat into the equation. And range? I'm embarassed to report is a dismal 20 mi. What to do? LIFEPO4 chemistry is still cost prohibitive at over $14000 for a 120V pack... I'm thinking

The Final Figures, My Cost Conclusion

This conversion has cost more than I hoped or thought it should. (What's new?) The prices on the various components, tho' most US made, skyrocketed with the cost of gas. One has to be committed to the idea of not burning fuel or have some other compelling reason to do this because fancier (gas) cars are available for an equivalent sum. The payback? Well, depending on whose figures you use, running an electric car with just as many driving variables as a gas version, amounts to slightly under (or slightly over) a buck a gallon. You'ld need a fairly good lifespan for the car or gas to shoot up again for a good payback, or electric rates to shoot up for a bad one. Still to come; finished pix, performance data and a video if this site will accept it.

Prev. TOTAL $7256
Last Acc'ntg $472
Another 8V batt.
More 2/0 cable & conn.
Vent fan system & fittings
Batt. tie-down fixtures
100 other small parts

New (and I think final) TOTAL $7728!!!

Been Wanting To Do This

Our town's e-car hookup

Making Book

Though there's much more to finish up, I can't resist sampling the operational data. I've taken two slow 10 mile drives and found that the recharge starts out in constant current mode (set @ 10 amps) and later shifts to finish in constant voltage mode (set @ 104V). My high rate service charge is 8 cents/kilowatt hour and consuming 1450W (in cc mode) relates to 11.6 cents/hour. I'll see what the draw is after the charger shifts modes and edit this post. This charger didn't come with the ($95) auto shut-off feature which I think I will want.

I Got The EV Grin!

The brakes hung up (because I'm taking so long) but after freeing them up the ride went smooth. I'm taking it slow to break in the batteries, after which I will check the connections. Everything worked!!! I think I will increase the pack by two more batteries if I can find suitable overload springs.

Tomorrow -

We take a little ride! Got 95% of circuits fired up.

Wrapping Up The Details

A few days free of other tasks allowed me to work on the following; connected the Main Contactor - tests OK but lacking a pre-charge resistor (contacted factory), connected and tested the power brake Vac. Pump, connected (not tested yet) the DC-DC Conv., connected Charger to DC but contacted factory over missing inst. manual for the AC connections, wired and tested the Charger Intlk., constructed bracket for the Meter Group and pulled wires for that, hooked up and tested the KSI (key sw. intlk.). Snapped this photo of under-hood control equip.

Untangling Wires

This weekend was spent finishing the high power cables, then sorting and labeling scores of vehicle wires. I foolishly thought I might remember where they all went when I pulled and cut some I didn't anticipate needing (those that supported gas engine functions). Turns out many WERE needed as they also powered up various vehicle functions like lights, wipers, blower, radio, etc. Others I will re-assign to e-vehicle functions. The shelf/heat-sink for the controller and control box is about 75% done. Also Edna is now down on her own four feet since the under car conduit is finished.

I've Got Connections -

- to do. I bought 25' of 2/0 welding cable and 26 connectors for the high power wiring and I think I need a little more of each. The hammer crimp tool works well but I'm soldering the connections too. This work should be done tomorrow.

Cable and conn. $162

New TOTAL $7256

The Front Pack

4 Batteries nested here - barely. Had to move the head lights forward 3/8".

The Rear Pack

8 Batteries, the power strip & charger. Possible site for 2 more forward of the pack and behind the seats.

Batteries Not Included

"Till now ... Batteries, the largest single expense AND decision conundrum. For a 120V system 10 - 12V, 15 - 8V or 20 - 6V batteries are needed. This chassis won't support (or allow room for) a full compliment of 6Vs or 8Vs and I can't find many who recommend the 12Vs including a couple of suppliers. So I have decided to settle for 12 - 8Vs for a 96V system. The supplied motor curve shows this to be a downgrade from 19 to 13HP. Drat!

Hours of cutting, welding and grinding (and the last of the bed frame angle iron) yielded this front battery rack. I'm getting close!

Batteries $1360!

Flea market radio $10

New TOTAL $7094

Living "small"

With "Q" bracket holding the outboard end firm, the motor looks rather diminutive in it's new home.

My Reminder

Keep on pluggin'

To Quiet The Oil Drumbeat...

The GM factory in my town is barely hanging on and I wish the workers there well; BUTT couldn't GM have built a slick and affordable e-car by now?

Anyway I chopped a huge hole where the back seat was for the battery box to reside. Two old bed frames narrowly escaped the landfill to contribute angle iron for the framework. How I wish I could afford one of the new battery chemistries with a higher (than lead-acid) energy density.

I will repeat the hundred year old drone "We are just 3-5 years from a battery breakthrough!" And while I guess we have that, they still can't make it to the shelf in quantities that allow affordability. So we continue ...

Previous balance $5614

bushing/hub $62

nuts/bolts/brackets $48

New balance $5724

FINALLY!

With the adaptor plate completed, the motor hub & bushing machined, and the clutch assembly balanced, the electric motor jumped in place like it had eyes! Thanks to buddy Mike's expertise and machine shop.

Aaurgh!

I'm having a time of it making a bushing/hub set to attach the motor shaft to the flywheel. The suppliers of adaptor kits which include this bushing/hub set won't sell it separately. I will publish what I (eventually) come up with.

Bushing/hub expense so far is $62

Putting It Off, Putting It On

Next step is install the motor. In order to retain use of the clutch, the electric motor will need to hold the flywheel in precisely the same position it was held by the gas engine. I took careful measurements from the gas engine/flywheel set before removing the flywheel. I will use a taper-lock hub/bushing set to fix the flywheel on the motor shaft. The dimensions of this hub, the flywheel thickness and the above pre-measurements will determine the configuration of the "adapter plate" needed to hold the new motor in position.

Meanwhile I picked up some 1/8" aluminum sheet (as heat sink/mounting platform for the controller) plus cord, plug, receptacle (for the charger) and aluminum angle

Previous balance $5551

Purchases $63

New TOTAL $5614

The Major Components

Pictured here, before they are installed and not so easily seen are; (from 12: o-clockwise)

Motor, motor controller, battery charger, battery warming pads, DC-DC converter, kit for restoring vacumn to the brakes, lights & meters, control box.

Control box contains shut-off breaker, meter shunt, main contactor, barrier strips, fuses, key switch interlock relay, throttle potentiometer, heater relay & on cover - main fuse, 12V shunt, charger interlock relay.

Dang! The 'Market's Still Slipping

Various ind. lamps, fuses, fuse holders, hook-up wire & switches from Radio Shack

Previous TOTAL $5505
R.S. items $46

New TOTAL $5551

The Stock Market Tanked ...

... so I tried to help it today. Having the car weighed was $5 plus I needed various conduit fittings, connectors, glue, sheet metal, etc.

Previous balance $5355
Welder and acc. $110
4 trips to hardware $40

New TOTAL $5505

Oprah and Edna Trim Down

Edna's stripped down weight is 1640 lbs. She now stands 10 1/4" in the front and 13" the rear. See post of Jan. 10 for starting figures. Watch out Edna; you're gonna chub up soon!

Fun With The Dashboard

The Haynes manual says "be sure to allow plenty of time for the dash panel removal/installation". They have such a flair for understatement. I don't think that is required for A/C/Heater access in most cars; but I'm not sure. Anyway I've removed the A/C core and heater core and replaced the heater with an electric version. It will draw from the main battery pack and is a type that won't overheat if the fan isn't running. I have yet to finish reinstalling the dashboard. Whew, this post should be good for about a month.

Weekend Tinkering

Tinkerer -1, back seat - nothin'. After finding all the secret hooker snookers that held the back seat in, I wrestled it free. The fuel tank on the other hand fought me all the way. The hold up straps wouldn't give and I had to cut them. This led to the tank coming down at a tilt and spilling about a square yard of fuel on the floor. I had to scramble to shut off the heater and open both doors. Then after soaking up the spill with sawdust, scooping it up and rinsing the floor, I started on the fuel lines (of which there must be a dozen) and filter(s). Each object had another half cup of gas to dribble. 20/20 hindsight says find a way to totally empty the tank and complete this task out of doors. Having no witnesses to the contrary I will call it a draw.

I sorely miss the tools I had available at work, before retiring. I bought a small welder, auto darkening hood and accessories and an assortment of abrasive cutoff wheels. These will be used to build the battery containment frame. Of the $220 spent I will post $110 against the project.

An idea has just come to me; I will use the rear seat belts to secure the battery box cover.

Wow!

I'm so impressed with automotive engineering. I've been half the day removing I don't know what all. Lines and brackets and shields and every kind of widget and gizmo. I would be awe struck by any mechanic who could ID all the stuff on my garage floor. Thank heavens the electric version will be SO much simpler!

Previous project balance $5505
Credit for substitute item -$150

New Balance $5355

Why Wait For Detroit?

Indeed! I am sure gas will go back up. You can drive an e-car for the equivalent of slightly over a buck a gallon. Think of it; no oil or filter changes, no fuel filter changes, or air cleaner changes, or belts, or hoses, or coolant changes, no tune-ups, no "check engine" lights, or oxygen sensors, catalytic converters, mufflers, tail pipes, drips on your driveway. Did I mention dependence on somebody else's oil? Do it.

Who Killed The Electric Car?

Nobody can! When folks are passionate about reducing Greenhouse Gases, shrinking their Carbon Footprint and adhering to the RECYCLE triangle of Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, this effort won't be stopped.

Decisions, Decisions!

For help choosing components I joined the Fox Valley Electric Auto Association. There are lots of electric car clubs. This one dedicated to promoting e-cars and supporting it's members in building and owning EVs, has interesting members, informative meetings and newsletters and fun events. It is located in (what else?) the Fox Valley west of Chicago.

Also available on-line is the Electric Vehicle Discussion List with loads of very knowledgeable contributors.

The suppliers I used also sell "how to" books, tapes and CDs and offer engineering and design consultation. They will give no charge advice on products they sell. Their sites also feature conversion packages or kits that list components suitable for cars/trucks of various weights and driving expectations (speed, range).

Though not listed as links, these sites (and many more) are easy to get to.

Fox Valley Electric Auto Association (FVEAA)
Electric Vehicle (EV) Discussion List
KTA Services
EV Parts
Cloud Electric

More Parts & Pieces

Having decided on an operating voltage of 120V for the battery pack I can now order (I mean have ordered) a Battery Charger and a DC-DC Converter. The charger will refresh the entire pack at one time. The converter, drawing from the main pack will provide 12 volts for auxiliary equipment such as lights, wipers, fan motor and of course radio, taking the place of an alternator.

Russco charger
No name converter
Batteries for the main pack could be:

20 - 6V batteries
15 - 8V batteries
12.5 - 9.6V batteries (just kidding, no such animal) or
10 - 12V batteries

My choice will be determined by the available space for placement and
weight distribution.

New parts order $948
Current project TOTAL $5505

An Impressive Pile

This is quite a heap of greasy, dripping, high maintenance junk! Hopefully on the way is my order of clean, new, low or no maintenance parts. Still to come out are the fuel tank, fuel pump, filler tube and rear seat. Then, out of curriosity, I will get her on the scales before I start adding components.

A Satisfying Moment!

Remove hood and place front of car on car jacks. Disconnect air intake, exhaust manifold, fuel line and filter, radiator hoses, heater hoses, A/C system belts and hoses, alternator, starter, wiring harness where attached to engine, anything else attached to engine (except an engine hoist). After loosening the bell housing bolts and engine mount bolts, take a strain on engine and remove the loosened bolts. At this point I found I needed to remove the pulleys from the outboard end of the engine for clearance. Find a helper (thanks to my son Dan) and pull the engine!

Parts Ordered/Cost Update

Ordered:

Advanced DC Motor L91-4003
Curtis Controller 1221C-7401 w/potbox
Albright Contactor SW200B-3-12
Ferraz Fuse 400A/150V
GE Circuit Breaker 200A w/ switchplate
KTA Brake Vacume System
CEV PTC Heater Core
Various switches, barrier strips, 3 meters, shunts
bracket for meters, battery heater pads, etc.
(this assumes 120V, 400A operating system)

Total order $3743

Project total to date Car $400
Transport of car $383
New wheel covers $31
Parts order $3743

Current Project TOTAL $4557

Yikes!

It's ZERO in the frozen tundra today! No workee. Also the suppliers I've sampled are low on shelf parts. As if I needed an excuse to delay work.

To Begin

The first thing is to get some baseline info. She tips the scales at 2101 lbs. and stands 8" off the pavement in the front and 10 5/8" in the rear. Next, before I get to thinking Edna's too cute to chop up, is disconnect the battery and drain the fluids. Shown is the engine compartment - before;

And The Smoking End

She smokes - a lot. This view begs the old question "Would you still drive your ICE car if the tailpipe came out of the steering wheel?"

Thanks for the Help

Thanks to sister Sal for the loan of her excellent tow vehicle.

Thanks to my wife Ellie for sharing the driving to Lititz, Pa. and back with "Edna" even through the white-out blizzard on Mi.'s I-75. Cost - $383

I Have One!

I am the winning (lone) bidder on a '97 Hyundai Accent with a warped head! $399.99 was the ebay low reserve so I lavishly bid $400.00. Race enthusiast Ryan the owner tells me her name is "Edna", that she doesn't mind being referred to as a clown car, but isn't willing to head for the landfill anytime soon.

You'll Need A Donor

Although many other vehicles have been converted, following is my list of small, lightweight, stick shift cars I consider suitable and within my reach. Of course one of these, on further investigation, might be found to be too old, too new or otherwise unfit;

• BMW - 2002


• Chevy - Aveo, Geo, Tracker


• Daewoo - Lanos


• Dodge - Neon, Omni


• Ford - Festiva, Fiesta, Focus


• Geo - Metro, Storm, Tracker


• Honda - CRX, Civic, Fit


• Hyundai - Excel, Accent


• Plymouth - Horizon, tiny pickup?


• Subaru - Justy


• Suzuki - Swift


• Toyota - Echo, Tercel, Yaris


• VW - Rabbit, Golf, Beetle, Carman Ghia


• Yugo - GL


• or similar ...

Who Might Want One?

A mechanic, someone who likes car maintenance, someone who HATES car maintenance, an electrical/electronic enthusiast, a gadgetrist like myself who needs a project, someone who has been 'sent to the garage', an environmentalist, some other kind of 'mentalist'?

My EV Project

I hope to use this blog to show progress and costs of converting an ICE (internal combustion engine) car to an electric vehicle.