Yesterday I attended a local workshop at the RE Store in Bellingham - Introduction to DC electric vehicle conversion. Though I am beyond the point of needing an introduction to the topic, I am glad I was able to attend. In addition to conversions, motors, controllers, and batteries, we discussed the possibility of starting a local EV group.
The two speakers were Jack McKee who converted a VW Rabbit Pickup a few years ago, and Eddie from Mac & Mac Electric who has converts cars as part of his business (http://www.electricvehicleswa.com).
Sunday, October 30, 2011
Tuesday, September 6, 2011
Attack of the Killer Wires
So there was this odd antenna that I knew I did not need. I thought it was for a satellite radio that is no longer in the car. It turns out that it was part of the alarm system. I obviously wasn't a factory install job. Almost pro. Well, this is what it looks like now:
It reminded me from the scene in Brazil, when Sam Lowrey returns to his apartment and finds the what the Dept of Works has done to the place.
It is still dangling by two wires - those I will have to splice back together when I cut this thing out.
It is still dangling by two wires - those I will have to splice back together when I cut this thing out.
Tuesday, August 9, 2011
Battery Boxes & Other News
The battery boxes are almost complete. Time ran out on the last day of welding class with only a few welds to go. Bummer. I'll have to borrow a welder...
We have a good number of parts on order. I'll post when they start arriving.
I still haven't located a used clutch disk, though I have found a list of automobiles that used the same, or at least a very similar transmission. That increases the pool of discarded clutch disks to pick from (quantity is still zero, unfortunately).
We have a good number of parts on order. I'll post when they start arriving.
I still haven't located a used clutch disk, though I have found a list of automobiles that used the same, or at least a very similar transmission. That increases the pool of discarded clutch disks to pick from (quantity is still zero, unfortunately).
Sunday, July 24, 2011
Crossing the Rubicon
There's no turning back now. The floorboards have been cut to receive the (yet to be built) battery boxes.
I used a metal cutting blade on the circular saw to cut most of the straight lines. It could not reach into some of the corners, nor did it cut deep enough to cut the reinforcements below the floor. For the final cuts I used a reciprocating saw.
A close-up of of the rear cut:
And one of the front cut:
I used a metal cutting blade on the circular saw to cut most of the straight lines. It could not reach into some of the corners, nor did it cut deep enough to cut the reinforcements below the floor. For the final cuts I used a reciprocating saw.
A close-up of of the rear cut:
And one of the front cut:
Bracket? What Bracket?
The mounting bracket on the A/T doesn't fit the M/T, and the used M/T didn't come with one. So now part of the project is blocked until I track down the part. I can't test fit the transmission until then.
Little stumbling blocks like these are never fun.
I've gotten the adapter plate, but I've held off ordering the motor & controller until I am ready for them - which basically is when I find a bracket.
I've sent a email to the guy I bought the MT from (off eBay) with the hope that he still has the car around. The local Chrysler dealer can probably order one, but I don't want to pay retail for a new one.
Wish me luck.
Little stumbling blocks like these are never fun.
I've gotten the adapter plate, but I've held off ordering the motor & controller until I am ready for them - which basically is when I find a bracket.
I've sent a email to the guy I bought the MT from (off eBay) with the hope that he still has the car around. The local Chrysler dealer can probably order one, but I don't want to pay retail for a new one.
Wish me luck.
Monday, July 18, 2011
Motor Out!
The motor is out. Via Craigslist I was able to arrange selling all of the ICE components sold to a single buyer. It will be absorbed into another PT Cruiser some day. The car had a 2.4 liter DOHC engine. It is a tight fit with the automatic transmission - I would not want to have to work on one of those.
Most of the stuff that came out before the engine:
And a pic of the engine on its way out:
On the right side of this photo you can see the manual transmission. It has a red adapter plate on it for a test fit. More on that later.
Most of the stuff that came out before the engine:
And a pic of the engine on its way out:
Sunday, June 19, 2011
Toxic mess
Yesterday we removed the fuel tank. Today, I drained it the best I could. The shop manual says to drain it out the filler tube fitting. There is a one-way valve there, so I had to hold it open with a screwdriver. An overall messy and smelly affair.
I am seriously considering never purchasing another gas powered vehicle. Ever. There a just too many oily, toxic chemicals to deal with. Though, the converted EV will still have power steering and break fluids, plus transmission oil.
By the way, there was more than two gallons of gas left in the tank. The light on the fuel gauge had come on shortly before we pulled it in the garage. I could have made a couple of trips to town...
I am seriously considering never purchasing another gas powered vehicle. Ever. There a just too many oily, toxic chemicals to deal with. Though, the converted EV will still have power steering and break fluids, plus transmission oil.
By the way, there was more than two gallons of gas left in the tank. The light on the fuel gauge had come on shortly before we pulled it in the garage. I could have made a couple of trips to town...
Saturday, June 4, 2011
Goodbye Mr Radiator
Made some progress today, despite some setbacks. First, we jacked up the front of the car - front passenger side first. Big mistake. Once it was nearly up on the jack, fluid started pouring out from underneath the car. I knew it had a leaky head gasket, but this was a bit out of proportion to what I was accustomed to seeing, but of course that is what i thought it was at first. Only a mild panic ensued:
We had taken the hood off yesterday, and the windshield washer nozzles are on the hood - we left the disconnected hose dangling. It is on the driver (left) side. The
reservoir is high on the passenger side. Jacking the passenger side first put the end of the hose below the reservoir. The one fluid I didn't need to drain...
We also drained the antifreeze, removed the battery, radiator, A/C condenser, and the two front wheels. Here is what the front end looks like now:
Oh, and one more disaster. One of the lug nuts had been put on incorrectly. It was extremely hard to remove. The stud is completely stripped. grrr...
We had taken the hood off yesterday, and the windshield washer nozzles are on the hood - we left the disconnected hose dangling. It is on the driver (left) side. The
reservoir is high on the passenger side. Jacking the passenger side first put the end of the hose below the reservoir. The one fluid I didn't need to drain...
We also drained the antifreeze, removed the battery, radiator, A/C condenser, and the two front wheels. Here is what the front end looks like now:
Oh, and one more disaster. One of the lug nuts had been put on incorrectly. It was extremely hard to remove. The stud is completely stripped. grrr...
Layout Changed
I've updated the layout of the blog a bit. There is a new section on the right called "What's Done". It lists, by date, what has been done so far.
Wednesday, June 1, 2011
The Fun Begins
Well, the car finally made it into the garage on Memorial Day. We've taken out the front seats. Each had two sets of wires, one for the seat heater, and one presumably for the seat belt alarm. Next up are:
- Removing the hood
- Jacking up the car
- Removing the rug (and a bunch of interior trim to get it out)
Sunday, May 29, 2011
First Things First
We have almost finished cleaning the garage - a task that I had been putting off while we remodeled the old farmhouse and cleaned up the outbuildings. With hope, the car will be moved into the garage tomorrow.
Today my son and I took out the headliner. Probably not the first step in most EV conversions, but more than necessary for this one. It seems a former owner had more than a passing interest in air fresheners - the headliner is a magnet for odors and even after a full month of airing out the car it still has a strong perfume like odor. Hopefully direct sunlight and fresh air will do the trick. If not, we will be learning how to replace the headliner fabric...
Today my son and I took out the headliner. Probably not the first step in most EV conversions, but more than necessary for this one. It seems a former owner had more than a passing interest in air fresheners - the headliner is a magnet for odors and even after a full month of airing out the car it still has a strong perfume like odor. Hopefully direct sunlight and fresh air will do the trick. If not, we will be learning how to replace the headliner fabric...
Saturday, May 28, 2011
EV Component Selection
I have been narrowing down the candidates for the major EV components. Nothing is set in stone yet - final selection could easily change.
I am still up in the air about batteries - more on those in another post.
I am still up in the air about batteries - more on those in another post.
| Motor | NetGain WarP-9 |
| Controller | NetGain WarP-Drive |
| Battery | AGM |
| Battery | Lithium |
Saturday, May 14, 2011
Standing on Shoulders
No path breaking here. PT Cruiser EV conversions have been done before. Here are some that are my inspiration:
At some point, I'll add a page on evalbum.com for this project. I think it's a bit early just yet.
When deciding on any vehicle for conversions, there are always pros and cons. For the PT cruiser, here are a few of each:
Pros
At some point, I'll add a page on evalbum.com for this project. I think it's a bit early just yet.
When deciding on any vehicle for conversions, there are always pros and cons. For the PT cruiser, here are a few of each:
Pros
- Room for batteries beneath the floor. That means the entire cabin space is still available for passengers and cargo. (See Joe & Tom Huemann's conversion above to see how it is done).
- Seats four adults comfortably - lots of leg and head room in both the front and back seats.
- A bit on the heavy side ~3100 lbs. More weight means a bigger motor and more batteries, all else being the same. Chrysler isn't know for producing the most svelte of automobiles.
- Aerodynamically challenged. CD = 0.40. Compare that to the 2011 Prius (0.25). All those fat fenders disturb the
Wednesday, May 11, 2011
Getting Started
The EV Cruiser conversion project is just getting started. I purchased the donor car on April 20, 2011, though I am not sure what the official start date should be defined as - perhaps today, as this is the first blog entry.
A couple of things that I have done before today:
A couple of things that I have done before today:
- Had the A/C purged. Not cheap! The guy at the auto repair shop where I had it done said a lot of people just discharge the fluid themselves, saving 75 bucks or so. Most of those people are not doing EV conversions I suspect
- Had the vehicle weighed. I had planned to have it weighed at a local dairy farm, but their scale was disconnected when they put in a new calf barn. So instead, we took it to a nearby metal recycler.
- Purchased a set of used shop manuals off Amazon, shown here along side a copy of "Build Your Own Electric Vehicle":
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