The front disc brakes (remember they're EMPI) were starting to make some very annoying noises. Every bump resulted in a clunk, ching, klank. I finally got around to tearing into them and discovered the bolts I had jerry-rigged to work as a replacement for the special order reduced head metric bolt (good luck trying to find those at the local auto parts store) were coming loose. Previously, I ended up using allen head bolts for the back brakes and thought this might be the best solution for the front. At $1 each, they better work. The only thing is the matching lock washers are larger than the head and therefore will rub against the rotor. However, once I did a test drive, the sound difference was practically night and day. Some blue threadlock makes up for the lack of a lock washer.
****************************************************************************
I didn't get to drive "Big Red" as often as I wanted to these past couple weeks. The fires in WA state are blowing smoke everywhere. The EPA has rated some areas as "hazardous." I don't have a way to filter the air coming into the car and am not found of breathing in a chain smoker's daily intake while I drive to and from work.
At least there's been a slight wind blowing most of the air out for the last couple days.
Sunday, September 23, 2012
Sunday, September 9, 2012
Rear Brakes...the saga continues.
If you've read the previous entries, I bought cheap EMPI rear disc brakes. They have continued to shake, rattle and roll despite my best effort to quiet them down. The main problem is the brake plate that attaches to the axles is slightly loose.
Today, I was going to fix this once and for all. Previously, I had replaced the bolts and that did help but as I looked I could see where the bolts were slightly longer and therefore bottoming out in the threaded holes. I added a second locknut to each bolt. This helped slightly but still the plate was slightly loose. The next thing I considered was the gasket that I was using. If you've ever ordered the kit from one of the VW online places the kit is made in Mexico and the gasket is thin as paper and therefore "el cheapo." Exactly how many layers of silicone can you add to this whimpy piece of paper?? I went to NAPA and bought a variety pack of gasket material for $10. With 5 different sheets , I was certain something would work. I figured I'd go big to begin with -- 1/8 inch thick. Got out the razor knife and went to town.
This gasket is a combination rubber/cork and it worked very well. This made the plates solid and the bolts didn't bottom out. Very tight seal.
I took my Bradley for a test drive. Wow! What a difference. The back area is completely silent.
Now to attack the front disc brake plates...same problem as the back.
Another thing I did was to replace the coil over shocks in the back with some nice Gabriel HiJackers - air shocks. The last time I installed a pair of these was back in 1978 on an old Mustang II that I drove. Easy to install and 100lbs of pressure seemed to work just right. Along my commute there were a couple dips that would cause my back end to bottom out, this was after the coil overs were set to the highest setting. This addition made the difference and cut down on the spring noise that was happening as well. I probably should have started with these to begin with. The best price was in town at Autozone - $69. Online at JC Whitney was $99.
Today, I was going to fix this once and for all. Previously, I had replaced the bolts and that did help but as I looked I could see where the bolts were slightly longer and therefore bottoming out in the threaded holes. I added a second locknut to each bolt. This helped slightly but still the plate was slightly loose. The next thing I considered was the gasket that I was using. If you've ever ordered the kit from one of the VW online places the kit is made in Mexico and the gasket is thin as paper and therefore "el cheapo." Exactly how many layers of silicone can you add to this whimpy piece of paper?? I went to NAPA and bought a variety pack of gasket material for $10. With 5 different sheets , I was certain something would work. I figured I'd go big to begin with -- 1/8 inch thick. Got out the razor knife and went to town.
I took my Bradley for a test drive. Wow! What a difference. The back area is completely silent.
Now to attack the front disc brake plates...same problem as the back.
Another thing I did was to replace the coil over shocks in the back with some nice Gabriel HiJackers - air shocks. The last time I installed a pair of these was back in 1978 on an old Mustang II that I drove. Easy to install and 100lbs of pressure seemed to work just right. Along my commute there were a couple dips that would cause my back end to bottom out, this was after the coil overs were set to the highest setting. This addition made the difference and cut down on the spring noise that was happening as well. I probably should have started with these to begin with. The best price was in town at Autozone - $69. Online at JC Whitney was $99.
Fire! Yikes!!
There I was, doing a maintenance thing on the car. One of my instruments wasn't working correctly and needed to be rewired. I had hit the quick disconnects for the high voltage battery pack and also disconnected the DC to DC Converter from the main pack. By accident the 12V source going into the instrument fell out and sparked, my thought is "Dog gone it, now I'll have to replace the fuse.." But it didn't stop sparking, oh no, it started on fire, then the wires got so hot they started to melt the plastic....I frantically looked for my fire extinguisher...then realized I didn't disconnect the 12V battery and the wire was coming straight from the battery without a fuse. Quickly I grabbed the wire cutters and clipped the wires from the 12V battery. It stopped the fire but in the process, my three car garage was filled with smoke and now there was some charred wires that needed to be replaced.
Lesson learned....always put a fuse in any line that goes anywhere. Disconnect the 12V battery as well, not just the DC to DC.
In addition to the line in question getting fried, it also took out two other wires in the process. Probably 4 hours later, I had it fixed. A little extra thought would have prevented this.
Yes, I'm embarrassed but maybe this will help someone else NOT go through this experience.
Lesson learned....always put a fuse in any line that goes anywhere. Disconnect the 12V battery as well, not just the DC to DC.
In addition to the line in question getting fried, it also took out two other wires in the process. Probably 4 hours later, I had it fixed. A little extra thought would have prevented this.
Yes, I'm embarrassed but maybe this will help someone else NOT go through this experience.
Thursday, August 30, 2012
What's WATT Doc?
EVers like to brag about how efficient their cars are.
"My car only uses 200 wh per mile!"
"Oh yeah, mine gets 180.! So there, nanny nanny boo boo."
So how's my car performing.....it's sucking amps....big time.
I drive 31 miles, lots of hills, pulling about 200 AH going up the steep ones, (I could do more -- evil EV grin.)
31 miles - the trip to work draws 9 KWh = 290 wh per mile
31 miles coming home draws 10.75 KWh = 346 wh per mile
You're probably asking how much of an impact did the DC to DC make to your energy usage?
Good question. Unfortunately the only data I have is from my usual route that is only 25 miles long, you know...the route that is closed because they are rebuilding a bridge. I was averaging right about 290 wh per mile then. So....
Thank goodness I can recharge at work. But sucking 16 AH at 120V takes a long time to fill up my pack. That's close to 6 hours. If I can hook up to the 220V outlet, that would really cut down my recharge time. Being able to suck 20 Amps at 220V would be awesome!
UPDATE: I finally got the 220V to work. This is the beauty of owning a Manzanita Micro PFC charger. It will take either 120 or 220 by just plugging it into the charger. By sucking 15 amps at 220 I'm recharged in about 3 hours. Yee Haw! I say that because I have to share the charging station with a guy that drives a Miles EV. Fortunately, his motor went kaputz and I've had the station to myself lately. BTW, I'm using some heavy duty wire that's rated at 250V 30 Amps.
"My car only uses 200 wh per mile!"
"Oh yeah, mine gets 180.! So there, nanny nanny boo boo."
So how's my car performing.....it's sucking amps....big time.
I drive 31 miles, lots of hills, pulling about 200 AH going up the steep ones, (I could do more -- evil EV grin.)
31 miles - the trip to work draws 9 KWh = 290 wh per mile
31 miles coming home draws 10.75 KWh = 346 wh per mile
You're probably asking how much of an impact did the DC to DC make to your energy usage?
Good question. Unfortunately the only data I have is from my usual route that is only 25 miles long, you know...the route that is closed because they are rebuilding a bridge. I was averaging right about 290 wh per mile then. So....
Thank goodness I can recharge at work. But sucking 16 AH at 120V takes a long time to fill up my pack. That's close to 6 hours. If I can hook up to the 220V outlet, that would really cut down my recharge time. Being able to suck 20 Amps at 220V would be awesome!
UPDATE: I finally got the 220V to work. This is the beauty of owning a Manzanita Micro PFC charger. It will take either 120 or 220 by just plugging it into the charger. By sucking 15 amps at 220 I'm recharged in about 3 hours. Yee Haw! I say that because I have to share the charging station with a guy that drives a Miles EV. Fortunately, his motor went kaputz and I've had the station to myself lately. BTW, I'm using some heavy duty wire that's rated at 250V 30 Amps.
Thursday, August 16, 2012
PowerMax DC to DC Converter Installation
My 12V 60 AH Battery that I was using to power all my 12V stuff seemed to suffer when I took my last test drive. The best solution is to use a DC to DC converter with the battery so you get the best of both worlds. What does that mean, you might ask? For instance if all you did was run a DC to DC converter, if your pack was running low of if the DC to DC stopped working, you might not make it home. If you ran only with a 12V battery like I have done for quite a while, it's all good until your 12V needs exhaust your battery before you get home or maybe you forgot to charge the battery --- oops!
By hooking up the DC to DC converter to a 12V battery if one fails the other will take over. Thus, the best of both worlds.
How to install. First, look at the prongs of the AC cord and note that the wire with all the writing on it is the positive. Then cut the prong end off. (Or leave it on and take another AC cord and cut it. This would give you a quick disconnect.) Separate the wires, strip them, then add some blue connectors for go on the positive and negative outputs of your high voltage battery pack. It's a good idea to hit your quick disconnects so you the pack is not at full voltage. (Always watch where you place both hands when making a connection, if you think you'll touch a metal trim, then wrap it in electrical tape. The trim, not your hand : )
The instructions said to test the 12V output with a voltmeter. This didn't work for me because my voltmeter leads had come loose - oops.
Next I ran a large wire, (they suggest an 8) from the DC to DC to my 12V battery and made the connections. I tested the DC to DC by disconnecting the 12V battery and yes, all the 12V stuff worked.
Don't expect a light to come on or the fan to engage. At least that was my experience, unless I test with a voltmeter, I wouldn't know if it was running.
There's another slot on the front to connect the unit to the car as a ground. I didn't do that. At least not yet. Maybe someone who knows better will criticize me and prompt me to do so.
I then took a 28 mile drive in 90 degree weather. Lots of hills and winding roads to get to Lake Cle Elum. I stopped once I got to the lake and checked everything out, the controller was barely warm, the DC to DC was not making any noise and the fan wasn't blowing. Overall, the car performed wonderfully. I don't have to worry about my 12V battery running low, nor do I have to worry about my controller or motor overheating. These additions have been worth it.
By hooking up the DC to DC converter to a 12V battery if one fails the other will take over. Thus, the best of both worlds.
How to install. First, look at the prongs of the AC cord and note that the wire with all the writing on it is the positive. Then cut the prong end off. (Or leave it on and take another AC cord and cut it. This would give you a quick disconnect.) Separate the wires, strip them, then add some blue connectors for go on the positive and negative outputs of your high voltage battery pack. It's a good idea to hit your quick disconnects so you the pack is not at full voltage. (Always watch where you place both hands when making a connection, if you think you'll touch a metal trim, then wrap it in electrical tape. The trim, not your hand : )
The instructions said to test the 12V output with a voltmeter. This didn't work for me because my voltmeter leads had come loose - oops.
Next I ran a large wire, (they suggest an 8) from the DC to DC to my 12V battery and made the connections. I tested the DC to DC by disconnecting the 12V battery and yes, all the 12V stuff worked.
Don't expect a light to come on or the fan to engage. At least that was my experience, unless I test with a voltmeter, I wouldn't know if it was running.
There's another slot on the front to connect the unit to the car as a ground. I didn't do that. At least not yet. Maybe someone who knows better will criticize me and prompt me to do so.
I then took a 28 mile drive in 90 degree weather. Lots of hills and winding roads to get to Lake Cle Elum. I stopped once I got to the lake and checked everything out, the controller was barely warm, the DC to DC was not making any noise and the fan wasn't blowing. Overall, the car performed wonderfully. I don't have to worry about my 12V battery running low, nor do I have to worry about my controller or motor overheating. These additions have been worth it.
Sunday, August 12, 2012
2nd Soliton Jr Cooling System Test in 97 Degree Heat
Maybe you weren't impressed with an 85 degree weather test I did yesterday, hey please remember I live in Washington State. While the rest of the nation is being pounded by blistering heat, we're chilling.
Like the title says, it was a hot one today. I intentionally waited until the hottest part then ran the same test as yesterday and using the tactile senor device, the results were the same. (That was a 12 mile test including a 5% hill and then a 2 mile 3% grade.) Except for the 12V battery supply. This time it wasn't low, I left my 12V 60 AH Lithium battery on a smart charger for most of the night and it was completely full. Either way, I ordered a DC to DC converter from EV Car Parts and it should be here soon.
The next test will be going halfway to work - 12 miles, then turning around and coming back in the heat.
Like the title says, it was a hot one today. I intentionally waited until the hottest part then ran the same test as yesterday and using the tactile senor device, the results were the same. (That was a 12 mile test including a 5% hill and then a 2 mile 3% grade.) Except for the 12V battery supply. This time it wasn't low, I left my 12V 60 AH Lithium battery on a smart charger for most of the night and it was completely full. Either way, I ordered a DC to DC converter from EV Car Parts and it should be here soon.
The next test will be going halfway to work - 12 miles, then turning around and coming back in the heat.
Saturday, August 11, 2012
First Test Drive w/ Soliton Jr Cooling System
It's 85 degrees out and I'm ready for the first drive with the new cooling system I installed. I drove approx 4 miles to the high school up one hill then checked everything out. The motor was warm to the touch and the controller was cool to the touch. OK, don't expect scientific data just good old fashioned "tactile sensory data." (That means I used my hands.) Everything looked good, no leaks no burning smells.
I then drove over to where I start my daily commute which has a 5% grade hill and, BTW, this is where the Open Revolt and Soliton Jr (without water cooling) both started to fail. Speed limit is 35, I'm in 3rd gear pulling 150 - 200 amps. Oops! I'm speeding. (EV grin begins to widen) OK, that was easy, let's move onto the gradual grade which follows. This is probably a 3% grade for about two miles. And once again, I'm having to watch my speed because it's very easy to go too fast. Wow!! This stuff works. I continued on for another mile and then turned around and came home. Total mileage was approx 12 miles.
Once I drove in the garage, I engaged the tactile sensory device again. The controller was barely warm. The motor was hot, but I noticed the fan wasn't blowing as hard. Then a heard a click noise and saw a red trouble light on my controller. I quickly connected the computer and saw the error was the 12V was too low. My 60 AH Lithium battery was down to 9% charge and I had started with a 100% charge. Granted, I've been running this battery for a couple years now so the capacity should be lower. I never did bother to balance the cells since it was set up as a 12V battery. As much as I love this cooling system, it does suck some amps. Looks like it's time for a DC to DC converter. The only problem is when I asked the question, "which DC to DC do you prefer?" to the EVnetics guys; the answer wasn't encouraging. They don't like any, they hope to build one that will outperform all others but haven't gotten around to it yet.
As it stands, I either need to get a larger 12V power source or try my luck with a DC to DC converter. Of course I could always attach my battery to the DC to DC so I get the best of both worlds. Right now, with my current 12V and the cooling system on for my entire commute home (when it's 90+ degrees), it won't make it.
I then drove over to where I start my daily commute which has a 5% grade hill and, BTW, this is where the Open Revolt and Soliton Jr (without water cooling) both started to fail. Speed limit is 35, I'm in 3rd gear pulling 150 - 200 amps. Oops! I'm speeding. (EV grin begins to widen) OK, that was easy, let's move onto the gradual grade which follows. This is probably a 3% grade for about two miles. And once again, I'm having to watch my speed because it's very easy to go too fast. Wow!! This stuff works. I continued on for another mile and then turned around and came home. Total mileage was approx 12 miles.
Once I drove in the garage, I engaged the tactile sensory device again. The controller was barely warm. The motor was hot, but I noticed the fan wasn't blowing as hard. Then a heard a click noise and saw a red trouble light on my controller. I quickly connected the computer and saw the error was the 12V was too low. My 60 AH Lithium battery was down to 9% charge and I had started with a 100% charge. Granted, I've been running this battery for a couple years now so the capacity should be lower. I never did bother to balance the cells since it was set up as a 12V battery. As much as I love this cooling system, it does suck some amps. Looks like it's time for a DC to DC converter. The only problem is when I asked the question, "which DC to DC do you prefer?" to the EVnetics guys; the answer wasn't encouraging. They don't like any, they hope to build one that will outperform all others but haven't gotten around to it yet.
As it stands, I either need to get a larger 12V power source or try my luck with a DC to DC converter. Of course I could always attach my battery to the DC to DC so I get the best of both worlds. Right now, with my current 12V and the cooling system on for my entire commute home (when it's 90+ degrees), it won't make it.
Thursday, August 9, 2012
Motor Cooling Fan Installation
I had tried this before but because my motor was installed at the 3 o'clock position, a bottom position fan wasn't going to work. I sent the collar and rubber mat parts back to EV Source and asked for the top mount instead.
Here's what the entire kit looks like.
They replied that the manufacturer doesn't make those anymore and with little effort you can adapt what you have to work. The more I thought about this, the more it made sense. When the two piece collar came back to me, I noticed that if I flip flopped the one piece and cut the mat in the middle I should be able to line everything up. Sure enough, it worked. (the pict above shows this) I did use some Gorilla duct tape to mate the rubber mat together again after I had cut it.
To install the collar you need to remove all the motor cables. It's a good idea to disconnect your battery pack at the Big Anderson Connector so you have 0 voltage flowing anywhere nearby, just as a precaution. Now you position the rubber mat, I then used some more of the Gorilla duct tape to tape the two ends together so it would not get in the way of installing the metal collar pieces. The one piece with the holes gave me a little bit of problems at first but with some manipulation it finally went on. Now you have to insert the blow hole piece into the matching collar piece. The directions included will make this pretty clear. When you bolt the two pieces together make sure you make the first two bolts (on one end) very loose, otherwise it will be hard to get the other end on. I then used a vice grip to squeeze the ends together so I could tighten up the bolts much easier. This will be an air tight fit when done.
Next, I needed to install the fan motor. I chose to place the motor behind the driver side back wheel up in the area behind the turn signal. The aerodynamics of the wheel well catches the air and shoots it up into that area but any water or dirt from the tire is blocked by the existing wall.
The K & N filter that's attached will help block out any dirt, dust, etc that might fly up there. It's easy to remove this motor to replace the filter. I went ahead and tested the system by hooking it directly up to a 12V battery I had sitting around. Wow! Does this thing blow...I can feel air coming out the other end of the motor and even the bolt holes in the back plate. This should do the trick.
Overall this system was ideally made for a front hood area installation as most cars are front wheel drive. The fact I have a rear area motor just makes for a good challenge. : )
Finally, I'll need to install the fully pre-wired relay assembly. That should be a snap, but I'm going to wait until tomorrow. With luck I should be back on the road this weekend. With my luck the weather will get cool and I won't get a good test with 100+ degree heat.
Here's what the entire kit looks like.
They replied that the manufacturer doesn't make those anymore and with little effort you can adapt what you have to work. The more I thought about this, the more it made sense. When the two piece collar came back to me, I noticed that if I flip flopped the one piece and cut the mat in the middle I should be able to line everything up. Sure enough, it worked. (the pict above shows this) I did use some Gorilla duct tape to mate the rubber mat together again after I had cut it.
To install the collar you need to remove all the motor cables. It's a good idea to disconnect your battery pack at the Big Anderson Connector so you have 0 voltage flowing anywhere nearby, just as a precaution. Now you position the rubber mat, I then used some more of the Gorilla duct tape to tape the two ends together so it would not get in the way of installing the metal collar pieces. The one piece with the holes gave me a little bit of problems at first but with some manipulation it finally went on. Now you have to insert the blow hole piece into the matching collar piece. The directions included will make this pretty clear. When you bolt the two pieces together make sure you make the first two bolts (on one end) very loose, otherwise it will be hard to get the other end on. I then used a vice grip to squeeze the ends together so I could tighten up the bolts much easier. This will be an air tight fit when done.
Overall this system was ideally made for a front hood area installation as most cars are front wheel drive. The fact I have a rear area motor just makes for a good challenge. : )
Finally, I'll need to install the fully pre-wired relay assembly. That should be a snap, but I'm going to wait until tomorrow. With luck I should be back on the road this weekend. With my luck the weather will get cool and I won't get a good test with 100+ degree heat.
Thursday, August 2, 2012
New Water Cooling Adaptors for Soliton Jr Controller
As you may recall, I installed the EV Source water cooling kit for my new Soliton Jr Controller but the adaptors they sent didn't work, they were too fat to sit next to each other. I took the advice from DIYelectric car forum and ordered some 1/8 NPT X 3/8 barb, and a couple reducers - 1/2 barb X 3/8 barb. I did notice a small leak from the radiator. I had neglected to use some teflon tape when screwing the hose adaptors in, (these are the weak link in the system - a cheap plastic) once I fixed that I ran the system for about 10 minutes and everything seems to be good to go! Now I just need to secure the lines in place. My biggest concern is the system might leak and spill onto/into the motor, which could possibly kill it. That would be very, very bad!!!
Saturday, July 28, 2012
Installing the Water Cooling Kit
Even though I can't hook into the controller yet, (adaptors didn't fit, new ones on the way see more below), I decided to go ahead and start installing the kit. Here's a few picts.
I decided to place the reservoir against the backseat area. The pump is underneath, and the side port doesn't create a sharp bend in the tube. I use a short garden hose and funnel to fill it up because it's tucked in underneath the body.
Here you can see the pump and the lower corner of the radiator. The instructions say to put the pump underneath the reservoir so the pump gets primed. Also if you need to purge the system it will make it easier. Notice the funky white clamps? They are easy to put on. If you use a extended pair of pliers you can sqeeze the clamps tight. The radiator has two fans and in and out ports. I put the radiator under the shelf so it would get cool air from underneath the car.
Next I had to rig up a relay to turn everything on. Since I had a switch up front for the pre-charger, (which I won't need because this is built into the Soliton) I decided to use that and mount the relay in my magic box.
Finally, I gave it a go. It works!!!! The fans came on and the pump was pumping the fluid into a can I had sitting on the floor. Very quiet - I like that. I had to touch the pump to feel it vibrate to know it was working. When it's all hooked up to the controller, the cycle will be: reservoir - pump - radiator - in controller - out controller - reservoir.
Getting back to the adaptor problem. The DIYelectriccarforum site had some great advice - they used a 1/8 NPT male X 3/8 inch barb. As I continued to search for a 1/8 NPT male X 1/2 barb I came to the conclusion there aren't any. That's why it takes two pieces and they are too fat. The best solution is to buy the 3/8 barb, like they did and then use some reducers - 1/2 barb X 3/8 barb to adjust. I ordered all the parts from a company in CA and they shipped today.
Next the motor cooling kit.
Here you can see the pump and the lower corner of the radiator. The instructions say to put the pump underneath the reservoir so the pump gets primed. Also if you need to purge the system it will make it easier. Notice the funky white clamps? They are easy to put on. If you use a extended pair of pliers you can sqeeze the clamps tight. The radiator has two fans and in and out ports. I put the radiator under the shelf so it would get cool air from underneath the car.
Next I had to rig up a relay to turn everything on. Since I had a switch up front for the pre-charger, (which I won't need because this is built into the Soliton) I decided to use that and mount the relay in my magic box.
Finally, I gave it a go. It works!!!! The fans came on and the pump was pumping the fluid into a can I had sitting on the floor. Very quiet - I like that. I had to touch the pump to feel it vibrate to know it was working. When it's all hooked up to the controller, the cycle will be: reservoir - pump - radiator - in controller - out controller - reservoir.
Getting back to the adaptor problem. The DIYelectriccarforum site had some great advice - they used a 1/8 NPT male X 3/8 inch barb. As I continued to search for a 1/8 NPT male X 1/2 barb I came to the conclusion there aren't any. That's why it takes two pieces and they are too fat. The best solution is to buy the 3/8 barb, like they did and then use some reducers - 1/2 barb X 3/8 barb to adjust. I ordered all the parts from a company in CA and they shipped today.
Next the motor cooling kit.
Friday, July 27, 2012
Cooling Kit for Soliton Jr Controller and Motor
I broke down and purchased the EV Source cooling kit for the Soliton Controller and the kit for the Impulse 9 motor. The items arrived last night. I was excited to tear into them and see what I got. Although pricey, I will say that the kits look like they are excellent quality. Unfortunately, since my car seems to be cursed, when I went to install the water cooling kit for the controller the first thing I noticed was the adaptors, that screw into the threaded ports aren't going to work. Not because they don't screw in, but they are too wide to sit next to each other. I need skinny adaptors or an extender of some sort? I'm still trying to problem solve this. I'm hoping the good folks at DIYelectriccarforum will help.
Since that wasn't going anywhere, I thought at least I can start with installing the motor fan. I had ordered the bottom motor mount because I have the shelf sitting right above my motor with very little space. Once again I was smitten with a hex, the collar puts the spout for the fan at the top of my motor, which doesn't have room for the spout. Either my motor is upside down, or they gave me the wrong kit. After checking my motor it's at a 3:00 position from where it should be. Remember I used a motorcycle jack top install vs an engine lift. ARGHH!!
Needless to say, lots more to come.
Since that wasn't going anywhere, I thought at least I can start with installing the motor fan. I had ordered the bottom motor mount because I have the shelf sitting right above my motor with very little space. Once again I was smitten with a hex, the collar puts the spout for the fan at the top of my motor, which doesn't have room for the spout. Either my motor is upside down, or they gave me the wrong kit. After checking my motor it's at a 3:00 position from where it should be. Remember I used a motorcycle jack top install vs an engine lift. ARGHH!!
Needless to say, lots more to come.
Friday, July 13, 2012
Good-Bye Open Revolt, Hello Soliton Jr!!
Let me start by saying I think the Open Revolt is made of good intentions but in the long run this controller is under-powered and kept overheating for my application. The lack of adequate customer support, (I sent an email to Paul on his website and never did get a reply), comprehensive instruction manual, and not clearly stating that this controller will only deliver a constant 178 amps vs the much advertised 144 volts 500 amp controller (Yep, that's only surge). Yes, there are folks out having success with this controller, but clearly it's not for me!
So..after much debate and contemplation about spending a lot of dough, I made the decision to purchase a Lincoln, not a Cadillac but a Lincoln. The Soliton Jr has a bigger brother, the Soliton 1 and it costs much more than the Jr I bought. There are many reasons to buy this controller vs others, I found a comparison somewhere and was convinced this baby would get me across the finish line.
Here's what I like: built in contactor, pre-charger, cooling fans and option water cooling. (That right there is huge!)
I didn't care for having to buy their throttle ($160), but it does work very well.
About the installation - easy. three wires from the throttle, a 12V and ground. Voila! You're done. There are other wires you can connect but this is the basic.
Let's talk about connecting to the controller. Use an ethernet cable, follow the step by step instructions in the manual they gave you. I connected the very first time with no problems. (Unlike last time where I had to search for the program, find a driver that actually worked, order a cable from online, then order another cable. ARGHH!!) From there I was able to calibrate the throttle and then give it a whirl.
I started the install at 8 pm and was done by 10 pm and ready for a test drive.
The first test drive went very well, I easily pulled 150 amps going up one of the many hills that I climb, but I'll need to further adjust the acceleration on the software. I'm confident that tomorrow's drive will allow me to suck the amps I need to get up those hills easily and not risk being stranded. The worst case scenario is I may have to add the water cooling option, I don't anticipate this since I plan to keep my amp draw at 250.
So..after much debate and contemplation about spending a lot of dough, I made the decision to purchase a Lincoln, not a Cadillac but a Lincoln. The Soliton Jr has a bigger brother, the Soliton 1 and it costs much more than the Jr I bought. There are many reasons to buy this controller vs others, I found a comparison somewhere and was convinced this baby would get me across the finish line.
Here's what I like: built in contactor, pre-charger, cooling fans and option water cooling. (That right there is huge!)
I didn't care for having to buy their throttle ($160), but it does work very well.
About the installation - easy. three wires from the throttle, a 12V and ground. Voila! You're done. There are other wires you can connect but this is the basic.
Let's talk about connecting to the controller. Use an ethernet cable, follow the step by step instructions in the manual they gave you. I connected the very first time with no problems. (Unlike last time where I had to search for the program, find a driver that actually worked, order a cable from online, then order another cable. ARGHH!!) From there I was able to calibrate the throttle and then give it a whirl.
I started the install at 8 pm and was done by 10 pm and ready for a test drive.
The first test drive went very well, I easily pulled 150 amps going up one of the many hills that I climb, but I'll need to further adjust the acceleration on the software. I'm confident that tomorrow's drive will allow me to suck the amps I need to get up those hills easily and not risk being stranded. The worst case scenario is I may have to add the water cooling option, I don't anticipate this since I plan to keep my amp draw at 250.
Thursday, July 5, 2012
Overheating Open Revolt Controller
So I finally got the RTD Explorer to work while driving. The first time I had put the 25 foot RS232 cable next to the battery cables, this lead to the connection to the laptop cutting out. I couldn't get a constant reading on what was happening while I was driving. My wife was watching the computer while I drove and she said it kept "stopping", meaning the graphs weren't displaying. I would stop, restart the connection and sometimes the controller.
Once I moved the cord as far away from the battery cables and pack, the RTD Explorer worked like a charm. But what I did notice was the heatsink temp was at 600 after about 5 minutes of driving. FYI - outside temp was 75 degrees. I don't know what the 600 translates to in actual temperature but then when I tried to climb a hill it rose to 700 and then the yellow Overtemp fault light came on. This lead to my amps being cut to 60 and below. By the way, I have the Revolt controller sitting on a heatsink fin and there's a fan underneath to help disperse the heat.
Hmmmmm.....what this controller needs is a way to really cool off. I saw on the EV West EV site where they created a "chill plate" for a new Curtis controller. It attaches to the bottom and then you add the pump, radiator, reservoir and hose. What a great idea. Maybe someone should come up that idea for all controllers that don't have a built in water cooling system.
Once I moved the cord as far away from the battery cables and pack, the RTD Explorer worked like a charm. But what I did notice was the heatsink temp was at 600 after about 5 minutes of driving. FYI - outside temp was 75 degrees. I don't know what the 600 translates to in actual temperature but then when I tried to climb a hill it rose to 700 and then the yellow Overtemp fault light came on. This lead to my amps being cut to 60 and below. By the way, I have the Revolt controller sitting on a heatsink fin and there's a fan underneath to help disperse the heat.
Hmmmmm.....what this controller needs is a way to really cool off. I saw on the EV West EV site where they created a "chill plate" for a new Curtis controller. It attaches to the bottom and then you add the pump, radiator, reservoir and hose. What a great idea. Maybe someone should come up that idea for all controllers that don't have a built in water cooling system.
Friday, June 22, 2012
Same Problem w/Controller
Drove my Bradley to work yesterday morning. Since my primary route is closed for construction - they are building a bridge, and the detour route has some very long gradual climbs, I'm left with plan C - the roads on the side of the freeway. Why not take the freeway? At 70 mph and several 6% hill grades I'd be crushed!! (Remember, I can only pull 178 AH constant with this controller) This plan C is only a few miles longer and has speeds from 35 - 50 mph. The hills are steep but not very long.
This takes about an hour driving time but I figure, hey I can drive my Bradley ....that makes for a good day! : )
The drive to work was scenic and the controller performed very well. FYI - 45 degrees outside. No incidents what so ever with the controller.
Coming home was a different story though. FYI - 75 degrees. The controller continues to cut my amp draw, at random, to a max of 60. When I say at random, I mean on a hill, on a flat road, at high speed or low speed. And I don't mean all the time - this only occurred during the first 17 miles of my commute home, the remaining 14 were trouble free. Sometimes I lift my foot off the pedal for a few moments and everything works again. Other times I have to pull off the road and wait a few seconds then start to drive again. All of my settings were changed back to the default settings, so I'm not sure what's going on. I've sent a couple emails so hopefully I can get some assistance on this.
This takes about an hour driving time but I figure, hey I can drive my Bradley ....that makes for a good day! : )
The drive to work was scenic and the controller performed very well. FYI - 45 degrees outside. No incidents what so ever with the controller.
Coming home was a different story though. FYI - 75 degrees. The controller continues to cut my amp draw, at random, to a max of 60. When I say at random, I mean on a hill, on a flat road, at high speed or low speed. And I don't mean all the time - this only occurred during the first 17 miles of my commute home, the remaining 14 were trouble free. Sometimes I lift my foot off the pedal for a few moments and everything works again. Other times I have to pull off the road and wait a few seconds then start to drive again. All of my settings were changed back to the default settings, so I'm not sure what's going on. I've sent a couple emails so hopefully I can get some assistance on this.
Wednesday, June 20, 2012
Open Revolt Troubles/Fix
If the little yellow light , on the outside of the case,is blinking, that's a bad thing. And it was happening for me.
I drove my Bradley to the lake that was nearby, pretty area, but lots of hills. And that was what I wanted to test. The results didn't seem so good, I wasn't able to pull the max amps while climbing and at one point the batteries seem to sag and get real whimpy......
I mentioned in an earlier post that I wasn't happy with the results of just a plug 'n play controller. The good news is that's what the Open Revolt is good for. You can adapt it to your particular vehicle. So I loaded the same settings as a similar car I found in the Wiki but wasn't happy with the results, especially when I tried to climb hills. So I made, what I believe to be, some additional settings that would improve the response. Instead what I got was the blinking yellow light and the car would not go. I grabbed my laptop and tapped in to see that the High Throttle Lockout was engaged. For some reason my potbox was showing a 511 minimum throttle, when before it was 000. I tried to circumnavigate this by typing in a higher number, then restart, the car went about 10 feet with a huge acceleration and stopped. (I didn't know it could go that fast!) It's always embarrassing to ask my wife to help me push the car down the road and into the garage.
From there I tried a couple different problem solving tactics. Is there any voltage leakage in the potbox itself? I took a voltmeter and nope, nothing. Is the potbox showing too much resistance with the Ohm setting? I had to look up on the internet how to do this with my voltmeter. (I don't do this very often) Once again, nope - right where it should be 5/6. The good thing is that Jake, the guy that built the controller was there, via email, to answer questions and give valuable insight. He recommended that I bypass the potbox entirely and tie the two potbox cables coming out of the Open Revolt Controller together and see if I still have the problem? Sure enough, the High Throttle Lockout was still engaged, even after I tried to restart. The final thought was to reset all the settings back to the default. The site where I found the TRD Explorer had a document that listed all the defaults there on the page. So I reset them and viola! It worked. As a matter of fact it worked better than before.
I took the car on a 15 mile ride and it seemed to respond better than before.
OK, I'm not an electrical engineer, nor do I spend the night in a Holiday Inn Express to gain brain power. But it seems to me that what I put in should have worked. I guess I must have typed something in wrong. Either way, I'm not messing with any settings for a while. Let's drive!!!! Woohoo!!
I drove my Bradley to the lake that was nearby, pretty area, but lots of hills. And that was what I wanted to test. The results didn't seem so good, I wasn't able to pull the max amps while climbing and at one point the batteries seem to sag and get real whimpy......
I mentioned in an earlier post that I wasn't happy with the results of just a plug 'n play controller. The good news is that's what the Open Revolt is good for. You can adapt it to your particular vehicle. So I loaded the same settings as a similar car I found in the Wiki but wasn't happy with the results, especially when I tried to climb hills. So I made, what I believe to be, some additional settings that would improve the response. Instead what I got was the blinking yellow light and the car would not go. I grabbed my laptop and tapped in to see that the High Throttle Lockout was engaged. For some reason my potbox was showing a 511 minimum throttle, when before it was 000. I tried to circumnavigate this by typing in a higher number, then restart, the car went about 10 feet with a huge acceleration and stopped. (I didn't know it could go that fast!) It's always embarrassing to ask my wife to help me push the car down the road and into the garage.
From there I tried a couple different problem solving tactics. Is there any voltage leakage in the potbox itself? I took a voltmeter and nope, nothing. Is the potbox showing too much resistance with the Ohm setting? I had to look up on the internet how to do this with my voltmeter. (I don't do this very often) Once again, nope - right where it should be 5/6. The good thing is that Jake, the guy that built the controller was there, via email, to answer questions and give valuable insight. He recommended that I bypass the potbox entirely and tie the two potbox cables coming out of the Open Revolt Controller together and see if I still have the problem? Sure enough, the High Throttle Lockout was still engaged, even after I tried to restart. The final thought was to reset all the settings back to the default. The site where I found the TRD Explorer had a document that listed all the defaults there on the page. So I reset them and viola! It worked. As a matter of fact it worked better than before.
I took the car on a 15 mile ride and it seemed to respond better than before.
OK, I'm not an electrical engineer, nor do I spend the night in a Holiday Inn Express to gain brain power. But it seems to me that what I put in should have worked. I guess I must have typed something in wrong. Either way, I'm not messing with any settings for a while. Let's drive!!!! Woohoo!!
Friday, June 15, 2012
How to Hook up to the Open Revolt for DUMMIES
How
to Hook up to the Open Revolt for DUMMIES
(Written by a dummy, so this
authentic) I hope this saves someone out there a lot of pain and agony, like I went through.
First, you'll need a laptop. If that
laptop has a RS232 connector then you're probably using an older
computer. That is good. If it ONLY has USB ports then it's newer
and probably runs Windows 7 like mine. This, as I found, complicates
matters. This article deals mostly with the newer, USB based
computer.
Next you'll need a cable. A USB to
RS232 (or DB9) cable. There are many places to buy one. I found
mine at a local computer store for about $20. Amazon.com sells them
for about $15.
To go with that cable, you'll need a
driver software. My cable came with a disc that had a lot of
acronyms I didn't understand. Nothing said RS232. I read on the
internet where some of these drivers weren't working anyway. So I
did my own search on the internet to find an easy plug and play
driver. Like anything is Easy?!!
To make a long story short, many
companies that sell cables have some sort of PROLITHIC brand driver
out there that they sell with their cable. They are NOT all the
same. After 5 hours of install/uninstall/test/Code 10 errors/why the
@#$% isn't this working??????, and seeing the same version of
PROLITHIC over and over again, I found this site:
http://www.usbfirewire.com/parts/rr-usb-017.html
This is a different version of the same
driver and the first time installed, IT WORKED. This is where the
bells are ringing, the angels are singing and the trial of driver
install is over. I raise my hands to the heavens and shout, “Thank
you, Lord!”
Back to the dummie part. You need to
download and install the application RTD Explorer to your computer.
I had no problem with this part. You can find it here:
http://www.evvette.com/EVVette.com/RTD_Explorer.html
At this point, there's a video on how
to use the RTD Explorer and it is found here:
This is a good step by step guide of
how to use the software. Pay close attention to how he types in the
commands, you'll have to view full screen and notice you don't type
commands into the black area, but you use the text box underneath the
black area. But you might be wondering, what does Ki or CRR mean?
There's a good discussion found here:
You can also see how some people, based
on their vehicles, changed their settings by looking at this:
The main point here is your vehicle
will probably be different that others. Mine is. Setting the
correct throttle numbers is important to get the type of response I
want. When I took a test drive after connecting the controller, it
was sluggish and cut out on me when I tried to do 55 mph. NOT GOOD.
The beauty of this controller is it's designed to be adapted to any
electric vehicle at a great price.You should look at what others have
used for their settings, and use something similar to your car then
go from there.
Next, I put the rear of my car on jacks
and had my wife sit in the car so I could see what's happening on the
laptop. The cable I first bought was only 3 feet long, I later figured out I could buy a 25 foot long RS232 male to female cable for $7 and hook that to my 3 foot USB cord. Then I could do this myself
while sitting in the car. I WOULD NOT RECOMMEND you do this WHILE
DRIVING. Talk about distracted driver looking to get a ticket or get
into an accident. Just say NO. Therefore, I had my wife come with me, after a little on the job training she was able to tell me what was happening.
NOTE: Keep the RS232 cable as far away from the battery cables and battery pack as possible to avoid electronic interference.
NOTE: Keep the RS232 cable as far away from the battery cables and battery pack as possible to avoid electronic interference.
To connect your laptop to your
controller follow these steps:
- Start the car by turning on the pre-charger, after 8 seconds you should hear a click from the controller. Turn off the pre-charger.
- Start/open the RTD Explorer software on your computer.
- Connect the USB end of your cable to the computer. Look to see if the computer is installing the driver. This happened to me several times before the computer stopped doing this. If this does happen, wait for it to completely install. You can check to see if there's a problem by going to Start>Control Panel>Device Manager>see if there are any yellow triangles with an !, (that's bad.) Hopefully you won't.
- Connect the 9 pin end of the cable to the RS232 outlet on the controller. (Be careful not to touch any of the high voltage wires) My cable had built in screws as part of the cable, I removed them to get a solid connection.
- Hopefully you saw the COM# that was attached to your driver. When mine was installed it said COM15. (You can also see this by going to Start, then Control Panel, then Device Manager, then look for your communication port, open it and see the number assigned) Go to the COMMUNICATION tab at the top right of the screen. Click and choose COM PORT then “other” and type in the number of your COM and click OK. Now go back to the COMMUNICATION tab and choose “connect.” The little green light on the bottom middle should start blinking and the Black box area should start to show some text. All of your current settings should appear.
To Change a setting:
1. To change a setting, you must type the command into the text box
below the Black area. If I want to change the Ki setting to 20, I
type in ki 20 and hit enter. The black area acknowledges what I did.
I must now save it to the EE. So I type save and it does that. To
see that the change has taken place, I type in config and all the
settings are displayed in the black area. I should now see that Ki
setting is 20 like I typed in.
- To see all the commands, they are listed under the HELP tab at the top middle of the menu bar, then choose command list.
You'll need to change your throttle
setting.
I had my wife place the car out of
gear and hit the accelerator all the way down briefly. The max
number in the upper right hand corner read 718. So I changed the
setting by typing in t-max-rc 720, then I saved and typed in config
just to make sure the change happened. The min throttle setting was
400, when my wife's foot was off the pedal, it read 000, so I changed
that by typing in t-min-rc 110 and once again hit save and config. I
love it when a plan comes together!
(Note: this lead to a High Throttle Lockout for me. Maybe I typed it in wrong? Either way, proceed with caution!)
(Note: this lead to a High Throttle Lockout for me. Maybe I typed it in wrong? Either way, proceed with caution!)
Overall Settings
(This is based on my Bradley GT
II, 144V, 100 AH Lithium Batts, 2,000 lbs gross??)
Kp 2 Ki 11 t-pos-gain 17
t-pmw-gain 0 c-rr 6 t-min-rc 110 t-max -rc 720
(Note: I ended up going back to the defaults, then everything worked fine.)
(Note: I ended up going back to the defaults, then everything worked fine.)
Finally, I took it for a test drive. I
went about 8 miles and am pleased with the response of the
controller. My previous Kilovac controller always had a jerk when
you pressed down on the accelerator, then it would get sluggish as it
gained speed. The Open Revolt is very smooth. I took it on the
highway at 55 mph with no problems.
The only problem I do anticipate is 178
amps is the most I can draw while climbing a hill, and I have a lot
of hills. That's my next test.
Tuesday, June 12, 2012
Open Revolt Controller
My new controller came in the mail today. After a quick install, I was on the road. The only difference is the M buss bar is in the back and not in the front with the B+ and B- connections. This worked out well due to the way the controller is positioned, I didn't even need to find a longer cable to reach. Another change, the controller turns on your contactor after an 8 second precharge. Of course you have to remember to flip the switch to turn on the precharger first. Since I had previously put the contractor on a switch, this worked out well. The sticker didn't come with it, I printed it out from the website and put it on with some clear packing tape. I think it looks cool!
The acceleration is good but I can tweek that later on. I haven't dove into checking out the programming but so far so good. I drove a few miles for a quick test drive. Checked the heat on the bottom, yes, a little warm but that's to be expected. I did set the controller on a heat sink with a fan going underneath. Then went to the store to get some groceries. Again, no problems. Next will be a 55 mph test drive. BTW, it's very quiet, unlike the squeeling Curtis.
Paul Mitchell put the thing together for me. I believe he's out of Seattle, you can see his ad on DIYelectriccar formum or EV Trading Post.
The acceleration is good but I can tweek that later on. I haven't dove into checking out the programming but so far so good. I drove a few miles for a quick test drive. Checked the heat on the bottom, yes, a little warm but that's to be expected. I did set the controller on a heat sink with a fan going underneath. Then went to the store to get some groceries. Again, no problems. Next will be a 55 mph test drive. BTW, it's very quiet, unlike the squeeling Curtis.
Paul Mitchell put the thing together for me. I believe he's out of Seattle, you can see his ad on DIYelectriccar formum or EV Trading Post.
Saturday, May 26, 2012
From 156V to 144V
My new controller will be a 144V 500 amp, Open Revolt controller. My battery pack was 156V, then I killed two of them (overcharge incident, see previous post) and it just seemed to make sense to take out two more and go with 144V since I'm saving a boatload of money on the controller.
Rather than just rewiring the existing set up and skipping over two more batteries, I decided to actually remove three of the batteries. This meant I had to bust open three of the packs. The screws that hold the straps are hard to get off and I found that using a grinder made it a whole lot easier. Besides, unless you have the right compression tools, trying to put these straps back on are a pain in the butt! After the straps were off I was able to step a 6 pack down to a 4 pack and a 5 pack down to a 4 pack and replace a battery in a 5 pack. I used Gorilla duct tape to bind then together with the end plates and then placed those packs in the middle of each bank. Last, I bound each bank together with a cargo tie. This created some neat, organized looking blocks.
Instead of busting open a fourth pack, a 6 pack, I found it easier to tape off one battery and just add it to the pack in the rear. So, I ended up with 15 in front (3X5) and 29 in back (6X4+1X6 (-1)). Wow, that's looks like a complicated math formula.
Anytime I get into tearing apart a battery bank, I always let my wife know so she can check on me. I use tools that are wrapped in electrical tape, remove any metal on my body, wear gloves and always think about where both hands are placed. I take my time and double check the polarity of any connection. Sparks are bad and there shouldn't be any at all.
Rather than just rewiring the existing set up and skipping over two more batteries, I decided to actually remove three of the batteries. This meant I had to bust open three of the packs. The screws that hold the straps are hard to get off and I found that using a grinder made it a whole lot easier. Besides, unless you have the right compression tools, trying to put these straps back on are a pain in the butt! After the straps were off I was able to step a 6 pack down to a 4 pack and a 5 pack down to a 4 pack and replace a battery in a 5 pack. I used Gorilla duct tape to bind then together with the end plates and then placed those packs in the middle of each bank. Last, I bound each bank together with a cargo tie. This created some neat, organized looking blocks.
Anytime I get into tearing apart a battery bank, I always let my wife know so she can check on me. I use tools that are wrapped in electrical tape, remove any metal on my body, wear gloves and always think about where both hands are placed. I take my time and double check the polarity of any connection. Sparks are bad and there shouldn't be any at all.
Saturday, May 19, 2012
Open Revolt Ordered/Pre-charger Wired
OPEN REVOLT CONTROLLER
I went ahead and sent some money to the guy who is going to build a controller for me. (You can see his ad on EV Trading Post) There's plenty of stuff on Youtube about the Open Revolt controller and there's also 30 EV owners that are using them as listed on EV Album. The primary idea was to create an open source way for people to either build a controller themselves or have one built for them. As I mentioned in the last blog, controllers aren't cheap. A person with good soldering skills can build an Open Revolt for about $350. I'm having one built for $700. That's still about $900 cheaper than a commercial off the self comparable item. The only draw back is having to wait for a week and a half until it is built. I am missing prime EV driving time!
PRE-CHARGER
There is a pre-charger requirement for this controller. Look at this:
http://www.diyelectriccar.com/forums/showthread.php?t=25419
A well written article on how and why to pre-charge. After reading that, I went outside to the shop and wired my contactor to a separate switch instead of coming on automatically with the 12V switch. I then wired a high voltage relay to act as a pre-charger.
Since I won't need heat anytime soon I used the heater relay. (Guess I'll need to order another one from MINIBMS) I put one of my extra LED resistors in the high voltage line going to the controller.
The start sequence will be like this --
turn on the 12V switch,
then turn on the pre-charger.
Now wait for the controller supercaps to match the battery pack voltage,
hit the contactor switch,
now turn off the pre-charger and you're ready to drive.
And of course, while I was doing all this I tested my contactor and it too was fried from the controller melt down that happened yesterday. So.... I dragged out the old Curtis Albright that I had sitting around and it still works just fine. I like it when Plan B works.
I went ahead and sent some money to the guy who is going to build a controller for me. (You can see his ad on EV Trading Post) There's plenty of stuff on Youtube about the Open Revolt controller and there's also 30 EV owners that are using them as listed on EV Album. The primary idea was to create an open source way for people to either build a controller themselves or have one built for them. As I mentioned in the last blog, controllers aren't cheap. A person with good soldering skills can build an Open Revolt for about $350. I'm having one built for $700. That's still about $900 cheaper than a commercial off the self comparable item. The only draw back is having to wait for a week and a half until it is built. I am missing prime EV driving time!
PRE-CHARGER
There is a pre-charger requirement for this controller. Look at this:
http://www.diyelectriccar.com/forums/showthread.php?t=25419
A well written article on how and why to pre-charge. After reading that, I went outside to the shop and wired my contactor to a separate switch instead of coming on automatically with the 12V switch. I then wired a high voltage relay to act as a pre-charger.
Since I won't need heat anytime soon I used the heater relay. (Guess I'll need to order another one from MINIBMS) I put one of my extra LED resistors in the high voltage line going to the controller.
The start sequence will be like this --
turn on the 12V switch,
then turn on the pre-charger.
Now wait for the controller supercaps to match the battery pack voltage,
hit the contactor switch,
now turn off the pre-charger and you're ready to drive.
And of course, while I was doing all this I tested my contactor and it too was fried from the controller melt down that happened yesterday. So.... I dragged out the old Curtis Albright that I had sitting around and it still works just fine. I like it when Plan B works.
Friday, May 18, 2012
Blown Controller - ARGH!!
This was the completion of my first week of commuting to and from work. Over 50 miles round trip each day completed and I was anticipating writing this blog entry as I was driving home when BANG!!! Something in the back sounded like a gunshot and the car died. I pulled over and got out to see what had happened. I immediately noticed the 250 amp circuit breaker was popped and thought maybe I exceeded 250 coming up the hill. (But why would it make the big noise?) I flipped the switch, got back in the car and turned everything on and got the "bat outta hell" broken controller syndrome. That's where the motor goes from 0 to 4K rpms in like no time flat. I quickly hit the two BIG RED disconnects and turned off the 12v power. Got out of the car again and took a look only to see....
Look at all that black soot! And the smell of something electrical having shorted. Yeah, this baby is dead as a doornail. Toasted to a crackly crunch.
It's not my fault!!! Really, most Kilovacs have managed to get fried one way or another, the manufacturer renamed themselves to Altrax and now they only do low voltage controllers. This one was rebuilt probably four years ago so I expected it to last forever. Looks like that didn't happen. So what's out there to buy?
Replacing a controller is easy. Having to dish out the loot for one is "not so much" easy. There are some great "kick ass" ones for thousands of dollars and there are some crappy ones for over a thousand bucks. There's also this Open Revolt 144V 500 amp controller that a guy makes for you at $700 bucks but you have to wait a couple weeks. I would have to eliminate a couple batteries from my pack to slim down to 144V nominal. Hmmmmmm, let me think over night about this and I'll have to talk with my wifey too. : )
It's not my fault!!! Really, most Kilovacs have managed to get fried one way or another, the manufacturer renamed themselves to Altrax and now they only do low voltage controllers. This one was rebuilt probably four years ago so I expected it to last forever. Looks like that didn't happen. So what's out there to buy?
Replacing a controller is easy. Having to dish out the loot for one is "not so much" easy. There are some great "kick ass" ones for thousands of dollars and there are some crappy ones for over a thousand bucks. There's also this Open Revolt 144V 500 amp controller that a guy makes for you at $700 bucks but you have to wait a couple weeks. I would have to eliminate a couple batteries from my pack to slim down to 144V nominal. Hmmmmmm, let me think over night about this and I'll have to talk with my wifey too. : )
Sunday, May 13, 2012
GT I Electric?/Balancing Act
GT I Electric?
No kidding, the Bradley Company actually made one GT I all electric car. I saw it on the Bradley GT site. See this thread
http://bradleygt.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=general&action=display&thread=1166
Balancing Act
The Bradley isn't balanced right as far as equal weight distribution. Some folks have placed their 12V battery in the front of the car to help even out the load. One would think that the added weight of my lithium batteries in the front would overcompensate for the missing gas tank. But I noticed how the front tires seemed to not get the same traction as the back and on gravel, coming around a curve, it felt like I could lose traction all together.
I tried what others have done and added a dead 12V battery to the front. At 38lbs, it seems to work quite well. Notice I placed it on the chassis and not the battery box. It doesn't interfere with the steering stabilizer.
Later, I decided to remove this battery as I didn't have a way to completely secure it and it got in the way of the steering stabilizer.
No kidding, the Bradley Company actually made one GT I all electric car. I saw it on the Bradley GT site. See this thread
http://bradleygt.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=general&action=display&thread=1166
Balancing Act
The Bradley isn't balanced right as far as equal weight distribution. Some folks have placed their 12V battery in the front of the car to help even out the load. One would think that the added weight of my lithium batteries in the front would overcompensate for the missing gas tank. But I noticed how the front tires seemed to not get the same traction as the back and on gravel, coming around a curve, it felt like I could lose traction all together.
I tried what others have done and added a dead 12V battery to the front. At 38lbs, it seems to work quite well. Notice I placed it on the chassis and not the battery box. It doesn't interfere with the steering stabilizer.
Later, I decided to remove this battery as I didn't have a way to completely secure it and it got in the way of the steering stabilizer.
Happy Mother's Day!
Stop what you're doing and at least call your Mother. Let's call it some sound advice not only from a blogger but elsewhere that's good for the soul.
My Mother-in-Law got to see my Bradley today and it is 100% Mother-in-Law approved. She told me stories of a 1947 Willey's Jeep that they had restored and how it had been passed down from father to son to brother to grandson,used in parades, etc...
I hope my car will last that long. 30 years old so far, not counting the life of the 67 chassis underneath. To celebrate I took it for a 24 mile drive doing 50+ the whole way; used 6.56 KWh.
It's ready to drive to work tomorrow.
My Mother-in-Law got to see my Bradley today and it is 100% Mother-in-Law approved. She told me stories of a 1947 Willey's Jeep that they had restored and how it had been passed down from father to son to brother to grandson,used in parades, etc...
I hope my car will last that long. 30 years old so far, not counting the life of the 67 chassis underneath. To celebrate I took it for a 24 mile drive doing 50+ the whole way; used 6.56 KWh.
It's ready to drive to work tomorrow.
Sunday, May 6, 2012
10 Hole Rotor/Gravity Bleed
I believe one of the consequences of having the wheel come off my car when I forgot to tighten the lug nuts is two of the lug nuts became stripped. Can the rotor be tapped? Not according to the VW mechanic I called. "Buy a new one and don't drive your car until it's replaced."
Alright! Now where's that receipt where I bought my rear disc conversion kit from??? Oh well, I decided to call one of the online parts companies that I had done some business with and well, to make a long story short, after the wrong one was sent and returned what they sent was a rotor with 10 holes. What the heck? That's exactly what the guy at O'Reilly's said when I showed it to him. Let me back up, this rotor didn't fit the lug nuts I had but instead the second set of holes matched the rims but used smaller lugs. That's when I took it to O'Reilly's and that's when they said...What the heck is that?
The good news is they hooked me up with the right nuts and now I'm back on the road.
Before I hit the road I did what's known as a gravity bleed. You jack up the back of the car as high as you can and then drop the front as low as you can. You then open the lid on the master cylinder and open the rear bleeder valves. The theory is any air bubbles will make their way to the rears. You need to give this a couple hours and expect some leakage from the back. Then tighten the bleeder valves and bleed the brakes you normally would. I saw where Corvettes do this and it is encouraged for old VW owners to do the same. This helped my brakes but they are still not completely perfect yet. I'll probably have to perform a master cylinder bench bleed at some point.
Here are the results from this weekend's drives
(I measure the amount of energy going back into the pack from the charger through a kilowatt device)
Yesterday: 21 miles - 5.23 KWh used - 250wh per mile - avg speed 35 mph
Today: 26 miles - 8.46 KWh used - 325wh per mile - avg speed 45+ mph (steep hills)
So far, I've done about 140 miles in testing, still haven't gone on the 70 mph freeway yet. But I'm looking forward to the first commute sometime this week.
Alright! Now where's that receipt where I bought my rear disc conversion kit from??? Oh well, I decided to call one of the online parts companies that I had done some business with and well, to make a long story short, after the wrong one was sent and returned what they sent was a rotor with 10 holes. What the heck? That's exactly what the guy at O'Reilly's said when I showed it to him. Let me back up, this rotor didn't fit the lug nuts I had but instead the second set of holes matched the rims but used smaller lugs. That's when I took it to O'Reilly's and that's when they said...What the heck is that?
The good news is they hooked me up with the right nuts and now I'm back on the road.
Before I hit the road I did what's known as a gravity bleed. You jack up the back of the car as high as you can and then drop the front as low as you can. You then open the lid on the master cylinder and open the rear bleeder valves. The theory is any air bubbles will make their way to the rears. You need to give this a couple hours and expect some leakage from the back. Then tighten the bleeder valves and bleed the brakes you normally would. I saw where Corvettes do this and it is encouraged for old VW owners to do the same. This helped my brakes but they are still not completely perfect yet. I'll probably have to perform a master cylinder bench bleed at some point.
Here are the results from this weekend's drives
(I measure the amount of energy going back into the pack from the charger through a kilowatt device)
Yesterday: 21 miles - 5.23 KWh used - 250wh per mile - avg speed 35 mph
Today: 26 miles - 8.46 KWh used - 325wh per mile - avg speed 45+ mph (steep hills)
So far, I've done about 140 miles in testing, still haven't gone on the 70 mph freeway yet. But I'm looking forward to the first commute sometime this week.
Saturday, April 28, 2012
Supercaps Part I
My Supercaps have arrived - all 49 of them. I got them on Ebay for cheap. Notice I'm not using Ultracaps. Why? They require balancing boards and are usually more expensive. I played with a Maxwell Ultracap 12V bank once after reading about the EV1 that uses them to drag race. You should definitely google that one!
Some observations: The supercaps are a little heavier that what I thought, they have no voltage when they arrive - that's good!
The next step is to make bus bars out of 3/8 inch OD copper tubing that I bought from a hardware store. BTW, copper ain't cheap anymore. I made a small busbar just to make sure it was going to fit right, so far so good. The entire area will be approx 18" X 18" X 4". This pack, when complete, will run in parallel to the main battery bank.
Quite a few folks have tried this before with much success, look at DIYelectriccarforum and see what others have done. I'm no pioneer, just a guy that likes to steal from the best. Yes, there are skeptics and no I don't have any kind of equipment to quantify the results. I figure if it helps my $5K battery pack perform better and last longer for under $120 bucks - I'm in!!!
Some observations: The supercaps are a little heavier that what I thought, they have no voltage when they arrive - that's good!
The next step is to make bus bars out of 3/8 inch OD copper tubing that I bought from a hardware store. BTW, copper ain't cheap anymore. I made a small busbar just to make sure it was going to fit right, so far so good. The entire area will be approx 18" X 18" X 4". This pack, when complete, will run in parallel to the main battery bank.
Quite a few folks have tried this before with much success, look at DIYelectriccarforum and see what others have done. I'm no pioneer, just a guy that likes to steal from the best. Yes, there are skeptics and no I don't have any kind of equipment to quantify the results. I figure if it helps my $5K battery pack perform better and last longer for under $120 bucks - I'm in!!!
Decals
When you were young, did you ever put together model cars? I always loved putting on the decals. You'd soak them in water then carefully place it on the model hoping they didn't stick to your fingers.
The original Bradley had decals. A quick goggle search on the original ads will show this. Kitcarguy on the bradleygt site will make the decals for anyone who wants them. He has quite the selection. I got silver, my second choice was black. Four of the logos and four of the text. My wife likes the way the silver turned out, so I must say, I made the right choice.
If I ever do paint the car, the $50 bucks to get the stickers done again will pale in comparison to the cost of the paint job. I called the other day, and because it's fiberglass, the estimate was $6K. Wowsers! I didn't expect that price.
The original Bradley had decals. A quick goggle search on the original ads will show this. Kitcarguy on the bradleygt site will make the decals for anyone who wants them. He has quite the selection. I got silver, my second choice was black. Four of the logos and four of the text. My wife likes the way the silver turned out, so I must say, I made the right choice.
If I ever do paint the car, the $50 bucks to get the stickers done again will pale in comparison to the cost of the paint job. I called the other day, and because it's fiberglass, the estimate was $6K. Wowsers! I didn't expect that price.
Sunday, April 22, 2012
E-Brake Fix
Yes, I complain about EMPI often, but they are way cheaper than the competition. Plus, since I installed EMPI disc brakes I need to stay with the same brand to install the E-Brake.
Previously, the E-brake cables were too short and I tried to cut the cable housing to elongate the amount of cable going into the cab. Basically, the cables were about an inch too short. THIS DIDN'T WORK WELL.
What I did this time was cut about an inch off the tube that comes out of the chassis that the cable goes into. Yes, this did work. The first pict is before the cut. The second is after the cut.
Works well and I hope a very long time.
Previously, the E-brake cables were too short and I tried to cut the cable housing to elongate the amount of cable going into the cab. Basically, the cables were about an inch too short. THIS DIDN'T WORK WELL.
What I did this time was cut about an inch off the tube that comes out of the chassis that the cable goes into. Yes, this did work. The first pict is before the cut. The second is after the cut.
Baby Got New(er) Shoes!
OK, not really new but new to the Bradley. Yes, I bought some used tires. Why? The tires that came with the Bradley were cracked on the tread. Really, I mean cracked. I've never seen cracked tires except at a junkyard. I needed tires that weren't so wide, P235 60R16, the old ones were actually tearing into the fiberglass in the front when I made a sharp turn. At $35 bucks each, I'm a happy camper. The new size is P215 60R 16. I did a quick test drive and they seem to be working just fine.
Some will say the 3 inch lift I installed makes the car look like a "monster truck." I think that's absurd. This car wasn't meant to have large tires.
Electric cars aren't usually driven year round, unless you live somewhere warm in the winter, like Arizona. These have enough tread to last a year or two. Ideally, you should buy low resistance tires and over-inflate them. On a fiberglass car, that translates into NOISE!!! And that's with the Rammat that I installed way back when.
Some will say the 3 inch lift I installed makes the car look like a "monster truck." I think that's absurd. This car wasn't meant to have large tires.
Electric cars aren't usually driven year round, unless you live somewhere warm in the winter, like Arizona. These have enough tread to last a year or two. Ideally, you should buy low resistance tires and over-inflate them. On a fiberglass car, that translates into NOISE!!! And that's with the Rammat that I installed way back when.
Monday, April 9, 2012
Brake Solution
Lots of noise coming from the back when I drive and hit bumps. I decided to look at the brakes. The main metal bracket that attaches the caliper to the axle had come loose on both sides. Despite my best efforts to tighten, all I did was strip the bolt heads. Of course these are no ordinary bolts. They're metric and they have a reduced head. I suspect the bolt sleeve was getting in the way, or the washers weren't thick enough. I ended up going to Fastenal and the guy asks me if I could use an allen hex bolt. Same length, no sleeve and the head looks about the same size. Sure...let's give it a go! These bolts with the lock washers worked perfectly!!!
And what a huge difference this has made. Tonight's 6 mile test drive was amazing, I could hear the electric motor purring while I drove.
Now if I could fix the little vibration in the shifter.......
And what a huge difference this has made. Tonight's 6 mile test drive was amazing, I could hear the electric motor purring while I drove.
Now if I could fix the little vibration in the shifter.......
Sunday, April 8, 2012
Adjusting the Charger
My PFC 20 was going to need to be adjusted. Three dead cells means 9.6 volts difference in the maximum charge. (Not to mention almost a full KWh of power source gone) The PFC 20 has a voltage limiter that ensures the batteries don't get toasted. But you have to adjust the setting. There's a download area at manzanitamicro that details this. One thing you must absolutely make certain of: that switches 1 and 4 are turned on!
When I had my overcharge situation, the switches were off and the MINIBMS was not completely hooked up. In the long run, my bad! And now three cells total are dead. At $100 a cell, that's a bad mistake to make. But both are working well together and I'm at the point where my confidence is high.
I did a charge tonight and this worked perfectly: I started charging at 15 amps then it throttled back when the battery pack came close to the set "full" voltage then went into a top balance mode of 1.75 amps while the timer was flashing blue. All the batteries were shunting, perfectly equalized, with the red lights on. Excellent!!
When I had my overcharge situation, the switches were off and the MINIBMS was not completely hooked up. In the long run, my bad! And now three cells total are dead. At $100 a cell, that's a bad mistake to make. But both are working well together and I'm at the point where my confidence is high.
I did a charge tonight and this worked perfectly: I started charging at 15 amps then it throttled back when the battery pack came close to the set "full" voltage then went into a top balance mode of 1.75 amps while the timer was flashing blue. All the batteries were shunting, perfectly equalized, with the red lights on. Excellent!!
Another Dead Cell
It's good thing Jesus can raise from the dead, because one of my cells is long gone! BTW Happy Easter.
Yes another cell has bit the dust. The story goes like this: drove 10 miles started getting an alarm from the MINIBMS. This means a cell, maybe more, was at 2.7 volts or less. If a LiFePO4 cell goes to less than 2.5 volts, it's probably a goner. One thing is for certain, you'll definitely lose capacity and if you keep stressing the battery it could reverse itself or even blow up! But you can't just whip out your voltmeter and say "Aha! I have found the cell!" It's hard to test a cell unless it's under load. Also, this low cell will also cause serious "sag" (lack of gusto) in the pack. Your pack is only as strong as it's weakest link.
Charged up the battery bank, then did a top balancing. In the end, three batteries did not shunt - no red light on the circuit boards. I whipped out my individual charger and charged each one of them up. This can take some time for each battery - 4 -6 hours because the charger I have is only 2 amps.
Out for another drive, 20 miles (mostly 35-45 mph), and no alarms. Repeat charging and top balance process. All batteries were shunting when I looked.
This time I went for the stress test - drove the first 10 miles of my commute which has a few steep climbs at 55 mph. Alarm happened at 6 miles. Bummer!! Came home, recharged the pack, top balanced and one cell did NOT shunt. This was one of the batteries I had individually charged earlier.
Rather than try to revive it, even if that's possible; I wired around it. Once I did, I noticed that it had leaked electrolite previously, which I couldn't see due to the BMS board covering the vent hole. I then drove the first 10 miles of commute again and NO ALARMS!! (Yeah!...the crowd goes crazy.) I was pulling approx 150 - 200 amps going uphill. This is good because the next 15 miles of my commute is pretty much flat or downhill.
Yes another cell has bit the dust. The story goes like this: drove 10 miles started getting an alarm from the MINIBMS. This means a cell, maybe more, was at 2.7 volts or less. If a LiFePO4 cell goes to less than 2.5 volts, it's probably a goner. One thing is for certain, you'll definitely lose capacity and if you keep stressing the battery it could reverse itself or even blow up! But you can't just whip out your voltmeter and say "Aha! I have found the cell!" It's hard to test a cell unless it's under load. Also, this low cell will also cause serious "sag" (lack of gusto) in the pack. Your pack is only as strong as it's weakest link.
Charged up the battery bank, then did a top balancing. In the end, three batteries did not shunt - no red light on the circuit boards. I whipped out my individual charger and charged each one of them up. This can take some time for each battery - 4 -6 hours because the charger I have is only 2 amps.
Out for another drive, 20 miles (mostly 35-45 mph), and no alarms. Repeat charging and top balance process. All batteries were shunting when I looked.
This time I went for the stress test - drove the first 10 miles of my commute which has a few steep climbs at 55 mph. Alarm happened at 6 miles. Bummer!! Came home, recharged the pack, top balanced and one cell did NOT shunt. This was one of the batteries I had individually charged earlier.
Rather than try to revive it, even if that's possible; I wired around it. Once I did, I noticed that it had leaked electrolite previously, which I couldn't see due to the BMS board covering the vent hole. I then drove the first 10 miles of commute again and NO ALARMS!! (Yeah!...the crowd goes crazy.) I was pulling approx 150 - 200 amps going uphill. This is good because the next 15 miles of my commute is pretty much flat or downhill.
Saturday, March 31, 2012
Headliner
Finally got my headliner installed. I had started on the thing quite sometime ago. I added some foam insulation then covered with gray vinyl. It's not perfect but it is functional. Had a booger of a time trying to figure out what screws,sleeves I would use to mount it. BTW, this thing goes in best if you go through the back window. Trying to go in from either door will just frustrate you.
Not pictured are the door and back window pieces. Some of the contact glue didn't hold very well. Gorilla duct tape really does work wonders.
Secondly, I installed my wife's seat. I was getting some nasty looks about that. I still have a little rat's nest of wiring to clean up but that's primarily because I haven't hooked up the heater, radio, and other stuff. That will come later.
I am driving it but the batteries are still sagging. I did order some capacitors, 49 at 1,500uF 200vdc. I found them on EBay for about $150. That's only $3 per capacitor - very good deal!! It should take up a 14X14 inch area that's about 4 inches deep.
I noticed that Jack Rickard who does the EVTV show believes in them, but he does a huge pack that can cost mucho dineros!!
Secondly, I installed my wife's seat. I was getting some nasty looks about that. I still have a little rat's nest of wiring to clean up but that's primarily because I haven't hooked up the heater, radio, and other stuff. That will come later.
I am driving it but the batteries are still sagging. I did order some capacitors, 49 at 1,500uF 200vdc. I found them on EBay for about $150. That's only $3 per capacitor - very good deal!! It should take up a 14X14 inch area that's about 4 inches deep.
I noticed that Jack Rickard who does the EVTV show believes in them, but he does a huge pack that can cost mucho dineros!!
Wednesday, March 28, 2012
The Big 55 Bang!!
The first time I tried 55 mph the batteries didn't like it, they started to sag and the buzzer went off on my MiniBMS which indicates a cell is getting low under discharge. OK, the batteries haven't been used in awhile so I'll charge them up and try it again with a fresh pack.
Second try, rode up to Roslyn and then tried 55 mph, woo hoo it's going 55 then BANG!!! Holy smokes, what the snikees was that?! It looked like the hood had popped open. (How can that be, the hood opens like a corvette?) Pulled off the road and discovered the old gas hood, smaller part of the hood, had popped open. So...I guess I need to use the key and lock it in place. Duh....
But still the buzzer went off again during my attempt. In general the pack doesn't like a sustained 150+ Amp hour drain. I then drove home, jacked up the rear end and had my wife put it in gear and ran the wheels at 7 amps while I checked the batteries to see which ones were lower. I really didn't see much difference. I either need to do a higher discharge to test or maybe the pack is just getting broken in again and I need to just keep driving it?
There is another possible solution. Creating a supercapacitor bank that allows the battery not to feel the strain of high/quick discharges. Go to diyelectriccarforum and search under Flux Capacitor.
Tons of discussion. The inventor did this for under $100 bucks and connected the thing between the contactor and the controller. The prices I'm seeing are around $300 - 400. That's about the cost of three 100AH liFEPO4 batteries. If it preserves the pack, it's worth it weight in gold.
More to come.
Second try, rode up to Roslyn and then tried 55 mph, woo hoo it's going 55 then BANG!!! Holy smokes, what the snikees was that?! It looked like the hood had popped open. (How can that be, the hood opens like a corvette?) Pulled off the road and discovered the old gas hood, smaller part of the hood, had popped open. So...I guess I need to use the key and lock it in place. Duh....
But still the buzzer went off again during my attempt. In general the pack doesn't like a sustained 150+ Amp hour drain. I then drove home, jacked up the rear end and had my wife put it in gear and ran the wheels at 7 amps while I checked the batteries to see which ones were lower. I really didn't see much difference. I either need to do a higher discharge to test or maybe the pack is just getting broken in again and I need to just keep driving it?
There is another possible solution. Creating a supercapacitor bank that allows the battery not to feel the strain of high/quick discharges. Go to diyelectriccarforum and search under Flux Capacitor.
Tons of discussion. The inventor did this for under $100 bucks and connected the thing between the contactor and the controller. The prices I'm seeing are around $300 - 400. That's about the cost of three 100AH liFEPO4 batteries. If it preserves the pack, it's worth it weight in gold.
More to come.
Sunday, March 25, 2012
On the Road Again
Despite having to drive 100 miles and arriving on time to pick up my motor and now modified adapter plate/hub, the company that was doing the repairs was not ready for me. An hour later they showed me everything that the machinist had done and assembled and tested it on a 12V battery. In addition to the hub being off center the adapter plate was not completely parallel with itself. They ground it down to level it. The technician said it would be probably off by 1/16 of an inch now. So, after having waited a month for something that should have taken a week, it cost me an extra $200. !@#$#@! (This is why I'm not letting you know who the company is)
Of course once I get home, I'm wanting to put this badboy into my Bradley and give it a go. I fully expected to be disappointed on the first attempt. And I was. As I was tightening the bolts I could feel the flywheel starting to hit something. I took out the motor, replaced the flywheel (with teeth) with the flywheel with no teeth. Slid the motor in and once again, the motor is frozen from the flywheel hitting something. That usually doesn't happen. Hmmm......
OK, remember at the start of this blog how I talked about the distance or "magic number" now being off 1/16 of an inch? I added some 1/8 inch washers to the bolts and viola, it works. I left the motor on the motorcycle jack and left the bolts just slightly loose, I applied some juice so the wheels would turn a little. The motor seemed to then line up with the transaxle and any vibrations smoothed away. I then tightened everything up, and removed the motorcycle jack. I went through all 4 gears with the car still on jacks. Nice and smooth.
Took the car for a quick couple rides around the block. Then went for a 7 mile ride on the backroads of town. Then went for a couple errands - another 7 miles. 7 KWh to recharge, don't forget the car had been sitting for quite a while. Balanced the pack and now I'm ready to go and test at 55 mph.
I still need to get an alignment done so I'm not sure I want to push it too fast just yet.
Of course once I get home, I'm wanting to put this badboy into my Bradley and give it a go. I fully expected to be disappointed on the first attempt. And I was. As I was tightening the bolts I could feel the flywheel starting to hit something. I took out the motor, replaced the flywheel (with teeth) with the flywheel with no teeth. Slid the motor in and once again, the motor is frozen from the flywheel hitting something. That usually doesn't happen. Hmmm......
OK, remember at the start of this blog how I talked about the distance or "magic number" now being off 1/16 of an inch? I added some 1/8 inch washers to the bolts and viola, it works. I left the motor on the motorcycle jack and left the bolts just slightly loose, I applied some juice so the wheels would turn a little. The motor seemed to then line up with the transaxle and any vibrations smoothed away. I then tightened everything up, and removed the motorcycle jack. I went through all 4 gears with the car still on jacks. Nice and smooth.
Took the car for a quick couple rides around the block. Then went for a 7 mile ride on the backroads of town. Then went for a couple errands - another 7 miles. 7 KWh to recharge, don't forget the car had been sitting for quite a while. Balanced the pack and now I'm ready to go and test at 55 mph.
I still need to get an alignment done so I'm not sure I want to push it too fast just yet.
Thursday, March 22, 2012
12V Battery Area
The 12V battery is supposed to reside right behind the passenger side rear turn signal. This area has been shielded with a wood base. When I first cracked it open it was a big mess. I'm guessing battery acid had leaked at one point and the water from the oversized tire in the back also leaked through.
Plenty of room for a battery, especially the 60AH lithium that I use.
I'm not sure if it was all fiberglassed in originally for protection but now comes the fun part - scrapping the crud off to see. My plan is to spray with truck bed spray so it will protect the area from any further damage. The ultimate solution would be to replace the old wood and glass it in. I'll go with a temporary solution for now.
Plenty of room for a battery, especially the 60AH lithium that I use.
I'm not sure if it was all fiberglassed in originally for protection but now comes the fun part - scrapping the crud off to see. My plan is to spray with truck bed spray so it will protect the area from any further damage. The ultimate solution would be to replace the old wood and glass it in. I'll go with a temporary solution for now.
Off the Road
It's been awhile and my Baby has been out of commission since January.
At first I thought it was the four metal dowel pins that help stabilize the flywheel to the hub, since they were different lengths.
I thought this could throw off the flywheel by just a tad. I ground them down and reassembled everything and yes, that did seem to help. But still there was a slight wobble.
I finally realized I wasn't getting anywhere with resolving the wobble in the adaptor assembly so I called on an expert in the Seattle area. Unfortunately it has taken a very long time to come to the conclusion that a small error in the "run out" on the hub is what the problem has been all along. 15/1000 of an inch can really screw things up! This has lead to a second machinist making a second hub. $300 later, I should be able to finally pick it up tomorrow. The deal was for them to balance the assembly and mount it on the motor, then I take it home and install it. I'm keeping my fingers crossed.
Of course the daily snow in the morning doesn't help matters, so even I could have been driving it, it would have been in the garage. BTW, you need to recharge and balance the batteries probably once every two months or so, unless you have something that is draining them - maybe a dc to dc converter? Then you'll have to do this maybe every two weeks to a month that the car sits idle, depending on the amount of drain.
At first I thought it was the four metal dowel pins that help stabilize the flywheel to the hub, since they were different lengths.
I thought this could throw off the flywheel by just a tad. I ground them down and reassembled everything and yes, that did seem to help. But still there was a slight wobble.
I finally realized I wasn't getting anywhere with resolving the wobble in the adaptor assembly so I called on an expert in the Seattle area. Unfortunately it has taken a very long time to come to the conclusion that a small error in the "run out" on the hub is what the problem has been all along. 15/1000 of an inch can really screw things up! This has lead to a second machinist making a second hub. $300 later, I should be able to finally pick it up tomorrow. The deal was for them to balance the assembly and mount it on the motor, then I take it home and install it. I'm keeping my fingers crossed.
Of course the daily snow in the morning doesn't help matters, so even I could have been driving it, it would have been in the garage. BTW, you need to recharge and balance the batteries probably once every two months or so, unless you have something that is draining them - maybe a dc to dc converter? Then you'll have to do this maybe every two weeks to a month that the car sits idle, depending on the amount of drain.
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