Electric car conversion: Project ForkenSwift

[MetroMPG]

Well, I heard from one of the "Yodas" of the EV list. He warned against using the 12 inch motor and one-wheel drive, saying we would either need to make sure we limited the motor current, or we would destroy the transaxle with the torque from the motor.

So that pretty much settles that then. I've read this guy's posts for months, and I have come to the conclusion that he knows what he's talking about.

So the next step (after the suspension bits swap) is fabricating some kind of pump shaft to tranny input shaft coupling.

And we'll be able to leave the 3-cyl tranny and (lighter) axles in the blue car, since we no longer need the extra space. (the pump motor's length is a couple of inches shorter).

[MetroMPG]

Suspension bit swap update: swapped one strut/spring/hub/brake assembly this afternoon. The springs look identical - same thickness and number of turns. So I have my doubts that the Swift ones are any stiffer.

But the Swift brakes are a bit bigger, so it wasn't all for nothing. We'll probably swap the other one on Friday.

[MetroMPG]

Just got back from Ivan's - the 2nd strut/brake assembly was swapped, brakes bled, and I think it's safe to say we've officially had our way with the red car. Sunday we'll tow it out to Ivan's family's wood lot. (We're hanging on to it just in case we need parts in the future.)

After the holiday, next job is to fabricate the motor shaft/input shaft coupler, and motor/tranny mounting plate. We can do this using the red car's tranny. We don't have to pull the blue car's ICE until we're ready to install the electric motor (or unless someone wants to buy the engine).

[MetroMPG]

This weekend...

Finished "upgrading" the blue car's front suspension with a stabilizer bar swap. Added 20 lbs, but it's worth it to ditch the Cadillac ride.

(Clicky=zoomy)





The red car has gone to its final resting place.

We planned to tow it about 25 km to Ivan's dad's wood lot, so we fashioned a tow-bar out of an old trailer hook and a 4x4 piece of wood. Ivan's comment on the idea: "We're officially rednecks now."



Final rusting place? May she rust in peace. (Unless of course we need parts, in which case may she not rust too much that we can't get the part off with a little WD-40.)

[MetroMPG]

Well, the blue car is now officially mine. I registered & paid tax on it this afternoon - total transaction cost: $36.

According to the records, I'm its 5th owner. Man, this car's been around the block!

Total project cost to date: $607 and change CDN.

[MetroMPG]

SVOboy gets even more jealous...

Sooo cheap, sooo jealous.

Keep up the good work. Do you have an estimated date of completion?

[MetroMPG]

Not really sure about dates. I'm going to be gone for most of the rest of June, so...

Major things left to do are machine work for the shaft coupler and the adapter plate between the motor/tranny. So there's going to be some $ involved there.

The last significant expense will be batteries (eventually... we're probably going to start out with junk batteries though).

If I had to guess, I'd say we'll aim to be done the machine work by end of July. Motor in the car with some wiring by the end of August.

First electron-powered drive in September? Liberal estimates, possibly beatable.

Originally Posted by SVOboy

Well shoot, I'll be up around canada by september, mehbe you can gimme a ride.

[MetroMPG]

No real news to report, but I did start up and move the blue car today, so tackling the next stage of the project is on the radar anyway.

[MetroMPG]

Actually did 20 minutes of ForkenSwift work today: made a cardboard template from the bell housing of the Blackfly's 4.39 transmission.

It will serve as the template for the aluminum (probably) adapter plate that we'll use to mount the electric motor on the transmission of the blue car.

I was thinking that from this we can make a mockup in plywood to get some hands-on measurements of where to locate the motor, figure out if we'll need additional spacer plates, and start thinking about how we're going to do the shaft coupler...

[MetroMPG]

Brought my adapter plate template to a machinist I know this afternoon, and got a price of $60-70 CDN for 1/2 inch aluminum plate to make it (we make it).

Edit just looked up prices for a pre-made GEO adapter plate: $145 US + shipping here

Also talked shaft coupler ideas. This guy will likely be involved in helping us mate the electric motor to the tranny, due to the non-standard motor shaft issue (it being internally splined, as pump motors are, apparently).