Ben Nelson's Electro-Metro Build thread

[Intrigued]

Sounds like a neat way to keep warm! Hey, if we're all using electricity from our Solar/Wind installations that we're going to have in the future then it will be perfectly okay to use it that way, huh!

[bennelson]

Even if I used enough electricity heating the car to bring to total car energy use down to as inefficient as a gasoline car, all my electricity is STILL from renewable sources.

You CAN make electricity out of thin air - wind, solar, etc. You can't do that with gasoline!

Still, we shouldn't be wasteful with the stuff. I am trying to heat the car as much for safety (no frosted windshield!) and efficiency (warmer batteries run better!) as I am for comfort.

If I was only trying to keep warm, I would just stick with the great down coat I got last winter!

[TomEV]

I modified a cheapie *mart heater (resistive coil + fan) for the Citicar. It worked OK from the traction pack, but I only used it once or twice as a heater. It tended to kill my wh/mile. (used about 10% more power) With only six batteries, it makes a difference...

I modified it (again!) and it is now in service as a defroster. It only needs to be on for a minute or two, and works much better than paper towels

[bennelson]

My plan was to use some sort of a basic, 12V heater/blower to defrost the windshield.

Definately colder in Wisconsin than California!

I think a combination of pre-heating from the wall outlet, and occasional on/off of a cheap-o electric heater should work fine.

Let you know more as it gets colder!

[bennelson]

I think I broke my Geo Metro's coupler!!!

Was driving to the grocery store, heard mechanical noise - POP - motor didn't spin the transmission any more.

Cold and dark out. Won't know for sure until morning. Good thing I have that towing setup installed.....

[Clev]

Yipes. Hopefully the motor didn't overspeed.

[MetroMPG]

You kids and your hopped up 72v electric cars. Always breaking things with all that POWER! Sheesh.

Just a word of warning about towing the car: if you leave it in neutral, bungee the shift lever so there is absolutely NO way it can accidentally get into gear. As dubious as this sounds, I have heard of two motors destroyed by towing. And both owners claimed they left the shifter in N when they started the trip. You could pre-emptively put it in 5th gear, but then you're wearing the brushes/comm out for no reason.

When we towed the ForkenSwift to Ottawa, I put a bungee on the shift lever to hold it in N. Paranoid after those stories!

[Tango Charlie]

Ah, that sucks eggs.
Darn that 666 curse...

[bennelson]

Originally Posted by MetroMPG

You kids and your hopped up 72v electric cars. Always breaking things with all that POWER! Sheesh.

Yep, the 72 Volts of Fury was obviously too much for it...


On the upside, I just got the e-mail that my Curtis PB-6 potentiometer box is in the mail!

[bennelson]

I picked up the car with the S10 and tow bar.

I am getting better at hitching it up that way now.

Once I had the car home, I jacked it up and took a look through the coupler access port on the bottom of the transmission.



It looks like the two halves of the lovejoy coupler have been constantly wearing against each other, ever since installation. I also think the rubber spider was never in there quite right. I installed the motor to the transmission from under the car, by myself, struggling with it the whole way.

The transmission half of the coupler also was forced back to the sleeve covering of the transmission shaft. I think that is superficial damage, but won't know until I take everything apart.

When I fix and re-install this, I am planning on doing the combined motor and transmission, attached to each other, and install them into the car from below.

In this way, the alignment of the motor to the transmission can be checked and made perfect - BEFORE - I put it in the car.

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