Electric 'V-8' Crate Motor!

[Shaneajanderson]

Originally Posted by elhigh

I kind of like it but I'm not really on board. If I'm going to convert to an EV, I want it to look the part. A motor that looks nothing like the old 22R is fine by me. If it isn't saddled with silly cladding, maybe we can package the hardware to fit a couple of battery modules up front with the motor, or make all the various components more easily serviceable.

Another EV conversion doohickey that recently broke out was this:

https://jalopnik.com/finally-an-elec...our-1839168140

Its big advantage is that it completely displaces an entire axle, and according to what I'm reading could be adapted to either front or rear drive (or if you're just that guy, both). Again, power output is modest but sufficient for a lot of older, lower powered applications. Their example is a classic Mini but I think it would rock under the rear of, for instance, a 30-year-old compact pickup.

Similar to this line of thinking: I'd like to have something I could drop in my old F150 in place of the 302, still utilize my manual transmission and 4WD driveline, but small enough to have the batteries and possibly a small gas generator (for long trips) up front as well.

My primary usage for the pickup are snow days, a 60 mile round trip to get lumber and materials at Menards, and 1-2 500 mile round trips to church camp, pulling a camper. For that camper trip I'd probably have to run the generator for most of the trip, but figuring in all the fuel I'd save in the other usages it would probably be alright.

[freebeard]

Were I dealing with an archaic front engine/rear drive conversion, the batteries would go up front and the motor and a planetary two-speed would go where the transmission was. Inverter and fast charger would be tucked into corners.

[thingstodo]

Originally Posted by Shaneajanderson

Similar to this line of thinking: I'd like to have something I could drop in my old F150 in place of the 302, still utilize my manual transmission and 4WD driveline, but small enough to have the batteries and possibly a small gas generator (for long trips) up front as well.

My primary usage for the pickup are snow days, a 60 mile round trip to get lumber and materials at Menards, and 1-2 500 mile round trips to church camp, pulling a camper. For that camper trip I'd probably have to run the generator for most of the trip, but figuring in all the fuel I'd save in the other usages it would probably be alright.

If a bolt-in kit for an F-150 were available, I think it would sell quite well. And I would agree with @freebeard on that part fitting into the transmission tunnel. Batteries low in the front would be OK, but I would not want that weight higher up ... 4x4 tip too easy as it is!

As for accessories on the crate motor ... would you want to keep the belt-drive for your power steering, power brakes? And that does not deal with heat for keeping the windows defrosted/defogged.

If you want it to still look like a gasser under the hood, I don't think the batteries will fit there. Under the bed is large, well-protected, and there are a number of holes in the frame that could be used as-is. Electrical cables from the rear to the front are easy. A rigid plastic conduit (orange) with a metal rock shield should be easy to route in the transmission tunnel.

When getting it inspected as read-worthy, you'd maybe want to not mention the generator. Off-the-shelf generators do not need to meet vehicle emissions. Unless you build your own from a motorcycle engine or a small diesel ...

[Piotrsko]

Power brakes have aftermarket elec pumps, ditto for hydraulic powered accessories.

Heat for the cabin and windows is the main power sink, can be partially solved by preheating a large coolant tank off house mains, but that's only good for perhaps 20 miles or so.

[Shaneajanderson]

Originally Posted by thingstodo

If a bolt-in kit for an F-150 were available, I think it would sell quite well. And I would agree with @freebeard on that part fitting into the transmission tunnel. Batteries low in the front would be OK, but I would not want that weight higher up ... 4x4 tip too easy as it is!

As for accessories on the crate motor ... would you want to keep the belt-drive for your power steering, power brakes? And that does not deal with heat for keeping the windows defrosted/defogged.

If you want it to still look like a gasser under the hood, I don't think the batteries will fit there. Under the bed is large, well-protected, and there are a number of holes in the frame that could be used as-is. Electrical cables from the rear to the front are easy. A rigid plastic conduit (orange) with a metal rock shield should be easy to route in the transmission tunnel.

When getting it inspected as read-worthy, you'd maybe want to not mention the generator. Off-the-shelf generators do not need to meet vehicle emissions. Unless you build your own from a motorcycle engine or a small diesel ...

I would probably figure out a way to have electric power steering, possibly as simple as having a hydraulic pump with a pressure reservoir, so that when I need to steer the pressure is there, and the pump can kick back in and re-pressurize as needed.

Power brakes would be deleted, they are entirely unnecessary, same story with air conditioning.

Thinking about your response I would likely removed the rear fuel tank and locate the batteries back there, or maybe the front fuel tank if the weight distribution would work better that way.

I don't really care about if it still looks like a gasser, and there's no inspections in North Dakota, so I can run whatever I want under the hood.

[elhigh]

Originally Posted by thingstodo

As for accessories on the crate motor ... would you want to keep the belt-drive for your power steering, power brakes? And that does not deal with heat for keeping the windows defrosted/defogged.

I thought I read something about that and checking up on it, I was right, I did. Good news, no dementia yet. But I saw an article in Hot Rod Magazine about adapting a Prius electric power steering system to an older analog car - a Mustang in this case. EPS has been around for over 15 years now and been the standard equipment in lots of cars. I bet adapting an existing system to an older vehicle is doable.

If you're flush with cash, Ididit offers EPS columns and in the video I saw from them talking about their product, they were talking specifically about truck projects.