Project: Nissan Leaf drivetrain into '02 Honda Insight

[Hugh-Falls]

Pedro: Ditch the sub-frame. It is a waste of valuable space. The Insight structure is adequate to support the Nissan machinery if you are careful about loading the Insight motor mount positions for support.

[Otmar]

Edit, since I'm too new here, I can't include links on my posts. If you add the http bit they should work.

What a great project!
I've always loved the efficiency of the original Insight and I still own a low mileage one with an original GM EV-1 motor installed. It has run sometimes but never well since it lacked a properly tuned AC controller. At this time it doesn't even have batteries in it. Clearly, I have too many projects!

I first ran it with welded axles similar to your project and then later got worried (though they didn't break) and spent the $500 (in 2009) for custom axles made out of 300M material from nitrodriveline. (In case someone wants the phone and address: http://www.streetperformance.com/par...rivelines.html )

As a reference, you might like this power graph that a friend of mine made after we did tests on my gas insight with 800 extra lbs of ballast in it. We took it to about 95 mph and did coast down tests. This was back in 2003 or so, before he helped start Tesla and we were checking if it might be possible to drive coast to coast on one charge as a fun stunt.
He determined at the time that BC MX to BC Canada was probably possible on one charge, but not coast to coast due to the linear rolling resistance linked to the extra battery weight.

http://cafeelectric.com/insight/Insi...PowerGraph.pdf

It looks to me that yours should be lighter than our test weight and this shows about 150 wh/mile at 62 mph.

In case it helps, here are pictures from my initial conversion. The orange motor mounts were welded steel and they were attached to the insight structure with large metric rivet-nuts.
http://cafeelectric.com/insight/Conv...sightTemp.html
And page 2:
http://cafeelectric.com/insight/Conversion/Page1.html

I'm looking forward to watching your progress on this! If I didn't already have so much invested in the EV-1 motor I'd be tempted to do the same as you with the Leaf parts. But since I don't really have a special need for such an efficient EV, I expect someone else will take over this project before I get back around to it.

[MetroMPG]

Otmar, welcome to the forum and thanks for sharing your Insight project - I made your links live.

(I learned your name way back when I was hanging around the EVDL, getting started on a beer budget Metro conversion made from forklift parts.)

[NeilBlanchard]

Second link in your post, Otmar, is broken.

[MetroMPG]

Fixed the link.

[xpedro01]

This is Daox posting for xpedro01. I'm on his mailing list for email updates on the project and I asked Tom if I could share. He agreed, so enjoy!

============================

I know--you thought I had kicked the bucket. NO such luck. I am 89 now, so that means I am even slower than I was last summer. Actually, as always, I spread myself too thin. I think in my last note, while waiting for something to be shipped, the Insight was converted into a one passenger RV. I would plan on using RV parks for charge stations, so overnight would not be a problem. It has a .7cubic feet Fridge, a 10 inch cubed, 600 watt microwave, a single serve blender, a 1 quart slow or fast cooker, a single serve coffee pot, a 6 inch electric skillet, and a 22 inch TV, and DVD PLAYER that also serves as a monitor for a 10 inch computer. It is mounted so it can look forward or back. I located a six outlet 115 volt strip that has a switch for each outlet so that everything is plugged in all the time. It seems to have no problem. These very small items are mounted on a shelf on the refrigerator door so they all move together when you open its door. Where the spare used to go I have a Thetford smallest porta-potti to serve as a seat or toilet.

When I got ready to install the last axle, I discovered 1 of the 6 balls in the Honda Ujoint was missing, the shop was crowded with junk, and I could not find it. An order for an assortment of balls that covered all sizes consumed a couple of weeks. After another search we found 15 MM balls, and the Honda boys brought brought the axle back. Now I discovered one of the Nissan bearings was missing and a week long search yielded nothing. The final solution was to buy a used Leaf right side axle. All of this consumed a couple months. The hollow output shaft that encloses the axle allows for about 3 inches of axle movement, but is squeezed at the outer end so things will not fall apart. I could not get the axle to pop in. 3 more weeks wasted, but my very good neighbor with a sledge hammer, while I used a pipe with about a 6 to 1 leverage was pressing on it, succeeded to make it pop in. It then took a whole day (My size day) to reassemble the hub parts. I was now ready to pull the car outside and do a bunch of cleanup.

Then I discovered my next BIG error.

WHEN I had parked the Leaf, I put in PARK. It is an electric gearshift. As I discovered this week, both front wheels are locked. Do any of you know how get it into neutral?



The parking device is the round^black thingy above and to the right of the motor. If anyone has any ideas, please sound off. I do have the 63 pdfs that is the service manual. There are four wires going into the black cover and it is held on with 3 bolts. It is very accessible. All that is needed is to get it out of park. I will leave you all for now, but hope someone knows how, or knows someone, or has a link that might be helpful.
Bye for now.

[California98Civic]

I think about this project at random times as I drive my daily round. Wish I had an answer for your PARK problem here. But I don't. Still, glad to see your progress.

[e*clipse]

Originally Posted by Otmar

Edit, since I'm too new here, I can't include links on my posts. If you add the http bit they should work.

What a great project!
I've always loved the efficiency of the original Insight and I still own a low mileage one with an original GM EV-1 motor installed. It has run sometimes but never well since it lacked a properly tuned AC controller. At this time it doesn't even have batteries in it. Clearly, I have too many projects!

I first ran it with welded axles similar to your project and then later got worried (though they didn't break) and spent the $500 (in 2009) for custom axles made out of 300M material from nitrodriveline. (In case someone wants the phone and address: http://www.streetperformance.com/par...rivelines.html )

As a reference, you might like this power graph that a friend of mine made after we did tests on my gas insight with 800 extra lbs of ballast in it. We took it to about 95 mph and did coast down tests. This was back in 2003 or so, before he helped start Tesla and we were checking if it might be possible to drive coast to coast on one charge as a fun stunt.
He determined at the time that BC MX to BC Canada was probably possible on one charge, but not coast to coast due to the linear rolling resistance linked to the extra battery weight.

http://cafeelectric.com/insight/Insi...PowerGraph.pdf

It looks to me that yours should be lighter than our test weight and this shows about 150 wh/mile at 62 mph.

In case it helps, here are pictures from my initial conversion. The orange motor mounts were welded steel and they were attached to the insight structure with large metric rivet-nuts.
Insight Conversion
And page 2:
Insight Conversion

I'm looking forward to watching your progress on this! If I didn't already have so much invested in the EV-1 motor I'd be tempted to do the same as you with the Leaf parts. But since I don't really have a special need for such an efficient EV, I expect someone else will take over this project before I get back around to it.

Hello Otmar! Welcome to EcoModder

I have a 1st gen Insight that's going to be converted to electric when the gas motor dies. I bought it new in 2003 and so far it's been doing really well with about 200k miles on it.

Thanks for the axle links - that's a big help. It's also wise to stay away from a fatigue failure of an axle locking one of the front wheels!

Wow - only 13kW to go 70mph and only 29kW to get into trouble! My Toyota MGR will do just fine for this.

Some quick questions:
When you did the conversion, did you get a weight with all the gas/hybrid stuff removed?

Was the 800 lbs of "ballast" lead acid batteries? Or is that the complete conversion weight difference? 800 lbs is a LOT of extra weight for this car.

Thanks a bunch,
E*clipse

[xpedro01]

This is Daox posting for xpedro01. I'm on his mailing list for email updates on the project and I asked Tom if I could share. He agreed, so enjoy!

============================

This morning there was a correct answer to my plea. Samwichse from insight central said to remove the black thing (shift motor) and rotate the shaft counter-clockwise to remove the pawl from the wheels locked position. It worked!

Thanks to PETE RONA for the connection. I can now proceed. xpedro01.

[California98Civic]

Any update on this awesome project?