Ben Nelson's Electro-Metro Build thread

[Christopher Jordan]

Originally Posted by bennelson

When I was in the Los Angeles area this summer, I saw that Santa Monica has a PUBLIC EV Charging Station at the pier!

[[[[[CLAP CLAP CLAP CLAP CLAP]]]] I believe I wrote about my frustration in downtown Santa Cruz here somewhere. I was waiting for a motorcycle to move (my 'EL is 42" wide) and when it left me a parking place -*conk*!

I asked a parking meter cop where I could plug and she phoned to find one. "Oh sure we have one - 3 blocks over in the parking garage." Only ONE? Santa Monica seems to have a triple header over S.C. already!

I just pushed it into the motorcycle parking place, and thankfully just the sun gave it enough juice to get home 2 hours later.

Next time I will know where to park!

[bennelson]

I just got my new Lovejoy coupler parts in the mail today.

I upgraded to the L-099 size components and the coveted BLUE spider!



I now have all the bits and pieces I need to rebuild the motor to transmission coupler!




The next step is to find when I have some time to go use somebody's lathe to get the old motor spline out of the old motor half of the coupler, hollow out both new coupler halfs, and weld in the fun splined bits.



I'm really busy with work and other responsabilities through the rest of the year.

To put the car back together might be my Christmas project!

[TomEV]

The City of Alameda renovated the classic Theater building, adding a few extra screens and a parking structure. I asked them if they could include a few plug-ins for EVs, and while they were a little worried about 220v plugs, they had no problem with 110v. (they have a few GEM cars in their inventory).

Long story short, they installed three 20 amp 110v plugs on the first floor of the garage! If you're ever in Alameda, watch a movie and plug in the EV

[MPaulHolmes]

I really enjoyed reading your feature! It was very well written. They were very thoughtful responses. I liked the part about the guy calling you a knucklehead.

[Daox]

Nice new coupler. It looks quite a bit beefier than the old one.

[bennelson]

After a late start, due to my truck block heater fiasco, it was off to Tom G's for another EV build day.

We used the lathe to cut out the motor splines from the old Lovejoy Coupler.

I used an air cut-off disc to chop the wings off the new transmission hub (thanks Kim!)

We put the motor and transmission together to so how they mate, and the actual length of the new coupler.

After much discussion, ideas on how to keep the Lovejoy in place, etc, we decided NOT TO USE THE LOVEJOY.

Instead, we are using a simpler system of literally welding both spline hubs to a little piece of 1/2 inch steel plate.



We welded the motor shaft spline to the flat of a lenth of flat bar, and then cut that with the bandsaw.

Then that went into the lathe to round off bar stock.



Next, we drill in the opposite end, to start a hole for the transmission hub to go in.

Then we put both parts back in with the motor and transmission to check the sizes. Yep, looks like it will work.



That's about as far as we got today.

Rich is taking home the coupler to finish off hollowing it out a little deeper, and welding in the transmission hub.

I am hoping to be able to make some time next Sunday to bolt the transmission and motor back together. Then, both can go in the car and get back on the road!


PS: Toms car sure looks nice without an engine!

[MPaulHolmes]

Not using a Lovejoy! You are thinking outside the box. Please take pictures of your new solution to mating the motor/trans! This is very exciting.

[bennelson]

Yep, I did take some photos, but have a new camera, so I still have to work on sorting, transferring and posting them.

[Daox]

Yeah, I was waiting to see the pics. The description probably is a good one, I just can't picture it in the 'ol head.

[MetroMPG]

See what you get for having all that extravagant POWER?? Lovejoys are no good in that monster.

Of course abandoning the lovejoy approach means you have less room for error in terms of lining up the motor/tranny. But LOTS of (most?) EV'ers use taperlock hubs for their couplers and they have no "give" in them either.