Updates - 1966 Hybrid Mustang

[ncwa]

Hi Everyone,
Well I apologize that it has been awhile since I posted any updates on my home build hybrid Mustang. I have had a few developments that you all might like reading about which I am happy to share.

1) This last winter/spring I toasted my first electric motor! I burned out the windings and one of the three main input wires. I was running a very aggressive electronic throttle with full amperage capabilities (500 amps at full throttle). This was great for “spirited” runs with gas mileage in the mid to low 30’s. I have now backed way off to a less aggressive throttle response and I have really limited the current to the brushless motor. With this modified setup, my range is only limited by the amount of gas (more of a standard hybrid vs. a plug in sytle conversion) and my mpg’s seemed to have dropped back into the mid 20’s.



2) I installed a front engine belly pan per many of the great ideas on this site. That seemed to help a couple of mpg’s. Unfortunately my engine compartment containing some of the electronics is seeing 95-110F temps vs. ambient (70F). I don’t like heating up the electronics so I have started cutting back on the belly pan.

3) In order to better understand the reduced electronic throttle controls, I took the car to a local dyno shop! It was a lot of fun to put the Mustang on the dyno and to see exactly what was going on. Even with the big cut back in the electric motor amperage, the difference in results was still really apparent.



The dyno numbers on the Mustang with and without the electric motor running are likely to provide me with hours of study!

4) I am still trying to figure out how others have achieved 30 mpg’s on these old Mustangs (back in the day) as when I power off the electronics, I am all the way back down to the mid to high teens with respect to mpg’s. I did however, discover a leak in my cylinder head gasket, but there has to be more to seeing 30 mpg’s on this car without the electric motor…

Happy ecomodding!

[Daox]

Thanks for the update.

Is your engine compartment really getting to 110F just with a belly pan? I find that hard to believe. In any case, unless you are really pushing your electronics to the limit I don't see 110F being a problem for them.

Originally Posted by ncwa

4) I am still trying to figure out how others have achieved 30 mpg’s on these old Mustangs (back in the day) as when I power off the electronics, I am all the way back down to the mid to high teens with respect to mpg’s.

Its all about driving technique. Check out the 100+ hypermiling tips link up top to see what else you could be doing.

[bhazard]

I'm assuming this is a 200ci six? What trans?

What if you swapped to EFI and a 5.0 with a torque-based cam, a 5 speed, and a tall-geared rear (like a 2.73-ish ratio?)

[jakobnev]

If that was my graph i'd check if ignition advance had quit. (or maybe if the cam had gone retarded)

[some_other_dave]

It also looks like the torque peaks might be false readings from slipping the clutch on the chassis dyno. That's not uncommon, I've seen it in more than one other dyno chart.

-soD

[ncwa]

I agree that the initial dyno ramp up is odd. I appreciate the comments on what might be going on - this gives me something to explore. The dyno shop explained it as a rapid increase in torque. My gas engine (200ci) is known for low speed torque, as are electric motors, but something still doesn't seem right to me.

I don't think the clutch is slipping (at least I have never noticed it to slip) but I can't rule out the ignition advance failing. Although wouldn’t the electric motor have smoothed out this peak rather than heightened it if the ignition advance was failing?

[nimblemotors]

Is this 200ci engine been rebuilt? what is the compression in each cylinder?
Automatic trans?