Mazda MX-6 build thread (EV conversion)

[thingstodo]

discuss the plan, what is to be done

a lot of time lapse, showing installation of the motor and transmission into the car

Verify that you have the correct bolts, correct threads, they are lubricated

Mazda MX6 Day 087 Video 020 Sept 24 2014 - YouTube

review putting the mounts into the transmisison

go through the gears to test the linkage

Mazda MX6 Day 087 Video 020 Sept 24 2 2014 - YouTube

[Astro]

Whooohoo.... the motor fits.

It was beginning to look like that car was going to be stubborn and make you reassemble the vehicle around the motor.
Don't know if you were a fan of M*A*S*H but the job of putting the motor in reminded me of the episode where Hawkeye needed new boots. But the person that supplies the boots wanted his teeth fixed, so Hawkeye tries to get him a dentist but then the dentist wants a 3 day pass to Tokyo, and so on. Every solution presented a new problem that required another solution.
The videos you have posted seemed a bit like that.
Kudos to you for persisting and getting the job done.
Looking forward to more videos.
I think you will know more about your car than you ever thought you would need to by the time you have completed the conversion.

I can understand people who go on to do more than one conversion. After the steep learning curve on the first one it would make the second one so much easier.

[thingstodo]

Originally Posted by Astro

Whooohoo.... the motor fits.

... Every solution presented a new problem that required another solution...

I thought that was going to be the biggest obstacle.

Perhaps it was, but with that one behind me I still have a few struggles coming up. Stay tuned.

I'm having trouble DOING stuff regularly and having time to EDIT and annotate the video. The updates will likely slow down to once every couple of days or so. I have a backlog to edit, but it takes time!

The weather is still decent, so it's important to get the work done while I can still work outside...

I, of course, thought I'd be done by now!

And so it goes ... ONWARD!

[thingstodo]

Remove the front wheels to install the complete axles

Remove the passenger side wheel - the blower input is in the way. The axle can't be put int with it in the way, so remove the motor shroud

Insert the paseenger side axle. It does not seal up to the transmission. The transmission adapter plate is in the way. I did not remove enough material from the adapter.

Mazda MX6 Day 088 Video 021 Sept 25 2014 - YouTube

[freebeard]

I've always thought the hardest part of designing a car would be accomodating servicability after the fact. Bolts where you can't get a wrench on them and stuff.

[Astro]

Originally Posted by freebeard

I've always thought the hardest part of designing a car would be accomodating servicability after the fact. Bolts where you can't get a wrench on them and stuff.

Things like timing belts that require removing an engine mount to get them off as the engine mount goes through the loop of the timing belt.
Or heater cores that require the removal of the entire dashboard to remove them.
Fuel pumps that require the removal of the entire fuel tank (it's never empty) to get access to replace them.
Etc, etc.
Things that are going to fail fairly commonly should be easy to access.
But i think the designers design to make the car easy to assemble on the production line, with custom tools. Even if that means the car will be a nightmare to service later. Saving a couple of minutes on each car on the production line saves a lot of money.

Like this MX6, the engine transmission, axles, etc. were probably put together outside the car then just raised up from underneath the car as a single unit. There would be no consideration given for somebody who wanted to remove just the motor at a later date.

[thingstodo]

Need to make a bracket to hold up the driver's side of the motor, and maybe another around the belly of the motor

Remove the motor/transmission assembly. I'm getting *WAAYYYY* to good at removing this!

Mazda MX6 Day 090 Video 022 Sept 27 2014 - YouTube

[thingstodo]

Cut out the extra material on the adapter plate to allow the axle to seat in the transmission

Couple the motor, adapter plate and transmission together again

Verify the axles seat into the transmission, both sides. This is what I should have done the first time around.

Plan the adjustment to the blower location on the motor shroud

Mazda MX6 Day 091 Video 023 Sept 28 2014 - YouTube

Move the duct for the cooling fan

Start on support brackets for the end of the electric motor

Mazda MX6 Day 091 Video 023 Sept 28 3 2014 - YouTube

[thingstodo]

Put the engine/transmission assembly back into the car

Put the engine mounts back in

Get the axles back in, ready for transmission fluid

Mazda MX6 Day 092 Video 024 Sept 29 2014 - YouTube

[thingstodo]

Get the speedometer cable removed

Fill transmission with oil - almost full

Put speedometer cable back in

First spin! run through the gears

Speedometer does not work

Passenger side inner CV boot rubs on the motor

Mazda MX6 Day 093 Video 025 Sept 30 2014 - YouTube