The Needle on the Speedo Goes up and Down

September 22 – October 25, 2008

It’s been a week and all is well. My car still has a squeak and I think it might be something rubbing near the brake (a dust shield), so tomorrow I will get out the jackstands and do some investigating.

Some good news – with the help from my fellow Fiero convertor Larry, I was able to solve the speedometer mystery. When you pull the ECM, you lose a ground connection to the speedometer. I started to trace the wires and found a black wire with a white stripe that was supposed to be connected to ground. This one came off of the ECM and was part of the ALCL connector. With it unplugged from the ECM, the ground connection was broken. I tested it with a jumper and you know it is working when the speedometer needle drops to zero with the key in the run position. So if your Fiero is stuck in the 10MPH mode and your needle is going nowhere, look for the missing ground (and thank Larry).

So after a week of having a working EV, all I can say is the grin is still there. If the squeak would go away, I would probably grin even more. My tachometer project is (still) almost done. I am trying to make things pretty and more functional. For all intents and purposes, it is done. I did an upgrade to two magnets for the sensor to read and this allows me to improve my RPM resolution to 30 steps (v/s 60 with one magnet). If all goes well at school this week I should be able to install next weekend – both a tacho and speedo – life doesn’t get much better. And if you really want to improve your performance, do the aero thing. Again, Larry closed off his entire bottom (with coro-plast) and his efficiency improved dramatically. Check out his blog for the details (http://fiero-ev.blogspot.com/). I think I have enough material left over from lining my battery boxes to finish my under carriage, so that is on the agenda for tomorrow.

And as a final note (yes I am getting on my soapbox for a minute or two) I want everyone who is thinking about doing a conversion to stop looking at the current gas prices. It’s $1.91 here in the Dayton, OH area and I am thankful to have an EV. Trust me on this one, the prices will rise as quick as they came down. It’s election time and the “Powers That Be” aren’t fooling me. What better way to distract millions of people this close to an election by seeing those $4.00 per gallon prices disappear – you can’t blame Democrats or Republicans. But as soon as the last dangling chad is counted, they will rise. So while everyone is putting their project on hold, get your parts and start converting – you’ll never get an EV grin filling your car (or truck) with gas.

Until later…

It's Alive, It's Alive - Part Deux

September 22 – October 25, 2008

It’s been over a month since I last talked about my car – it’s not that I haven’t had anything to say, I just haven’t done anything while waiting on my parts to return. On top of that, school has been busy, I’m taking a class at night at the community college and ….

Well the controller, vehicle integrator, pot box and contactor have found their way back to Ohio and are now back where they belong – in El Fiero! I repaired or updated all of the wires that were singed or cooked and added some new solderless connectors here and there. It only took about 5 hours to get it ready to test and it worked!! The off the ground test (on jackstands) was a success and I did it several times to make sure all was well. Moved the other cars out of the way, put it back on the ground, grab my drivers license and CELL PHONE and I was off to see if all was “really” well. A trip around the block – no problem. A trip around several blocks – no problem. The real test was to get my son from work (this is where it died last time) and again – no problem. I officially have my EV Grin!

So what’s next??? I still have to get my speedometer working. I know it’s just a wire, but I had other priorities today. Also, I need to finish my tachometer and get it installed. If nothing else, I can calculate speed by gear and RPM’s – who says you don’t use math! When I get my batteries cycled a few time I will take it to work and see how highway travel is. With winter approaching, I also need to find a way to keep the car warmer. I should be able to get things buttoned up to keep the car dry, but cold is still cold and I know my wife will not give up her spot in the garage. So I do have a few more items to do.

So until later….

It's Alive, It's Alive (sort of)

September 4 – September 21, 2008

I feel like a mad scientist with this project. All I need are some of those big throw switches to make better sparks and I can scream, “It’s alive, it’s alive”. But as we all know the good doctor had quite a few failures before the monster Frankenstein came about and I am beginning to feel my cars new name will be El Frankenstein.

First the good news – I got my EV grin today (though short lived). After the final wires were attached I gave it the second gear try out. Clutch pedal in, turn key, contactor engaged, stepped on accelerator – wheels spin! Now it was time to drive it. I get it off of the jack stands, enlist my wife as my co-pilot (God was watching) and off we went. It took a bit to figure things out (like where reverse was) and just how hard to push the pedal, but eventually we were on our way. Down the street and all of a sudden a strange noise – the fender liner came loose and was rubbing on the wheel. We came back and fixed it. Time to take my son for a trip around the block. With video camera in hand we take off. I am having clutch issues and could only find 3rd gear – not a problem, just a slow start. We made it all the way around the block! Hooked up the charger to top things off and clean up a few weeks work of mess in the driveway (with the car out of the way, I could finally clean up my mountain of used zip-ties). I was planning on picking my other son up from work around 5:00 and got things ready to go. Down the hill, around the corner – a shift from 2nd to 3rd (without a clutch). I was half way there when I felt something – sort of a chug, like an ICE misfire. Then a cloud of smoke and I was dead in the water (so to speak) coasting uphill with no place to stop. I coasted a few hundred feet and got onto a side street. I called my wife with the news, got a hold of my neighbor (a tow truck driver) and got the car home. The controller was dead!

So it’s back to the laboratory with Frank to see what happened. I am sending the unit back tomorrow for a check up/repair and hope to do this all over again in a week or two (with better results). Enjoy the short video.

So until then….

Close, But No Cigar...

August 19 – September 3, 2008

Sorry it’s been so long since my last entry. As it turns out all of my parts arrived and I spent Labor Day weekend installing the last three pieces to my very big puzzle. When I thought I was down to the last few wires, it turned out to be quite a few wires. And being a bit anal about it, I double checked many of the earlier connections. To make a long story short, the little car that could, didn’t. It seems that one connection caused an unexpected surge and knocked out a small component in my controller. After several calls to Belktronix, we deduced it was the controller and back it went. Prior to taking it out, I did get to recharge the traction pack and the charger worked great. It topped them all off in about an hour and went into a float mode to balance the pack. The BMS worked great.
Now to my lesson for all of you EV converters out there – plan and plan some more! My original design had my controller, fuse and main contactor in my rear trunk area. It would stay clean and dry and I added extra ventilation to keep things cool. Running the last batch of wires was a big pain with everything in there. The controller was on a slant and the big wires were at the bottom (and a big pain to get to). Another issue was with my battery layout. The way I routed the wiring from the front to the rear made getting the required power taps (a 24V and 48V tap) for the controller fan and contactor a bit awkward (and probably was what knocked out my controller). So since I had to pull the controller anyways, I redesigned the whole back end. I moved the two batteries that were above the motor to the lower trunk area into a new rack. This required me to get more 2/0 cable to make the new long run from the front to the rear (yes you heard it right, more cable!). I figured that what I had to replaced could get recycled into some of the shorter new cables and this required more cable lugs. The cable came in two days, but I am still waiting on the lugs. My controller may beat the lugs back! What I discovered in moving things around was a much better set up. All of those wires that looked like a plate of dropped spaghetti are now centralized at the controller and motor (the controller will be where the two batteries were above the motor). A lot of long runs into the trunk area are now gone. Wiring from the passenger compartment is now three feet shorter. I wish I had thought of all of this earlier.

So what is the lesson? When you are putting your system together and something doesn’t seem right, take the time to fix it. It may cost you a few more dollars, but in the long run it may save you a lot of aggravation.

All of my parts should be at the house early next week so I should be able to get El Fiero back together in a couple of evenings. I bought one of those mini camcorders and will post a video of my EV grin and maiden voyage.

So until then….

Time to Tidy Things Up

August 4 – August 18, 2008

By now you have probably figured out that I am still waiting for my last three parts (or maybe I am out driving my Fiero and could care less about writing). Still waiting…

While I’ve been waiting, I took the time to take care of some car business – mainly the windows. Back in December I purchased some used parts to include a door. I did not need a whole door, but it had a good window and handle and for $25.00, I couldn’t resist. My old window had been scratched from years of worn out wipers (those rubber and felt strips that “wipe” the window clean when you roll it up and down. The replacement window was in great shape and I had removed it last spring and stored it in the garage. I knew how to take one out, so now it was time to put the good one in. Also, in order to replace the wipers, the window had to be removed, so I figured I would kill two birds with one stone. All of this involves drilling out four ¼” rivets that hold the window to the regulator (the things that moves when you turn the crank) without breaking the glass or ruining the plastic parts that the rivet goes through – not an easy feat. Fortunately for me I had the parts from the replacement window as back-ups because I did not drill the straightest while removing the rivets. Once the window was out, I remove the wiper and prepared to make a new one. J.C. Whitney’s sell new wipers in bulk form (not pre-cut). So I had to drill, slot and cut the new wiper to match the old one, plus I had to re-install the old hardware. I maybe had $30-40.00 invested to replace both wipers (one per door). It was a real pain, but the end results were great. No longer will leaves and twigs go through the gaping hole from the rotted old wipers (not to mention small animals). The Fiero Store (http://www.fierostore.com/) now sells complete wiper sets for about twice what I paid, but it would be worth the additional cost to cut back on the labor involved. With the new wipers in, I re-installed the glass. Instead if those darn rivets, I opted for ¼-20 bolts and ny-loc nuts. There is lots of room for the bolts and it will make doing it again (yea, right) a lot easier.

With both doors done, I moved to some wiring. I bought two LED rocker switches – one for the fans in the controller/motor area and one for the vacuum pump. I already ran wires and it was a matter of hooking things up. There were a couple of unused wires under a switch blank on the dash and I traced them to an unused rear window defroster and trunk release. Both were on the run side of the ignition switch and were also fused. A little splice and dice and I had power at the switches for both. Being on the run side of the switch prevents them from being left on by mistake when I shut down the car. All three fans checked out and so did the power for the pump (which I will get back to in a few minutes). I also took the time to clean up some of the other wiring – in particular the 2/0 cable under the car. When I first installed it, I zip-tied it to some brackets under the car. I made sure that certain points had protection from rubbing so a cable would accidentally get cut, but while I was under there, I figured why not make all point “rub proof”. This involved wrapping coro-plast around each cable and then around the cor-plast. Then I zip-tied it to the bracket or other points along the bottom of the car. I feel much safer now knowing that it would take a lot to cut through a cable now. While under the car, I routed all of my BMS wires and other miscellaneous wires to clean things up. Once all wires were in place and secured, I started making my “belly pan” under the front of the car. This is nothing more than more coro-plas screwed and zip-tied to the under carriage of the car. I would like to completely seal everything up for weather protection, but being realistic, I figure 90+% coverage will probably be close enough. I will either incorporate enough pitch or drill a few holes to prevent any water accumulation.

I tested the vacuum pump on the bench first before hooking it up in the car. The replacement pump worked just fine and created enough vacuum for what I needed for the brakes. I built the vacuum tank out of a 12” long piece of 2” PVC with end caps to test things out. I added threaded, barbed plugs and hooked up the pump through a vacuum switch. I set the switch at 20”Hg and tried it on the car. One pump of the brakes caused the pump to turn back on, so I figured the tank was too small. A trip to Lowe’s for some 3” PVC and new caps and I tried a two foot section of pipe – it was a bit too much for my pump. I cut off about eight inches and it worked just fine. I glued on the caps and Teflon taped all fitting and it was sealed tight as a drum. I tested it and without any clamps on the fittings, it held vacuum over two hours without the pump starting up! I was happy. Next I shock mounted (heavy rubber feet) the pump to the fender well, next to the master cylinder. I made a bracket for the tank and mounted it to the firewall. Once again I tested it and it works as expected. Many people comment on the noise the pump makes on a near silent car and I concur. I may try to add an air muffler on the exhaust from the pump and see if that cures the noise. One other upgrade I want to do is change all of my fitting to pneumatic press on types. These hold the hoses without clamps and the hoses can be removed without tools.

And on a final note, I had more company and went to visit Larry in Columbus. A soon-to-be EV converter from Las Vegas was in town for his 20th class reunion and came by with his dad to check things out. Hayden wants to do a Camaro convertible and I think he will have a real nice conversion when he is done – good luck! Larry has it made – his dad’s shop has a lift in it and I am jealous. Larry is making great progress and should be sporting a big EV grin in the near future. Check out his blog when you have a chance - http://fiero-ev.blogspot.com/.

So until later…

A Visitor From the Internet

July 16 – August 3, 2008

It’s been a while since I did an update, partially because I haven’t done much and partially because I haven’t had much to do. The good news is I finally got my classroom cleaned, but with each good thing comes the bad – I’m still waiting on the remainder of my order. To be fair, I did get a care package from Belktronix – part of my BMS (battery management system) came and that is what I have been working on. I did make the quick trip to visit the in-laws and got some things around the house done, but it was a mini “not working on the EV” vacation.

The BMS – it truly is a whole lot of wires! First there is the circuit board that has 8 hook-up points and a temperature sensor. One set of wires comes directly from the battery, one set goes to a power resistor, one set is for the OVP (over voltage protection) and the other is for LVP (low voltage protection). Each unit is custom designed for the size and type of battery (group 31, AGM in my case) and all 12 of them work as an integrated system. The three components I am still missing work with these BMS’s so all I can do is wire them up. The wiring pretty much follows the power cables (the big 2/0 battery cables). Each OVP and LVP wire is wired in parallel to the next battery in the same order the power cables go. The big pain for me is half of my batteries are in the front and the other half are in the back. So I start with three in the back, make the long run to the front to do six and then to the back to get the last three. I drew a new battery layout diagram so I wouldn’t screw things up – like I said, there are a bunch of wires. I am as far as I can get with these until the other parts show up –but I still have a few things to do to the car.

I also got all of the parts to put together my power brake vacuum pump. When testing the pump though, it came up short of the expected vacuum. I tested it several ways and got the same results. The person I bought it from on Ebay has a six month guarantee, so it is going back tomorrow. I will go more into detail when I get it done, but I expect to save $100-200 over the cost of a pre-made unit you see at the EV website.

To finish on a good note, I had company today. So many times we get to know someone through the internet and yet never get to meet them. So today I got to meet Larry (and his buddy Adam). Larry is a fellow Fiero converter from Columbus, OH (just an hour away). We linked up through EV Album and my blog. Larry vehicle can be seen at http://www.evalbum.com/1866. As many have realized, waiting is part of the game and Larry is waiting. So he borrowed my motor model that I used to build my adapter so he can do more work on his battery boxes in the rear part of his car. To say the least, it was a nice afternoon with a fellow EV converter and Fiero guy – thanks for the visit.

So until I get something else done….

The Kindness of Stangers (and New Friends)

July 11 – July 15, 2008

It’s been quite a week, and I have lots to report on. That dreaded ICE wiring has been solved. The kindness of strangers cannot be overstated. A fellow Fiero owner wanting to do a conversion contacted me and helped me through my mess. Adam, from Marion, OH, is a wiring genius. He has done several Fiero upgrades (bigger, badder engines) and is very verse in the art of wire removal. I went from two jumbo bundles of wires plus the ECM to a handful of wires and everything working as needed – a big thanks to Adam. My engine bay is respectable now and the only things zipped-tied are things I still needed.

Because of my new fondness for wiring, I set out to fix some things, install some others and plan ahead. For some reason a previous owner hot wired some things (the heater fan and radiator fan). After digging through a mess of wires under the dash, I found the one that was cut. I checked it and thought it was dead. But after tracing it down to it origin (a relay in the front trunk area), it proved to be alive and well. I reattached it and now have a properly functional heater fan (no heat, but the fan works). The radiator fan was pulled with the other parts and I just pulled its mystery wire back then. I found my needed “Run and Start” wires off of the key switch. With those, I was able to install my throttle assembly. The Belktronix throttle is different than the PB-6 you often see. It is more of a spring loaded plunger that is activated by your gas pedal directly instead of the old ICE throttle cable. The ICE throttle cable is still used just to make the gas pedal return to an “off” position when released, but nothing more under the hood. I made a bracket with an arm attached to the gas pedal arm. From there, the throttled is positioned under the arm and depressed when you step on the gas pedal – quite simple. I hooked up all of the wires and ran a long lead back to the rear trunk area (this is where I will put the Vehicle Integrator Module). I tapped fuse panel for power and ran a new ground wire to use under the dash. Again, Adam made me a very confident wiring novice! While I had everything open, I found places for my E-meter and Palm Pilot. I discovered two empty switch bays that I plan on using for my rear area ventilation system (more later) and my vacuum pump.

Next up was the rear engine area where I started more heavy wiring. I pulled all of the batteries to have better access (they are still heavy). Since everything was opened I figured it was a good time to put in my ventilation system. This amounts to two 5.25”, 12V fans mounted in the inner wall of the rear trunk. One pulls in air while the other blows it out. The controller will be in this area and a cool controller is a happy controller. I am going to close up this area as much as possible to keep things clean and dry and the extra air will help. The other part of the ventilation system is my motor cooler. There is a shroud available for the WarP9 that lets you force air through the motor to keep it cooler (and a cool motor is a happy motor). The Fiero has a functional air duct on the drivers side (originally went to the air filter) and I hated to see it go to waste. I took a smaller 2.5 inch fan, enclosed it in a Coro-Plas box and ran the vent hose to it. The fan will draw outside air to the motor and pushes it through from the commutator end to the drive end. According to Netgain, this can make big improvements in motor performance – I am anxious to see. All three fans draw about one amp from the car battery (not the traction pack), something I hope to offset with some LED light replacements. Initially, I am using a switch to run these fans, but plan on using some simple thermostats to activate them later on.

When I ran out of the 2/0 cable I ordered another 12 feet (plenty, I thought). I figured I needed 8-10 feet and got a couple extra to make sure. I ended up with exactly zero inches left. I could call that good planning, but in reality I wish I had a few more feet left. I bought 42 feet total. The next price break was at 50’. If I just bought 50’ to begin with, it would have been cheaper (considering the extra shipping for the second order) – live and learn. The plus of the second order was buying a crimping tool (less than $9.00) and it really works. I am still a solderer, but by crimping first, it takes less solder, things stay in place while soldering, and the finished product look better. I made the other motor leads to the controller and ran them into the trunk. I built a frame out of a product called 8020, http://www.8020.net/. It’s very modular and with the right hardware, things slide in the channels. I attached my controller (with its fan), my main fuse, shunt (for the E-meter) and main contactor to this frame to be installed as a single unit bolted in the trunk. I fit in between to the two rear batteries and that made a short run for my dwindling 2/0 cable supply (remember, I had zero inches left). With big, fat green cable going everywhere, I managed to get everything in its place (a lot of trial and error, with an emphasis on error). Next up I re-installed all of the batteries, but did not hook them up. Things are getting real tight back there and I still have more parts coming in my last shipment that need to be installed first. The last thing I need is for my car to take off without a chance to get a short EV grin behind the wheel. I don’t think it counts if your car is going through your backyard being chased as an actual first drive – others may disagree.

I’m taking a few days off to tend to other business at work and with family. Hopefully my other stuff will arrive this week or next and I can hit the road real soon. So until next time…

Got Air???

July 10, 2008

This entry is a bit early, but I just wanted to let everyone know about my air shocks.

After properly doing my homework, I did get the right air shocks (this time). For anyone out there wanting to do this but is either told you can’t (as I was) or can’t find the right shocks here is my tip of the day. Most shocks come is just a few varieties. Some have bushings, a steel insert through a rubber bushing. Usually a bolt goes through this insert. Some have a flat tab (with holes or slots) that takes two bolts (with or without nuts) and the third type is a straight shaft that is threaded at the end. The flat tabs and steel inserts that go through a rubber bushing are fairly interchangeable. For instance, my car requires a flat tab at the top and a steel insert at the bottom – both go through the rubber bushing. The shocks I ordered had steel inserts at both ends and they were not the right size, but the rubber bushings were the same. I removed the pieces I needed from my old shocks (which were actually brand new) and replaced the ones on the air shocks with these pieces. Now everything matches my car. Monroe has a good website and I was able to find shocks that had the right type of ends and the approximate length I needed. It took me about 2 ½ hours to do everything and they work.

The shocks range from 10 – 150 PSI and with just 70 PSI my car was level again. The shock have good recoil and I can actually get under the car from the front – well as good as I could before I added the batteries. The two pictures don’t appear to show much difference in height (I failed to get a before air shock picture), but in reality it was about 1to1.5 inches and that is at 70 PSI. If I did 120 PSI, it might add another inch to that!

These two web pages will get you to a wealth of information. The first will tell you if air shocks are available for your EV. If not, write down the model numbers of what will work and go to the second link. On this page, click on the “mounting and length” info and find your shocks. Note the compressed and extended lengths and type of mounting at each end – and start searching.

http://www.monroe.com/catalog_lookup/ocl_default.asp

http://www.monroe.com/catalog_lookup/ocl_miscappinfo.asp

I know this will probably not work with struts because of the types of mounting they have, but with a little engineering, you might find a solution. I spent $61.00 to do this upgrade and it was worth every cent. If you look at air bags for your suspension or coilovers, you can spend a fortune going this route. For you Fiero converters, the model was Monroe – MA803.

Until later….

And Then There Were Sparks....

July 2 – July 8, 2008

It was another one of those weeks. The 2nd was my anniversary and as hard as it was to take the day off from working on the car, I did – just kidding honey! Then it rained for two days. My car is parked in a low spot and I can tell when it rains a lot because of the small pond under the car. So now it’s Saturday and I have been off my bike (summer exercise program) for too many days and the weather is cooperating. With other things to do, this day is shot. Got an early start on Sunday and I spent the entire day working on the car – yeah.

With only one day to report on, it will be a short blog. I finished the wiring – done. Ok, a few more details. As you know, the Fiero is a low car. With the added weight of the batteries, it’s really low. As you may recall, I did order some air shock to reduce my front end sag and I should have done my homework better. Those great Ebay shocks weren’t so great. The guy did read the specifications right and if I would have been looking at the same spec’s, I would have never bought them. The top and bottom mounting hardware was good, but the length was not. Fully extended the Fiero shocks were just 1/8” longer than the air shocks – this is the equivalent of putting a solid piece of metal in there as a shock. It would have raised the front end up until I hit a bump, and who knows what would have broken. This was my mistake and while I am at it: anyone need some air shocks? Strange as this sounds, my wonderful wife got me an Amazon gift card for our anniversary and in a search for the “right” pair of shocks (I did my homework this time), I found a pair on Amazon for $1.00 less than the gift card. My wife really knows me. So unless I screwed up again, I should have these installed next week.

But back to the low Fiero…

I needed to connect the front batteries to the back and this involved a long run underneath the car. I originally planned on using the old coolant tubes, but 2/0 cable would have been a challenge. I needed to get the car airborne, so I got out all four jack stands and got it off the ground. While checking out several websites, I saw one of a guy testing out his motor in his car. Netgain has a bench test just to let you see the motor go around using a 12V battery or power supply. So I figured while I had it off the ground, why not! I got out my old car battery, a set of jumper cables and followed the instructions – it worked. With the car in second gear (make sure you are in some gear), and a spark or two later, the wheels were spinning – cool stuff. I showed my wife and then it was time to get to work. (As you can see, I am dragging this out.)

I bought 30’ of 2/0 cable figuring it was more than I needed – I was wrong (again). The long runs were longer than expected with the twists and turns. I had enough cable to make the connections, but I was short to make the motor connections, so I ordered more. With the two long runs in I made the front to back connections. With one in, I started the second one and I got to see the famous melting socket wrench handle I have heard so much about. It was a quick spark (at 72V) and a small shock. I was not paying attention and lost focus for about one second. These two batteries are side-by-side and with one side of the front pack installed, things were electrically hot. I was giving the nut one last turn to tighten things up and “zap”. Tape your handles, pay attention and take your time – plus add whatever words of caution you choose. It melted a 3/8” stainless steel nut to the terminal that I had to cut off with a Dremel tool. I re-threaded the post and pray that I did not kill the battery. It still tightens down and the voltage is still there, but I really won’t know until it is under load if it is still a good battery. The rest of the installation went without a hitch (or spark). I taped my melted handle and moved ever so cautiously and before you know it, I had over 150V on my pack (it’s only a 144V pack, but batteries when fully charged will always be higher). With that done and only a foot of 2/0 cable left, it was time to call it a day. The car was returned to earth from its lofty perch and I retired to the computer to order more cable.

I still need the rest of my order to finish my installation, so it is on to the little things for next week. Hopefully it won’t be three’s a charm on the air shocks. I still need to find the right wires for the run and start hook ups and there are a bunch of things I want to get done on the car. So until next week…

I Can Almost See the Light...

June 23 – July 1, 2008

It was a slow week in terms of getting things done, but that’s what happens when you get toward the end of any project. There are still a million (ok – maybe a hundred) things to do, but each one seems to take forever. All of that old Ice wiring is still bugging me. Our local library has a subscription to http://www.alldatadiy.com/ so it might be worth checking to see if yours does also. They (alldata) will gladly take your money (about $20.00) to get this info online for your car, but I’m cheap. Their wiring diagrams are very detailed and I got a few select sheets to compare to Chilton’s and Haynes. All I (and most people doing a conversion) really need is to get power to the fuse panel so it can run the lights and basic stuff. I also need the key switches (start and run) to tie into the Vehicle Integration Module. I found one wire that was hooked to the starter and was supposed to be the keyed start wire, but after checking it with a multi-meter I am not so sure. To make things easier, I installed to distribution blocks – one positive and one negative. Both blocks have 4, 8 gauge points to tap off of, so when I find the right places to tap into, I am ready. Both blocks get the auxiliary battery cables hook to it. I also took the time to build a new battery box for this auxiliary battery. The old one had rusted away and I did a quick (and poor) job several months ago to keep it from flopping around – now it is in great shape made out of aluminum. As I said, there are lots of little things to do.

With all of those wires out of the way, I installed the rear racks. I already had them in once, but needed to modify the one over the motor with an extra brace. With it in, they were both ready for batteries. The two batteries over the motor dropped right in, but the other two in that rack did not. That extra brace I added was in the way – by about a half an inch. Drill another hole and get a longer bolt and it was in. For all of the battery box connection to the frame I used what are called ny-lock nuts. These nuts have a little nylon insert in them that works like a lock washer – it keeps the nut from vibrating off. The big advantage over a lock washer though is you do not have to make a real tight connection. So when I went through some frame points, I only tighten them enough, but not too much to crush frame and body parts. With all rear batteries installed, it was time to pad the batteries with the Coro-plas – I really like this stuff. I am not sure if it has any insulation value, but I will find out more about it this winter. I have been shopping for some cheap battery hold-downs without much luck. I will probably fabricate something at school.

I mentioned last week how low the front of the car was after putting six batteries up front and this has bugged me every since I did it. I originally wanted to put air shocks in the front, but couldn’t locate ones that would fit. So I did the next best thing and went shopping on Ebay. I knew what the top and bottom fittings looked like and spotted a pair on Ebay. The guy I bought them from has a specification catalog and match sizes for me and found something that will work. That’s on the agenda for this week when they arrive and will update later. All I really need is about 1.5 inches higher to give a little life back to the front springs.

And now to the battery wiring - just another thing on the list of things to do. My brother (the electronics genius in the family – I am just a “wanna be”) convinced me to use flat cable between the batteries. This is the same thing you see that is used as a grounding strap – a flat, braided cable. I found some really big stuff at the surplus store in town and decided to use it just for the short runs. It’s very flexible and just to be safe, I doubled it. Now what I am about to say will spark great debates out there among the EV community, but I am a solderer, not a crimper. If you are a reader of EVDL, they debate this subject at great lengths. Some believe that the only good connection is a crimped connection and some are very specific about what type of crimping. Others swear by soldering, and some ride the fence and say the only good crimped connection is also soldered. I feel a good soldered connection, like a good weld, will always work. It gives 100% contact with the wire and connector and it also “wicks” up the wire a bit to make it even stronger. The cable stays flexible in the middle to keep it from failing (breaking or bending) and unless the joint/connection takes some major heat, the solder will not melt. So as I said, this is a very debatable subject. You can see from the pictures that both types were used up front. The other cables are 2/0. All of the connectors you see are homemade. I used 1/2" and 3/4" copper tubing for each connection. I have some 2/0 connecters to use on the controller, but again, these homemade connectors are solid copper, and a lot cheaper than lugs. I added heat shrink (color coded) to each end just to pretty things up. The small gauge wire at each terminal is for the battery management system (BMS). There will be a circuit board added to each battery when they arrive and this was saving a step down the road. I know I mentioned this earlier in the blog about planning out how each battery connects to another, and it came into play again today. Positive to negative – positive to negative – it sounds so easy. When they are all in a row, it’s so straight forward. But just try to do it when they are in the boxes. Add the extra confusion of front and rear boxes and you have to be extra careful. You hear horror stories of an errant wrench or socket handle arcing across two terminals – well one of those homemade copper lugs (or one of those high priced ones) will make a nice 4th of July show if you make a mistake. And it might be hard to convince the battery store that it “wasn’t my fault” – and at $150-200 each, it might prove to be a bit expensive – be careful!
I have the two long runs to do next to connect the front batteries to the back and build a box for the main fuse and contactor.

So until next week….

How to Cut Myself - Let Me Count the Ways

June 16 – June 22, 2008

They say that “chicks dig scars”, so I must be a real chick magnet. I doesn’t matter what I do, working on this car has my arms, shoulders, face, legs and ankles (ouch) are battered, cut and bruised. That one bolt or nut is always in the worst spot to get to, but I will not be deterred – no matter how many times I bleed. So if your love life is lacking, just do a EV conversion and it will dramatically improve (those ER nurses won’t stay away). And just so you don’t think I’m some male, chauvinistic pig, us guys dig a scar or two ourselves. Heck, my wife just had a little wrist surgery and I can’t keep my hands off from her!

On to the car…

The battery boxes are in (the out, then in). The very front box (holds three) I figured would be a piece of cake. It sits between the frame rails and had just eight holes to drill. After a bit of cussing and discussing, it went in. After trying it with my battery models I had to figure out how to get the real batteries in – a bit of a tight fit. Next came the other front rack (a day later). Since this one was supported on the frame rails, I decided two bolts were enough. One bolt went into an abandoned hole from something I removed (already threaded and I found the old bolt!), but the other went into the frame rail itself. I wanted to hit a flange that was on top to avoid trying to get a nut and washer inside of the frame rail. I succeeded, but the hole ended up in a place that required a contortionist with three arms to get to. I only had to remove this rack once after I installed it. Next to the back where the rack above the motor was first. I did a lot of guessing when I built this rack. I knew where I wanted it to go, but it had a mind of its own. This is also the biggest rack – a four holer. When I tried to get it in, I actually did a great job of getting it stuck. I refused to undo the transmission cables, so I exercised my right to mumble a few choice words, got out the crowbar, and unstuck the beast. Reality set in and I got out the Saws-all. I figured it was safe to cut two of the braces in half and just reposition them. I got it to fit, drilled a couple of holes and marked to for welding. Once welded, it went right in. Then I noticed that one corner was unsupported, so back to the shop – it was a quick fix. As a soapbox moment, better safe than sorry. Batteries weigh a lot folks and to hit a bump and have them come crashing down, it’s worth the extra effort (and time) to do it right to avoid this from happening. If you are at a crossroads of “just git ‘er done” or doing it right, take the high road. Plus I can guarantee you that if it fails, it will damage the most expensive part – I’m off of my soapbox. With box number three repainted and ready to go, I went for the last one – a two spot in the old rear trunk. I really wanted to put the spare in the trunk, so I cut a piece of the frame off. I wasn’t structural, so I figured it was worth a try – it didn’t work, but I did save a pound or two. This rack was getting two bolts. It is supported by frame members on each end and part of the trunk lip along one side. I just had to hit the frame in the same way I did the front box. The hole ended up in a tiny corner that I could only reach with a 12” ratchet extension. I quickly got a nut and lock washer on it and moved on.

With all four racks in (and out and in) it was time to get the batteries. Getting those old batteries for cores was great - it saved me over $100. The final bill for my 12 Deka 9A31 AGM Intimidators was just over $1800. Part of the Belktronix system is a battery management system (BMS) that is integrated with the charger. Each battery has both overcharge protection and a temperature sensor. I plan on doing a religious job of breaking in my pack and taking good care of them overall. The death of many EV’s is the battery pack. Discharging them too deep and too often, over (or under) charging them and in general abusing them will kill a pack. In an overly optimistic way I am hoping to get 5-6 years out of this pack, but 4 would be great. There are tales of some folks doing this and I want to be part of the legend. And at $1800, I want to squeeze every once of life I can get from them. A BMS is the way to go and it is something you should investigate.

With batteries in hand (all 850 lbs or so), it was time to fill up those racks. I started in the front again (lots of good places to cut myself) and filled the front rack. I use a product called Coro-Plas (corrugated plastic) to line my boxes. It’s tough stuff and provides a cushion on the bottom and well as in between. I made the boxes slightly oversized to let me use the Coro-Plas and it also allows me to get everything nice and snug. Again, you don’t want these batteries moving around. One rack down, one to go (front only today). A week or two ago I was removing stuff up front when I pulled out a sensor from the heater area. I stuck in my parts box and forgot about it. Before I put the batteries in, I realized I need to put it back. I saw a few leaf bits in the hole and got out the Shop-Vac. One bit led to another and before you know it I had the entire blower system removed. It gave me a chance to get the rest of the unneeded A/C stuff out and the whole pile of leaves that were in there. Rack two was filled when I realized the terminals were not working out the way I wanted them to. The front six batteries are getting linked to the rear six to make up my 144V pack (by way of two 2/0 cables). I wanted to have a positive and negative terminal close to each other to make it easier to run these cables. Those nice and tightly fitted batteries in the lower box had to be switched around. Thank God I removed my hood from the car before I started or it would have been near impossible to get that one battery turned around. With everything in order, I got the other three batteries in place and packed with Coro-Plas. Adding over 400 lbs to the front of the car certainly lowered it. There is still a little spring left in the front springs, so I don’t think I have bottomed out yet. I will have to wait until I get a chance to drive it before I see if bigger springs (or air shocks) are needed. I am going to wait on the wiring until I get everything ready – having 72V (or 144V) just waiting to zap me is a scary thought. I one time arc welded a Seiko watchband (while on my wrist) across two alternator terminals at about 14V – 144V would really hurt (but just think of the scar).

In the back I had some old ICE wiring to deal with before putting in the batteries. For now I am zip tying them up just to get them out of the way. I figure that if I need something later, it would be easier to deal with still intact. But just to make the back of the car less jealous, I made up my jumper cable for my motor. That pretty, green 2/0 cable across the A1 and S1 terminals is just the start to the wiring nightmare that awaits me, so I better get some sleep. So until next week….

I've been framed...

June 9 – June 15, 2008

Strange week… I had some training at school to do this summer with occurred on Wednesday and Thursday. I was tired of trying to get my lab clean so I took Monday and Tuesday off to work on the Fiero. Plus, two of my ordered items were coming at the beginning of the week and I did not want to miss them.

In preparation to doing the battery boxes, I figured I needed to get some cable for the batteries. I checked with Belktronix (Bryan) for his recommendations and he suggested 2/0 welding cable. I checked Ebay and saw quite a few, but as you know, bidding can get crazy. We have a big welding supply shop in town, but they did not carry cable in bulk. Strangely enough, one of the ad sites on Ebay sent me to http://www.weldingsupply.com/ and they are great. Not only are their prices good, but they also had crimpers and lugs real cheap. I ordered enough cable to do what I think I need to do and have a plan to make my own connections – we’ll see. That box arrived two days later as did my first box of electronics from Belktronix (controller w/fan, system integrator module, pot box and contactor). Lots of cool stuff to look at! Back to the battery boxes. The same person who suggested the bed frames also mentioned the hardness of the steel – it’s hard. I killed a Saws-all blade in about 15 seconds and went to plan “B”. I bought a Roto-zip several years ago and it has seen its share of jobs. I came with a metal cutting disc and it cut right through the bed frames. The only problem was I got 4-5 cuts per disc and I had a long was to go. I checked Lowe’s for replacement discs, but at $2.50 each, I went to Harbor Freight. I got a 10 pack for $6.00 and only had to open up the hole a bit to fit my Roto-zip. I got just as many cuts for a fraction of the cost – yeah Harbor Freight. Because the batteries are common sizes, I was able to figure out one box and reuse the dimension – just change the configuration of the box. Two bed frames proved to be just right with a little left over. Four battery boxes made for less than $30.00 and some welding time. I did most of the welding before my training at school. I added hold down tabs (1x1x1/8” angle) to each box as well as mounting pieces out of 2” x 1/8” flat stock to attach them to the car. I had to guess on the box that fit above the motor and it required a slight modification. I gave them a quick paint job to keep them from rusting (I plan on finishing them in flat black) since they are living on the back porch. I hope to have them installed next week.

I also had a chance to finish the plug installation. I found a piece of 3/8” Delrin plastic and made an adapter to mount the plug to it and also it to the car. When I cut out the gas filler tube, I made the hole too big for the plug to just fit in, so I had to make the adapter to clean things up – looks pretty good if I do say so myself. I reinstalled the door and I only need to remove the “Unleaded Fuel” sticker. Another side project involved installing a rack/spoiler on the Fiero. I purchased a used trunk last year that had the rack on it. My plan was simple – swap them out, but so much for a simple plan. After changing hinges and a louver, I noticed a crack in the new trunk lid. No biggie until I saw the other crack on the opposite side. I checked my old one and it was good. I removed the rack from the used trunk, measured, drilled and installed it on my trunk and a few hours later, I have a rack/spoiler. Now my trunk is heavier and does not want to stay up, but I’ll figure it out!

So on the slate for next week… Install battery boxes, pick up batteries and install them, install cables and assorted hardware/electronics. Heck before you know it, I’ll be driving it. Until next week…

What a Week!

June 2 – June 8, 2008

I am going to add another day to this week’s blog because I just do not want to wait another week to update what I did today.

I did spend the week cleaning my lab at school and did not finish it, but that is what summer is for – I’ll get it done. I think it was Tuesday that I was talking with a friend about batteries and he told me he had a stash of dead (and I mean dead) back-up batteries from several systems he had been working on and I was welcome to them. This just solved my core deposit problem. I loaded up my truck they are now awaiting a trip to my battery dealer so I can order my traction pack – twelve, 9A31 Deka Intimidators! In preparation for installing my 12 pack, I made up six battery models to test out configurations in the car. My plan was to always do six in the front and six in back. I looked at several other Fiero set ups, but a lot of them used 6V batteries and managed to get 20 of them stuffed in there. My 12V, 12 battery pack was never intended to be a long distance conversion, so I gave up the few extra miles for the weight savings – and we are talking about 200-300 pounds at least. One thing I did not want to sacrifice was my spare tire and what little storage space I have. The spare usually fits up front, but it is going to the back. I have it crammed between two of the rear batteries in what used to be the rear trunk. If I ever need it, I will have to pull those batteries, but at least I will have it. The other four batteries fit neatly above the motor with room to spare on each side for the electronics. I only had to remove one small bracket in the rear to make everything fit. Up front was a different story. I knew things were tight before I started and it would require some cutting. Since I have opted to do without A/C, those things could be removed to make room. The low hood also made it challenging, but thanks to my Saws-all and sacrificing part of the front trunk, I have room for three batteries now. The other three went where the radiator use to be. I was a little concerned putting them that forward, but upon further review, there is a frame member that cages in those batteries and lots of contact points to attach everything. So as it stands, most of the weight is above the axle/wheels and for the better part it is balanced (6 front, 6 rear). I hope this also improves the Fiero’s handling – we’ll have to wait. I picked up another bed frame today and will start cutting and welding next week.

The other great news is part of my first electronics order has shipped. It includes my controller, throttle box, main contactor and system integration module. It’s a start and I can get started with its installation along with the batteries. I can feel that EV grin starting up as I write.

I fixed that leaking transmission seal. I had to take most of the passenger side apart, but it wasn’t that bad – maybe an hour. It’s to the point that I now know more about the rear end of a Fiero than I ever thought possible, and am glad that I do. And for all of you out there thinking about doing a conversion, don’t fear what you don’t know. I have done a lot of car stuff during my life, but nothing like this. Just some basic tools (socket set, combination wrenches, screwdrivers, a hammer or two) and a desire to finish what you start and even you can do it. Time is on your side when you do a conversion because you always have to wait for something – and this can be a good thing. Take time to plan what you are doing and always take the opportunity to fix things as you go. Enough of my soap box time.

Finally, I ripped (cut, destroyed) out the old gas filler tube to make room for my battery charger connection. I found a three pronged, 20A twist connector and plug at one of my electronics surplus stores in town and it’s a perfect fit where the tube use to be. It was a fight getting it out, but well worth the trouble. When done I will be able to use the current door (with lock) to hide my secret plug connection and it is just a few inches from where I plan to install my charger unit – life is good.

So until next week…..

The School Year is Over!

May 25 – June 1, 2008

The last week of school leaves nothing it terms of spare time. Give a final, grade a final, enter final grades into the computer – repeat. Add to that a monster student project and the week was shot.

I guess the best thing about a shot week is the opportunity not to work on the car. This blog has attracted a few other converters and it’s been fun emailing back and forth about my project and what they are doing. I read about a guy who used old bed frames to make his battery boxes, so I was checking out the local Goodwill store and found one frame for $5.00. If I bought the same amount of 1-1/4 angle iron it would have been $15-20 – thanks for the tip whoever you were (EVDL). Another fellow EV’er, Brian, is doing a Fiero also. I shared with him some adapter plate info that I hope will work for his V-6 Fiero (mine is a four cylinder). And I met another guy in Ohio that has used the Belktronix system I have ordered. So even when I am not working on the car, I am still learning and sharing – and that folks is what it is all about.

I almost forgot the only work I did do was to refill the transmission. As you may recall, when I bolted my adapter plate I realized that it was now stuck and I had to pop out the other CV joint to get it out. I figured that the seal would survive such a little movement – I just slipped it out and shoved it right back in. Guess what seal failed when I filled the transmission? Not only do I get to replace the seal, but I get to clean up all of that fluid. I am hoping I do not have to completely disassemble that side of the car, but with my luck, I will.

Next week I get to spend most of my time cleaning my lab at school. So it is going to be another slow week… so until next week…

Time To Get Serious...

May 18 – May 24, 2008

I received news that my WarP 9 was shipped Monday and it arrived at school on Tuesdays – yeah Fed Ex. Even better, it went to the front office and it was delivered to my room. There it was, all wrapped up on its little pallet just waiting for me to open it up – and I did. My fake motor model was pale in comparison to the real thing – all red and clean, but less I digress. Being only Tuesday, I figured why take it home for my wife to trip over, so I elected to leave it at school to show my students and friends. For those of you who have never taught school, the last two weeks are crazy. Students finishing projects, tests to prepare and give and all of those grades – thank God they just use 5 letters (but I do know a few that would get a “Z” if it were possible). Friday came and with a three day weekend ahead, it was time to take the motor home (as opposed to a motorhome).

It’s Saturday morning and I am mentally preparing to get it installed. I was only dreaming when I thought I could do it in an hour, but in reality it took less than five. First things first – get the fake motor out. Poster board and wood are not that heavy, but when you add the adapter plate, clutch, flywheel and motor adapter and stick it in a small hole, even this can be a challenge. Remember, it was all on the cradle when I installed it last time. I tried using the engine hoist, but it only got in the way. So with brute strength and those few choice words (please back, don’t fail me now), I got it out and was ready to install the real thing. I took all of my parts off from the fake motor and got my tools ready. The WarP 9 received a brand new lift bolt and took flight via the engine hoist. First up was the motor adapter. It slid right on and I tightened the set screws. The first one went in with no problems, but number two split at the top. I couldn’t get it out either, so a trip to the hardware store was needed anyway to get some shorter bolts for the adapter plate and a screw extractor small enough for the set screw. Seven dollars later I was home and got that screw out. Next up was the adapter plate and it fit perfect. My Plexiglas template worked great and every hole lined up on the money. Next the flywheel – and this is where problem number two arose. The spacing (and spacing is probably as critical as alignment) was off – by .157 inches. On my motor model I did not know exactly how deep the drive end pilot ring was so I guess and was off by .157 inches. The motor adapter was too long so another trip was in order – to my classroom so I could shorten it on the lathe. As you might have guessed, these two trips cost me an hour, but it was a beautiful day! So after taking it all apart, and reassembling it, I added the clutch and it was ready to go. Now I recruited my son and wife to finish the installation. I really did not want to take the trunk off so we opted for plan “B”, the squeeze play. One of us pushed while the other lowered it to clear the trunk lip. Once in the whole it was a matter of getting things to align. I knew this was critical because of my efforts to get it to work in the classroom with the fake motor. The clutch and transmission shaft and that darn spline all have to be right there in order for it to fit together. We tried several attempts and different positions before it slid in - and what a joyous moment it was!!! I was able to pull it together with just my hands afterwards and started to install the bolts. One after another they all fit and it was installed. The adapter on the other end aligned perfectly also, so it was four bolts and everything was secure. Weeks of planning with my fake motor paid big dividends in the end. Having to wait for the motor was a blessing in disguise. I can’t imagine trying to do all of this with the added weight of the real motor, either at school or home.

What’s next – battery racks… so until next week…