Test Fit

Now that I am completely done with classes, it's EV time!
I did a test fit of the control tray in the EV today, and I have to say I do quite like it. I need another trip to ACE to get some 1/4-20 bolts to mount the controller/heatsink to the mini tray, and I need a longer hose for the vacuum switch. Then I will lock down the vacuum tank and finish up some wiring and test the tray.

I also fiddled with the BC-20 charger today. My batteries needed a freshen up charge, but the charger wouldn't work. I found out that my setting resistor needed to be readjusted to deal with the heat. After 45 minutes of fiddling, I started a top off charge.

Finally, Some Real Progress

It has been about a month since I have done one tiny thing on the EV. Actually, I haven't really worked on it since winter break. A little bit here, or there, but this past semester has been loaded and most of the things I wanted to do did not happen.

Well, I finally have day to work on the EV. I received my new heatsink and mounted the controller to it.

I have also finished wiring the entire control tray. The only two things left for the tray is to mount the heatsink controller to it's small tray and to add lock washers to the nuts. Then it gets installed and tested. I am also going to make up a clear wiring diagram eventually.

May Update

I am in my final weeks of the semester so I really haven't been able to do to much on the EV. I am almost done with the new wiring for the control system but it has taken much longer than I hoped because I had to get new relays.

If I play my cards right, I should be able to finish the rest of my semester's work this week and take Friday afternoon off to work on the EV before seeing the new Star Trek movie.

I also have ordered up a proper heatsink for my Kelly KDH09401. I have a 8.5"x12" finned aluminum heatsink coming in soon that will not only look better than the plate I have not, but should also provide even better cooling.

Control Tray Frame

I have completed the hardware part of the control tray and setup the electronics on it.

From right to left, I have the 12 Volt Thomas Vacuum Pump, Electronic Control Box, Curtis SW200 Contactor and Curtis 1400E 96 Volt DC-DC converter. I need to pick up some more bolts for mounting the components and I haven't wired up anything yet. I am redoing ALL the wiring to neaten it up and reconfigure a few components I now have like the DC/DC.

I am hoping to finish up the electrical parts of the tray this weekend and test it out. Now I don't have my motor yet, but I don't need it to test the low voltage systems. I am estimating an hour or two for the wiring so I am almost there. This weekend is going to have excellent weather so testing it out should be easy.

Some Motivation

Well this weather has giving me some more motivation to work on the EV! It was about 70F today and I got a lot done on the control tray.



I have one more mount to make for it, then I get down to installing the components. I also am going to to cut out some sheet metal to make a base for the components and for splash protection. This tray isn't complete yet, and it already looks really good. This engine compartment is going to be stuff, but hopefully it will look professional.

It looks like this weekend I will be finishing up this control tray. I will also be redoing the entire electrical setup. I have a new contactor that I want to use to replace the two parallel smaller ones I have. There are a few things in the engine compartment that can be removed and cleaned up a bit, like excess wiring brackets that aren't in use anymore.

Right now my wiring setup is rather difficult to follow and messy. Now that I have a DC/DC things will be changed around a bit.

My motor is still at the shop and will probably be there until mid May. When I do get it back it should be a matter of a day of installing it and making the motor mount.

April Update

It's been about a month since I last posted, and that's because I have been busy slacking. I haven't gotten a whole lot done, and I am still waiting for the new motor adapter plates. I talked to the machine shop last week, and they haven't started it yet, so it's still a ways off.

I did finally remove the Cruise Control Unit from the engine compartment and readjusted the PakTrakr wiring. I did receive the 96 volt Curtis DC/DC that I traded for and it looks really nice:Between weather, school work and holidays, I really haven't done anything with the EV. I have all the control systems on the work bench, but I haven't purchased the material to building the new control tray system yet. I was going to wait until the motor was in, but at this point I have just going to work on the tray when I get the time just to get something done.

Break Time

I am on Spring Break this week so I should be able to work on the little things on the EV. The FB1-4001A, transmission and related parts have been dropped off at the machine shop and I should be contacted this coming week with a quote on it. So I probably won't be installing the motor this week, but I have a load of other things to do. They include the following:

• Rebuild Control Board on steel plate
  
• Install DC/DC converter
• Wire LCD AMP Meter
• Make metal battery straps

Of course who knows how much I will actually get done. I have been setting goals, and to be realistic, my goal is about one of those a day. Instead of "getting it done" I will get little things done, one at a time, and eventually it will be "Done".

I have decided to use a DC/DC converter in my EV since the AUX 12 volt just isn't up to the task for very long. I actually got a DC/DC converter with my big lot of EV parts, but it was for 120/140 volt EVs. I actually tried to sell it, and instead got an offer to trade it for a similar DC/DC converter designed for a 96 volt system! PERFECT! It should arrive on Wednesday according to FEDEX, and then I will be able to actually drive my EV at night! The 12 volt battery isn't powerful enough to run everything, including headlights at night. Headlights were actually designed to run at 13.5-14.5 volts, not 12 volts. And they are VERY DIM at 12 volts.

Meanwhile, I have been cleaning up the basement and taking an inventory of EV parts left over. I have quite a substantial amount, almost enough for a full EV conversion, like a motorcycle, VW Bug or a Geo Metro. While the ADC K99-4007 worked in my EV, it would be much better in a Bug or Metro that is 1,000 lbs lighter and with a manual transmission to keep the RPMs higher.