Build Session 3 (30 mins): Removing the Exhaust

I was going to remove the bolts and properly remove the exhaust but then I decided that it would be much more fun and efficient to cut it out. So that was my Saturday afternoon activity... plus a million other things that were not truck related. :)


Usually I pile my junk up on the "other side" of the fence (I'm sure my neighbors love me) before I make one of my frequent loads to the dump. My brother-in-law was jokingly implying that my suburban driveway is starting to reek of a Jeff Foxworthy "You Might be a Redneck if..." joke. I'm not sure what he means... Doesn't everybody have a pickup bed and rusty porsche with a tarp over it in their driveway?



No exhaust pipe, muffler, or catalytic converter. Yes that's right. I will not be required to pass or pay for any emissions tests. Ever... All you nay-sayers think about that next time you are waiting in line for an emission test every other year.

Build Session 2 (3.5 hours): Preparing for the engine and transmission removal

My good buddy Jared came over after work and we completed many of the engine removal tasks, including disconnection of many gas engine related components (like the radiator, fuel lines, air intake, etc...). We left the air conditioner and power steering components intact. I plan to use an electric motor to return both units to current functionality although A/C will be a lower priority...I probably won't get A/C working this year.

We removed the hood to give us a little more working room.



Jared yarding out the radiator...won't need that thing anymore. The electric motor won't produce near the amount of heat that an average combustion engine does. (Jared is awesome; he CONTINUALLY puts up with my insane overambitious schedules and ideas and is always willing to help). Thanks J.


I captured several measurements from the transmission to the body of the truck. I will use these measurements later to ensure that my new electric motor is mounted at same angles as the gas engine is now. This should reduce strain and wear on my drive-line etc...


Some of the unneeded gas related parts that we removed tonight...


I'm leaving for vacation soon so I probably won't get to remove the engine for a week or two...the anticipation is getting the better of me. :)

Build Session 1 (1.5 hours): Removing the Bed

I needed to remove the bed in order to have easy access for removing the gas tank and exhaust. Also, I plan to build and weld 3 battery racks between the frame under the bed...and will convert the bed into a tilt bed.

Some of the Parts that I Ordered Arrived Today

The FB1-4001 9 inch advanced DC motor. Its beautiful!
Of course, FedEx dropped something on it during shipment and smashed the crate...but hopefully its ok.

Conversion Parts List

Over the last couple of years I have been spending a little time doing research on electric vehicle conversions, parts associated, availability and cost of parts, suppliers, etc... Ultimately I decided to go with Electric Vehicles of America, Inc. (http://www.ev-america.com/) for the bulk of my parts. On the few occasions where I really felt like I needed to talk with EVA I had no problems getting in contact with them. From what I understand EV America has been in the EV business for many years and pride themselves on being available for customers. Many OTHER SUPPLIERS out there were not responsive to my queries or could not deliver in a reasonable amount of time. I will try to maintain this post with all of the parts that I procure throughout this project with supplier info.

Parts ordered from EV America totaling roughly $7800 (Many of these parts will now be used in my other Porsche 914 EV project as I have upgraded some of the components):

QTY	DESCRIPTION
	DRIVE SYSTEM
1	Advanced DC Motor FB1-4001A
	(72-144 V) Auxiliary Shaft
1	1231C-8601 Curtis Controller
	(96-144 V) 500 Amp Limit
1	Aluminum Plate/ heat sink compound/12v fan
1	PB-6 Curtis Potbox
2	Albright Contactors SW-200
1	Adaptor Plate with Spacers (2)
	Manual Transmission - Clutchless
1	Motor Coupling (Aluminum)
	Manual Transmission - Clutchless
1	Motor Mount Assembly
	BATTERY SYSTEM
1	Quick Charge - OP-144-20
	230VAC input 144VDC output 20 amp
1	Quick Charge Charger - 144V Select A charge
	115VAC 144VDC
48	Battery Terminal Protective Covers (Red & Black)
75	ft 2/0 Cable - 50 ft Black, 25 ft Red,
70	2/0 lugs - Magna lug (54 straight + 6 90 degree)
9	ft Heat Shrink
	INSTRUMENTATION
1	80-180 V Voltmeter
1	0-400 Amp Ammeter
1	50 mV Shunt
	POWER BRAKES
1	Vacuum Pump (12V)
1	Vacuum Switch
1	In-line Fuseholders
	SAFETY
1	Astrodyne DC-DC Converter (132-370V)
	with relay and SB-50 (370V max)
1	Littelfuse L25S-400
1	Littelfuse holder
1	KLK fuse & Holder - HV Control Wiring
1	Pair Anderson connectors SBX-350
1	Fuseholder (4) - Control Board
1	First Inertia Switch - Auto Shutoff (12V Sys)
1	Electric Heater Components
	(Heater, mount, contactor, Anderson SB-50 connector, fuse)
1	Tilt Bed Package - 200 lbs 15 inch stroke
	( Gas lifts, hinges, reinforcement, instructions)
14	Ft - 1 1/2 inch clear vinyl hose
	for 2/0 cable protection
10	Insulated Metal Clamps for Vinyl Hose

Parts ordered from Specialty Metals, Inc. (Kent WA) totaling roughly $500:
Battery Racks:

• 6-10' x 2" x .25" steel flat bar for front bracing and rear U band supports
• 3-10' x 3" x .25" steel flat bar for rear box center and longitudinal supports
  
• 4-10' x 1.5" x .125" steel square tubing for rear battery racks main suports
  
• 1-1' x 1' x .25" steel plate for front of middle box bracing to frame
• 2-10' x 2" x .125" steel angle for engine compartment battery rack
  
• 1-10' x 1" x .125" steel square tubing

Parts ordered from Professional Plastics. totaling roughly $520: Battery Boxes and Control Board:

• 2-8' x 4' x .25" polypropylene (white) for battery box walls
  
• 1-8' x 4' x .5" polypropylene (white) for battery box lids and main control board

Parts ordered from POR15. totaling roughly $230: Rust Protection Epoxy:

• 1 Gallon-CHASSIS COAT (black) chassis paint
  
• 1 Gallon-METAL READY for prepping the frame and racks for paint
• 1 Gallon-MARINE CLEAN for prepping the frame and racks for paint
  

Parts ordered from BuyHeatShrink.com. totaling roughly $100: Cable Shielding / Identification:

• 100 feet - 1 Inch 2:1 HST (Orange) for high voltage cable shielding
• 50 feet - 1 Inch 2:1 HST (Black) for high voltage cable shielding
• 50 feet - 1 Inch 2:1 HST (Red) for high voltage cable shielding

Parts ordered from Manzanita Micro (Cells from China). totaling roughly $EXPENSIVE:  

Charger / BMS:

• Charger Product Line, PFC50B
• Rudman Regulators, MK3X4
• Copper Cell Interconnect

Batteries:

• 48 TS-LFP160AHA Thunder Sky LiFePO4 batteries cells

     Nominal Capacity：160AH
     Operating Voltage：2.5V～4.25V
     weight：5.6kg±100g
     Dimensions：182×279×71（mm）

Parts ordered from TBA. totaling roughly $???:
Suspension Upgrades:

• TBA

Parts ordered from TBA. totaling roughly $???:
Low Rolling Resistant Tires:

• TBA

Parts ordered from Stock Interiors. totaling roughly $500:
New Interior:

• 1 - Spray Can Headliner Adhesive Item: 6731
• 1 - Chevy S-10 Pickup Standard Cab '94-'04 Molded Carpet Item: 392 (Color: 1066-Grey Ultra-Plush Pile with Backing: MassBack)
• 1 - Chevy S-10 Pickup Standard Cab '94-'03 Headliner Board Item: 7552 (Material: 2126-Sand Grey Headliner Fabric)
• 1 - Chevrolet S-10 Pickup Standard Cab '94-'04 Floor Mats, Set of 2 - Front Only All models Item: 944 (Color: 1066-Grey Ultra-Plush Pile)

Purchased Used Chevy S-10

This is my latest project. Its a 1998 Chevy s-10 that I purchased on the 3rd of July. I am converting it to an electric vehicle. NOT a hybrid...pure electric. That's right, no gas required...ever. I plan to document each day of the conversion here and I will mark each conversion related post with a work session number and approximate working time expended.

Some of you may ask, "But what about your Porsche 914 that you are converting to electric?" Well, the Porsche is an ongoing project that requires lots of rust repair and body restoration before it will be ready for conversion. As most of you know I am impatient and so I decided that I wanted to start a conversion right now. Hence...the Chevy S10. I gave the Porsche to the kids and am continuing to work that project with them (slowly). I'll try to continue to update the Porsche blog as time permits.

Also, I am helping my good friend Jared convert a Porsche that he recently purchased. It's in much better shape than mine and should be a great electric vehicle when complete (this year).

Why do I want to convert perfectly good vehicles to electric? The answer for me is simple... I want to reduce my dependencies on "things" that I have to have where I have absolutely no control over the price I must pay. I can't live (comfortably) without transportation which means I must pay whatever "they" want for gas. However, with an electric vehicle I can meet most of my day to day driving needs for very little cost in electricity which I can even generate myself with solar panels on the roof of my house. Yes I will pay more now (approx. $15K total) but I will recoup my costs in a couple of years at current gas prices. But its not just about the money...its the principle that I have no control over what I MUST pay.

Sorry for the diatribe... :)