All-Encompassing EV Conversion Supersite Diary (Entry 171)

Monday December 8, 2003

Update:

Well, my Saturn EV is finally back together with its new transmission. Without the wailing "jet engine" noises in the background from the old transmission I can start hearing all the other noises from the suspension etc. It's nice to drive down the street in relative quiet. The new gearbox seems to be working well now.

I'm taking the time to document (with pictures) the various connections on the electrical system. This plug attaches to the main Raptor 600 motor controller and brings the various control signals to this unit. I heard that these units are no longer being manufactured, and so any archival images such as this will make future maintenance much easier!

I took this opportunity to beef up the mounting of the electric motor. The original support strut was modified to prevent the bolts from slipping under the intense torque of the electric motor. As well, I raised this end of the motor up by over 1.5 inches to prevent the drive axles from contacting the frame as they rotated.

The 18mm castellated nut on the tie rod end requires 33 ft.-lbs of torque to be considered "well attached". Note the very important cotter pin that must be inserted once the nut holding the tie rod has been tightened to specifications.

A new bracket has been welded to the frame to attach the support strut for the motor. Placing a new bracket here has allowed me to fit the original Saturn splash shield in place much easier inside the wheel well.

The commutator end of the motor is supported by a strut that contains rubber bushings in each end that will absorb the torque from the motor. The motor and transmission assembly of your electric vehicle must be free to rotate under torque to prevent damage to the drivetrain and transmission. Rubber shock absorbing mounts handle this easily!

Once the motor has been firmly attached to the transmission and suspended in its shock mounts, the main re-wiring can be started.

This car uses a hydraulically-activated clutch. The slave cylinder is shown here. As well, the upper transmission support link is visible in this picture.

We are talking extreme fun here! For more excitement try this in a un-heated garage at -15C to -25C. Throw in an over 50 guy with creaky bones and biffocals who prefers Hawaii to Alaska and you get the picture.

The transmission attaches to this rubber mount on the driver's side of the car.

The original transmission had many miles on it when I got the car. Looking at the fluid that was removed from it, it looks as though no one did any maintenance on the unit. The transmission fluid should have been a clear red color, but came out black, gritty, and burnt smelling.

Be sure that you buy or borrow a proper torque wrench when working on critical suspension parts. The center hub retaining nut must be tightened to 145 ft-lbs of torque using a 29mm deep socket. Lower the car close to the shop floor so that a large pry bar can be wedged between the wheel studs and the floor to prevent the hub from turning. This will allow you to easily remove (or tighten) this large nut.

This picture shows the relationship bewteen the electric motor and the transmission. This photo was taken just before the final re-assembly process.

The electro-mechanical components are suspended bewteen the two shock towers. Now is the time to re-attach any connections here before closing the control box up.

Almost completed and ready for a road test.

Note:
The car went back together but I was unable to stop to take pictures of all of the steps required to do so. Maybe on my next project! This EV has been on the road for about 2 1/2 years now, and not a lot has really changed over that time. Most people don't really care about conservation or protecting the environment, and it is one thing for pure electrics not to gain market share, but few people are buying hybrid-electrics either. The car companies won't move unless governments make them, and I wouldn't hold your breath waiting for the politicians to clue in. China, Europe, and our own Province of Quebec are the ones to watch in 2004. China has promised to clear the air around Beijing in time for the 2008 Olympics, and Quebec will soon release an electric car with advanced Lithium batteries for their civil servants.The Europeans have embraced electric vehicles for years now and are always bringing innovative transportion alternatives to the marketplace.