Wednesday, July 1, 2009
Insured
I got side tracked with some personal things and progress slowed quite a bit. But, today is a milestone. The CRX is now insured and fully legal again. I have now racked up nearly 15 gas free miles and have started to use it for some of the driving I would have otherwise driven a gas vehicle. Yes, the E-Rex has actually started down the road to saving energy :)
Sunday, December 7, 2008
Hey everybody!
This is my first post with photos taken with the G1. The photos aren't as clear as before but the upload process is simpler. Hopefully this new found simplicity will result in more frequent postings.
I finally found a decent way to weld aluminum on the cheap. I tried the propane torch and rod, as seen on youtube, but with no luck. Even with maps gas it took forever to get hot enough to melt the rod. I still don't want to invest in TIG so my other option was the MIG box. Turns out if you use 100% argon and keep the welding line straight it was actually possible for me to get a decent bead... at times. Compared to MIG welding steel, aluminum is much more difficult to keep consistent. If you need it to be pretty think twice before going this route.
Always practice before welding and drilling holes for power cables:
The main box finished and ready to be installed:
Except for the batteries in the main box the high voltage system is nearly complete:
This is my first post with photos taken with the G1. The photos aren't as clear as before but the upload process is simpler. Hopefully this new found simplicity will result in more frequent postings.
I finally found a decent way to weld aluminum on the cheap. I tried the propane torch and rod, as seen on youtube, but with no luck. Even with maps gas it took forever to get hot enough to melt the rod. I still don't want to invest in TIG so my other option was the MIG box. Turns out if you use 100% argon and keep the welding line straight it was actually possible for me to get a decent bead... at times. Compared to MIG welding steel, aluminum is much more difficult to keep consistent. If you need it to be pretty think twice before going this route.
Always practice before welding and drilling holes for power cables:
The main box finished and ready to be installed:
Except for the batteries in the main box the high voltage system is nearly complete:
Sunday, November 16, 2008
Sunday, October 19, 2008
Motor installed, front battery rack complete
While it is true that returning to my 9-5 job has slowed E-Rex production a bit there is still lots of progress being made. The electric motor went in even more smoothly than the ICE came out.
In the interest of getting the car on the road sooner I opted to create a battery rack instead of an enclosed box for the five batteries that will reside between the front grill and the motor. The down side is that I will not be able to control the temperature of those batteries. This is not as good in the cold winter months that are fast approaching. Hopefully I'll have time to upgrade it to a box before the real cold hits.
Warp 9 motor heading for it's new home...
Ahhh, home at last!
Battery rack or modern art? You decide.
In the interest of getting the car on the road sooner I opted to create a battery rack instead of an enclosed box for the five batteries that will reside between the front grill and the motor. The down side is that I will not be able to control the temperature of those batteries. This is not as good in the cold winter months that are fast approaching. Hopefully I'll have time to upgrade it to a box before the real cold hits.
Warp 9 motor heading for it's new home...
Ahhh, home at last!
Battery rack or modern art? You decide.
Thursday, October 9, 2008
Motor is ready to drop in the car
The adapter plate and coupler are complete.
I had wanted this to be a true diy project from the beginning and I was a little concerned about being able to do this part without the help of a machinist. So I'm feeling pretty good today :) The whole coupler/adapter was done with less than $100 in materials. I've seen these types of things go for anywhere from $700-$1000. However, I am unaware of anyone selling one for the crx so buying one wasn't an option. Using the 2"x1/4" steel caused me to spend a little more time welding than I would have to if I had cut the large pieces out of a larger piece. I will probably use the larger piece next time. There will be more waste and higher material cost but I think it will be worth it.
Adapter plate from the Transmission side
Adapter plate from the motor side
Motor and tranny all bolted together and ready to be dropped into the car. The wood is to keep it in place while test spinning the motor using a 12v battery. The test spin runs really smoothly so I'm pretty happy with the flywheel centering and balancing that I was able to get with minimal tools. Gotta give a quick thanks to Steve Clunn and his video that shows how to do this kind of thing.
Also, had to cut a little piece from an old server case to cover the hole where the starter used to be.
Here is the flywheel after welding on the taper lock hub. I am only slightly concerned that the little 120v welder didn't get enough penetration. If this doesn't hold I will go buy a 220v welder and redo it... we will see.
I had wanted this to be a true diy project from the beginning and I was a little concerned about being able to do this part without the help of a machinist. So I'm feeling pretty good today :) The whole coupler/adapter was done with less than $100 in materials. I've seen these types of things go for anywhere from $700-$1000. However, I am unaware of anyone selling one for the crx so buying one wasn't an option. Using the 2"x1/4" steel caused me to spend a little more time welding than I would have to if I had cut the large pieces out of a larger piece. I will probably use the larger piece next time. There will be more waste and higher material cost but I think it will be worth it.
Adapter plate from the Transmission side
Adapter plate from the motor side
Motor and tranny all bolted together and ready to be dropped into the car. The wood is to keep it in place while test spinning the motor using a 12v battery. The test spin runs really smoothly so I'm pretty happy with the flywheel centering and balancing that I was able to get with minimal tools. Gotta give a quick thanks to Steve Clunn and his video that shows how to do this kind of thing.
Also, had to cut a little piece from an old server case to cover the hole where the starter used to be.
Here is the flywheel after welding on the taper lock hub. I am only slightly concerned that the little 120v welder didn't get enough penetration. If this doesn't hold I will go buy a 220v welder and redo it... we will see.
Friday, October 3, 2008
Motor to Transmission Adapter Plate
The beginning of the motor to transmission adapter plate. Made from a 2" x 1/4" steel.
A close up of two of the welds. The one on the right was preheated to 500+ degrees. When welding this thicker material I'm starting to wish I had a 220v welder.
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