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Electro-Willys conversion

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m38mike View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote m38mike Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 22 Mar. 2009 at 2:05am
Today I worked on taking out the Kelly controller, the onboard charger, and all the heavy cables.  I also worked on some painting.  I got the "serial numbers" painted on the hood.  I'm afraid I didn't do a great job of it.  The stencil lifted away from the hood just a little, but enough to get some overspray around each number.  I may have to redo that.  Here's what it looks like.


I also worked on installing the 250 amp breaker in it's cover, and mounting it in the jeep.  The 1/4 inch bolts go through the plastic case and through the fender steel to mount it very securely.



This is how it will look when I'm done with the mount.  I've painted it OD green to match the jeep so it won't stand out like it does in this photo.  In this position it's between the seat frame and the side of the jeep, in a location that's fairly well protected, but easy to access. 



The battery cable will enter the box from on top of the fender and exit out the bottom, running under the seat frame to the relay and the controller.  The box I used is a right angle pull box for 2 inch conduit.  As you can see the breaker fits perfectly inside with room for the bolts.  I cut the slot in the cover with a jig saw so the switch paddle could stick out. 

Salida Conversions had run all the cables from the front battery rack inside the frame on both sides of the jeep.  Positive up the left and negative down the right.  By having the cables separated like that, and inside the frame rails, it created a significant electromagnetic spread that interfered with any radio signals within yards of the jeep.  That means I could pull up next to someone else's car and completely static out their radio.  The right way to run the wires is next to each other.  They also did not put the cables in any kind of protective jacket or conduit to protect them from rubbing on the frame or body.  I'm going to put each one in a plastic wire loom like the kind most car parts stores sell.  All of the 18 ga wires for gauges and fan and accelerator that they ran - are red.  You can't tell one wire from another.  So I'll replace many of the wires with different colored wires so I can tell what wire goes where. 

Will Rogers was right - Common sense isn't that common!  At least not in that shop it isn't!


Edited by m38mike - 22 Mar. 2009 at 2:22am
M38Mike
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote F Bill Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 22 Mar. 2009 at 3:04am
"cables from the front battery rack inside the frame on both sides of the jeep.  Positive up the left and negative down the right.  By having the cables separated like that, and inside the frame rails, it created a significant electromagnetic spread that interfered with any radio signals within yards of the jeep.  That means I could pull up next to someone else's car and completely static out their radio.  The right way to run the wires is next to each other.  "
 
Actually, Mike, I coulda used your jeep setup like that to pick up all the metal scrap and nails in the yard around my shop......Think of the commercial possibilities and the second income from selling all the metal you could pick up during your everyday drives!Wink
 
Actually I am starting to wonder if these guys weren't in the pinto engine conversion biz before they got into electric cars....they had to be related to the guys who did the fine work in  my Pintojeep, or at least they went to the same school.
 
 
 
 
 



 


Edited by F Bill - 22 Mar. 2009 at 3:05am
If you haven't checked out the tech FAQ section, go to:
http://www.thecj2apage.com/forums/tech-faq_forum57.html
for a lot of great stuff you need to know!!

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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Scott R Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 22 Mar. 2009 at 1:48pm
Well Mike hopefully those seven motors actually get back to Netgain and yours comes back as planned. Thumbs Up
 
Sounds like you have gained enough knowledge to start your own conversion shop.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote m38mike Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 22 Mar. 2009 at 2:51pm
Ha Ha Hee Hee Hee - F Bill you're killin' me!   Actually the skid plate picked up enough nuts and bolts that I could rebuild a jeep!  Now if I could only get'em off that big magnetic skid plate!! ???

Scott, yeah this has definitely been a graduate course in the school of hard knocks.  Seems like every night I pray "God grant me patience to see this through" and then the next day he tests me with some new twist to 'show me' just how much patience he's given me.  DANG I hate when he does that!! 

When I get done with this project, and have some test results to share, I plan to publish a list of lessons learned for anyone else who wants to follow this trail. 
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote bkreutz Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 22 Mar. 2009 at 3:04pm
Mike,
Staticing out the stereo in the car next to me is a feature I wish I had many times. (you know the ones with the "thump thump thump" music that rattles the fenders.LOL) But since it's probably not the radio providing the source it probably wouldn't have an effect.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Hans Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 23 Mar. 2009 at 2:25am
Gale,
 I feel the same way! One of my old shop teachers used to tell me about a guy who worked at the ready-mix cement company on the approach to the (now closed) Moffett NAS, he got tired of the gasoline powered equipment losing plug wires to the harsh conditions, so he just put in solid copper wire as plug wires. It screwed up the aircraft instruments to beat Hell! The Navy came down on them like a battleship, they got shut down and fined for one guy's "bright idea"

Point is, if Mike continued to run his E-Jeep the way it was he would eventually run into the FCC.

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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote m38mike Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 24 Mar. 2009 at 2:12pm
Hip Hip Hooray for Netgain!!  I just received an email from George that once the 7 motors are returned from Salida Conversions, and once they receive my check for part of the repairs, then they will send my motor back to me, with a bill of sale that will exclude me and my motor from any future debt collection actions that Netgain will take against Salida Conversions.  I am so glad to have that in writing.  George has really reached out to me in the customer service area. 
 
So in addition to checking on the 7 motors today to see if they left the shop, I'm making a trip to NAPA to pick up 50 feet of 3/4 inch plastic loom to cover the cables, and an assortment of different colored 18 ga wires to replace some of the red wires the shop used for leads to gauges and sensors.  With the different colors I'll be able to tell which wire goes to what gauge.  I also need to get myself another 1/4 inch brake bleeder wrench.  I can't find mine to save my soul, and I just used it last week. 
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Hans Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 25 Mar. 2009 at 2:10am
Originally posted by m38mike m38mike wrote:

I also need to get myself another 1/4 inch brake bleeder wrench.  I can't find mine to save my soul, and I just used it last week. 


Mike,
 Check your wheel cylinders!Wink
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote m38mike Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 25 Mar. 2009 at 2:19pm
Good thought Hans, I did that.  No luck.  Checked all the drawers in the tool cart.  No luck.  Checked the work bench.  No luck.  Checked the trash bag.  No luck.  Checked the other jeeps.  No luck.  Checked the work jackets.  No luck.  Even checked the paint booth and the dog kennel.  No luck.  Then my wife came out and asked why my son was leaving wrenches in his pants pockets in the laundry.  BINGO!  She found it! Now I've got two of them.  I guess this way I've got one to use while the other one is getting washed in the laundry! Wink
 
I check with the shop to see if the motors were gone yet.  They weren't.  But Pete told Matt to make sure they were shipped before Friday this week.  If Matt's going to do it, it will get done.  If Pete's going to do it, it won't happen at all.  I'll keep pushing for that shipment until it's gone.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote BillF Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 25 Mar. 2009 at 2:20pm
Good luck on getting your motor back.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote jeepfreak81 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 25 Mar. 2009 at 2:45pm
This is a great thread, outside of all the problems.  I cannot wait to see the finished product, I would love to see it drive in person, but I am too dang far away... 
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote m38mike Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 26 Mar. 2009 at 1:39am
I'd like to haul E-W back east to the fall Midwest Willys Reunion, if it's all done and working well.  Of course it may not happen if we host the Colorado Fall Color Tour again this year.  We've talked about doing that again, but that's a subject for another thread in events.  Eventually I'd like to take it to the reunion, so if not this year, perhaps next year.

Matt the mechanic has arranged with a local carrier to come get the motors.  I'll be one happy jeep-nut when I see them gone. 
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote westforkboyd Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 26 Mar. 2009 at 1:55am

Quote Of course it may not happen if we host the Colorado Fall Color Tour again this year.

Good God in heaven!!!! Hot springs here we come! Hey Roc lookie here.LOLLOL 
 
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Hans Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 27 Mar. 2009 at 2:03am
Mike,
 I once had an apprentice who left one of my bleeder wrenches on a wheel cylinder. It took us a couple of hours to find it. Thank God the customer didn't pick up the car! It was one of my first apprentices and I learned an important lesson that day. Never take your eyes off the tools! I have since retired though and lost many tools since then.

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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote m38mike Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 27 Mar. 2009 at 2:51am
Hey Hans,
I think I got my first bleeder wrench from your apprentice!  I took my jeep in for a brake job, and when I got home I took a look underneath, as if I could see what they did to the brakes.  When I did I saw a shiny wrench still wrapped around the bleeder tube.  I brought it back to the shop a week later but they said just keep it, they'd already replaced it.  I've had it ever since.  -  Well, except when my son decided to hide it in the laundry. 
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote p3ferris Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 27 Mar. 2009 at 3:03am
Mike is that like laundered money?  A now laundered wrench.  What next.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote m38mike Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 28 Mar. 2009 at 12:56am
Ed, I don't know if you can beat a freshly washed wrench.  Unless maybe it's by making progress on the rewiring.  I bolted in the new controller, and did some adjusting on where I want the charger to go.  I don't have it bolted down yet.  I also got two cables wrapped with the plastic loom, and bolted into place.  The 250 amp breaker is now attached to cables on each end, and it's bolted securely to the fender.  Guess I need to get out the camera and shoot some update photos.  It's too cold to go do that now. 

I talked with Matt today, and found out that the motors are still in the shop.  Pete isn't sending them anywhere until he and the lawyer for Netgain come to an understanding.  I've decided that I'll give this situation one more week to sort itself out, and if it does not, then I'm gonna bail.  I'll tell George at Netgain to keep the motor and go after Salida Conversions for all they want.  The Mrs and I are taking next week off to go ride ATV's in Utah.  When I get back it'll be time to get on with building a complete conversion.  It's like one buzzard said to the other buzzard, "Patience H*LL!! I'm gonna kill somethin!"
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote m38mike Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 29 Mar. 2009 at 2:35pm
Here's a photo of my progress in rebuilding the Electro-Willys.  I've got the 250 amp breaker bolted down inside the pull box that's now green.  The cable from the rear battery pack is bolted to the top of the breaker, and the cable coming out of the bottom is bolted to the relay switch.  The relay is the little white cylinder near the bottom of the photo.  I've moved the on-board charger toward the back of the jeep, and mounted the rebuilt Logisystem controller next to it toward the front.  you can see one end of the new heat sink that I added to the controller.  When I bolted the controller down, I put a pair of steel bars between the heat sink and the floor so that the heatsink would be up off the floor for better air flow. 

My next task is to sort out and organize the rats nest of red wires attached to the fuse block.  It still amazes me that they would bother to put 1 amp fuses in line to protect the gauges, but do absolutely nothing to to turn off the 23 Kilowatts of power in the battery pack. 



This is where it will sit for the next week while my wife and I go play on our ATV near Moab, UT. 

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