seligtype3 1969 Volkswagen Type 3

Post by **Electrocycle** » Tue, 14 Dec 2010, 14:18

4kva (3kw) 3 phase generators are about the cheapest on ebay at the moment.
I have one for experiments

Post by **Johny** » Tue, 14 Dec 2010, 14:42

seligtype3 wrote:Has anyone considered carrying around a little 2000W Honda generator for emergency roadside assist and/or keeping the pack topped up while you stop for lunch?

Yes - it's a low priority task that keeps emerging. Every time I see a generator I stop and take in the specs. Must be an EV convertor's syndrome. Trouble is the extra weight takes its toll.

Post by **seligtype3** » Wed, 15 Dec 2010, 03:59

7C, epic. Thanks for the thoughts so early this morning.

Actually that would work well as the sag from the gen set would reduce as the cell voltage increases when the cell nears 90% full.
So using the peaks of the ripple from the Genset output through a Single phase rectifier you may reach 400V.

I'm not familiar with sag, ripple etc and how this effects charging?

Post by **seligtype3** » Wed, 15 Dec 2010, 04:08

Electrocycle wrote: 4kva (3kw) 3 phase generators are about the cheapest on ebay at the moment.
I have one for experiments

ah so i see. thanks!

Post by **seligtype3** » Wed, 15 Dec 2010, 04:44

Starting to mull over pack placement with the 110x 60Ah TS in mind. I've been indecisive on whether to keep the back seats or not. This configuration loses them in favour of a permanent flat loadspace, a bit more freedom in terms of gross kerb weight and will make fitting a simple 4 point roll cage an easier task. Yes, the idea of making a 40 year old car safer is an appealing one for me. It also means I can keep the pack central and relatively low, out of the front crumple zone etc.

Post by **evric** » Wed, 15 Dec 2010, 04:47

Excellent layout.

Post by **7circle** » Wed, 15 Dec 2010, 12:36

Is the spare tyre up front in the type three's?

Understanding Ripple, Sag and things is maybe better in a separate topic on Charging direct from a Generator.
Or using them as range extender. May be covered already.

Could get very long...and divert from your conversion.
[edit spelling/grammer]

Post by **seligtype3** » Thu, 16 Dec 2010, 04:09

7circle wrote: Is the spare tyre up front in the type three's?

yep spare is right up the front. behind where the grill isn't.

Post by **seligtype3** » Wed, 23 Feb 2011, 03:29

It's been a while, I've been knee deep in Penetrol and other restoration related chemicals for some time now. Someone had hidden all sorts of surprises under layers of bog and bituminous paint.

Thankfully the monocoque chassis is almost ready for paint and the task of selecting parts is back on the agenda.

New thoughts... I've scraped AC in favour of simplicity and the reality of how 'not far' I could have gone at highway speads. So it will be a ~100km metropolitan-bound trade vehicle.

Kostov 17R - looks good, specs suit the build.
Charger from EV power, the Elcon one.
45 x 160Ah TS with EV Works BMS
Soliton 1 Controller - Sold on this one. The drive feel is so much better in the Beetle since it had one put in.

Maybe one of these Canadian adapter plates, unless my friend with a mill convinces me otherwise...

Very appealing to just get one as it's one less thing to think about but man-with-a-mill says we can make one for a quarter of the price. We'll see.

Still a vast amount of work to do but I'm inspired about seeing a freshly converted Beetle doing it's final engineering approval yesterday, brakes tests etc.

New battery config which retains the back seats for convenience of carrying more than two people:

Post by **seligtype3** » Wed, 23 Feb 2011, 18:35

Part 1 of adapter plate mockup in MDF... checking that my measures of the VW tranny were on target. Happily it fitted perfectly first time. Alignment is another dilemma but I'm under the impression that they can deal with a tiny bit of misalignment?

Post by **Adverse Effects** » Fri, 25 Feb 2011, 21:26

seligtype3 wrote:Alignment is another dilemma but I'm under the impression that they can deal with a tiny bit of misalignment?

Alignment is critical

Post by **seligtype3** » Sat, 26 Feb 2011, 02:01

Have bitten the bullet and started ordering parts.

Kostov 17R 144V will be the first to come, Elcon charger on the way too.

Will continue to tinker with the adapter plate once the motor arrives. Back to painting the chassis for now!

Facebook · Post by **Speedily** » Sat, 26 Feb 2011, 03:20

do you have pic of the work done on the car so far

Post by **seligtype3** » Sat, 26 Feb 2011, 17:55

more photos to come but here's a phone pic of the under fender areas getting painted up in fresh bituminous paint. still lots of work to do but the rust has been dealt with so it's feeling more achievable now.

Post by **T1 Terry** » Sun, 27 Feb 2011, 13:13

A mix of Valvoline Tectyl, fishoil and diesel will make a far better rust proofing agent than tar. 50% Tectyl, 50% fishoil and a further 10% by volume of diesel, best to add the diesel just before you plan to spray it to avoid evaporation and settling. I used a body shultz gun and emptied the body shultz out of the tin and saved it so the tin could be used as a container with the gun. I also made up an extension hose from plastic truck air line (the stiff plastic stuff)blocked off at the end with a few 1/8" holes drilled along the sides near the end. It's limited to around 1/2mtr, after that the stuff doesn't want to come out. The diesel makes it creep into the joins dragging the fishoil in with it and the Tectyl dies to a firm wax finish so dust doesn't collect on it like straight fishoil.
Great to see a full resto on a type 3, they were a special vehicle. Split screen and bay kombis seem to take all the lime light but type 3's are right up there with them, good luck with the project.

T1 Terry

Post by **seligtype3** » Sun, 27 Feb 2011, 22:29

mix of Valvoline Tectyl, fishoil and diesel

sounds like a great combo, thanks Terry! i've been using penetrol as the first coat onto the raw steel, followed by subframe black and then tar paint for a bit of deadening and flexibility. fingers crossed.

Post by **seligtype3** » Sun, 27 Feb 2011, 22:55

a few more pics...

where the fuel tank once was, 21 x 160Ah TS cells to go here:

rear engine bay, another 24 cells in two packs down either side of the Kostov.

based on my calculations this will pretty much retain the original 40% front weight distribution.

Post by **seligtype3** » Tue, 01 Mar 2011, 19:33

Plotting how I can package everything into the rear engine bay in Sketchup. Soliton1 is huge but just squeezes in. Thinking about making a combined battery pack frame, motor and controller mount as a single aluminium component/subframe. The risk is that it may restrict changes down the track.

Post by **T1 Terry** » Tue, 01 Mar 2011, 19:37

Won't heat be an issue? There are some very nive air vents that feed in from each side already there so some adaption the these would help. Is the controller air cooled or water cooled?

T1 Terry

Post by **seligtype3** » Tue, 01 Mar 2011, 19:43

Good point Terry. There is a big inbuilt duct at the back of the engine bay feeding in, it'd be good to utilise that. The Soliton is water or air cooled depending on how much power I need, just air for me I suspect. If I juggle those two cells at the back I can make room for direct ducting in between the motor and controller.

Post by **Johny** » Tue, 01 Mar 2011, 19:58

I still have a concern that the cells around the controller may get a lot hotter than those further away. It shouldn't be a big problem but a "gotcha" to look out for. Mainly a concern for cell balancing.

Post by **seligtype3** » Tue, 01 Mar 2011, 20:18

Another good point! Hmm I suppose insulating the inside wall of the battery boxes could help alleviate any heat coming from the controller. Plus the ducted airflow over the motor and controller and exiting out under the vehicle.

Post by **T1 Terry** » Tue, 01 Mar 2011, 20:36

Maybe a Davis Craig heater booster pump to circuilate water through the controller and it could offer at least a bit of warm to take the chill off inside in nasty part of winter. I use one to circulate water around a loop of copper pipe hung under one side of the kombi exhaust to heat the water for my LPG converter, works fine.

T1 Terry

Post by **EV2Go** » Tue, 01 Mar 2011, 23:10

Is the drawing to scale? I would have thought the controller would have looked much bigger. Have a look at some of my mockups and compare sizes. Mine is very to close to scale and the controller is bigger than the R20 (11") Kostov I am using, which is bigger than the R17.

Edit: I also share the concern of wrapping the batteries around the motor / controller. Any chance you could sit the batteries above the controller and let a bit of air flow past the motor / controller?

I'm sure all three would appreciate it.

Post by **seligtype3** » Wed, 02 Mar 2011, 03:31

Ok, after some keen advice today regarding potential heat issues (thanks!) I've remodeled the rear bay. Lost two of the cells after remeasuring the space I have in the vehicle, they can move up to the front pack.

It's a TIGHT fit in there, I'm trying to avoid taking to the chassis with an angle grinder, but everything is fitting so far. The blue layer is some sort of thermal barrier to protect the cells and the existing air duct is in the prime spot to push air directly under the controller's heat sink.

Next task is to think about a subframe for the whole lot.