gholm's Morris J2 Van- 1966

Post up a thread for your EV. Progress pics, description and assorted alliteration
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Post by EV2Go »

Looks good, time for a bit of cosmetics?
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Post by gholm »

Haha, yeah later later.
Will be covering that whole box with 5mm marine ply, then carpet, once my engineer has OK'd the installation.

Ultimately you won't see all the fugly stuff.
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Post by evric »

Very nice, one question: What holds the cells down ?
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Post by gholm »

Nothing yet but there'll be some big bars of square nylon (nitrile?) plastic across the top of the cells, and screwed in to the box horizontals.
I wanted to get all the wiring down and tidied before I can position them.
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Post by AMPrentice »

looking very good, i love the seat idea now bigtime.
Thank you for your detailed pics, it really is a beauty.
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Post by gholm »

Time for an update, have done a lot over the last week.
Finally taken the van off the road and ripped out the ICE and fit the Kostov.

I've a lot of photos I want to show, but the upload facility is wigging out.
Whenever I try to upload an image, it says :

Microsoft VBScript runtime error '800a0035'

File not found

/forums/functions/functions_upload.asp, line 455

and refuses to let me proceed...Any ideas what that could be?                  
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Post by Johny »

Checking that I can still upload pictures.
Yes.
The "File not found" suggests to me that the filenames may not be compatible. Maybe try simpler filenames (not that the one below is simple)?
(Picture removed to stop clogging up thread...)
Last edited by Johny on Mon, 16 May 2011, 05:45, edited 1 time in total.
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Post by EV2Go »

I have found that too, it doesn't like unusual characters in the file name, so make sure it has no % etc.
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Post by gholm »

OK tried again renaming files but no luck,, same error, so I dusted off Internet Explorer instead to try it... and voila.. I can post!

(Has has the forum been recently changed to block Firefox?)

Anyway onwards. Over the last few days I've spent a good deal of time out at GT Tooling with Geoff to rip the ICE out of my van and put in the Kostov.
First day saw the front axle and the old motor come out.
Image
Image

Here's how much space is in the engine bay now... the photo doesn't do anything justice. Very dusty and dirty but otherwise only minor rust which is sweet.
Image

Here's the result of Day 2, Geoff's magic welding and machining and my dodgy painting.
Image
Image

Here's the result of Day 3, the Kostov is in with the control box above it. The top of the control box I'll photograph once the wiring is done.
Image

Also managed to mount the vacuum reservoir and pump, hooked up the hoses etc.. I'll post a photo as soon as I can get to it.

Today I had a crack at the wiring, got all the hightension done, and just a bit more to polish on the 12v stuff.

Will post more pics as it happens.
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Post by Electrocycle »

those front springs are huge!
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Post by seligtype3 »

Awesome! Great to see it up on the blocks. Such a good looking van!
What are your thoughts for protecting the kostov from road going dirt and dust?
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Post by EV2Go »

Looks great have you thrown that heavy lump of cast on the scales yet to see how much it weighs? Maybe you could loose a few of the front leaves?
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Post by gttool »

their are twice the springs in the front to the back i thought it a bit strange but there is no sway bar
it may be required for the beam axle to work?
if it were softer the steering set up would induce allot of bump steer in a corner or a pothole
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Post by EV2Go »

As the Divinyls say "It's a fine line between pleasure and pain"...

If you reduce the weight of the motor that is preloading those heavy front springs you could find yourself skiping instead of wallowing into the corner anyway.

As a lighter motor may act the same as stiffening up the front spring with the standard motor.

Batteries may or may not help the problem. Guess it is really hard to know until you drive it but would be nice to know how much weight difference there is between the two.

Did you do a front to rear weight check before starting?
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Post by gholm »

I haven't weighed it yet post-conversion, but pre-conversion it was 800kg on front axle and 480kg on rear.

That B-Series motor with gearbox is probably 160kg, plus another 25-30kg of various other stuff from around the vehicle. The Kostov is about 90kg.

Will be interesting to see how it feels suspension-wise and I can always have some leaves taken out afterwards if its too stiff.

On that, we have actually finished the wiring, just trying to troubleshoot why the thing won't move. Seems to be an issue with either the controller or the throttle pot and I'm in touch with EV Works as we speak..

Fingers crossed, I'll be rolling SOON! (Damn I can hardly wait!)
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Post by gholm »

In regards to protecting the Kostov from road dirt/water/dust, I don't know. I'll see how it goes. The fan outlets are toward the front of the car, so I'm imagining that may keep most smaller crap away.

Otherwise I'll fashion something suitably ugly to match the rest of the underside!

What do people generally do to protect their motors? What's the consensus on shrouds vs airflow?
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Post by gttool »

once the radiator under cowl is fitted it would be lower than the motor i believe
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Post by EV2Go »

gholm wrote: That B-Series motor with gearbox is probably 160kg, plus another 25-30kg of various other stuff from around the vehicle. The Kostov is about 90kg.

Fingers crossed, I'll be rolling SOON! (Damn I can hardly wait!)


The Kostov will be much lighter than 90 kgs... My 11" is only 82kgs (stamped on motor).

I'm excited for you it's a big moment.
gholm wrote: In regards to protecting the Kostov from road dirt/water/dust, I don't know. I'll see how it goes. The fan outlets are toward the front of the car, so I'm imagining that may keep most smaller crap away.

Otherwise I'll fashion something suitably ugly to match the rest of the underside!

What do people generally do to protect their motors? What's the consensus on shrouds vs airflow?
Good question, while it would be ideal to take the air hitting the front of the car and duct it directly into the motor, it also would duct water in. So I would be inclined to plate up the bottom of the vehicle (skid plate) as previously suggested and just let the air coming in the grill take care of cooling.
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Post by gholm »

Exciting news! Today was the day that my Morris J2 van moved for the first time using none other than electric power!!!

I'd had it on blocks for the past few days, testing the fwd/ reversing contactors, wheel spin direction and quadruple checking all the wiring as one is deign to do on a project like this.

After a reasonably deep breath, I lowered it from its blocks, flicked the key on, hearing that now-satisfying clack of the contactor, and start hum of the vacuum pump and then the silence....here goes.
I gently press my foot on the accelerator, hearing the tiny click of the throttleswitch.

Nothing!
Ah! (smacks head!)...foot off throttle and select FWD from the FWD-OFF-REV switch..
Now I was ready.
Ever so gently with feather foot, I ease the accelerator pedal on.. and the van moves slowly forward!!

Out the driveway, and slowly up the street, hazard lights flashing and myself incredulous, one eye on the road and the other of the ammeter.. nothing over 100 amps.

A block away, I tentatively U-turn, and try the return journey, pushing the ammeter up to 180 amps... achieving basically the same low speed acceleration as I would have with ICE... most EXCELLENT!!

Without wanting to jinx anything, I park back in the driveway and head inside to gloat. Damn, that felt good! I now GET it, the whole EV grin.

But not so fast. Then began the glitches...
1) I began tidying up the 12v wiring inside the control box, and one of the throttle-enable switch wires came out of its crimp...snapped off. Damn that cheap wire. Out came the throttle pot and wired it back up with sturdier stuff. OK, lets test.

2) Back on blocks to test, when I unwittingly (stupidly) close my main contactor and then my battery disconnect switch (in that order... ie : no precharge)

ZAP!, big spark at the battery disconnect switch, and then nothing. No voltage on the controller side of switch.

DAMMIT!
I'd zorched my switch, a big heavy duty double pole battery disconnect switch, rated at 600 amps continuous, or 1200amps for 1 min.
Fried.
Confirmed with a multimeter.. no continuity on the positive terminals when switch is on or off. Damn, damn, double damn.

I know I can get back on the road by just routing it, but I do prefer the safety of knowing definitively that there's NO high voltage in the front when that main switch is off.
(Well, jokes on me. There's now NO high voltage whether that switch is on or off!, Gah!! All in one day.)

Fingers crossed on warranty, but does anyone have any suggestions on how to avoid this in future? Perhaps I should I put a precharge resistor across that the main switch too?? Thoughts?

Anyway, plenty more to do before worthy of engineering inspection, but seriously, that first drive was A BLAST!!! Well worth the effort.



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Post by EV2Go »

Congrats on your first EV drive.... commiserations on your electrical woes... Any chance of some more pics now that it's together?
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Post by seligtype3 »

congrats! impressed by how promptly you turned this around. good incentive to get my project moving a bit faster!
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Post by gholm »

hey all, no real point updating with anything except to say I've been stuck a bit troubleshooting the 12v system.

Having driven a few happy laps of the block as pure EV, I thought it wise to get the 12v system working as intended, those blinkers, brake lights etc, all things that keep a man out of trouble whilst driving on public roads, you know...

Anyway, the wiring has proven reasonably convoluted, having been of an uncommon generator/twin-bobbin control box solution, compounded by the fact that the van has a positive earth, making my usual thinking ass-backwards.

Thankfully I do have the complete wiring diagram from the workshop manual, and have had a few of these recent colder nights to digest the loom. Just waiting for some warmer evenings or weekends to dive in.

Where do I start? The key has three positions. Off, On and Start.(momentary)

I'll trigger a relay or two using "On" which will activate the vacuum pump, fwd/rev contactors, and the usual 12v stuff (wipers, headlights, blinkers and brakelights.).

On the momentary key "Start" I'll trigger a latching relay which will enable the maincontactor's autoprecharger circuit, closing the main contactor. Once closed, the van is GO. The latch will turn off (or simply not start) upon either Key-off or Collision-inertia sensor thingy, or "Charging in progress" switch.

Horn and interior and parking lights will be left alone and be available for use without using the key (as is current design) but since I've already flattened the ICE battery by leaving the headlights on, they'll be moved across to the Key-On side of the circuit for my own sanity.

No real need for photos, since nothing has really visually changed. I'll photodetail the high and low tension circuits once I've tidied up the 12v wiring, but elsewise, the van looks pretty much the same.

So, left in the ToDo list
1) Finish 12v wiring, incl mounting of instrumentation on dash.
1b) Installation of Tacho (an Arduino with inductive sensor, detecting magnets embedded in a nylon collar around the spare shaft of motor) This is working, just not installed yet.
2) Internal cosmetics on battery box and cabin (paint and carpet)?.
3) Put the lid of the battery box. The lid will be a steel-framed perspex-windowed lid so I can see each of the BMS units.
4) Finalise position of charger and charge port, and then wire in the "charging-in-progress" switch that will disable the start-latching relay if charging. I'm planning this as a physical microswitch inside the chargeport, but if anyone has any suggestions, I'm all ears.
5) Beg, plead, bribe, sweet-talk, or just do what the engineer says to get the van approved, certified as EV and then registerable.

Almost there and will no doubt be reporting back in with updates.
cheers
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Post by Electrocycle »

are you going to convert to negative ground?

It'd be very easy to do since you're rewiring things anyway (about the only thing you'd have to change is the wiper motor possibly) and will make the fitting of any other 12v devices much easier in future.
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Post by Johny »

Electrocycle wrote: are you going to convert to negative ground?

It'd be very easy to do since you're rewiring things anyway (about the only thing you'd have to change is the wiper motor possibly) and will make the fitting of any other 12v devices much easier in future.
The wiper motor doesn't care either. Lots of Hillman owners convert to negative ground (even as we speak) and the only thing they have to do (other than check for car radios) is re-polarise the generator - not an issue in this case.
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Post by coulomb »

Johny wrote:The wiper motor doesn't care either.

Huh? Do they use wound fields, or does the mechanism somehow work with the motor in reverse?
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