# Wattson the Datsun 510



## minispeed (Jun 30, 2013)

I was just looking at 510s this past week thinking how good they would be for a conversion. I also agree the wagon is the best of them, not just for the conversion space but for the looks too.

I'm looking forward to seeing how this goes, and you got one of the last soliton JRs that I wanted!

PS I think that car begs for some fender mounted side view mirrors.


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## riba2233 (Apr 29, 2015)

Interesting project! 

Unfortunately you chose the wrong controller for the motor, you should have picked 144 V 1000 A model instead of 300 V 500 A.


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## Yabert (Feb 7, 2010)

riba2233 said:


> Interesting project!
> 
> Unfortunately you chose the wrong controller for the motor, you should have picked 144 V 1000 A model instead of 300 V 500 A.


I thought exactly the same. With the Warp 9 from 600A to 1000A the output torque will double.
Warp 9 feed by a 1000A controller will do an awesome job in your lightweight car.



> Batteries - Volt, Leaf, or Tesla


If you build a 42S battery (157,5v nominal) you can use the Zeva 1000A controller (175v max).

I like your car. Well done this EV will be super!


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## Gigawatts (Aug 8, 2013)

minispeed said:


> I was just looking at 510s this past week thinking how good they would be for a conversion. I also agree the wagon is the best of them, not just for the conversion space but for the looks too.
> 
> I'm looking forward to seeing how this goes, and you got one of the last soliton JRs that I wanted!
> 
> PS I think that car begs for some fender mounted side view mirrors.


Thanks, I am very excited! I would think every so often there would be enough interest in Evnetics doing a Soliton groupbuy. When I am ready to go to 1000 amps, maybe we can persuade them!



riba2233 said:


> Interesting project!
> 
> Unfortunately you chose the wrong controller for the motor, you should have picked 144 V 1000 A model instead of 300 V 500 A.


I agree that 1000 amps would probably be more fun if the car can keep traction, but I felt that a Jr with 600 amps would be a good start! I wanted a controller with a higher max voltage than the max motor voltage to combat voltage sag from the batteries. I really think the Soliton line is a great product and have read a lot of positives about the quality. I couldn't pass this controller up!

Also, my last reason is that I am wanting to use Tesla modules modified to 12S. 4 modules 21 kwh and 180v would max around 5-6c with liquid cooling, which would max the Soliton Jr. I could later add 2 more modules for 32kwh and 270v which would bring the max needed c rate down. Then, I could upgrade to 1000 amps and be back at 5-6c if I felt comfortable. 

Also related to the controller, I have put together a windows .net program that reads the Soliton logger txt file while the controller is running. Here is the program running while I am running the motor and controller. I am calculating motor KW and HP from the logger motor volts and amps.

Pictures are my test bench for motor and controller testing. Has RechargeCar rpm sensor hooked up.


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## BWA (Mar 14, 2015)

Nice, I bought a brand new second gen 510 wagon when they re introduced that model to North America after a couple of years laps.

I paid 4800.00cdn for it, drove it for a year, and, sold it for 5,400.00cdn.

Only car I ever made money on.......


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## Gigawatts (Aug 8, 2013)

Some updates

Picture 1
Engine setup on the lift and ready to be pulled.

Picture 2
Starting to come out. The engine and transmission were very long for this short engine bay. It was a bit of a fight and we barely got them out together. 

Picture 3
Transmission.

Picture 4
Back of the gas engine for reference. Nissan uses an interesting pilot bearing. 

Picture 5
Clutch and transmission. The transmission is pretty greasy. I will probably try to clean the bellhousing a little bit and apply a small amount of new grease to the throw out bearing.

Picture 6
Empty bay!

Picture 7
Here is what I have to work with for mounting. I will use the stock rubber mounts while I get the car figured out and then switch to poly mounts.

Picture 8
I was thinking something like this. Welding a plate to the bottom of the side triangles and boxing those sections in.


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## Duncan (Dec 8, 2008)

Looking Good!


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## favguy (May 2, 2008)

Nice looking motor mount  I'll be watching with interest. Also, I wouldn't fret too much about the controller, 600A will do just fine in that car and won't stress or wear the com like 1000A might


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## poprock (Apr 29, 2010)

re pilot or spigot bearing: Remember Japan at that time was still largely dependent on old British technology. The bronze bush was a calculated wear part. The torrington bearing was a great improvement.


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## Gigawatts (Aug 8, 2013)

Made the short part of the motor loop. I am using 2/0 wire for the batteries and motor. I need to buy another boot.

Got the motor to transmission adapter and hub from Canev!


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## mons2b (Nov 17, 2015)

Gigawatts said:


> Made the short part of the motor loop. I am using 2/0 wire for the batteries and motor. I need to buy another boot.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Hi there could you please tell me what the best size heat shrink for that size cable is?


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## Gigawatts (Aug 8, 2013)

mons2b said:


> Hi there could you please tell me what the best size heat shrink for that size cable is?


Sure! I bought it from a local electronics store. It's about 1 3/16 inch wide and the label says 3/4, which is probably it's maximum shrink. Worked great for 2/0, probably will work for 4/0. I don't think it would shrink small enough for 1/0.


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## Gigawatts (Aug 8, 2013)

More updates!

Picture 1
Warp9 motor hanging on the engine lift.

Picture 2
Coupler installed.

Picture 3
Adapter plate installed.

Picture 4
Flywheel installed.

Picture 5,6
Pressure plate installed with clutch using clutch centering tool.

Picture 7
Transmission installed.

Picture 8,9
Motor going in.


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## Gigawatts (Aug 8, 2013)

Picture 1,2
Drivetrain in place. Also test fitting the motor mount.

Picture 3,4
I welded plates to both ends of the motor mount collar that will sit on the original rubber mounts. I ordered the poly mounts and I am waiting on them.

Picture 5
Test fitting the blower.


Thanks for looking!


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## miscrms (Sep 25, 2013)

Looking great! Very nice work. Wish I had your fab skills 

Rob


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## mons2b (Nov 17, 2015)

Gigawatts said:


> Drivetrain in place. Also test fitting the motor mount.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


HI could you please tell me what gauge steel you used for that military spec looking mount?


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## Cfscrewed (Jan 9, 2017)

Great looking build, Still think you should have stuck with the small wheels though


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## mons2b (Nov 17, 2015)

That DC motor is so much larger than my AC motor. Yours will have much superior power though. The welding on the mount is sublime.


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## Moltenmetal (Mar 20, 2014)

Wonderful to see this work going on! Keep posting the pics!


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## imtb (Apr 25, 2017)

I'vd had a couple of 510's and one wagon. Keep up the good work and positng pics.


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## Gigawatts (Aug 8, 2013)

Thanks everyone for the support, I really appreciate it. I am long overdue for an update and have made a lot of progress on the car in the last 6 months. I hope to finish up the big parts of the conversion and make it a viable driver this summer. I am also going to make an effort to keep this thread updated.

Here is the motor bay completed enough to drive around. This was the end of last year during Drive Electric week at Ikea in Houston, TX. 

Also, I changed to some 15 inch wheels to raise the car and help it ride better.



mons2b said:


> HI could you please tell me what gauge steel you used for that military spec looking mount?


The thickness on the motor mount is 1/4 inch steel. Here is the mounting completed with the poly bushings. I boxed the steel mount feet on the front, back, and bottom.


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## Gigawatts (Aug 8, 2013)

I have been testing and playing with the car in different battery configurations as I build and save money for batteries. 

*48v about 100 amps peak (4.8 kw, 6.4 hp) lead acid server backup batteries*
Car could go up and down the driveway in 1st gear. Would not be able to make it onto a trailer without help pushing. Top speed was probably 5 mph on a flat surface.

*45v about 300 amps peak (14.4 kw, 19.3 hp) 2 regular 6s Tesla modules*
Car could load onto a trailer with no problem. Top speed was 20-25 mph in 1st or 2nd gear. Warp 9 top rpm was around 2200.

*90v about 400 amps peak (36 kw, 48 hp) 2 12s Tesla modules*
400 amps is only for a second or less, then drops to under 300. Top speed is around 45 mph in 3rd with a Warp 9 top rpm at 3000. The car is not fast or quick, but can drive with traffic.

Here is a RPM vs Speed calculator I found on americantorque.com. I put in my values and it's very close to what I am actually experiencing.


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## brian_ (Feb 7, 2017)

The tire and wheel change is a substantial improvement.




Gigawatts said:


> ...
> Here is a RPM vs Speed calculator I found on americantorque.com. I put in my values and it's very close to what I am actually experiencing.


The AmericanTorque.com gearing calculator is fine - it's a pretty straightforward calculation. If you enter the right data, the result will be correct.

The handwritten values labelled as "final" are actually overall drive ratios. In automotive technology "final" drive ratio normally refers to only the last stage of reduction gearing, which is normally the gear set which includes a ring gear mounted to the differential (labelled as "axle ratio" in this calculator). This isn't a big deal; it's just confusing.

The Leaf and Tesla reduction gearboxes - like most EVs - have two stages of spur gears, and these look like the overall values for those transmissions. The Datsun power flow is through one set of gears from input shaft to countershaft, another to the output shaft, and a final reduction by the pinion and ring gear set... although I assume 4th gear is direct from transmission input to transmission output, going through no gears.

The graph reflects the selections of 1000 and 5000 as the launch and shift engine speeds.

You have a launch rpm of 1000 selected... but you wouldn't really slip the clutch to start with the electric motor, right?

Is there any reason to run a motor like this as high as 5000 rpm with a higher transmission ratio available? What are the speeds for peak power and peak efficiency, given the available voltage? Or the speed at which it wears least or cools most effectively? It may be too early for the answers, but the chart invites the conversation...


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## Gigawatts (Aug 8, 2013)

brian_ said:


> The tire and wheel change is a substantial improvement.


Thank you! It rides amazingly better on these beat up Houston streets. 



brian_ said:


> The handwritten values labelled as "final" are actually overall drive ratios. In automotive technology "final" drive ratio normally refers to only the last stage of reduction gearing, which is normally the gear set which includes a ring gear mounted to the differential (labelled as "axle ratio" in this calculator). This isn't a big deal; it's just confusing.


Yes, where I wrote final, I meant overall drive ratio.



brian_ said:


> The graph reflects the selections of 1000 and 5000 as the launch and shift engine speeds.
> 
> You have a launch rpm of 1000 selected... but you wouldn't really slip the clutch to start with the electric motor, right?


Launch and shift are just used for the start and end values of the RPM axis of the graph on that calculator. I just chose them since that's what I wanted the graph to show. I could have picked 0 for launch since that is where the motor will be starting from. 



brian_ said:


> Is there any reason to run a motor like this as high as 5000 rpm with a higher transmission ratio available? What are the speeds for peak power and peak efficiency, given the available voltage? Or the speed at which it wears least or cools most effectively? It may be too early for the answers, but the chart invites the conversation.


I do not know yet. Only what I have read on here for the warp 9, which is, "The warp 9 needs 2500-3500rpm to cool itself properly, and to keep extended use below about 4000rpm".

5000 rpm would be a peak that would not be used much or for long, but I wanted to see it on the graph. 


Picture 1
I have some more pictures of my test setup. I have been using a Zeva BMS Lite, which I really like. Here is the "Lite" control box with 2 Zeva bms modules with the CAN daisy chain and CAN terminating resister on the end. I mounted them to a piece of wood temporarily. I like that the Zeva bms modules are 12S, which are a perfect match for my 12S Tesla modules.

Picture 2
All 12 voltages of one of my battery modules. 

Picture 3
The summary screen showing all 24S using bars at the bottom. 

Picture 4
The power screen where I was testing my charger. The Brusa is charging at 7 amps off of a 120v socket. It resets the SOC when the constant 12v power is cut from the Lite and I currently keep everything off when I am not working on the car, so that's why the SOC is 100 when it's actually not.


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## brian_ (Feb 7, 2017)

Gigawatts said:


> I do not know yet. Only what I have read on here for the warp 9, which is, "The warp 9 needs 2500-3500rpm to cool itself properly, and to keep extended use below about 4000rpm".
> 
> 5000 rpm would be a peak that would not be used much or for long, but I wanted to see it on the graph.


Good info - thanks.


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## Gigawatts (Aug 8, 2013)

Picture 1
Here is my test setup on the 2 12S Tesla modules. It's currently charging with the Brusa on the top left. There is a inline fuse from charger to battery + in that mess of wires. I was testing that when the BMS is told charge in, I can trigger the Brusa to start. I will add the specific wiring for the charger when I start the permanent install in another few weeks. 

I DO NOT recommend charging/discharging Tesla modules in a car without proper mounting and a battery box to help contain fire/explosion. NEVER charge these batteries without a BMS. Never stack Tesla modules for use in a moving vehicle. Tesla uses the side rails so the modules are not resting on the cells in the battery box. My batteries are currently out of the car and won't go back in until my battery box is complete.

Picture 2
Here is my main battery fuse with a contactor to cut power to the high voltage wires when the car is not in use. I don't need an external contactor for the Soliton Jr controller as its got built in precharge/contactor. This extra contactor is my safety disconnect. There is also a 500a shunt for the Zeva Lite to read current and a resister I used to precharge the Brusa charger when I first connected it to the battery. 

Picture 3
This is my dashboard / control panel. The car is driving in this photo. Sorry the Zeva touchscreen can't really be seen and I didn't have it on the "power/driving" screen. The round gauge is motor RPM from the Soliton Jr, which is running 3110 RPM in the picture. Below that is motor loop voltage and amperage. I didn't need that as the Zeva displays power, but I wanted to see motor amps for fun. Below that, is a switch panel I got on ebay used for boats or whatever. I put my kill switch in the 12v gauge location. The kill switch cuts power to that extra contactor and the bms.


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## Gigawatts (Aug 8, 2013)

Picture 1
Here is the 1000 amp shunt I added to the high voltage motor loop so I can see motor voltage and amperage on the control panel. This isn't needed, I just wanted a motor amp gauge independent of the controller or bms. 

Picture 2
Current motor bay shot. I am going to mount the charger, DC/DC converter, and 12 volt battery to the front, somewhere in here. I also have the parts to add liquid cooling to the Soliton Jr that will all go under the hood. 

Picture 3
I replaced the rear shocks with air shocks so I can change the rear ride height and hopefully support a higher load when I have 4-6 Tesla battery modules in the back. I might have to add a leaf to the spring pack, but the air shocks are the first test.


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## electron bom (Dec 4, 2014)

Sweet car and a great build, looking forward to updates.


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## Gigawatts (Aug 8, 2013)

Thanks! The kind words really help keep me motivated to update the thread. 

The car felt great when driving it around at 90 volts, so I want to continue with the next phase. Time to take the plunge and start on relatively permanent modifications to the car to support this build: battery box building.

Here is what I am starting with. I took everything out of the back, covered the seats and side openings, and taped off the floor where I will cut. The plan is to build a strong box out of steel that will hang under the rear floor where all the Tesla modules will be mounted. The modules are very large at 27x12x3 inches. There are very few places they can be mounted in one piece in this car. The car sits too low to mount them under the seats or passenger floor area. I don't want to give up the rear seats (and have the batteries so close to the front seats), and the hood space is already taken by all the other parts of this project. The batteries will have to go behind the differential / rear axle, which is kind of why I chose a wagon.










Cut complete and edges smoothed with the angle grinder. The box lips will sit on the car's frame and there is also a cross member behind the rear seats. I will put bolts through the car's frame to hold the box in place.










Another shot. A good view of the new air shocks!










I am using 2x2 x 1/8 inch steel angle for the whole box frame. It will be heavy, but I want it to be strong. I laid the angle in and tack welded the corners. I then took it out, welded the corners inside and outside, and ground down the outside welds so it still fits in the car's floor hole.


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## riba2233 (Apr 29, 2015)

Nice! Cant wait to see how you'll mount the batteries.


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## electron bom (Dec 4, 2014)

Nice work!
What material will you use for the walls of the box?


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## 217801 (Jun 13, 2017)

I don't think I read it anywhere.

Have you had a chance (before cutting the boot liner out) to get it running and down at a Dyno?


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## Gigawatts (Aug 8, 2013)

riba2233 said:


> Nice! Cant wait to see how you'll mount the batteries.


Yes! That's the big question isn't it. I will have to stack them, like most people would with limited space and how big these modules are. I am building my box big enough to hold 6: 2 stacks of 3. The same configuration as the guy who recently set his car and garage on fire. Hopefully I have enough precautions to keep that from happening and if it does, a level of containment. 

I am building a cage / exoskeleton for each module. The module will rest on the rails, hovering above and below the cage. The cages will rest on each other, bolted to each other and the box. The modules will be flat, like in a Tesla, not on their sides. I almost have 1 cage complete, I'll post pictures below.



electron bom said:


> Nice work!
> What material will you use for the walls of the box?


Steel, the whole thing will be mild steel. The box is coming in pretty heavy. With 2x2x 1/8 steel, the frame is already 45 pounds. The floor and area next to the differential will be 1/16, or 16 gauge. The back and sides will be 18 gauge. All inside panels will overlap/sit on the frame. I think the box alone will be around 80 pounds when complete.

I want to put a plexi-glass top and then another 18 gauge steel top. So, I can open the steel top for viewing, but people still can't touch the batteries. 



Blondejay said:


> Have you had a chance (before cutting the boot liner out) to get it running and down at a Dyno?


Yes and no. A few posts up I have some data and pictures of when I was driving it around on 90 volts. It gave me the confidence to cut into the floor. I have to build the battery box to fit 4 batteries (180 volts) since I need more space to add the batteries. 

90 volts is not really enough to spend the effort taking it to a dyno. Also, based on my volt/amp meters and my bms, which has a display for power output (kw), I have a very good idea, minus losses, of the car's output ability. 


Pictures! I have started on the front, which will have a shelf over the differential. I can put my bms, fuse, contactor, and whatever else here. 










Another view. With the car's frame sitting on the bump stops, I still have 1.5 inches until the top of the differential.










Side piece tack welded in place. 










A lot more completed. I need all the space I can get to fit 2 battery modules side by side. I had to go around the emergency brake cable.










Another view of this craziness.










This is what makes all this possible! Hobart 140 MIG 115v welder. Has wire-feed and I am using 25% co2 75% argon gas. Just point, shoot, and grind down the ugly =]


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## 217801 (Jun 13, 2017)

Nice clearance, though I feel that 1.5" could be kept to allow for bumpstop squish. 

Nice but of fab work. Will you be able to see the drop box from behind the car? Or hoping to keep it all flush and tucked up?


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## Gigawatts (Aug 8, 2013)

Blondejay said:


> Nice clearance, though I feel that 1.5" could be kept to allow for bumpstop squish.
> 
> Nice but of fab work. Will you be able to see the drop box from behind the car? Or hoping to keep it all flush and tucked up?


Yes, I've got 1.5 to allow for bumpstop squish. I think/hope that will be enough.

Yes, the box is very obvious from the back and looks a little weird. I am going to paint the outside black to try and hide it, lol. 


Here is an okay weld connecting 1/16 to 1/8. 










Here is a bad weld. You can see where most of it blew through the 1/16 and melted it away because I had the welder's power set too high.










Box frame almost complete. I added 1/2 inch square tubing to the bottom (top in the picture) for extra support. I still need to weld all the inside and outside seams. I used a technique called stitching. It's where you weld small beads, 1-2 inches or less length all over the box in random places. This is to even out the heat and keep the steel from warping. I still welded all seams so they look like continuous welds.










Last test fit before complete welding. 










Here is where I ground down flush an outside weld. I had to do this on all outside welds so the box still fits in the car's hole. 










Frame complete.


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## Gigawatts (Aug 8, 2013)

Finally, battery module cage building!

This is what I have come up with. The whole cage is steel so it can support being stacked on. 2 rails supported by 3 bands. The bands wrap around the whole module; top, sides, and bottom and are 1/8 x 1.5 inch. The rails are 1/16 x 2 x 1/2. 2.25 inches high would have been better because I wouldn't have had to shim the rails up for more clearance. I will weld all seams and add a bracket for bolts on each side. 










Clearance is pretty good. 1/4 inch at the most, 3/16 at the least. 










Making the side rails. It's a 2x2x1/16 piece of steel square tubing. 










Coming along. 










Another view.


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## 217801 (Jun 13, 2017)

Is that the 90v pack?


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## riba2233 (Apr 29, 2015)

Sounds like a good plan!


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## electro wrks (Mar 5, 2012)

Before "stacking " Tesla modules you might want to hear out Jack Rickard on the disastrous results of another stacked Tesla modules battery box: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bUWwZme4DIc At 32:25 he talks about the problem.


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## Gigawatts (Aug 8, 2013)

Yes, I am very familiar with that build. I was subscribed to the thread when the incident happened and the thread was taken down. This is the build I mentioned a few post ago where the car and garage caught on fire. He didn't have a battery box. The modules were just in the back of the jeep stacked on top of each other, 3 high. After driving, 2 of the modules were much lower than the other 4. The consensus was that the bottom 2 had the fuse wires crushed. He didn't know because he did not have a bms and didn't check the balance leads. He only checked module voltage. He tried to balance the other 4 modules to the low 2 somehow, then charged for 20 hours. Then fire.

I am making a steel battery box. I have a cell level bms that stops charging or driving on excessive high or low cell voltage. My modules will not rest on each other. The cages will rest on each other with the battery modules suspended inside by the side rails. I am also trying to devise a plan for directing smoke out of the bottom (not into the car) of the battery box if a fire were to happen.

I finished the first battery module cage. This one will be on the top since I screwed the bms board to the top of the cage.

Here I am wiring the bms connector to the balance leads. I have 13 leads since this is a 12S module. 1 battery module to 1 bms module. The Zeva bms is perfect for my build.










First battery cage



















Progress is slow on the box, but I have most of the panels tack welded in place. It's heavy at over 90 pounds.










In other news, I bought a new (to me) daily driver. 2013 Chevy Volt! Now I am back on my project to install a 240v 40 amp socket in my garage for charging.










Also, I thought this was pretty awesome. A Nissan Leaf limo! The Austin, TX Holiday Inn uses it as an airport shuttle. The driver said it gets about 30 miles a charge loaded.










Thanks for looking!


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## riba2233 (Apr 29, 2015)

Nice work, I think it's going to be great!


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## Moltenmetal (Mar 20, 2014)

It sounds to me like you're doing the right things to make proper and safe use of those Tesla modules. Excited to see the result, and very glad you're posting pics as you go!


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## electro wrks (Mar 5, 2012)

Yeah, now even Jack is talking about stacking the modules in the back of his Escalade. Lets hope the dragon has been tamed, BMS wise. One area that still concerns me is that if at all possible, the modules be isolated and shielded from each other. If a thermal event (I think that's what Tesla calls it in its patent) can be isolated to only one module, the fire and damage might be controlled and limited. Any thoughts or ideas?


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## walden (Sep 21, 2017)

Any updates on this build? I registered just to follow this thread  

Thinking of a similar build if I can find a Datsun 510 Wagon anywhere.


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## DreamMachine (Sep 28, 2015)

I don't suppose you have any more photos of a descriptions of how you did the BMS wiring? I've been looking at the wiring diagram of the Tesla modules but I can't seem to find a comprehensive diagram. Cheers!


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## Eric (Sep 9, 2012)

Gigawatts said:


> Got the motor to transmission adapter and hub from Canev!


Is that designed for the KA24 gearbox? Do they offer that from stock or is it made especially for you?


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## Gigawatts (Aug 8, 2013)

Thanks for all the great feedback guys! I have been working on the car a lot and I got it thrown together enough to take it to the Houston Drive Electric show at Ikea and the Houston Maker Faire.




electro wrks said:


> Yeah, now even Jack is talking about stacking the modules in the back of his Escalade. Lets hope the dragon has been tamed, BMS wise. One area that still concerns me is that if at all possible, the modules be isolated and shielded from each other. If a thermal event (I think that's what Tesla calls it in its patent) can be isolated to only one module, the fire and damage might be controlled and limited. Any thoughts or ideas?


Yea, this is a hard one when not using the Tesla battery box. Having multiple battery boxes would probably be a good idea, but unfortunatly for me and probably most builds, I just don't have the space. I am putting 3/16 polycarbonate/Lexan on the bottom of the battery box, inbetween each battery module, and on the top as a cover. I still have to figure out some kind of vent for the box. 



DreamMachine said:


> I don't suppose you have any more photos of a descriptions of how you did the BMS wiring? I've been looking at the wiring diagram of the Tesla modules but I can't seem to find a comprehensive diagram. Cheers!


The Tesla BMS has a connector with 7 wires, which are the balance leads, then 2, 2-wire temp probes, and some data wires on I believe a different connector. The Tesla BMS was removed from my batteries, then the balance leads were extended and I wired them to my Zeva BMS connector per the Zeva manual. You just need a voltmeter to do it and it's the same as any balance lead wiring. The only difference on my batteries is they were converted to 12S and 6 more balance leads were added during that conversion. I am not using the Tesla temp probes or their data connector. 












Eric said:


> Is that designed for the KA24 gearbox? Do they offer that from stock or is it made especially for you?


Thank you for asking this! I had forgotten to put this in the thread. That is the standard Nissan L & Z motor adapter they had in stock. Funny how Nissan is using the same bellhousing and flywheel bolt pattern from the 70s to 90s. I did have one issue though. I had to send the coupler hub back because I had a bad vibration. When spinning the warp9 over 1k rpm, the whole car would shake. The L & Z engines centered the flywheel from the outside of the crankshaft hub. The modern engines, like the KA, center the flywheel from the inside of the crankshaft hub around the pilot bearing. I shipped CanEV my flywheel and he fixed my coupler. The pilot bearing for the transmission input shaft was the same and needed no modification. CanEV probably does not have this hub in stock, but I'm sure he can make you one without needing a flywheel now. =]


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## Gigawatts (Aug 8, 2013)

Updates!

So much welding on this battery box. Even my wife got into the action! She is such a girly girl, it was pretty cool to see her get a little dirty, and she did a good job with her welds.










Primered the battery box. I welded nuts to the tray above the differential to bolt things to. I also used a fire barrier sealant on all the seams to help seal up the box. I added 2 more primer coats of paint after the sealant.



















Box in the car.










It's pretty noticeable from the back. I plan to paint the outside black with the above paint to try and hide it.


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## oudevolvo (Mar 10, 2015)

Wow, great project!
Thanks for sharing all those details and photo’s.


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## electro wrks (Mar 5, 2012)

Gigawatts said:


> Updates!
> 
> So much welding on this battery box. Even my wife got into the action! She is such a girly girl, it was pretty cool to see her get a little dirty, and she did a good job with her welds.
> 
> ...


Ah... The family that welds together, stays together. Does she know you're calling her a "girly girl"?

You know, the exposed back-side of the rear battery box would be a great place for a safety blow-out feature that I've been harping about since people started using the much more dangerous Tesla modules. A row of holes covered with some high quality aluminum tape would be one option. Maybe add a deflector/shield to protect the tape and help direct escaping gasses downward.


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## electro wrks (Mar 5, 2012)

Gigawatts said:


> Thank you for asking this! I had forgotten to put this in the thread. That is the standard Nissan L & Z motor adapter they had in stock. Funny how Nissan is using the same bellhousing and flywheel bolt pattern from the 70s to 90s. I did have one issue though. I had to send the coupler hub back because I had a bad vibration. When spinning the warp9 over 1k rpm, the whole car would shake. The L & Z engines centered the flywheel from the outside of the crankshaft hub. The modern engines, like the KA, center the flywheel from the inside of the crankshaft hub around the pilot bearing. I shipped CanEV my flywheel and he fixed my coupler. The pilot bearing for the transmission input shaft was the same and needed no modification. CanEV probably does not have this hub in stock, but I'm sure he can make you one without needing a flywheel now. =]


One problem that has occurred with this type of coupling is it coming loose, messing-up the clutch action and generally causing mayhem. A good fix, if you haven't done it already, is to bolt the coupling onto the end of the motor shaft and make sure the other end clamps-up to the inner race of the motor output bearing. This usually requires some machining of the coupling to make room for a bolt and washer behind the pilot bearing and a spacer to be made.


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## oudevolvo (Mar 10, 2015)

Some questions:
- how are you going to close the corner opening where currently your cables are coming in? A cover with gland nuts?
- how much will the weight distribution change?
Looking forward to further updates!


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## poprock (Apr 29, 2010)

In my area a box that low would be a quick casualty Stay on the bitumen


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