# How are you protecting the Zilla Hairball?



## EVDL List (Jul 27, 2007)

Hey Paul,

I will receive my hairball on Monday and am planning on making a watertight 
ABS box (plastic welding) to house it with a clear acrylic cover so it 
doesn't lose the cool factor=).

You can get plastic welders reasonably priced from Urethane Supply Company.

If you or anyone else is interested in the outcome, send me an email offline 
and I'll send links to where I post the pics once its complete. It will 
probably be a few weeks until I get to it.

Regards, Mike

Mike Harvey
Harvey Coachworks and EV
(877) 841-9730
[email protected]
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Paul Wallace" <[email protected]>
To: "Electric Vehicle Discussion List" <[email protected]>
Sent: Friday, July 27, 2007 12:00 PM
Subject: How are you protecting the Zilla Hairball?


> I've got a Zilla to install in my truck. The power module Will need a 
> little splash guarding in the location available under the hood, but the 
> hairball is posing more of a problem. The form factor of the hairball 
> isn't a good match for NEMA 4x industrial boxes. Boxes that are long 
> enough are also very wide, wasting precious under hood space. I suppose I 
> could put something else inside the box, but all that is hanging out is 
> high voltage stuff, like contactors and fuses. I'm thinking it's probably 
> not a good idea to mix 350vdc in the same box as the hairball.
>
> The only other thing I can think of is to build a simple enclosure out of 
> acrylic plastic to splash proof the hairball.
>
> Does anyone have pictures of what they have done to keep the worst of the 
> under hood environment away from the hairball?
>
> Paul Wallace
> '91 S10 going through a major transformation
>
>


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## EVDL List (Jul 27, 2007)

Hello Paul,

I have the motor controller, the hairball about 3/4 above the motor 
controller, a large Cableform 600 amp contactor about 2 inches to the right 
of the controller and hairball, several plug in glass relays that is mounted 
on a terminal board rail and a amp meter shunt which is all mounted on a 1/4 
inch aluminum chassis plate with standoffs and the chassis plate is mounted 
on a steel plate with bent up sides that is mounted about 8 inches away from 
the fire wall using welded on steel extensions to the steel plate.

This assembly is place about 1 inch below the hood, just above the motors. 
This unit is than cover with a plastic slip on box with no bottom, more like 
a cover, that is fasten to the steel back plate with 3 sheet metal screws 
that are on the top.

This allow me to slip off the cover. This type of enclosure allows to work 
on the components without any sides that would be a box type of enclosure.

All the power cables, the water cooling tubing, control wires, and a 6 inch 
Dayton filter blower fan are all mounted on the steel sides and or with 
grommets.

There is air vent on the right side to allow the blower fan to blow the air 
through.

You can see this set up at:

http://www.austinev.org/evalbum/470.html

Since I replace the Cableform controller with the Zilla, which fit this 
enclosure like a glove, I install a clear panel in the front, so I can see 
the hairball status.

The controller mounted up this high is out of any splash of any water. I 
also cover the inner fender panels with 1/8 inch thick rubber sheet that is 
fasten to the inner fenders with large head plastic pop rivets that I got 
from NAPA. This rubber sheet goes all the way down and below the sides of 
the motor.

To clean the motor bay, all I have to do is clean the dust with a large car 
duster.

Roland


----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Paul Wallace" <[email protected]>
To: "Electric Vehicle Discussion List" <[email protected]>
Sent: Friday, July 27, 2007 10:00 AM
Subject: How are you protecting the Zilla Hairball?


> I've got a Zilla to install in my truck. The power module Will need a
> little splash guarding in the location available under the hood, but the
> hairball is posing more of a problem. The form factor of the hairball
> isn't a good match for NEMA 4x industrial boxes. Boxes that are long
> enough are also very wide, wasting precious under hood space. I suppose
> I could put something else inside the box, but all that is hanging out
> is high voltage stuff, like contactors and fuses. I'm thinking it's
> probably not a good idea to mix 350vdc in the same box as the hairball.
>
> The only other thing I can think of is to build a simple enclosure out
> of acrylic plastic to splash proof the hairball.
>
> Does anyone have pictures of what they have done to keep the worst of
> the under hood environment away from the hairball?
>
> Paul Wallace
> '91 S10 going through a major transformation
>
>


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## EVDL List (Jul 27, 2007)

I haven't done it yet but was thinking of putting it into a Pelican Case with the appropriate weather tight cable penetrations.
I thought I even saw a Pelican case with a clear top at one trade show. The thumb latch openings would make it easy to get inside and I know those things are waterproof.

Mike

----- Original Message -----
From: Paul Wallace <[email protected]>
Date: Friday, July 27, 2007 8:23 am
Subject: How are you protecting the Zilla Hairball?
To: Electric Vehicle Discussion List <[email protected]>

> I've got a Zilla to install in my truck. The power module Will 
> need a 
> little splash guarding in the location available under the hood, 
> but the 
> hairball is posing more of a problem. The form factor of the 
> hairball 
> isn't a good match for NEMA 4x industrial boxes. Boxes that are 
> long 
> enough are also very wide, wasting precious under hood space. I 
> suppose 
> I could put something else inside the box, but all that is hanging 
> out 
> is high voltage stuff, like contactors and fuses. I'm thinking 
> it's 
> probably not a good idea to mix 350vdc in the same box as the 
> hairball.
> The only other thing I can think of is to build a simple enclosure 
> out 
> of acrylic plastic to splash proof the hairball.
> 
> Does anyone have pictures of what they have done to keep the worst 
> of 
> the under hood environment away from the hairball?
> 
> Paul Wallace
> '91 S10 going through a major transformation
> 
>


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