# Opinions on this forklift motor



## jbush (8 mo ago)

I've been working on converting a '78 Fiat 124 spider to electric, and I wanted to get some opinions (I don't think any of these questions have clear cut answers given the limited information I'm giving, but I'm hoping someone has similar experience and can give some pointers):

I recently picked up a used Hyster forklift motor (from a J40XMT). It weights ~80lbs, is 8" in diameter, and the main portion (not including the shaft) is 10" long. Question 1 is: do you think this is big enough? It looks a tad small. Has anyone used a similar motor? I'm expecting the car to come in around 2300 lbs finished, with batteries:










Second question: I just realized it doesn't have a bearing in the front. I assume the gearbox in the original forklift supported the front shaft. If I turn it by hand, the rotor rubs against the sides (there is a bearing in the back):









I'm thinking that, once I get the shafts coupled, the transmission bearing may be able to support the front of the rotor and keep it aligned, but curious if anyone else has used a similar configuration or has thoughts.

Thanks!


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## cricketo (Oct 4, 2018)

That is probably a hydraulic pump motor, and certainly won't be enough. The name plate should be the ultimate tell.


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## jbush (8 mo ago)

cricketo said:


> That is probably a hydraulic pump motor, and certainly won't be enough. The name plate should be the ultimate tell.


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## cricketo (Oct 4, 2018)

There you go, a bit under 8HP at 48v. Say you were to double the voltage, that will be 16HP. Enough for a Golf cart, but not much else.


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## jbush (8 mo ago)

cricketo said:


> There you go, a bit under 8HP at 48v. Say you were to double the voltage, that will be 16HP. Enough for a Golf cart, but not much else.


Okay, I'm learning things. 

The thing that made me think it's a drive motor is that it's series wound (that is, it has four terminals: two for the armature and two for the field), and most pump motors don't seem to be.

I was planning to run it at 120v, which would be around 20hp, but, what I've read is that horsepower ratings are less important for electric motors vs. an ICE engine, because they produce much more torque at the low end. I'm curious what kind of rating is worth looking for on one of these motors (I did read the uber thread "Using a forklift motor, and choosing a good one", but I didn't see much about ratings in there, it seems to mostly talk about size and weight).


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## cricketo (Oct 4, 2018)

Check this out : GE 5BC49JB3021A Hyster J40XMT Forklift Hydraulic Pump Motor 36/48V 10/14Hp | eBay


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## jbush (8 mo ago)

cricketo said:


> Check this out : GE 5BC49JB3021A Hyster J40XMT Forklift Hydraulic Pump Motor 36/48V 10/14Hp | eBay


Hmmm. That's ostensibly from the same model forklift that mine is from. It looks very different, which suggests what I have is not a pump motor, however its specs are similar. It's possible they changed the design at some point in the life of that forklift as well.

_(For posterity, this is the one in the ebay ad)_


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## remy_martian (Feb 4, 2019)

Horsepower determines vehicle speed and the torque/speed through the transmission. 

You betcha HP's important...unless you plan to take the trunk lid off to fit golf clubs vertically into it.


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## jbush (8 mo ago)

remy_martian said:


> Horsepower determines vehicle speed and the torque/speed through the transmission.
> 
> You betcha HP's important...unless you plan to take the trunk lid off to fit golf clubs vertically into it.


Fair enough. I was never a very good golfer and don't have much interest any more in the sport. 

It seems like all of the forklift motors I've seen list what appear to be pretty low numbers for power. And, since the manufacturers don't publish data sheets or detailed specs, it's hard to do the math, but a lot of people have figured this out empirically. 

So, here's what I think I've understood from the elder EV builders who've come before (please feel free to disabuse me): The output KW field on the plate is the maximum sustained power it can output for 60 minutes straight (hence the S2 designation on the plate) without forfeiting the cost of a new motor. Most cars only require peak power while accelerating, and the motor can be driven well past this for short interval (10-15 seconds).

However, it sounds like what you are saying is that this is the absolute maximum power the motor will drive at a given voltage based on its series resistance and inductance/Kv, in which case, yeah, pbbbbbbth. 

If that is the case, what _should _I be looking for on the motor plate? The stock ICE motor in this car is ~90hp, which would be 67 kw. I haven't seen anything near that on any forklift motor plates.


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## cricketo (Oct 4, 2018)

Forklift motors technically don't have to be all that crazy beefy, it all depends on the rating (max incline, top speed) of a given forklift. I have a brushed 7HP that came out of a 12,000lb machine (technically over 13,000 with lead-acid batteries). The machine is geared up such that the top speed is just about 5MPH.


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## jbush (8 mo ago)

cricketo said:


> Forklift motors technically don't have to be all that crazy beefy, it all depends on the rating (max incline, top speed) of a given forklift. I have a brushed 7HP that came out of a 12,000lb machine (technically over 13,000 with lead-acid batteries). The machine is geared up such that the top speed is just about 5MPH.


So did you transplant that into a car (and how well did it work)? The plate for the forklift this came off of looks like a 9000lb machine. I'm trying to figure out if I still need to apply to join the local country club.


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## remy_martian (Feb 4, 2019)

@cricketo actually uses his forklifts for forklifting 😂 If I had a ginormous trailer and truck I'd be asking to borrow them 😈 Luckily for him, I don't 😉

Easiest way to put your finger in the air is if it's under 125 lb (an arbitrary ballpark number) it likely won't work in a car. Though your car is tiny...maybe go with a 9 inch forklift motor copy like a FB-4001 (iirc it's 140lb). There are others as well, though they are bigger and heavier. They aren't "free", though.

Though all of my current & upcoming builds are AC, high voltage, big HP, I have a Fiero that our 6 year old will build as her first car starting in a couple or three years (kid's got mechanical talent & skills) which will use the FB-4001 9 inch DC Brushed 144V DC setup. 30HP electric is plenty for a 16 year old. I've been picking up parts here and there as getting the pieces is half the timeline of a project unless you're scavenging a Tesla, Leaf, or other EV.

I'll have her do a build thread here when it starts up. Assuming I live that long and don't get banned by an organized snowflake protest in the meantime.

So, go by kW or weight. 8 or 10 kW isn't enough. You also seriously want to consider having regen if you live in hill or mountain country...a forklift or the FB won't.


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## cricketo (Oct 4, 2018)

remy_martian said:


> @cricketo actually uses his forklifts for forklifting 😂 If I had a ginormous trailer and truck I'd be asking to borrow them 😈 Luckily for him, I don't 😉


Well, yes - my forklift is used like a forklift. I posted the motor name plate in another thread recently, don't have it handy. Motor there is quite beefy, I want to say 14" in diameter, it's a 4000lb lift truck with total weight of 6000lb (going by memory).

But the 12k reference is to the boom lift. 7HP was the original motor controlled by Sevcon MOS90 that I replaced with HPEVS AC23 and Curtis specifically to let it negotiate steep driveway without burning out the MOS90


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## jbush (8 mo ago)

remy_martian said:


> Easiest way to put your finger in the air is if it's under 125 lb (an arbitrary ballpark number) it likely won't work in a car. Though your car is tiny...maybe go with a 9 inch forklift motor copy like a FB-4001 (iirc it's 140lb). There are others as well, though they are bigger and heavier. They aren't "free", though.


Thanks, that's helpful. I do also have a LEAF motor, but that has a whole other set of challenges. I was hoping the forklift motor might simplify things, but I'll find something else to put it in.


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## Duncan (Dec 8, 2008)

That motor is just a little bit too small - but the lack of a front bearing is a more important reason to ditch it - the bearing in your gearbox will NOT keep the armature centered well enough

Look for a 9 inch motor - but if you can find an 11 inch motor then you can ditch the gearbox completely and go direct drive to the diff

Power ratings - you will be running your motor at about 4 times the rpm in the forklift - this means that the "60 minute" power number can be multiplied by 4 
The actual usage in a car - a few seconds before you lift off means that you can further multiply it

I'm putting 40 times the "rated power" through my motor - but I am a wee bit extreme


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## muidsa121 (9 mo ago)

jbush said:


> Fair enough. I was never a very good golfer and don't have much interest any more in the sport.
> 
> It seems like all of the forklift motors I've seen list what appear to be pretty low numbers for power. And, since the manufacturers don't publish data sheets or detailed specs, it's hard to do the math, but a lot of people have figured this out empirically.
> 
> ...


I am also trying to work out what I am supposed to look for in a motor to power a 1000kg car...


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## remy_martian (Feb 4, 2019)

The Fiero is about 1000kg


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## piotrsko (Dec 9, 2007)

muidsa121 said:


> I am also trying to work out what I am supposed to look for in a motor to power a 1000kg car...


First answer is a question: what performance do you require? Is this golf cart speeds on a school property, do you need to do 6 seconds in the quarter mile, or somewhere in the middle?

Traditionally, one grabbed a used 11" diameter main series wound drive from a salvaged forklift, but that was before bldc.


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## muidsa121 (9 mo ago)

piotrsko said:


> First answer is a question: what performance do you require? Is this golf cart speeds on a school property, do you need to do 6 seconds in the quarter mile, or somewhere in the middle?
> 
> Traditionally, one grabbed a used 11" diameter main series wound drive from a salvaged forklift, but that was before bldc.


I just need it to do 60-80kmh for 5 hours, every 2 weeks...


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## muidsa121 (9 mo ago)

muidsa121 said:


> I just need it to do 60-80kmh for 5 hours, every 2 weeks...


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## MattsAwesomeStuff (Aug 10, 2017)

Mostly just reiterating what everyone else has said:


Your car is very light
Your motor is quiet small
Your motor is maybe barely okay for that car, but generally anything under 9" diameter is in the realm of Golf Kart or Motorbike. Usually 7", 8" is a weird size no one uses.
Your car will need ~15kW to maintain highway speed.
You usually want double that power to account for reasonable drive-like-a-normal-person acceleration and not hold up traffic like a cyclist
You would want double that power again to account for that kind of acceleration up a hill, including raised onramps (where also accelerating).
Unless you're trapped on a desert island, the lack of motor bearing (never seen that before in hundreds posted) is a dead end, find another motor, that's weird.
11" motor is probably overkill for a 2300lb car unless you're after performance. It'll weigh ~250lbs, and you'll want that weight for batteries instead
9" motor is probably what you actually want 125-175lbs-ish
You can exceed motor plate ratings significantly because you'll have non-zero air cooling
You can exceed motor plate ratings even more because if you actually use that amount of power, you'll self-restrict to a short run time because you'll run out of battery before your motor heats up enough.


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## muidsa121 (9 mo ago)

MattsAwesomeStuff said:


> You usually want double that power to account for reasonable drive-like-a-normal-person acceleration and not hold up traffic like a cyclist


So is that 15kw+15kw =30kw for hills?


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## remy_martian (Feb 4, 2019)

Barely...yes.


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## muidsa121 (9 mo ago)

remy_martian said:


> Barely...yes.


Wow... I now understand why you said to jump straight to ex ev parts...


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## MattsAwesomeStuff (Aug 10, 2017)

muidsa121 said:


> So is that 15kw+15kw =30kw for hills?


No.


15kw to maintain highway speed.
15kw x 2 = 30kw to have comfortable acceleration, or to maintain highway speed up a hill.
30kwh x 2 = 60kw to have comfortable acceleration up to highway speed up a hill

Though keep in mind, you're only accelerating for, what, 10-20 seconds until you've reached highway speed, after which you're only needing the maintenance speed.

Honestly if you have high enough voltage and punch it, your 8" motor could probably do 60kw. But it would be equivalent abuse to Duncan doing a drag race pull on his 11".

9" would be comfortable with it.

I wouldn't put the time in on a marginal solution, just grab a 9" motor.


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## muidsa121 (9 mo ago)

MattsAwesomeStuff said:


> No.
> 
> 
> 15kw to maintain highway speed.
> ...


Noted... My project now looks feasible again.... Thanks GUYS


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## remy_martian (Feb 4, 2019)

It always was, just that you were picking puny motors for the job 😛


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## Duncan (Dec 8, 2008)

That would be from 300 km to 400 km - that is a LONG range for a DIY electric car


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## remy_martian (Feb 4, 2019)

We were only talking motors, not battery capacity...


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## Duncan (Dec 8, 2008)

remy_martian said:


> We were only talking motors, not battery capacity...


The two go together - if you have the battery capacity to do things for a long time then you need the motors able to do that without melting -


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## piotrsko (Dec 9, 2007)

400 clicks, so Delivery vehicle? Then pretty much anything over 9"series, most of the traditional inductions, but now battery size becomes a problem


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## muidsa121 (9 mo ago)

Duncan said:


> That would be from 300 km to 400 km - that is a LONG range for a DIY electric car





piotrsko said:


> 400 clicks, so Delivery vehicle? Then pretty much anything over 9"series, most of the traditional inductions, but now battery size becomes a problem


How So?


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## remy_martian (Feb 4, 2019)

Duncan said:


> The two go together - if you have the battery capacity to do things for a long time then you need the motors able to do that without melting -


Still not following.

30kW motor.

Lowball example: 65Ah cells, running 3C, 38 of them for 144V.

That's 20 minutes at 100km/h or 33km range using 0-100% SoC. No motor melting, an FB-4001 is running at nameplate.

How do you land at 300km range from a motor discussion???

Why do you say the motor will melt?

90% of people want something to drive on a road - almost nobody does what you're doing because motor melting/failure is not acceptable like it is for you.

I'm trying to understand how you arrived at 300km range from a 30kW motor need with zero discussion of battery.


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## Duncan (Dec 8, 2008)

remy_martian said:


> I'm trying to understand how you arrived at 300km range from a 30kW motor need with zero discussion of battery.


"I just need it to do 60-80kmh for 5 hours, every 2 weeks..." f

I was replying to this requirement - from from muidsa121


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## remy_martian (Feb 4, 2019)

ah...got it. thanks

It's unclear that he needs the 5 hours in one shot, but it's his wallet that pays for the batteries, both up front and in carrying dead weight around, if he only drives the cars an hour at a time.


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## djbills (Apr 7, 2010)

If it's helpful, I run my 81 124 Spider with an 8" ADC (essentially similar to a netgain warp 8, I think, if you can't find ADC specs - it's a 203-06-4001 if memory serves). 
It's running at 156v (a little hotter than usual, essentially because my that's what my controller maxes out at) and really seems to be the sweet spot in terms of everything. It's a little underpowered on steep grades, but some of that is to be expected when using these lower voltages. Pretty peppy the rest of the time, I mean it's no tesla but it will respond if I get into the pedal and definitely puts the power in the 0-40mph range, feels very snappy before it trails off and probably starts to lag behind what an ICE fiat would be doing. The 8" at that voltage feels like a good mix of power and rpm vs weight/size.
I think Valeri runs an 11" in his 124 conversion down in LA - which is a monster! I'd be interested to hear his opinion (maybe if you look him up on ev album and contact directly).
I've had both a 7" prestolite and an old 9" GE in my other microvan (a 144v jet electravan, which is a subaru 600) and honestly the 7" right now feels a little underpowered (but better shift points), but the previous 9" was overkill, and seemed too far the other direction in terms of being a heavy motor that made things kind of sluggish. If I ever came across a low cost warp 8 or similar for the van, I might give it a go. Maybe the 8 is just perfect for my area and weight class.
So, maybe that's helpful? You could at least look up the specs and get an idea from another Spider driver who's sort of already been through it. The 8" is really nice! Maybe a 9" (and perhaps more volts) could be helpful if engineering for an area that is more hilly. There's definitely another inch or 2, mounting wise, even with batteries up front and back. I'm not sure how the 11" fits down there, probably a much different design.
I know there is a range of 8" motors and the diameter is only part of the story, but the specs are online.
here's mine: J Bills' 1981 Fiat 124 Spider


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## djbills (Apr 7, 2010)

oh and goes without saying, if I can help you in any way... just say the word. Photos, diagrams of trans adapters etc.
there are only 3-4 of us crazy enough to convert a 124 out there, gotta stick together.


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## piotrsko (Dec 9, 2007)

So back to the OP: exactly what are YOUR specific needs here? As you can see, our replies are going to be all over the place based on OUR designs which are based on OUR needs. 

so this periodic long distance trip: one shot or can you stop, city or country driving, flat or hilly, and is this the only parameter or will you do lesser trips between?


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## jbush (8 mo ago)

piotrsko said:


> So back to the OP: exactly what are YOUR specific needs here? As you can see, our replies are going to be all over the place based on OUR designs which are based on OUR needs.
> 
> so this periodic long distance trip: one shot or can you stop, city or country driving, flat or hilly, and is this the only parameter or will you do lesser trips between?


Thanks for all of the responses, this is helpful! It's nice to see a few other 124 conversions mentioned here.

The 124 wasn't a super high performance car. I have a '78, which came with a non-fuel-injected 1.8L engine, generating out about 84 hp and 90 ft-lbs of torque. My first requirement is something that works . In all seriousness, perfect is the enemy of the good, and my primary aim is to have a fun project and learn about cars. I want to get something I can drive around and not just have a hunk of metal sitting in the garage. Ideally, this would be something that is fun to drive and peppy for short trips around town on level ground.

My original plan was to use a LEAF motor with the EVBMW control board in a Prius inverter. This seemed to be a good compromise between performance and cost, and there was something amusing about putting Frankenstein components from two kinda boring cars in an Italian sports car. Alas, I got the EVBMW board web interface working, but it is very finicky and keeps reporting errors, so I ran out of patience with it.










There don't seem to be a ton of PMAC motor controllers out there that can drive a LEAF motor. I found the SEVCON GEN4 inverter which might fit the bill. I'm curious if anyone else has experience with these components.

The LEAF motor initially seemed like a good starting point. It has pretty nice specs and isn't very expensive. I found mine in a local junkyard for around $500.

However, measuring the mounting holes accurately is a hassle. The Nissan engineers didn't seem to align them to any kind of grid, and the geometry makes it hard to measure from a reference point:










I was considering using one of the metal 3d printing services to create a shaft coupler (e.g. sculpteo). I did some test prints with my PLA 3d printer to get the sizing right, but there are a lot of open questions: is it strong enough, and will it be precise enough to be a good fit.










But, to my earlier point about my primary goal being finishing: the DC motor removes a lot of complexity. There are plenty of available controllers, it can run at a lower voltage, which gives me more battery options, it doesn't require a liquid cooling system, it has a simple bolt mounting pattern, and potentially a simpler shaft coupler, etc.

However, I've called all of the junkyards and forklift repair shops locally and haven't been able to find a forklift motor. I haven't found much on eBay that looked like a fit, and that seems like a bit of a crapshoot. It may be easier just to break down and buy new EV conversion components (although it seems like lately, as with many things, a lot of shops have jacked up the prices quite a bit)

Anyway, thoughts or guidance are welcome. I definitely feel like I've entered the "valley of despair" phase of this project.


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## remy_martian (Feb 4, 2019)

The dimensions of the Leaf mounting holes are posted on this site. This is from my collection, posted to save you searching, but credit goes to @Bratitude for originally sharing it (I think he sells these, which would save you a lot of trouble):










I just noticed some dimensions are missing, but they are on this forum somewhere.


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## remy_martian (Feb 4, 2019)

I found some more info in my phone's collection. Not sure who to credit for it:









Again, missing some dimensions...


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## piotrsko (Dec 9, 2007)

If you're intent on running a leaf motor, perhaps you should use a brain transplanted leaf controller or spoof the inputs. Openinverter, or Damien?


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## jbush (8 mo ago)

djbills said:


> If it's helpful, I run my 81 124 Spider with an 8" ADC (essentially similar to a netgain warp 8, I think, if you can't find ADC specs - it's a 203-06-4001 if memory serves).
> It's running at 156v (a little hotter than usual, essentially because my that's what my controller maxes out at) and really seems to be the sweet spot in terms of everything. It's a little underpowered on steep grades, but some of that is to be expected when using these lower voltages. Pretty peppy the rest of the time, I mean it's no tesla but it will respond if I get into the pedal and definitely puts the power in the 0-40mph range, feels very snappy before it trails off and probably starts to lag behind what an ICE fiat would be doing. The 8" at that voltage feels like a good mix of power and rpm vs weight/size.


Is it similar to this one? Advanced D.C. Motors 75194 Forklift Motor A90-4002 | eBay

I'm curious how you coupled the motor output shaft to the transmission. Did you keep the clutch and flywheel or do a direct connection? How did you fabricate the coupler? This is the part that is giving me the most trouble right now. Also, is the motor attached to the motor mounts on the crossmember?

I had looked into using a metal 3D printing service to fabricate the coupler, but after doing a bunch of PLA test prints and researching, I think the anisotropic shrinkage of the prints is going to make it very hard to get it to fit on a spline shaft. Even making test metal prints with these services is slow and expensive. I've also considered just welding something into the motor output shaft, but am a bit concerned that the heat could damage the motor.

Your car is very cool!


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## remy_martian (Feb 4, 2019)

Hey Mr Expensive 3d Print Service,

You could have your coupler..._machined_

You don't say what motor you are using. @Bratitude has the motor end of the Leaf coupler already machined.

From there, most homebrewers do some kind adaptation of their clutch hub, though a good number have machine shops fab the piece.

And, yeah...there's a place for 3d printed metal and machined fits ain't it. Unless, you machine it later, then what's the point vs billet?


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## jbush (8 mo ago)

remy_martian said:


> Hey Mr Expensive 3d Print Service,
> 
> You could have your coupler..._machined_
> 
> From there, most homebrewers do some kind adaptation of their clutch hub, though a good number have machine shops fab the piece.


😂


Yeah, I'm realizing that, any way I go, I'm probably going to need the services of a machine shop. As I understand, even the Bratitude couplers at a minimum require some work on the lathe to get the length and the clutch center diameter correct. I had been avoiding working with a shop, as I thought it might be a bit expensive, but I should try to find a local one.


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## Duncan (Dec 8, 2008)

jbush said:


> Thanks for all of the responses, this is helpful! It's nice to see a few other 124 conversions mentioned here.
> 
> The 124 wasn't a super high performance car. I have a '78, which came with a non-fuel-injected 1.8L engine, generating out about 84 hp and 90 ft-lbs of torque. My first requirement is something that works . In all seriousness, perfect is the enemy of the good, and my primary aim is to have a fun project and learn about cars. I want to get something I can drive around and not just have a hunk of metal sitting in the garage. Ideally, this would be something that is fun to drive and peppy for short trips around town on level ground.
> 
> ...


I have had zero success calling junkyards and repair shops

You need to find out who repairs forklifts and visit them with a pocket of cash and a 24 pack of beer 
You need to speak to the guys who actually repair the fork lifts - they will have a couple of motors "just in case" 

Also they stopped making DC forklifts about 15 years ago - so you need the old ones - the sort of place that mends OLD stuff not some swanky new dealer

Spline Coupler - you are better off finding a female spline and then modifying or adapting that

Sources - a lot of forklift motors have brakes on the other end - that brake will have a female spline - tractor shops!! - all sorts of weird things with male and female splines - they are usually the sort of place where they will let you nip in and out to the motor in your boot checking the fit


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## djbills (Apr 7, 2010)

Hey! Yes that motor is similar but there were so many iterations and all have their purpose, so you'd definitely want to eyeball the specs closely. For comparison, I just can't tell from the badge on it if it says 206-06-4001 or 206-66-4001. But one of those and surely that info is out there and will give you the vague range that I'm calling the "sweet spot." The more modern motors like the netgain Hyper 9 and all of those are still kind of in the ballpark, just more efficient. My guess is a smaller motor like the prestolite 7" I have in my little electravan would be too underpowered for a spider and it would drag.

Mine is mated with an adapter plate to the clutch - attaching it's diagram as an example, in that language that only machinists seem to understand. I know I don't! 

Yes clutch and all that are intact. You can do direct drive, but it requires a lot more voltage to pull it off. Most of the production cars are what, like 360v or so? Honestly that's probably a good ballpark to be in if you're doing direct drive. At least mid 200's, I'd reckon, if you want any chance against hilly areas and inclines. 

My setup is essentially limited by the max voltage of the controller (at 156v) but it feels great for a car with gears, and I mean it's not ripping through the hills but it's standable. But you can certainly design around like a Zilla 1k HV controller and the sky's the limit, can throw a lot more voltage at things if that's the way you wanna go.

The shift points on some of the conversions can be a little different and some decide to skip first gear and start in 2nd, but honestly the Fiat transmission feels good with my setup and relatively "normal." I actually use 1st up to about 15mph and it's a lot more gentle of a start, seems happier. I have also seen some of the racers using a transmission from a 131, which I might try if mine ever completely eats it. 

I don't have a tach but you can watch your voltage draws to sort of determine when to shift and when there'd be an efficiency gain from going up a gear. Redline is still a thing but you can honestly just kind of do that by ear if you don't have a tach, and I don't feel like I ever really get close, seems to be lots of headroom. You don't downshift or engine brake, just throw it in neutral and brake as needed. You will go through brake pads a little more than a gas car but oh well. This is where a little regen drag can be helpful, but usually that's more of an AC system thing. (technically can be done with DC but it's not really worth it or recommended)

Not sure what all else I can say about it. Clutch/gears at 156v with an 8" ADC has been very good to me!


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## Larrybia (2 mo ago)

You may want to check out my thread. 1976 Fiat Spider 124 EV Conversion I expect just minimal performance with the ME1003 motor 6.4 Kw continuous and 20Kw peak with 72v. Very simple to interface mechanically and electrically. Simple controller from Curtis. Doing this just to get the car up and running so I can register and a learning (Hands On) experience. This is Phase 2 and should be under test next couple of weeks. Phase 1 was with a very small 24v winch motor. Got about 10 mph on 36 v and 200 amps max. Quickly over heater the motor. Phase 1 verified interfaces. Phase 3 will proceed (Big Bucks) with probably 38Kw ME1302 motor and LiFePo batteries. This should be a practical road and highway vehicle with acceptable performance. This three phase approach will cost me about $1K more but I will know what I am doing and know what the performance (seat of the pants) before I spend the big bucks. May also be able to sell the motors and controllers or use in some other project.


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## jbush (8 mo ago)

Larrybia said:


> You may want to check out my thread. 1976 Fiat Spider 124 EV Conversion


Wow, amazing progress! I love your scrappy approach.


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## remy_martian (Feb 4, 2019)

The ADC produces 28kW continuous and around 70kW peak, iirc, so not sure what your pipsqueak golf cart 6.4kW motor has to do with any of this.

The ADC is ADEQUATE for cars up to 2500lb or so. 6.4kW is useless for anything but a gokart or minibike.

Putting too small of a pack or motor in a car is a total waste of time and money. You can chalk it up to "learning", and "see if it'll move", but it's a complete waste, imo, and is not an example of how it's done like you're trying to paint it here. I seriously doubt any government agency would register a car for road use that cannot maintain road speeds.


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