# Hybrid Conversion - AWD Turbodiesel 67' Chevelle



## Liquid_Beaver (Oct 26, 2015)

Hello everyone!

So I have a pretty unique project, and now that I have started building it, I am a few months away from a really crucial point in the project, and I need some help.

For about 8 years now I have been researching and designing a project to convert a 4-door '67 Chevelle Malibu http://i.imgur.com/xtTPrlr.jpg into a diesel with a Duramax LBZ engine. Ironically, that is the easy part. 

The hard part is the second stage of the project. If it is _*feasible*_ (reliable and under $6k? I guess?) it to have hybrid AWD, diesel power to the rear, electric to the front. I already worked through taking a center differential out of a truck, with drive axles up to the front, using a front diff, and CV's to each front wheel. It could be done, but took a ton of space and parts. Next I thought about chain drives (monster trucks and sand buggies) instead of drive shafts. Again, it could be done, but wouldn't be as clean as I would have wanted. 

What I settled on was actually inspired by modern day locomotives, a diesel engine charging a battery bank that runs an electric motor. It seems like the perfect solution for my project. 

Now for the plan (feel free to poke holes in it, that's what I need..)

I'm imagining a small motor all the way up front (between the diesel and radiator), dual output shafts (like a benchtop grinder, is that possible?), that have a sprocket on each end supported by pillow blocks (think up near the radiator ends). A chain comes off each sprocket, travels along the framerail to another sprocket just behind another pillow block embedded in the frame, with a CV shaft on the other side of the frame that goes to each wheel. I can easily fit 4 Optima batteries in the trunk (12v, 910 cranking amps, 44 ampere hours). I can get 300 amps out of an alternator pretty easily, I could even double those up, with less than 100 amps of that needed for the engine at maximum load.

Now to my questions:

With 200+ extra amps out of an alternator, and easily space for 4 batteries (if not 6+), is that enough information to be able to calculate the amount of power I could potentially send to an appropriately sized motor?

What about the power output of that motor? If I am thinking about it correctly, in this setup, any electric power to the front would be "extra" horsepower, unlike a direct drive setup where it would be splitting it between the front and back. Any power to the front is much more than the 0 HP there is now, but would say 100 hp total (50 each wheel) take a gigantic motor?

Now the biggest one, would I need a limited slip differential? If I turned, or went in reverse, would it be inherently damaging? I'm guessing different output shaft speeds wouldn't be good for the motor, but what could my solutions be? When power to the motor is cut, would it be "freewheeling"?. If that is the case, maybe programming it so once the resistance gets too high it cuts power, meaning no electric FWD during turning, but it cuts back on during lower resistance forward travel? Does it instead act as a brake when power is cut?

I know this is a lot to take in, but after years of thinking about it, and thousands of hours perusing forums, I think you are the only people that could help me with this type of project. If I asked it in a Chevelle forum people would string me up, they already want to because of the diesel.

Thank you all for your help!


----------



## samwichse (Jan 28, 2012)

200 amps at 12v is about 3hp... you might as well just get out and push. To get 100 hp from a 12v system is 6250 amps.
Basically your 12v system is a big no.

Sent from my Nexus 5 using Tapatalk


----------



## Yabert (Feb 7, 2010)

Hello
Your project is feasible and interesting. But forget the 12v power coming from the alternator.
You will need a battery pack. Charge at home is nice 

I think an easy way is to have fwd engine and an electric motor in the rear, but it's not your case.
Or, if you skip the awd, you can add a motor at the place of a part of the drive shaft for a rwd hybrid setup.


----------

