# 1971 GMCe Lexus GS450H BMW 530e Tesla Model S powered Electruck



## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

I will spare you the boring details of de ICEing the truck, we've all seen oil stained driveways and sketchy engine hoists, I will tell you that I paid only $1,500 for this truck as a basket case and it looked way worse than what it does now, ha ha

I hope to sell the Small Block Chevy 350 engine and Turbo TH350 automagic transmission and recoup some of those costs

I also hope to weigh the truck prior to it's disassembly to get a baseline of what it weighs in it's native form

Now I did not pick Dusty it picked me, I know it has the aero dynamic characteristics of a brick and weighs a couple tons, but in California any vehicles 1975 and older do not have to be SMOG checked every year so there's that, also there are currently no production electric trucks that I know of so why not make one (and gosh darn it I love this Ugly Truckling)

*COSTS SO FAR*

$978 - Battery (with BMW wiring harness)​$760 - Transmission (with oil pump)​$362 - *VCU, Vehicle Control Unit* aka Controller (an open source component)​? - BMS, Battery Management System (open source component)​? - Battery charger logic board (open source component)​$300 - Charger​$250 - Inverter​$250 - Transmission wiring harness (low voltage)​$150 - Controller (for oil pump)​$325 - Main wiring harness (low voltage)​$125 - Flywheel​$125 - Drive shaft​? - Some sort of digital display doo dad, tablet maybe​$100 - Battery Harness (from Lexus)​$ 43 - Throttle Pedal (BMW E46)​===========================​$2,690 TOTAL​


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## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

so I have MattsAwesomeStuff to thank (or to blame, ha ha) for first turning me on to the Lexus GS450H in my new member introduction thread, he sent me down a rabbit hole that still has my head spinning, I discovered the likes of Damien Maguire and his *Lexus Toyota Hybrid Transmission Project 01 : Introduction* YouTube channel as well as his EVBMW.com website

and so I pulled the trigger


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## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

Here's what I learned about the Lexus GS450H transmission which I bought for $700 dollars well $761 if you count tax, FREE freight shipping. (freight shipping means they will not ship to your residential address aka your house, you have to provide a commercial address, in my case they required a loading dock and or a fork lift) It pays to have friends with such things

You want the older 3rd Gen Lexus GS450H hybrid 2007-2011. Though newer models exist those have not been reverse engineered to work outside of the native car yet, so avoid the temptation to get a 2012-2013.

Buy as much as you can afford and from the same vehicle. A wrecked vehicle is preferred as it ensures that the car was rendered immobile do to an accident and not some mechanical failure.

1. Make sure your transmission comes with the small black electric external *Oil Pump* and it's black low voltage (12 volts) wire harness (this goes to the Oil Pump *Controller*, which usually is not included, you can ask and or pay extra for it, highly recommended)

2. Get the *two orange high voltage (360 volts) wire harnesses* they connect the transmission to the *Inverter*. I have seen them listed separately on eBay for $100 bucks a piece, if you do not get them with your transmission you will get nickel and dimed to death.

3. Ask if they have the matching *Inverter* a big metal box the size of a microwave. This too will be an extra charge of $300 to $350, more on Inverters later. The Inverter is attached in front of the firewall in the engine bay on the passenger side in left hand drive vehicles, I think it is on the opposite side in right hand drive.

3. See if they have the *flywheel disc*, this may cost extra but you will need it or the center of one to lock the input shaft. I got one for $125. More on this later.

4. I decided to buy the *drive shaft* as well for $125, since being a Chevy guy it looked way different than what I am used to seeing ie universal joints, plus it is a two piece drive shaft which slides in and out of itself as the vehicle articulates over bumps, this prevents damage to your transmissions output shaft and bearings, also the drive shaft has a center support so that the transmission does not have to carry the weight of it.

5. I also asked for the *orange high voltage battery wiring harness* that runs from the battery pack to the Inverter, and paid $100 extra to get that.

6. Finally see if they have the* main black low voltage (12 volts) wiring harness*. We need this for the big rectangular plug that connects to the inverter, you can't buy that plug anywhere separate as far as I know at the time of this writting.


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## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

I got lucky and found an eBayer willing to communicate with me and they had a good listing that showed the pics of the donor vehicle.


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## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

The same eBayer who had the transmission had a listing for the flywheel for $115 so I bought it, I think it came to $125 with tax and FREE standard shipping this time

with this listing I got to see more pics of the donor vehicle and I could see it was the same one as the transmission


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## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

I also bought the driveshaft for $85 plus tax and $33 for shipping so another $125 and also from the same eBayer


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## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

I paid $150 for the oil pump Controller (I have seen them listed for $100 on eBay, but I figured I was getting fair pricing on everything else so it became part of the bundled deal and FREE freight shipping)


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## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

and I also got the Inverter also from the same eBayer so from the same vehicle I paid $250 for it so that was an awesome deal and offset the oil pump controller price perfectly also FREE freight shipping as it all got shipped on a pallet


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## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

This is an example of what I call a "Naked Transmission" it is essentially all stripped down to the bone, I am posting it on here as an example of what not to buy (unless you have all the other components and already know what you are doing)

notice the two big orange high voltage wire harnesses (harni ?) are missing

notice the black external oil pump is missing on the passenger side

stay away from listings like this


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## brian_ (Feb 7, 2017)

The drive shaft joints are unusual for North American vehicles (due to the use of giubos), but it seems to me that a possible bigger issue is making it work with the specific requirements of the coil spring and trailing arm rear suspension, if that's what you have (given that both the coils and leaf springs were available in this generation of the C/K).


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## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

brian_ said:


> The drive shaft joints are unusual for North American vehicles (due to the use of giubos), but it seems to me that a possible bigger issue is making it work with the specific requirements of the coil spring and trailing arm rear suspension, if that's what you have (given that both the coils and leaf springs were available in this generation of the C/K).


Yes my truck has the trailing arm suspension which is what I love about it, and I don't see any issue with running that drive shaft with it, I will just have a drive line shop weld on a universal joint on the end to mate with my 12 bolt rear end and shorten the shaft if need be, am I missing something?


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## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

and this is what my Lexus battery high voltage orange wire will look like, I also bought it with the trans for $100 not sure I will use this one, but this being my first car conversion I want it to be as plug and play as possible


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## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

If you are reading this than you are already ahead of the game, there are some very talented and knowledgeable folks on here. Which brings me to my next point, reach out, network, ask questions. I did, I meet a friend (or at least I call him that, I believe he calls me a stalker, ha ha) Anyway Artur has been a God send and has right away found me this BMW 530e hybrid full voltage battery pack on eBay for only $900 with free local pickup in Los Angeles, California. More on what a full voltage battery pack means later. I offered them $700 and they accepted but then I asked for the high voltage orange wiring harness that goes with it and the price went back up to $900 but they through in the low voltage black wire harness pig tails so I was happy with that deal.

I got lucky again and this seller was great and was willing to communicate with me with messages back and forth on eBay and with pictures, I told him that I was not local and would need to see pics before heading out there. I think he did make me pay for it before actually pulling it off the car, some of them will do that.


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## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

so a 13 hour round trip later and that baby was mine, had to pick up our son from the University on the way home for the weekend so ended up flying two birds at one stone type of thing, Win Win!


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## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

alright lets get through all the mandatory parts acquisition posts and then we'll take a deeper dive into each of the components

I opted for the *Tesla Model S Gen 2 battery charger*, I think once again my buddy Artur found this one for me on eBay for $350 or best offer, so I offered $300 and the seller accepted, came with FREE shipping. I share this type of nonsense with you to show you that everything is negotiable, and if you spend some time and are willing to put in the effort there are deals to be had.

*CAUTION:* not all of these Gen 2 chargers were created equally, you need to do some homework and buy only the ones with a revision number suitable for EV Conversions, more on this later

*Fun Fact:* This thing is heavy!


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## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

with the big stuff gotten we turned to going after the smaller bits, so got this *BMW E46 hall effect throttle pedal*, now I used to call these things potentiometer but I guess the cool kids call them hall effect, my truck has an ancient mechanical drive by cable throttle pedal so I don't know if, if it was a newer truck with drive by wire if you could use that, maybe someone can chime in and tell us

anyway Damien Maguire uses this pedal, so if it is good enough for him it is good enough for me, having done a number of LS Engine swaps I know to take the path of least resistance when possible as these projects will provide plenty opportunity for headaches anyway, no need to make your life any harder, know what I'm sayin'? and I am not partial to any brands or manufacturers, I just want this thing to work

so found this one on eBay for $40 bucks, the reason I picked it is because it came with a pig tail, ie about a foot worth of wire harness with what's most important is the plug, you see I like to build nice connections and not Mickey Mouse anything so if we have the original plug that is gold!


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## brian_ (Feb 7, 2017)

gregski said:


> Yes my truck has the trailing arm suspension which is what I love about it, and I don't see any issue with running that drive shaft with it, I will just have a drive line shop weld on a universal joint on the end to mate with my 12 bolt rear end and shorten the shaft if need be, am I missing something?


The front giubo works for the transmission, of course, and the rear giubo can be adapted to the axle, but neither of them can handle much angle - they don't need to accommodate suspension movement in the Lexus. The rear giubo's spider could be adapted to a U-joint yoke with a plate, or perhaps the pinion shaft could take a giubo spider, but it might make more sense to just take the spider off the shaft and weld on a U-joint yoke as planned.

The suspension design of the truck works with a joint in the shaft, but that joint needs to be where the arms meet to avoid excessive plunge and rear joint angle change, so it's unlikely that either shaft section is the right length. The plunging section should probably be in the front section (like the slip yoke of the truck's stock shaft), but would presumably work fine in the rear section that moves with the suspension.

It should work, but it's unlikely to be trivial to fit properly. Shortening was mentioned, but is it even long enough? The truck has a longer wheelbase than the GS, and the truck's transmission is presumably set further forward.


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## brian_ (Feb 7, 2017)

gregski said:


> with the big stuff gotten we turned to going after the smaller bits, so got this *BMW E46 hall effect throttle pedal*, now I used to call these things potentiometer but I guess the cool kids call them hall effect, my truck has an ancient mechanical drive by cable throttle pedal so I don't know if, if it was a newer truck with drive by wire if you could use that, maybe someone can chime in and tell us


It's not just what word is "cool"; a potentiometer (or voltage divider) and a Hall-effect sensor are physically entirely different things.
Jalopnik: How Electronic Throttle Control Works

Yes, the same accelerator pedal systems are used in both current ICE vehicles and EVs, but there are different types. Potentiometers and Hall devices are both used in EVs and both used in ICE vehicles, and in addition to the sensor types, the output signal can be analog or digital; Bosch makes all of those variations. Even within the same type of device there are detailed differences which determine which ones are usable by a given motor or engine controller. The current Silverado/Sierra does use an electronic accelerator ("throttle by wire"), but I don't know which type.

Just using what Damien used makes sense to me.


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## brian_ (Feb 7, 2017)

gregski said:


> I will be converting my *1971 GMCe* 1/2 ton truck to electric using hybrid and electric car parts here in Sacramento California. This will be a companion thread to the one on 67-72ChevyTrucks.com where I fight rust and do general restoration repairs.
> ...
> yes *Dusty* as it is affectionately called is not easy on the eyes at the moment but nothing a coat of paint won't fix eventually


For anyone interested in the thread in the other forum, I can save you some searching:
*My Dusty 71 GMC a Mother & Son Project*


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## remy_martian (Feb 4, 2019)

All parts are selected.

Why on earth you used a Lexus variant, which the Europeans would because that's plentiful over there, when there was a Chevy TRUCK variant (yes, with the correct output shaft) of the very same transmission, is beyond me. Had you asked here, several months ago, you'd have saved yourself some (upcoming? hard to tell if this is done or where you are in timeline) headaches.

The entire point of the original exercise was to convert a hybrid to pure plugin electric by leaving stuff in place in the car, simply pulling the ICE out and blocking the input shaft.

Oh, it's from a "Toyota" - must be good? lol

Carry on. My comment here is for anyone following in your footsteps - open your eyes before your wallet.


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## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

remy_martian said:


> Why on earth you used a Lexus variant, which the Europeans would because that's plentiful over there, when there was a Chevy TRUCK variant (yes, with the correct output shaft) of the very same transmission, is beyond me. Had you asked here, several months ago, you'd have saved yourself some (upcoming? hard to tell if this is done or where you are in timeline) headaches.


How was I supposed to ask about something I did not know existed, I still don't know what you are talking about? ha ha and I did ask a few months ago a year ago to be exact and that's when it was suggested to me to use the GS450H

So what is this Chevy Truck variant you speak of please do tell.


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## remy_martian (Feb 4, 2019)

The development of that transmission was funded by three companies for use in hybrid vehicles. GM was one of them. I can't recall the third one...want to say BMW, but not sure.


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## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

remy_martian said:


> The development of that transmission was funded by three companies for use in hybrid vehicles. GM was one of them. I can't recall the third one...want to say BMW, but not sure.


In that case I may have found the Global Hybrid Cooperation wiki article and here are some highlights:

*Global Hybrid Cooperation* (formerly called *Advanced Hybrid System 2* or *AHS2*) is a set of hybrid vehicle technologies jointly developed by General Motors, Daimler, and Chrysler LLC, with BMW joining in 2005.

While Toyota's Hybrid Synergy Drive may appear similar in that it also combines the power from an Internal combustion engine (ICE) and a pair of electric motor-generators; however in its current form, Toyota uses only one planetary gearset providing only single mode functionality (i.e. _input split only_) using a series/parallel architecture.

[that indicates it's similar but hardly "very same transmission" I even learned that the current Open Source VCU for the Lexus GS450H only works with the 2007-11 generation and not even the 2012-13 so I doubt it would work with GMs]

GM was reportedly responsible for development of rear- and four-wheel drive truck and front wheel drive car systems while DaimlerChrysler was focused on a rear wheel drive luxury car application.

On March 1, 2007, BMW and DaimlerChrysler announced that they were expanding their partnership and moving quickly to develop a mild hybrid module for rear wheel drive premium cars. GM is not part of this expanded partnership, and has not announced plans to develop a hybrid RWD system for cars.

It was reported in July 2009, however, that after the upcoming introductions of two-mode versions of the BMW X6 globally and the Mercedes-Benz M class only in the United States, the joint venture would be dissolved.

Rear wheel drivelight duty trucks using the 2-mode hybrid system include:
2009 Chevrolet Silverado Hybrid(aka GMT900)
2009 GMC Sierra Hybrid(aka GMT900)

so since I am not interested in a 4WD vehicle and want a 2WD rear wheel drive, my choice in this case is a one year vehicle as opposed to four years to choose from if going with the Lexus 2007-2011 GS450H. Take a look at eBay and shoot me a link to one of those 2WD GM transmissions for $700 or less. Also shoot us a link to any build threads using the GM transmission as well as the GitHub open source for the VCU.

Also Toyota (aka Lexus) is the world's largest automaker, (they have been maybe for the last decade now surpassing GM) and there are way more cars in the States than in Europe and I may have the world's largest Lexus recycler in the world just 25 miles away from my house in Rancho Cordova, California.


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## brian_ (Feb 7, 2017)

remy_martian said:


> Why on earth you used a Lexus variant, which the Europeans would because that's plentiful over there, when there was a Chevy TRUCK variant (yes, with the correct output shaft) of the very same transmission, is beyond me.


The GM Two-Mode used in Chev/GMC trucks a decade ago (the 2ML70) would certainly be suitable and a more obvious choice, but it's not exactly the same: Toyota (including for Lexus models) uses an input split design, while the GM Two-Mode has both input and output side power splitters and has all-mechanical modes as well. They won't share any parts. They're "the very same transmission" in the sense that a current GM automatic is "the very same transmission" as a Mercedes G-Tronic, because they're both torque converter planetary automatics.  That GM unit was very expensive; I don't know what current availability and pricing might be like.

There is also a current GM longitudinal hybrid transmission of similar design; although GM has never put it in trucks, it might be suitable for a C-10 (which is smaller than current full-sized pickups). It is found only in the Cadillac CT6 PHEV, and designated by GM as the 4EL70 (Regular Production Option code "MRD"). The "70" indicates a GVWR comparable to the earlier 2ML70; that's not as strong as current GM pickup truck transmissions, but likely adequate for the C-10. Again, I have no idea of availability or pricing. Here's an illustration








... from a Green Car Congress article.

I don't know how much aftermarket or hobbyist support there is for use of any of the GM hybrid systems outside of the original vehicles.



gregski said:


> In that case I may have found the Global Hybrid Cooperation wiki article and here are some highlights:


Yes, that's the one; the GM designation is 2ML70.



gregski said:


> Rear wheel drivelight duty trucks using the 2-mode hybrid system include:
> 2009 Chevrolet Silverado Hybrid(aka GMT900)
> 2009 GMC Sierra Hybrid(aka GMT900)
> 
> so since I am not interested in a 4WD vehicle and want a 2WD rear wheel drive, my choice in this case is a one year vehicle as opposed to four years to choose from if going with the Lexus 2007-2011 GS450H...


Even if the 2ML70 was only in 4WD vehicles, the transfer case and tailhousing may be interchangeable with GM's conventional automatics, making the 2ML70 convertible to RWD applications... just a possibility.


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## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

stumbled upon this Lexus GS450H Hybrid Vehicle Dismantling Manual


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## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

this is a neat cut away of the Lexus GS450H transmotor, found on the OpenInverter dot org Wiki Page I believe


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## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

so one of the first things I've done was label MG1 and MG2 (Motor Generator 1 and Motor Generator 2 respectfully) yes I believe MG1 is missing the connection cover which I am hoping to source soon


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## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

so let's go over the Inverter connections starting with the two most obvious, the two high voltage orange hoses connect the two motors inside the transmission to the two matching ports on the front top of the Inverter, these are for what I call raw power there's no intelligence flowing through them, that's what the black wires are for

see good thing we labeled these as they are on the opposite side of the inverter than the transmission!


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## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

I decided to learn more about the stock Lexus hybrid battery harness next, and I'm glad I did as I learned it will be insufficient to use with our full 360 volt BMW 530e hybrid battery pack later on (thank you Artur)

the stock Lexus hybrid battery was only 288 volts and 1.4 kWh so maybe a range of 1.5 miles it also connected to the 30kW rated booster converter where the voltage was increased north of 600 volts, we will not be using those stock connections nor the booster converter do to the 30kW limitation, more on this later

note the electric Air Conditioning compressor, I am still scratching my head why Lexus would do this and strip the already minimum electron capacity by not using a conventional mechanical compressor, but hewk, what do I know


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## Rusted B&B (Nov 6, 2020)

Great build man!


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## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

ok let's take a look at the Inverter connectors on the driver side, this is where the power from the hybrid battery comes in and goes out to the air compressor


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## Rusted B&B (Nov 6, 2020)

That black strip is where I hooked it up - bypassed that connection


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## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

Rusted B&B said:


> Great build man!


Thank you mate, I appreciate that, I try to bring things down to the common man's level, I know a ton of "car guys" that can weld and fab race cars from scratch yet they may be intimidated by all the orange wires, ha ha, so I just want to put things in simple mans terms and get us all to pull off more EV Conversions, knowing not all of us are Nikola Teslas


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## Rusted B&B (Nov 6, 2020)

gregski said:


> Thank you mate, I appreciate that, I try to bring things down to the common man's level, I know a ton of "car guys" that can weld and fab race cars from scratch yet they may be intimidated by all the orange wires, ha ha, so I just want to put things in simple mans terms and get us all to pull off more EV Conversions, knowing not all of us are Nikola Teslas


Ha I get ya - I can weld all day long and build mechanical things all day - considering I'm build an electric tank. When it comes to electrical, wires, relays and the like - that's my kryptonite


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## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

since we are already looking at this side of the Inverter lets touch on them rubber hoses, one goes to the top of the radiator and the other comes from the bottom of the radiator via an electric water pump


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## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

Rusted B&B said:


> Ha I get ya - I can weld all day long and build mechanical things all day - considering I'm build an electric tank. When it comes to electrical, wires, relays and the like - that's my kryptonite


OMG I'm watching your YouTube channel as I write this, ha ha I found it this morning, I saw tank and I thought I'm in, love your humble attitude and mad fab skillz


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## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

I'm one of those guys who likes to take things apart, I'm sure most of you can relate. I also don't like wire harnesses where connectors disappear into the abyss, like those plastic white housings pictured above, so I decided to take them off and see what's going on inside there, that learned me that we can essentially separate the electronic air conditioning compressor wiring harness from the true hybrid battery one, cool beans


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## Rusted B&B (Nov 6, 2020)

gregski said:


> OMG I'm watching your YouTube channel as I write this, ha ha I found it this morning, I saw tank and I thought I'm in, love your humble attitude and mad fab skillz


Ha thanks man! I really have no idea what I'm doing - I build each aspect as I get an perfect idea for it - when it's stupid and dosn't work I try again. I try and make it funny to enjoy - been a blast doing it. I'm about 95% done with the wire harness so if you have any question I can totally help ya


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## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

Rusted B&B said:


> Ha thanks man! I really have no idea what I'm doing - I build each aspect as I get an perfect idea for it - when it's stupid and dosn't work I try again. I try and make it funny to enjoy - been a blast doing it. I'm about 95% done with the wire harness so if you have any question I can totally help ya


Thanks bro, I appreciate that and hell yes I need the help with the VCU wiring, can you email me as I am too dumb to figure out how to message folks on this forum directly muszyngr at yahoo dot com


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## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

Top Tip: for liberating old stubborn rubber hoses from metal hose ends, cut them length wise with a sharp box cutter blade and split them open


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## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

Rusted B&B said:


> That black strip is where I hooked it up - bypassed that connection


Yes sir


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## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

and removing the glued on plastic underneath that black metal strip required my level of precision


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## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

this is where we will wire up our orange high voltage BMW 530e battery pack harness after we make some proper ring terminal crimps for it (since the BMW plugs won't work with this Lexus port)


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## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

At this point some of youz might be wondering why go through all this hackery and not just use the stock OEM Lexus hybrid battery, I mean it plugs right in and you already have the orange high voltage wiring harness for it?

Simple, capacity. The problem with using hybrid vehicles as parts donors is that they come with decent motors and inverters but they lack in the battery department. More specifically the OEM Lexus battery pack is only something like 1.4 kWh which is good for maybe 1.5 mile range at low speed say 30 MPH

But, but but, isn't your BMW 530e battery also from a hybrid? Yes it is, and first of all it delivers "full voltage" aka 360 volts as opposed to only 288 from the Lexus one, and second of all it is 9.1 kWh so good for upwards of 20 miles at speed.

I originally planned on getting a Nissan Leaf battery pack but found the BMW 530e at a price point I could not pass up, only $900 bucks and it is much easier to work with for a test mule ie Phase 1 or Proof of Concept as it is about 1/4th the size of the Leaf pack. Also nothing stops us from getting another one like it and another one for a total of 27.3 kWh and our goal of 100 mile range, (fingers crossed).


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## brian_ (Feb 7, 2017)

gregski said:


> note the electric Air Conditioning compressor, I am still scratching my head why Lexus would do this and strip the already minimum electron capacity by not using a conventional mechanical compressor, but hewk, what do I know


An engine-driven mechanical compressor would produce cooling only when the engine is running, and these hybrids frequently shut the engine down, when stopped or coasting. I think that most people doing EV conversions would be happy to find that their hardware supports an electrically-driven compressor, because that means that they can have air conditioning in their converted vehicle.


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## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

brian_ said:


> An engine-driven mechanical compressor would produce cooling only when the engine is running, and these hybrids frequently shut the engine down, when stopped or coasting.


Ah, thanks Brian, I knew there was a logical reason, but just so you know you're talking to a guy who's currently daily is a '54 Chevy truck, ha ha so I sorta lack in the latest and greatest department, and no AC on my Hot Rod


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## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

and to take us on a Lexus GS450H EV Drivetrain Deep Dive is today's guest speaker the strikingly handsome Mr. Damien Maguire


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## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

So as I am buying myself some time here waiting on the low voltage black main wiring harness to arrive I figure I will put down my project plan / phases down on paper, aka sort of our Road Map


*PHASES*​*COMPONENTS / DETAILS*​*COMMENTS*​*Phase 0* - "Minimal Bench Test"Motor
Inverter
VCU (no WiFi card)
Throttle Pedal
60v 5A Bench Power Supply
Car battery
just "bump" the motor

this basically means do the bare minimum to just get the motor (MG2) to spin for a second

only B socket of the VCU wired up, so only 20 of the 40 pins

this is to ensure we have all of the core wiring and connections figured out

Note: we are not even introducing the battery pack to the configuration at this time*Phase 1* - "Full Bench Test"Motor
Inverter
VCU with WiFi card
Throttle Pedal
Battery Pack
Car battery
IVT-S Current Sensor
Laptop for digital gauge display
same as above plus lock out input shaft so that we spin both MG1 and MG2

both A and B sockets of the VCU wired up so all 40 pins

utilize the pre charge circuit to use battery pack power

Note: we are not even introducing the charger to the configuration at this time*Phase 2* - First Vehicle Testall components to make us drive installed in the vehicle, no charger yet
this is the just get the wheels to spin forwards in Drive and backwards in Reverse with the truck on jack stands phase

single battery pack minimal range

still no charger or BMS introduced to the configuration*Phase 3* - Vehicle Test with Chargerall components plus the Tesla charger in the vehicle
single battery pack minimal range

added Tesla charger

still no BMS implemented


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## brian_ (Feb 7, 2017)

gregski said:


> *PHASES*​*COMPONENTS / DETAILS*​*COMMENTS*​*Phase 0* - "Minimal Bench Test"Motor
> Inverter
> VCU (no WiFi card)
> Throttle Pedal
> ...


I doubt that the inverter will even bump the motor with only a ~12 volt power supply... but maybe.


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## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

brian_ said:


> I doubt that the inverter will even bump the motor with only a ~12 volt power supply... but maybe.


never said that, that's what the 60 volt 5 amp Bench Power Supply is for the 12 volt car battery is to power the VCU and the Inverter and that's how it works for Damien just a quick simple safe way to test


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## brian_ (Feb 7, 2017)

gregski said:


> ... that's what the 60 volt 5 amp Bench Power Supply is for...


Ooops, sorry, missed the perfectly clear 60 V spec. Yeah, I can see 60 V barely turning the 288 V inverter on.


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## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

brian_ said:


> Ooops, sorry, missed the perfectly clear 60 V spec. Yeah, I can see 60 V barely turning the 288 V inverter on.


no problem I was fixin' on adding more detail to my answer with a link to Damien's video (he has so many of them, and I like to pin point to the right spots in each to help folks out) here's a really cool brief walk around the minimum equipment needed (don't let the title mislead you)

Lexus GS450H VCU Firmware Tutorial


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## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

ladies and gentlemen I present to you what may possibly be the world's worst wiring diagrams complements of cardiagn.com

What's the goal here? Well it is to see the routing of the Inverter/Transmission wiring harness which I still struggle to identify using these horrible cluttered and overlayed diagrams

I think *Floor No. 4 Wire* is what we identified as the long battery wire harness that runs the length of the car, great, we already decided we won't even use it.











below u1 and u4 is the best they do at pointing out the Inverter / Transmission harness, and that is horrible and completely useless at best


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## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

meanwhile they clearly isolate and identify the obvious battery harness


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## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

Christmas in October

can you guess who this is from? I'll give you a hint, have you ever heard of the Gnome Cat?


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## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

So this is what I was expecting... the pic is a bit misleading as it pictures the 40 pin connector header thingie, yet on his website it states "*Enclosure and connectors NOT supplied*." again absolutely no complaint here just an observation and a clarification for anyone following along, that's all.


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## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

and this is what I got...

I do realize there is a parts/components shortage, this is more of an "observe and report" than a rant or a complaint, I am truly grateful to have gotten anything at all considering the circumstances, I am also very happy to see that he already soldered on the USB port for me

Missing is only the small black 5 volt switch mode regulator

FYI the shipping from Ireland to California took exactly precisely 2 weeks to the day


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## Rusted B&B (Nov 6, 2020)

I just finished my entire DIY wire harness last night - I just need a DC power source to give it power to test or a high voltage battery to do some testing - I need to find something like you did as I'm tapped out and can't afford 10k worth of tesla or LG chem batteries lol


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## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

Rusted B&B said:


> I just finished my entire DIY wire harness last night - I just need a DC power source to give it power to test or a high voltage battery to do some testing - I need to find something like you did as I'm tapped out and can't afford 10k worth of tesla or LG chem batteries lol


Awesome job, I know that must have taken a while, where did you source the Inverter rectangular plug?

Also, I plan on just using a Bench Power Supply such as this one for testing, yes it's enough to spin that motor, Damien did just that.

DC Power Variable Supply 60V 5A 4Digital Display Adjustable Regulated Switching Power Supply


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## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

so yeah we need this Cinch 40 PIN connector header thingie part number *5810140011* in order to move forward, if any of you have one laying around, (ha ha) I would really appreciate it if you sold it to me (do it for SCIENCE), everyone seems to be out of stock of these, is this the new toilet paper of 2021?



















currently... *SOLD OUT*


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## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

now I don't mean to brag, but I am a pretty resourceful feller, [pronounced: I clicked the View Similar button on DigiKeys website] and found this guy part number *5810120011*, it appears to be that other guys baby brother, and yes it only has half the pins, but if you do the math, that's all you need to get the motor to spin, the other side is essentially for gauges and temp sensors etc, more on that later



















darn it... also *SOLD OUT*


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## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

and on to Plan C, and I gotta admit I now know way more about connector pitches and number of pins and pin positions and rows than I care to admit, ha ha

Meet "Mo" short for Molex, part number *348302001* this is that original 40 pin header's long lost cousin, on it's mother's side, so it still takes the same 33472-2001 plugs believe it or not


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## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

Talk to me Goose!

*Lexus GS450H VCU Kit Assembly*

*







*


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## Rusted B&B (Nov 6, 2020)

gregski said:


> Awesome job, I know that must have taken a while, where did you source the Inverter rectangular plug?
> 
> Also, I plan on just using a Bench Power Supply such as this one for testing, yes it's enough to spin that motor, Damien did just that.
> 
> DC Power Variable Supply 60V 5A 4Digital Display Adjustable Regulated Switching Power Supply


I search for about 2 months before I found that plug - I ended up calling a ton of local junkyards till a found one with a lexus gs450h and they still have the invertor and wire harness - managed to get another invertor and half a wire harness for 150$ - had to pull everything myself


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## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

Rusted B&B said:


> I search for about 2 months before I found that plug - I ended up calling a ton of local junkyards till a found one with a lexus gs450h and they still have the invertor and wire harness - managed to get another invertor and half a wire harness for 150$ - had to pull everything myself


so in other words you STOLE IT !!! ha ha, let me guess which part of California are you not from, ha ha here things are so stupid expensive, the guys here in my town Sacramento want $300 bones for the harness alone, highway robbery


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## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

and here are the other components I bought to complete the VCU build, an enclosure and two plugulators


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## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

and I am pleased to report that with zero effort on my part, meaning having soldered nothing to the board myself, as you can see the WiFi adapter is just laying along side of the PCB we can talk to the VCU via a USB cable and the *Arduino* free software called *IDE*, which stands for a fancy text editor on steroids and a compiler, *Integrated Development Environment*

you are welcome to Google Arduino or watch me try to ride that Bronco in a companion thread called *Any Isabellenhütte IVT-S Ninjas on here?* 










*
















*


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## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

Essentially we are simply using the free Arduino IDE software as a Terminal Emulation program to serially talk to our VCU since some companies decided to no longer include a perfectly good Terminal Emulation software in their Windows Operating System [yes I'm looking at you Microsoft]

so yeah it's as easy as point and shoot, just make sure your Arduino software knows which COM port to look for the VCU on like so










and then dial in your Baud rate (pronounced: how many symbols we can send per second)










and if we type *?* and hit enter we get the *Menu*










the menu is case sensitive so lower case d gives us the received data from the inverter


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## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

and all of this is beautifully presented by Damien in his *Lexus GS450H VCU Firmware Tutorial* YouTube video


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## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

So the next milestone for this project is Operation: *Get the Motor Spinning*

but for that we need at least one 20 pin header connector
and we need the "main engine wiring harness"
if any of you have a lead on where I can fetch such a harness or if you know a guy who knows a guy type of thing, please give me a hollar


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## Rusted B&B (Nov 6, 2020)

Have fun pinning the those pins into the connectors - I had a heck of a time getting them in there - still haven't figured out a good technique for them


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## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

So *Good News* *Bad News*

first the Good News, I got a wiring harness

yes I overpaid, but they wanted $300 originally, I offered $200, they came back with $275, I hit them with $225, and we decided to meet half way (keep in mind this is California so it's the equivalent of $160 in your state, ha ha) shipping was FREE as I just drove 15 miles and picked it up

this is what the crapy low res listing pics looked like


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## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

ok so a little background, my transmission and inverted are both from the same 2010 Lexus GS450H, and this harness is from a 2008

now check this out and you tell me if this makes any sense to you guys:

Harness Part # *82121-30E21* is for 2007-2010 (this is the one I bought)​$1,369 at the local Stealership​​Harness Part # *82121-30E22* is for 2009-2011​$1,366 at the local Stealership​​(I will post more detailed pics of the harness soon)







​​sorry the label was torn, and I wanted to present all the digits for you to see​​


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## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

so continuing on with the Good News, this 2008 harness plugs in to my 2010 transmission in all 5 places beautifully, like so

there are four connections on the driver side (two are for the resolvers, and I think one is a speed sensor and I don't recall what the fourth one is, maybe some shift solenoid thingie?)











these are the two resolvers below











I think the one on the right below is the speed sensor











this is the single connector on the passenger side and I'm gonna guess this is the neutral safety switch, maybe?


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## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

and now for the *Bad News*

none of the connectors plug into the Inverter

I recall reading *PatrcioEV-ATX* post on the *Lexus GS450H VCU Support Thread* where he said "_I bought an entire engine wiring harness off eBay and am using all original connectors and wiring up to the inverter and VCU. That harness does NOT come with the connector to the inverter._ "

but I just took it for granted and allowed it to go in one ear and out the other, well I just messaged him asking if he happened to know the part number of that transmission harness, so that we can compare numbers

here's what the plugs look like on the 2008 engine harness I just bought and after a bit of research they appear to go to the *ECM Engine Control Module*



















*Engine Control Module ECM*


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## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

per the *Lexus GS450H VCU Support Thread* we need a plug that looks like this, question being what harness does it grow on?


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## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

well this is sad I think I am being scammed by this forum member LarryRaylsen who messaged me and said his friend has the 40 pin connector, look when he joined our forum, so I reported him

including a screen shot of his profile incase it gets deleted and a pic of the "Cinch 40 PIN connector" his buddy emailed me


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## brian_ (Feb 7, 2017)

gregski said:


> So *Good News* *Bad News*
> 
> first the Good News, I got a wiring harness
> 
> ...


One of the themes which a user of this forum can choose uses a dark grey background with white text. Setting your text to black makes it almost unreadable. My usual suggestion to users of any forum is to not play with text appearance (size, colour, font) unless there is a specific and significant benefit.


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## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

brian_ said:


> One of the themes which a user of this forum can choose uses a dark grey background with white text. Setting your text to black makes it almost unreadable. My usual suggestion to users of any forum is to not play with text appearance (size, colour, font) unless there is a specific and significant benefit.


oh wait, I think I know what you are talking about, yes there was one post where I was using color and then i wanted to go back to regular font default color which in dark mode is white but I must have clicked on black because I did not know how to revert it back to default color

ok I went back and fixed that post, the choice I had to make was remove formatting instead of saying make the font black


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## brian_ (Feb 7, 2017)

Do you have the Toyota (Lexus) service manual diagrams for this wiring? They usually identify all harnesses. I realize that no one buys service manuals any more, but the content is all available online by subscription, both from the OEMs and from authorized third-party providers such as AllData. The usual professional service is expensive but covers all makes; I bought AllDataDIY access specifically for two of my vehicles for a while.


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## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

brian_ said:


> Do you have the Toyota (Lexus) service manual diagrams for this wiring? They usually identify all harnesses. I realize that no one buys service manuals any more, but the content is all available online by subscription, both from the OEMs and from authorized third-party providers such as AllData. The usual professional service is expensive but covers all makes; I bought AllDataDIY access specifically for two of my vehicles for a while.


I searched but could not find anything for free, the best I found I shared with you all in the prior posts. I called my local Lexus dealership today, gave them my VIN and the guy there could not tell which harness goes to the Inverter and he tried and tried, and I am sure the dealership uses the best wiring diagrams they can get their hands on.

I also joined the *Club Lexus forum* and asked them to help me identify the harness, and the response I got was go look at the *Open Inverter forum* ha ha to which I replied, that's where I came from


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## brian_ (Feb 7, 2017)

gregski said:


> I searched but could not find anything for free, the best I found I shared with you all in the prior posts. I called my local Lexus dealership today, gave them my VIN and the guy there could not tell which harness goes to the Inverter and he tried and tried, and I am sure the dealership uses the best wiring diagrams they can get their hands on.


I'm not surprised that nothing detailed is free, but in a project which costs many thousands of dollars it might make sense to pay $20 for a month of unlimited access to complete Lexus service information for the selected year of GS 450h to sort things out.

The people who answer the phones at dealerships are rarely as technically competent as a serious DIY auto enthusiast. Dealership service is mostly a matter of reading error codes then unplugging bad stuff and plugging in identical but new replacement stuff. They make money by charging $100+ per "hour" (which usually means 40 minutes of actual shop time) for work, not by doing technical investigations free of charge. Techs are usually expected to bill for more "hours" of work in a day than they are actually in the shop - every minute spent on non-billable activities risks losing their job, so I don't blame them for being less than entirely helpful.


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## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

brian_ said:


> I'm not surprised that nothing detailed is free, but in a project which costs many thousands of dollars it might make sense to pay $20 for a month of unlimited access to complete Lexus service information for the selected year of GS 450h to sort things out.
> 
> The people who answer the phones at dealerships are rarely as technically competent as a serious DIY auto enthusiast. Dealership service is mostly a matter of reading error codes then unplugging bad stuff and plugging in identical but new replacement stuff. They make money by charging $100+ per "hour" (which usually means 40 minutes of actual shop time) for work, not by doing technical investigations free of charge. Techs are usually expected to bill for more "hours" of work in a day than they are actually in the shop - every minute spent on non-billable activities risks losing their job, so I don't blame them for being less than entirely helpful.


he had no way of knowing that I would NOT buy the harness had he found it, so he was doing his best to identify the correct part for me knowing it would cost upwards of a $1,000 dollars


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## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

brian_ said:


> Do you have the Toyota (Lexus) service manual diagrams for this wiring? They usually identify all harnesses. I realize that no one buys service manuals any more, but the content is all available online by subscription, both from the OEMs and from authorized third-party providers such as AllData. The usual professional service is expensive but covers all makes; I bought AllDataDIY access specifically for two of my vehicles for a while.


thanks, here we go....


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## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

so I learned sum stuff about the wiring harness today that is worth sharing, 

so I started with this










and first I laid it out nicely, this is the view as if you were standing in front of the car


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## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

well the first thing I spied with my little eye, is that this is not one harness but two, you see they also gave me the small fuel injector harness, this part below, they are not linked together at all other than clipped together as in zipped tied










here they are separated










I share this with you because this could be the reason why the sellers refer to it as the engine harness, my guy told me it was an engine harness cause look it has the fuel injector plugs


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## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

ok, so with the fuel injector sub harness removed we get this, still a mess but a lesser mess










here it is flipped to match the orientation in the wiring diagrams, basically the ECM/ECU lives on the driver side of the engine bay so that would be on the upper right side looking at the pic below


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## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

so here's a *Top Tip* on how to identify this harness from pictures to make sure the seller is listing what you want

I was making the mistake of looking for the rectangular Inverter plug well now we know this harness does not come with that plug, so instead look for the transmission connections, particularly this large gray plastic housing that follows the profile of the driver side of the transmission, it is a good clue you are getting the right harness










and look for these two identical gray Resolver plugs on it (there is a third plug just like these in the front of the harness it's actually the other end of one of the Resolvers)




















and here is that third plug it's at the front of the harness, the black plug is different but it is also for the other Resolver


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## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

so then I began the thinning out process, I was doing this for two reasons:

We don't need 73% of this harness (it has a bunch of extra plugs on it)
I wanted to trace where the Resolver wires went to, knowing that would give me a clue how to track down the Inverter harness


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## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

I must be sick in the head cause I actually enjoy this process, I love discovering what lives inside these crazy housings










splices? junctions? what would you call 'em? wet cigarettes?


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## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

pretty quickly after simply starting at the transmission end and undoing those branches I could tell that 80% of the wires ran to the *Engine Control Module ECM* small plug


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## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

so I kept going and followed the easily distinguishable thick black wires for the Resolver twisted pairs, I was surprised that they did not run to the *Hybrid Vehicle Control ECU* but remained separate and ran to two almost identical small plugs in the front of the vehicle



















one plug being slightly larger and having some additional wires outside the shielded pair conduit


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## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

so here are the home runs of the thick black Resolver cords

Note: nothing has been cut up to this point


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## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

progress continued...

In the foreground you see the big pile that will end up not getting used










here we see the small *Engine Control Module ECM* plug that almost all of the remaining wires run to


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## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

so technically I only had to cut these two Resolver wires to divorce what we need from what we don't need, and they ran to this alien plug


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## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

and then I think I snipped 4 irrelevant wires to nicely separate that *Hybrid Vehicle Control ECU* plug with the wires we want to keep, I did that just to show all three of the plugs the wires we need to keep run to, though we will cut these plugs off anyway


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## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

and here's a birds eye view of all that we will actually use


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## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

and here is how much of that harness we don't need


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## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

folks I think due to Brian's persistence I think I may have figured out what wiring harness we have and more importantly what harness comes with the Inverter plug, now for the record I found the same exact diagrams for FREE however without the ALLDATA diy website I wasn't able to filter on specific year and model of the vehicle so I was more confused than a blind goat on astroturf between the GS450H and the GS350H and the right hand drive and the left hand drive etc, blah blah blah, excuses, escuses

so without further do this idiotically called *Engine Compartment - Position Of Parts* in the Vehicle > Locations > Connectors section and then titled *Position of Parts in Engine Compartment* is the *A Main Engine Compartment Wiring Harness* shown in *teal* in this convoluted diagram it also goes by yet another name *Engine Room Main Wire* in the Grounds Diagram

Yes, all those circles with the A## labels all go to this one single teal harness, not to any other harness in any other color in this diagram, now I know!!!


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## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

the silliness continues with their numbering system, for instance you wont find A6 or A7 in the list below










and what happened to A28 through A40?


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## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

now in that same cluttered diagram the *olive* colored wiring harness called *Engine Compartment - Position Of Parts - Part 2* and later titled the same exact thing as the first engine harness *Position of Parts in Engine Compartment *is the actual *Engine and Transmission Harness* the one I bought, it too sports another moniker of simply *Engine Wire* in the Grounds Diagram

Note how all the labels start with E## that corresponds exactly precisely to my part number 82121-30*E*21


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## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

and here is the list of the E harness labels


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## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

in the diagram below the *TEAL* harness is the Inverter Harness and the *OLIVE* harness is the Transmission harness that I bought the arrow points to how and where they plug in to each other (no intermediate box involved)

neither of the two diagrams identifies this "Junction"


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## Tremelune (Dec 8, 2009)

Fantastic thread. I can't stress enough how valuable this level of documentation will be to people for years to come.

The Lexus transmission may wind up being too big for an MGB, but it's still on my list for possible motors when the time comes. It's great that someone else is figuring everything out first!


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## brian_ (Feb 7, 2017)

gregski said:


> the silliness continues with their numbering system, for instance you wont find A6 or A7 in the list below
> ...
> and what happened to A28 through A40?


My guess is that they were assigned to connectors in the corresponding harness of other vehicles in the same family, with components that are not needed in this specific vehicle. Examples might be the conventional automatic transmission, the neutral and clutch switches on the manual transmission, and AWD system components. It's probably like the permanently empty positions in fuse panels, corresponding to fuses for stuff not in that vehicle. Just a guess...


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## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

Tremelune said:


> Fantastic thread. I can't stress enough how valuable this level of documentation will be to people for years to come.
> 
> The Lexus transmission may wind up being too big for an MGB, but it's still on my list for possible motors when the time comes. It's great that someone else is figuring everything out first!


Thank you for your kind words and the positive feedback. MGB huh? I've always liked those and could see myself in that classic British green with the tan interior (oh snap out of it, you have enough projects already)


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## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

brian_ said:


> My guess is that they were assigned to connectors in the corresponding harness of other vehicles in the same family, with components that are not needed in this specific vehicle. Examples might be the conventional automatic transmission, the neutral and clutch switches on the manual transmission, and AWD system components. It's probably like the permanently empty positions in fuse panels, corresponding to fuses for stuff not in that vehicle. Just a guess...


always appreciate your level headed feedback!


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## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

[rant]
so as I am trying to track down the *Engine Room Main Wire* harness I am noticing a similar trend, the sellers keep asking for my vehicle identification number aka VIN, so when you buy your transmission or inverter make sure you get that just in case, also I don't like providing them with the VIN as that limits you to that year or that particular vehicle with all those specific features yet what you really want is the "universal" Inverter plug that works across all of them

I actually had this discussion with the parts tech, rep, what ever you want to call them at my local Lexus dealership. I asked him to look up a part number for me, he looked it up and said that one fits 2008-2009, then I gave him my VIN and he gave me a different part number (where only one digit changed) and said that one fits 2010 only. And I said wow only 2010, and he said well it's not just the year that matters he said it depends on all the features on your car, like what headlights you have on there. I said, headlights? I am buying an engine harness, and he said oh yes.

so you have to be a consultant with them, in other words: look at their watch and tell them what time it is, ha ha
[/rant]


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## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

Door Key
Piano Key
Digi-Key














































*Do Not Do This!* do not put the cover on until the end, as it takes an Act of Congress to remove it, ha ha


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## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

so the first thing I checked was the plugulators, and quickly realized HUSTON We Have A Problem

the gray plug seems to be keyed slightly different and won't go over the 20 pin connector, the black one matches it perfectly


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## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

What to do? What to do?

Well we could order another black plug, but then it would be hard to tell them apart and we risk plugging them into the wrong connectors!

five minutes later...










so we shaved the ridge off of one of the black connectors, and made it nice and flat


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## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

next the twins needed a little attitude adjustment


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## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

fitment by a 1,000 cuts


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## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

no peg, no problem










the pins aligned perfectly no tweaking necessary


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## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

wait what? your brother want's to join too


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## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

10 minutes later...


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## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

let's try that on for size... that looks gooder


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## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

alright, what's next? are you serious? does anything fit?










the PCB won't slide all the way back inside the enclosure, seems like the 20 pin connector faces are angular, preventing them rom sliding back further...


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## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

time to trimertize some more


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## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

this was not in any of Damien's videos, lol


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## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

oh you have got to be kidding me mate


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## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

we're not done yet, but we're getting there, had to stop for the night as it started to rain outside and it was getting dark

please keep in mind we are not going for perfection, this is just a stop gap until the right header comes back in stock


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## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

alright, enough off that Hack-A-Thon, let's build something

we're going to complete building the *Lexus GS450H VCU* (Vehicle Control Unit) PCB (Printed Circuit Board) wait what, what do you mean finish building it, didn't you pay good money for that? Why is it incomplete? Well two reasons:

Mr. Damien Maguire no longer offers completely built boards, he is much too busy reverse engineering other used electric and hybrid vehicle components for us, and we thank him for that.
Currently there is an electronic component shortage so we did not receive all of the components (no 40 pin header connector no three legged voltage regulator)
Now before we pick up the soldering iron let me just say that I am a minimalist, therefor I like taking baby steps, and doing the minimum required to get something to work, (not because I am lazy) but to keep complexity down to a minimum, so let's take a look at the 40 pin VCU connector below








​As you can see it is divided into two 20 pin plugs. Connector *A* I like to call *Ancillary* as in it supports the primary B connector. Connector A is what eventually will run our gauge display, important yes, essential to get the motor to spin, no. Connector *B* I like to pretend stands for *Basic* as in basically this is all we need to get the motor running, lol.


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## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

isn't this the most inefficient and wasteful packaging ever?





















... and with this ring I thee wed, ha ha


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## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

So here are the minimal components needed for the VCU to drive MG2 only in our Lexus GS450 "haych" ha ha transmotor, remember this transmission has two motors inside of it, MG1 and MG2. MG1 does not drive the output shaft, we talked about this earlier in the thread.

yup, just two things, one 20 pin header connector, and one voltage regulator (that's what was missing in my kit, your mileage may vary)


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## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

but wait bro, didn't we see a little red WiFi card that comes with that VCU, aren't you going to solder that on? nope, that WiFi card only sends data from the A Connector to a tablet or a laptop's web page to display these gauges. Awesome? Yes! Needed to get the motor to spin? No.

... all in due time Grasshopper


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## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

I am pretty happy with this cheap little Weller soldering stick










not bad for my first time










then we snip the pokeys off


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## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

and just like that the 20 pin B Connector is on, not bad for Government work, ha ha


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## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

the next thing to go on was that 5 volt regulator, now these have to go on a certain way, I did a little research on what the legs mean, and then used the rule of thumb that when in doubt make sure it fits in the component outline drawn on the circuit board where it needs to go, and does not stick out, it's not 100% reliable but it gives you a clue




















I had to goop this one from the top side of the board as it's legs refused to go through the little holes


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## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

Guess who just bought himself an overpriced Inverter Harness, I mean *Engine Room Main Wire*

and check out those helpful listing pics


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## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

Bruh! Did you seriously just drop over $550 large on both your harnesseses ?


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## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

So yeah I pulled the trigger for SCIENCE, man the things I do for you guys. 

Anyway, this Inverter Harness came from exactly precisely the same 2008 Lexus GS450H that I got my other harness from. Yes sir E. And this just goes to show that auto wreckers do not know hybrids or electric cars yet, cause I asked them 17 times if they happen to have this harness when I went there personally to pick my first one up. Nope no we don't they said.

So I came home and and researched the actual name of the Inverter harness, which is *Engine Room Main Wire* and then I Googled that and got a hit on their eBay listing and it had the darn part number listed right there in black and white.

So I called up my local Lexus Stealership and gave them that part number and my VIN and asked for the part number for my 2010 model and they provided it to me:

*82111-30K62* fits 2008-2009 (this is the used one that I just bought)​
costs $7,144 new
​*82111-30K64* fits 2010​
costs $6,341 new
Oh and in case you were wondering why the different part numbers the parts rep told me it does not just depend on the year as much as the features such as... and you can't make this stuff up "what headlights does it have" For crying out loud it's an engine harness, lol


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## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

came with this handsome biodegradable carrying case


----------



## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

so one of the first things I did was try to find the coveted Inverter plug part number

seriously ?!?!?!


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## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

30 minutes later


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## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

alright then 

Inverter plug part number *82821-50640*


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## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

the anatomy of a 2008 Lexus GS450 "haych" Inverter wiring harness aka *Engine Room Main Wire



































*


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## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

here we see how the two black twisted pair Resolver plugs from MG1 and MG2 from our Transmission Harness plug in directly into the Inverter Harness, this would have been on the passenger side of the engine bay


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## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

se here is just a bird's eye view of the passenger side branch of the Inverter Harness with the thinned out Transmission Harness to the left of that (with the bright green wire tail sticking out of it)


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## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

and so I began to unwrap that harness starting at the Inverter plug










I labeled the Resolver plugs just in case there were others that looked similar










*I think this is where the wreckers and dismantlers cut it off if you ask them just for a Inverter plug with a bit of a pig tail, seems like a good place to cut it, but DON'T !!!*


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## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

cause look what we get if we just go a little bit further 










*Folks, this is exactly precisely what I was hoping for, we have ourselves perfectly intact connections to the two resolvers from the transmission harness !!!*



















Wow, this is awesome, now let's head North


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## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

alright, what do you guys think, are we going to head left or right?










inch by inch










ah I think we're headed to the right


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## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

hey, look at that guys, some of those brown wires seem to be looping back on themselves, leaving us with less wires to follow, that's intersting










I hate those plastic shield, they have what I call one way clips, as in you can only snap them on, and then they get to brittle that you can't get them off without breaking at least ALL of them, ha ha


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## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

alright, another junction: South? or straight ahead?


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## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

alright now before we go any further I want to show you how the driver side (right side in the pics) of the Inverter harness connected to the Transmission harness

keep in mind that we don't need any of this transmission harness, this is just conceptual 



















sorry I'm sharing duplicate pics of the same shot just in case some of you want to use them for Christmas cards


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## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

alright now with that out of the way let's head South down Hybrid Vehicle Control *ECU* Ave


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## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

alright another fork in the road will it be the larger or the smaller (dusty) plug

*Fun Fact:* the Transmission harness has the exact same plugs on it, hmmmm? we will have to investigate that


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## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

the 4 thick black twisted pair cables which I assume are for synchronous serial communication are going to the *Hybrid Vehicle Control ECU*


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## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

so it appears we can blow up this larger *Hybrid Vehicle Control ECU* plug to get a better looksee at it's back side


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## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

so yeah I think these are the four pairs of the synchronous serial communication between the *Hybrid Vehicle Control ECU* and the Inverter - this is the meat and potatoes of the entire operation


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## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

*so there is a total of 6 wires that run to this larger Hybrid Vehicle Control ECU plug*

the first is a skinny white wire with a black strip

please don't mind my labeling system it does not match any of the pins, the L simply stands for Large as in larger plug vs the smaller plug and the 1 just means the first wire I cut, and as long as I label both ends the same and the labels stay on, we should be fine in case we need to do some research, we will not be reconnecting these, this is just so we can identify them by their pin placement if need be

*Me From The Future:* do not label these wires, no need, and cut them as close to that plug as possible, you will thank me later when you are building your B connector plug.


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## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

and I did the same to the other four thick black wire pairs

L2 - Large plug second wire
L3 - Large plug third wire
L4 - Large plug fourth wire
L5 - Large plug fifth wire

*Me From The Future:* do not label these wires, no need, and cut them as close to that plug as possible, you will thank me later when you are building your B connector plug.


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## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

the 6th and final wire also looks like the 4 thick black ones but this one is shinny not matte and is not a pair of wires but just one black one

L6 - Large plug sixth wire


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## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

and that's what I call the Hybrid Vehicle Control ECU *L*arge Plug Six Pack


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## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

then we followed the only wire that ran to the other, smaller plug of the *Hybrid Vehicle Control ECU,* and is black with a white stripe shielded but only one single white wire on the inside





































I labeled this one S1 as in Small plug first wire, great that looks like a 15 or a 51 LOL


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## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

and just like that all we had left was two white wires with black stripes and one black one


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## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

so we followed these into the abyss


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## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

usually when I see junctions like this I think grounds, but I honesty have no idea in this case



















I unwrapped some more conduit to see where this bundle goes to


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## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

then I snipped it and labeled it "W" for Snow White


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## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

and that left us with the 10th and final wire, just the skinny black one, that would no go without a fight!



















this wire seems to be headed inside the dash


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## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

wait for it... 










and here it comes, what in the world is all this sticky mayo


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## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

sorry about the blurry pics it was getting dark already, and of course this wire had to run to the furthest point away from the Inverter





































After I snipped it I was so tired that when I went to label it I thought this is the last wire so I will use the last letter of the alphabet, and then I wrote down "Y" lol


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## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

and here's what we are left with, as in the stuff we are NOT going to use


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## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

pics of of the section of the Inverter Harness that we ended up using


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## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

so I think this is how it goes on the stock OEM Lexus GS450H

the *Inverter harness* plugs in to the Hybrid Vehicle Control *ECU*​​the *Transmission harness* plugs in to the Engine Control Module *ECM*​​and here to make it clear as day to us are some more crappy Lexus diagrams, lol, I swear if I hadn't seen the wiring harness diagrams I couldn't tell you where to find these in the engine bay, no joke, could you? Especially the ECU on the left it looks like it's just hovering in space!
​

*Hybrid Vehicle Control ECU*​*Engine Control Module ECM*​


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## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

so next I tried to acclimate myself with the invert connector and it's corresponding plug and see if we can identify some fo the wires

so we start with the *Inverter Connector* schematic from the Open Inverter Wiki as it shows us what the PINs are called










well if I look at the connector on my inverted it looks identical to that










I don't know if you can read that but the four pins on the left are for power, the top two are *Ground* and the bottom two are *Battery +*










so we get this:










and this is the Inverted Plug for it, keep in mind that it is flipped vertically (so the *+ +* are on top and the *- -* are on the bottom in the pic below)


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## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

What does this have to do with the price of tea in China?


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## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

New video uploaded to YouTube: *Dusty 1971 GMCe Electruck EV Conversion - Lexus GS450H Transmission Harness*

*







*


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## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

*TRUE* or *FALSE*

The "Engine Wire" harness in addition to the five transmission plugs also has the Inverter Plug on it?


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## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

alright guys let's demystify this Inverter 40 Pin connector some more

if you look at the other side, the right side in the pics (opposite of the -- ++ power inputs) all those wires but two go to the Rosolvers, and since I bought the Main Engine Room wire harness those wires/connectors came with the Inverted plug, so I don't need to do anything with this entire section put snap the two wire harnesses together using the factory plugs

*X X* the two exed out pins are not used, they may have ran to the Inverter cover (as a safety feature that would not power it up with the cover off) and the other to the Service Plug (you know that orange rip cord plug you pull out to disconnect the battery)










here is a detailed view of the two resolver connections to that section


*MG1 Resolver Pins*​*MG1 Resolver Wires to Transmission*​















*MG2 Resolver Pins*​*MG2 Resolver Wires to Transmission*​


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## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

*speaking of the stock Inverter wire harness with the resolver connectors, as a bonus the MG2 connector comes with the Invert + + Positive leads... BONUS ! One less thing to worry about, and have to crimp - blue wires on bottom left*


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## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

*OK, now we get to the Meat and Potatoes of the entire operation, the Four Most Important Cables, aka the Synchronous Serial Communication !*

Yes I said cables instead of wires, just trying to get my terminology right, a wire is just one conductor, a cable has many wires inside it, as do these. Each one of these special cables has two wires inside it, a white one and a black one, they are twisted together, and shielded, giving us what is commonly referred to as a twisted shielded pair.

So think of these wires as an 8 lane Super Highway that runs between the *Inverter* and the *Controller* (aka VCU Vehicle Control Unit) think Autobahn

*Don't worry about the pins that have the brown wires connect to them, they loop back on to themselves.*

*X I believe we cut the wire on this pin and don't use it I am not sure what it's for*











*MTH -* (white wire)goes to VCU B Connector *Pin 7**MTH +* (black wire)goes to VCU B Connector *Pin 8**HTM -* (white wire)goes to VCU B Connector *Pin 9**HTM +* (black wire)goes to VCU B Connector *Pin 10**REQ -* (white wire)goes to VCU B Connector *Pin 11**REQ +* (black wire)goes to VCU B Connector *Pin 12**CLK -* (white wire)goes to VCU B Connector *Pin 13**CLK +* (black wire)goes to VCU B Connector *Pin 14*


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## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

let's zoom in on them one by one


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## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

and the final wire I'm going to need from the Invert connector/plug is this black wire that will go to the Neutral Safety Switch on the passenger side of the Transmission and connect to the P pin for Park.


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## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

Well guys, looks like Spintober came and went and so now we can only hope that we get the motor moving in Movember, lol (oh come on it's funny)

you will find the Lexus GS450H Inverter / Transmission Controller V1 Connector pinout on Mr. Damien Maguire's GitHub (pronounced: _"an online place where software developers/programmers save and share their code with others to download and use"_) portal, and as a PDF attachment below, I took some liberties with it and first consolidated it all to just one page


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## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

those of you following along, you already know that to get the motor to spin all we need is the B Connector, so I simplified the Pin Out even more

basically as far as input in addition to the obvious Throttle signal, the VCU needs to know if it's safe to spin the output shaft, and it gets that information from the Transmissions Safety Neutral Switch via either the Revers or Drive wires.

So to summarize this is how the VCU works:

*INPUTS:*

Transmission Safety Neutral Switch signals (either Drive or Reverse)
Throttle pedal signal (0-5 volts)
*OUTPUTS:*

that whole MTH, HTM, REQ, CLK alphabet soup aka *Synchronous Serial Communication*


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## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

the struggle is real... ha ha

well there go my hopes of getting the motor to spin this weekend 

so yeah, sharing every bit so that when you set out to do your EV conversion build, please remember to factor in these FML occurrences


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## MesquiteTim (Sep 30, 2021)

I check in on you every day. I happened to order a supply a couple of days ago. Mine got delayed too.


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## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

MesquiteTim said:


> I check in on you every day. I happened to order a supply a couple of days ago. Mine got delayed too.


AWESOM, whacha buildin'?


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## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

now I know we are all excited to try out our brand new handheld hydraulic power assist wireless organic hammer crimpers, but before we do that I think we would all benefit from a quick refresher on *Molex MX150 Connector Disassembly & Reassembly* complements of the highly accredited University College of Connector Knowledge, UCCK


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## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

Anatomy of a MX150 Mat-Sealed Dual Row, 20 Circuits, Keying Option A, without Connector Position Assurance, Black Female Connector Assembly

PART NUMBER: 334722001

and you would think I am sponsored by CRAFTSMAN or something, which I am not, I was turned on to those tools as a kid by my father back in the days when they were quality tools made in Estados Unidos. I continued to use them since all my friends were using $nap On and other brands, because at the end of the day nobody wanted my old Craftsman so I never had to put my initials on them or worry about "loosing" any of my tools.

so first we stick a tiny 3/32" flat screwdriver up it's butt, and all I had to do is gently push it in, push it forward no need to twist it or anything like that


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## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

then on to the front side, here you twist, pry, cuss, repeat...














































in case you want to pick one up of these CRAFTSMAN 3/32" tiny screw drivers Part Number: 41640 _(my stock portfolio thanks you)_


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## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

so as with most electronic devices the first thing I like to do is wire up their power source, simply put a red positive wire, and a black negative, aka ground wire

please note I show you the bare circuit board but then I shove it in the case for protection and any future pics will show it in that case, but I just wanted you to know what's inside there

also I know this is a deep cycle battery I borrowed from my solar panel arrangement for demonstration purposes, just pretend it's an actual 12 volt dime a dozen car battery


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## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

so we could half donkey it with some basic leads with simple alligator clips (red to Pin 1, black to Pin 5), but we expect more here at *Good Enuff Garage








*


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## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

oh man!, he's gonna make us use a fuse

yup and proper pins but we're keeping the alligator clips on the battery side for quick disconnect if we see or smell smoke


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## Gregs-Nemesis (Nov 7, 2021)

nice thread... [ too many words] hey Genius, why can't we just use a USB cord from say a laptop to power up that VCU for testing purposes?


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## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

Gregs-Nemesis said:


> nice thread... [ too many words] hey Genius, why can't we just use a USB cord from say a laptop to power up that VCU for testing purposes?


That's an excellent question, hey where do I know you from, you look.... ah never mind

Yes since a USB port is rated at 5 volts you could power the VCU from it, keep in mind that the throttle pedal gets it's 5 volts daisy chained off the VCU (positive from Pin 15, negative from Pin 20) so there's that, we will get to that later on in this [ahem] too wordy thread


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## BAstereo (Dec 28, 2018)

Gregs-Nemesis said:


> nice thread... [ too many words] hey Genius, why can't we just use a USB cord from say a laptop to power up that VCU for testing purposes?


Listen here, don't interrupt Greg's masters thesis! 😉

I've been enjoying reading this, not commenting, and enjoying the thread, keep it up. 

I'd offer advice or help, but I don't have any to offer yet


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## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

... meanwhile over on our state of the art 3D crimping facility


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## Gregs-Nemesis (Nov 7, 2021)

gregski said:


> ... meanwhile over on our state of the art 3D crimping facility
> 
> View attachment 124787


*FALSE:* That is an open space concept base cabinet kitchen island in white lacquer semi gloss finish accented by a high polish granite countertop.


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## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

anyways... I'm a firm believer in the colloquial belt and suspenders phrase so I will be crimping and soldering all my connections

it's also a good time to practice your soldering for when you are out in the field or the garage


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## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

What the...?

The Struggle Is Real people!


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## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

Top Tip: treat crimpers like screw drivers you will need more than one so that you can match them up correctly to the pins, and I don't mean like a phillips and a flat head I mean like a bunch of flat heads, so the same style crimper by different manufacturers, they come in many flavors but here we are using the kind for unshielded connectors










see how this crimping tool did a decent job on the stripped wire section but not so good on the red shielded part, and this is my favorite crimper, but not today


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## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

so it was off to the bullpen...



















this crimp of the black wire insulation part looks gooder, doesn't it, but hey You Do You! ha ha


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## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

so this is just a reminder to solder your connections, see it's that belt (crimp the shielded wire part for connection strength) and suspenders (in case that's a bad crimp) the solder will hold it as well as provide a better conductance 

I did go back and recrimp this with the other tool (trust me)


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## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

make sure to get all your ducks in a row


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## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

now for the up is down and left is right part, I took this pic before putting that front white grille back on so that we can see the pins we just shoved in there, wait what, did I do that wrong
(The *red wire* is supposed to be in Pin #1 and the *black wire* in Pin #5.)

ha ha, no you have to pin the plug from the back if you are confused, plug it in to the connector on the left, otherwise you will end up pinning the plug wrong, cause you know the Pinout diagram is for the VCU connector the part you will be plugging the plug into and not the actual plug itself

this is why I usually do a pin out on the plug so that we're comparing apples to apples and not apples to bowling bowls, lol

hope any of that made sense


*VCU Connector B*​*Black Plug On the Wire Harness*​


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## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

and just like that Robert's your father's brother


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## MesquiteTim (Sep 30, 2021)

gregski said:


> AWESOM, whacha buildin'?


Hyper 9 with Tesla modules slapped into an Exocet. Nothing complicated at all compared to your science project.


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## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

MesquiteTim said:


> Hyper 9 with Tesla modules slapped into an Exocet. Nothing complicated at all compared to your science project.


What? Not even an *Isabellenhütte* ? lOl


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## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

next we will tether the VCU to the Inverter (a metal box the size of a quad toaster that inverts DC electricity from the batteries to AC electricity for the motors)


*Inverter*​*Not an Inverter*​


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## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

we know that we need to use the four black thick cables that contain a two wire pair each for this from the *Maine Engine Room* wiring harness, not to be confused or mistaken for the Engine Wire harness (aka our transmission harness)




















the messy brown wires below are there for two reasons:

they ground the shielding of those cables
to confuse us, lol (we do not touch them, they do not go to the VCU)


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## Rusted B&B (Nov 6, 2020)

Do those brown wires need to go anywhere because they don't in the wire diagram


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## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

Rusted B&B said:


> Do those brown wires need to go anywhere because they don't in the wire diagram


Excellent question, no they are a strange design and I don't fully get it, but they come from the Inverter plug and do a U turn back to the Inverter, so they do not go to the VCU, I included some pics of one of them close up. Here is a *wiring diagram* found on the Open Inverter Wiki, I labeled what's what on it, the attached one, you may be able to enlarge easier.


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## Rusted B&B (Nov 6, 2020)

maybe a stray signal or interference gets grounded, idk


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## brian_ (Feb 7, 2017)

gregski said:


> ... Here is a *wiring diagram* found on the Open Inverter Wiki, I labeled what's what on it, the attached one, you may be able to enlarge easier.
> 
> View attachment 124826


The Toyota service documentation (via AllData) should have similar electrical schematics for the entire vehicle.


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## MesquiteTim (Sep 30, 2021)

gregski said:


> What? Not even an *Isabellenhütte* ? lOl


letting you blaze the trail first


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## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

boring...

so this will be that 8 lane super highway 


*MTH -* (white wire)goes to VCU B Connector *Pin 7**MTH +* (black wire)goes to VCU B Connector *Pin 8**HTM -* (white wire)goes to VCU B Connector *Pin 9**HTM +* (black wire)goes to VCU B Connector *Pin 10**REQ -* (white wire)goes to VCU B Connector *Pin 11**REQ +* (black wire)goes to VCU B Connector *Pin 12**CLK -* (white wire)goes to VCU B Connector *Pin 13**CLK +* (black wire)goes to VCU B Connector *Pin 14*


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## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

well I wanted to just add these 8 wires to the black plug and take some pics of it all closed up, but it was such a PIA getting them in there with their shielded conduit preventing me from sliding the rear clip further back that I just decided to go for it and add all the remaining wires and only having to deal with it once, hope you understand

if I was to do it again I may do these four thick cables last, don't know


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## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

*Literally Nobody:* _So how long exactly are those synchronous serial communication cables?"_

*Me:*


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## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

the throttle pedal was next, this will be our INPUT signal to the VCU

I think we only need one of the two channels but I decided to run both channel signals to the VCU cause again its a pain to wire that plug, this is a BMW E46 hall effect throttle pedal which I purchased on eBay for $40 bucks, I snagged one with a pig tail and I'm glad I did

this thing needs 5 voltuators from the VCU pin 15 and it gets it's ground from the VCU pin 20 as well, picky picky. Signal 1 wire connects to pin 17, and [the optional and I don't think implemented in this VCU version 2] signal 2 wire connects to pin 16.



















first I extended the pig tail to yay long


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## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

In addition to getting it's INPUT from the throttle pedal the VCU gets input from the transmission Neutral Safety Switch, it wants to know when we are in gear, so it can allow the motor to spin, it will accept either the Drive signal (on Pin 4) or the Reverse signal (on Pin 3), makes sense

*Note: *a third signal, Park goes from the Neutral Safety Switch directly to the Inverter using a thick black shielded cable with only a single black wire inside it. I believe this is a safety feature that turns off the high voltage when in Park.


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## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

and here is our bare essentials wiring harness, no thrills just enough to get the motors to spin (but only MG2 will be spinning the output shaft at this time, MG1 will be spinning the input shaft, more on that later)










and one more time, this time with [ahem] words










and here it is with all the components but the transmission [wife would not allow it on her hardwood floor, hey... rules are rules!!!]


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## MesquiteTim (Sep 30, 2021)

tell your wife to chill a little


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## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

so you know how WE bought the 60 volt 5 amp DC Power Supply and *AMAZON* said *Undeliverable*, well what do we do, we adopt and overcome so I ordered this beauty instead, a 30 volt 10 amp unit, since the word on the street is this Lexus transmission loves amps


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## Gregs-Nemesis (Nov 7, 2021)

WHAT? You went from a 60 volt down to a 30 volt power supply? Shouldn't you be going the other way, like the 120 volt 3 amp model? Everybody knows these motors require 600 volts to operate.


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## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

Gregs-Nemesis said:


> WHAT? You went from a 60 volt down to a 30 volt power supply? Shouldn't you be going the other way, like the 120 volt 3 amp model? Everybody knows these motors require 600 volts to operate.


*LEXUS GS450H MYTHS*


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## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

anyway...










First Impression: This thing is small !


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## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

Folks, I'm not a smart man, but I know what a Power Button is. It's supposed to turn the box ON and OFF, well let's just say mine is putting in only half the effort, ha ha, it powers it On, but no matter what won't power it Off. 

So I contacted the seller, they apologized, and said send it back, great !


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## Rusted B&B (Nov 6, 2020)

Good luck getting that first spin - i've spent hours going over mine getting nothing - I may have a dead inverter but I can't figure it out - ready to just quit


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## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

Rusted B&B said:


> Good luck getting that first spin - i've spent hours going over mine getting nothing - I may have a dead inverter but I can't figure it out - ready to just quit


Brother nooooo! take a step back, and if you built your own harness, no disrespect but please go out and buy the transmission one at least, I've talked to another guy on this forum who said he had a tough time at first with the one he built from scratch. You need the factory resolvers to inverter twisted shielded pair cables to be perfect. I wish you were local.


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## Rusted B&B (Nov 6, 2020)

gregski said:


> Brother nooooo! take a step back, and if you built your own harness, no disrespect but please go out and buy the transmission one at least, I've talked to another guy on this forum who said he had a tough time at first with the one he built from scratch. You need the factory resolvers to inverter twisted shield pair cables to be perfect. I wish you were local.


maybe i'll keep my eye out- thought I just saw a link for one but now I can't find it


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## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

Rusted B&B said:


> maybe i'll keep my eye out


The Inverter wire harness with the inverter plug and the plugs for the resolver wires is listed on eBay now, go snatch it up please: *07 08 Lexus GS450H Engine Room Fuse Box Harness 82111-30K71* and ask the dude if he has the other one.


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## Rusted B&B (Nov 6, 2020)

just bought it


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## Gregs-Nemesis (Nov 7, 2021)

Rusted B&B said:


> just bought it


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## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

alright, enuff word's time for *Phase I - aka Operation: "Spin You S.O.B."* [wait is this a family friendly forum?]










and here are our *Take Aways* from that first attempt:

1. the VCU does not come *Pre Programmed* !​2. the Safety Neutral Switch pinout I found is dead wrong!​


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## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

We need to *program* two things in the VCU (Vehicle Control Unit) ie that Open Source circus board

1. *Maximum torque* values for both Drive and Reverse, the VCU comes with both of those values set to 0, so you will be pressing the throttle till the cows come home and no cows will ever arrive.

2. We need to *calibrate the throttle*, more specifically zero throttle and maximum throttle values


----------



## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

I took on the transmission *Neutral Safety Switch* pinout next [there's four hours of my life I will never get back, makes Common Core Math look intuitive]


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## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

I always get so confused trying to shift automagical gear boxes without the floor shifter, I have to take a moment and convince my small brain, it is all opposite

so since you push the floor shifter forward to put the thing in Park, that moves the actual lever on the side of the transmission back, putting it in what I would call the 10 am position

Reverse being straight up, so 12:00 o'clcok

Neutral at 1:00 o'clock

and Driver at 2:00 o'clock

*Millennials:* the circle with numbers below is called an analog clock, they used to hang on the walls in our classrooms (from after WWWII until WWW ha ha) tongue and cheek people, tongue and cheek


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## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

new video just dropped

*Lexus GS450H Inverter Harness - 1971 GMCe Electruck EV Conversion*

*







*


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## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

excited to share a quick video of the transmotors first spin

*Lexus GS450h Transmission Motor First Spin*

yes my videos suck, I'm still learning


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## Rusted B&B (Nov 6, 2020)

I bet that felt great! - I'm redoing my harness now and just doing one side to try and get this thing to spin - or at the least verify I have a bad inverter


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## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

Rusted B&B said:


> I bet that felt great! - I'm redoing my harness now and just doing one side to try and get this thing to spin - or at the least verify I have a bad inverter


It sure did and I would be lying to you if I said I got it right on the first try, there are just too many pieces to the puzzle [I'm looking at you Safety Neutral Switch!], but having both the stock OEM "Inverter" harness as well as the "Transmission" harness took care of 87% of the wiring. I know you catch my drift.


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## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

so on to *Phase II *(Operation* Tumbleweed*)


in this phase we are going to complete building the controller (VCU) by soldering on the other 20 pin connector header as well as the tiny header for the tiny red WiFi card











we will make some sort of a mechanical bracket to lock the input shaft, because preventing it from spinning will force Motor Generator 1 (MG1) to help MG2 spin the output shaft


and we will build / connect the rest of the wiring harness (hewk we may even loom it, professional like and such!)


I don't think we will wire up the external electrical transmission fluid aka oil pump yet


and I don't think we will wire up the *Isabellenhütte ISA Scale* current sensor, as we don't have the right one yet


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## _Gustav_ (Nov 19, 2021)

You're doing yeoman's work showing the steps you're taking to get this all spinning. Really appreciate it! I'm considering swapping an 87 Dodge pickup, so this is extremely helpful in the _figuring_ process. Keep it up!


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## xp677 (Oct 15, 2017)

gregski said:


> *OK, now we get to the Meat and Potatoes of the entire operation, the Four Most Important Cables, aka the Synchronous Serial Communication !*
> 
> Yes I said cables instead of wires, just trying to get my terminology right, a wire is just one conductor, a cable has many wires inside it, as do these. Each one of these special cables has two wires inside it, a white one and a black one, they are twisted together, and shielded, giving us what is commonly referred to as a twisted shielded pair.
> 
> ...


GI is the engine RPM signal from the engine ECU, not needed, cut short, fold back and heat shrink over the fold (adhesive lined), don't remove the pin. To preserve IP rating.


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## xp677 (Oct 15, 2017)

gregski said:


> then on to the front side, here you twist, pry, cuss, repeat...
> 
> View attachment 124775
> 
> ...


Have a read of the application specification for these connectors.



https://www.molex.com/pdm_docs/as/1601110001-AS-000.pdf



The white TPA piece should not be fully removed!


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## xp677 (Oct 15, 2017)

gregski said:


> Excellent question, no they are a strange design and I don't fully get it, but they come from the Inverter plug and do a U turn back to the Inverter, so they do not go to the VCU, I included some pics of one of them close up. Here is a *wiring diagram* found on the Open Inverter Wiki, I labeled what's what on it, the attached one, you may be able to enlarge easier.
> 
> View attachment 124826
> 
> ...


The DRN pins on the inverter provide clean grounds for the drain wires inside the twisted pair, and resolver cable (along with GI). They loop back partway and connect to the drain wire inside the cable assembly. They are important to prevent EMI to signals within these cables. They are all brown. Leave them be!


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## xp677 (Oct 15, 2017)

Rusted B&B said:


> Do those brown wires need to go anywhere because they don't in the wire diagram


They certainly do, they connect to the drain wires inside the screened twisted pair and resolver cables. It's clearly shown on the diagram


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## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

Folks: When *xp677* talks... we listen!


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## xp677 (Oct 15, 2017)

gregski said:


> *LEXUS GS450H MYTHS*
> 
> View attachment 124856


650V is the max rating of the components and is the operating bus voltage in the GS450h.

Lower voltage will work but the effects of back-EMF will become more apparent with lower bus voltages, limiting max torque as motor speed increases.

Depending on your gearing, this will probably not matter.

The motors spin up just fine on 12V DC!


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## xp677 (Oct 15, 2017)

gregski said:


> Folks: When *xp677* talks... we listen!


Your project is looking great, it's good to see you're taking your time and using plenty of care when working with these components. Thank you so much for your detailed documentation of your work.

It's interesting to see the "stock" wiring harnesses used, I always wanted to do this but sadly they were cost prohibitive for me at the time. It certainly makes for a cleaner install!

I'm just here having a read through, feel free to DM me on Openinverter if you need anything.


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## xp677 (Oct 15, 2017)

Rusted B&B said:


> Good luck getting that first spin - i've spent hours going over mine getting nothing - I may have a dead inverter but I can't figure it out - ready to just quit


Please can you make a thread, either here or on Openinverter, add plenty of pics, diagrams, etc. There are plenty of folks who can help you through it.

I've been working with these units for a few years now and know many of the pitfalls.


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## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

baby steps


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## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

remember we can power up this controller board (aka VCU) by simply attaching a USB cable to it, here I am using a computer but you can just use an AC USB Adapter

supplying power to the controller powers up the newly added little red WiFi network car and it starts advertising it's wireless network called *gs450h_vcu*, it is actually a tiny little web server hosting just one page, this gauge console










and yes I did call my home wireless network "Network Not Found" how friggen clever is that?


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## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

so out of the box you have the ability to change the background of that gauge cluster, because when I told you this little WiFi card was hosting only one page I lied, it's actually hosting two, LOL


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## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

but if you know Arduino, sky's the limit










this is just a prototype


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## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

and here I'm just demonstrating how you can run the gauges on your old 7" Android tablet in kiosk mode so that you don't get the silly address bar on top or the menu bar

I plan on modifying these gauges to show me my Speedometer and battery capacity as well


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## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

so to complete the Controller VCU board build it was time to solder on the second 20 pin connector this is the A Connector which I called Ancillary





























I mean I wouldn't kick myself out of bed for eating crackers after this job, looks pretty good to me


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## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

just look at this handsum feller, and yes I am NOT snapping that cover in until absolutely the very final days of the project, it is a super PIA to remove


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## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

The A Connector accepts what is called the Gray plug, (the B Connector accepts what we call the Black plug)


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## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

and here once again is the official *Damien Maguire* pin out for the ver 2 VCU (which is what I have, the latest controller the folks on *Open Inverter* are currently working on is called the ZombieVerter as of this writing it is not ready for Prime Time yet)


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## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

and here is my Dumb and Dumber version

Note some key omissions:

A9-14 We do not use the Shift Solenoid Signals after all​A18-19 Are for modern cars (1990s and up with *CAN Bus* communication)​​B2 Never got implemented​B6 No need to have the VCU power on the Inverter​B16 This VCU only uses the single Throttle Channel on pin B17​*B18-19 Also CAN Bus will be added on soon, these go to the current sensor and are important*​​


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## mpgMike (Nov 9, 2021)

Cinch makes special tools for removing the connector header from the enclosure housing. Somewhere in my stack of stuff I have one for the LE series; it looks like you're using the SE series housing (which would require a different tool). It makes removing the housing -- well, a Cinch.


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## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

mpgMike said:


> Cinch makes special tools for removing the connector header from the enclosure housing. Somewhere in my stack of stuff I have one for the LE series; it looks like you're using the SE series housing (which would require a different tool). It makes removing the housing -- well, a Cinch.


oh my god, thank you for letting us know, I had no idea

[a few years ago...] Cinch Board Room Meeting

"guys... sells are down, how can we make more money... Ah yes Günter [the German consultant on loan from Berlin] do you have an idea? Yez we kuld makes a case dat nobotee could opens, and then we makes a special tool we sells to make it opens like dis"


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## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

So I had a crazy thought: let's wire up that A Connector in order, starting with Pin #1. Shocking I know.

Pin #1 - Oil Pump Temp +​Pin #2 - Oil Pump Temp -​
So I go up to the transmission, locate the little black electric oil pump on the passenger side of it, technically transmission fluid pump, but you get the idea, then I follow the black low voltage wiring harness out of it, and that's when I remember oh yeah this harness plugs in to the oil pump controller, but what the hewk plugs in to that to actually control it?


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## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

*QUIZ TIME*

Which of the following wire harnesseseses has the transmission oil pump controller wire harness as part of it?

A. The transmission wire harness
B. The inverter wire harness
C. Neither, we need yet another harness
D. Both A. and B.


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## remy_martian (Feb 4, 2019)

I'd say a separate CAN-bus harness plugs into your English to Japanese translator box with the heatsinks, so C.

If it is controlled by CAN, unless someone's decoded it, you might be further ahead controlling the pump directly without their controller...


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## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

gregski said:


> *QUIZ TIME*
> 
> Which of the following wire harnesseseses has the transmission oil pump controller wire harness as part of it?
> 
> ...


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## remy_martian (Feb 4, 2019)

No luggage or trip to Hawaii for me


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## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

remy_martian said:


> No luggage or trip to Hawaii for me


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## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

so let's divorce this transmission electric oil pump controller wire harness segment from the rest of the Inverter segment


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## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

so let's start with a schematic to make sure we are chasing down the right animal


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## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

so back to the Inverter harness


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## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

we remove the plastic housing and then we follow the brown and black wires to the ECU large plug


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## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

taking great care and exhibiting extreme patience to extract the relay block completely intact


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## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

and it's out... um that was easy!!!


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## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

and here is the entire transmission oil pump controller wire harness


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## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)




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## Rusted B&B (Nov 6, 2020)

I'd recommend zooming in on what your doing in your video's and maybe upping the volume as I can't really hear what your saying



xp677 said:


> Please can you make a thread, either here or on Openinverter, add plenty of pics, diagrams, etc. There are plenty of folks who can help you through it.
> 
> I've been working with these units for a few years now and know many of the pitfalls.


I updated my thread with where I'm at


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## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

part two of what it takes to get the GS340h motor to spin with proper sound


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## PatricioIN (Jun 13, 2008)

gregski said:


> part two of what it takes to get the GS340h motor to spin with proper sound


This is really great work. This would be very handy on the Openinverter forum (I know you've put some of it on there). I haven't followed DIYElectricCar in years, but man I used to spend hours on here! 
Patrick Roth's zx2EV project
I'm going to have to dive back in. btw, you know me as PatrcioEV-ATX on Openinverter.


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## mons2b (Nov 17, 2015)

gregski said:


> taking great care and exhibiting extreme patience to extract the relay block completely intact
> 
> View attachment 125105


Things get done when the grinder comes out


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## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

PatricioIN said:


> This is really great work. This would be very handy on the Openinverter forum (I know you've put some of it on there). I haven't followed DIYElectricCar in years, but man I used to spend hours on here!
> Patrick Roth's zx2EV project
> I'm going to have to dive back in. btw, you know me as PatrcioEV-ATX on Openinverter.


thanks Patrick I am building up my thread on Open Inverter as well but I am hesitant about some content as you don't bring sand to the desert, so two different audiences I think, I mean those guys reversed engineered this stuff, and I barely know the difference between a cable and a wire, ha ha. 

*1971 GMCe Lexus GS450H BMW 530e Tesla Model S powered Electruck*


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## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

I am certain All Data the online car manual company will be refunding me my money for all the days I went to their website and it was down, ha ha


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## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

*Fun Fact:* among the 3,754 different and I mean completely different plugs and connectors on this vehicle (the Lexus GS450h) apparently their designers ran out of steam and decided to use three identical ones, and I mean absolutely samesies for the following three components, which mind you live within a foot of each other

Power Steering ECU
*Oil Pump Motor Controller*
Front Stabilizer Control ECU
no I am not taking the time to post this because I chased down and pulled the wrong harness [ahem] three times


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## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

alright let's press on and get that *A Connector* wirenated

*RED ALERT* (from me in the future) this was a huge waste of time as the VCU circuit board has the wrong resistors on it and all these Temp Sensor features are not implemented, so don't bother wiring these up!


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## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

so off of the external auxiliary electronic "oil" / transmission fluid pump we see three plugs coming off of it, both of the larger ones towards the end of the harness plug into the oil pump controller, the tiny third one, midway in the harness is what we are after

*RED ALERT* (from me in the future) this was a huge waste of time as the VCU circuit board has the wrong resistors on it and this feature is not implemented, so don't bother wiring this up!


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## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

if you bought the transmission wiring harness you are in luck, it comes with the matching plug and wire harness, it's a two (pink (or faded red) & brown) wire harness that ran to the ECM's smaller plug

*RED ALERT* (from me in the future) this was a huge waste of time as the VCU circuit board has the wrong resistors on it and this feature is not implemented, so don't bother wiring this up!



















I snipped the brown wire, it ran to the Transmission Shift Solenoid plug on the opposite side of the transmission


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## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

one down and another three more temp sensors to go


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## remy_martian (Feb 4, 2019)

gregski said:


> *Fun Fact:* among the 3,754 different and I mean completely different plugs and connectors on this vehicle (the Lexus GS450h) apparently their designers ran out of steam and decided to use three identical ones, and I mean absolutely samesies for the following three components, which mind you live within a foot of each other
> 
> Power Steering ECU
> *Oil Pump Motor Controller*
> ...


They must use identical control boxes, different firmware for each function, then?


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## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

remy_martian said:


> They must use identical control boxes, different firmware for each function, then?


Interesting point, so I went and stole some pics off the eBays, so we can do a stare and compare just for funsies

Lexus GS450H 2007 Ecu Rhd EPS *Power Steering Control Unit* 89650-30670


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## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

and here's a 07 08 09 10 11 LEXUS GS450H HYBRRID *OIL PUMP CONTROL MODULE* OEM


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## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

and finally the Lexus GS450h 430 300 460 *Front* Active *Stabilizer Control Unit* ECU 892A0-30011 

so I think the Power Steering and the Stabilizer boxes could pass as twinzies but the Oil Pumpulator Controller is the black sheep of the bunch here


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## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

so here's a mechanical video, where I actually turn a wrench, spin a spanner, and swing a hammer, (no electricity or wire harness talk I promise)


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## remy_martian (Feb 4, 2019)

The rivet drilling was painful to watch on livestream 😂

Why can't you turn the splined ninja death star around and get rid of those spacers? And use a cutoff wheel on the stickey-outey part of the input shaft?

Having 100HP reacting against those spacers in shock loading gives me the heebie jeebies. OK for dev work, though.


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## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

remy_martian said:


> The rivet drilling was painful to watch on livestream 😂


The rivet drilling was painful to [ahem] perform for livestream 🤣



remy_martian said:


> Why can't you turn the splined ninja death star around and get rid of those spacers?


turned around the shaft would not go deep enuff inside of it and we want maximum penetration



remy_martian said:


> And use a cutoff wheel on the stickey-outey part of the input shaft?


I don't think there is anything protruding out beyond flush with the edge of the bell housing, it may not even reach it to begin with, I know that may be difficult to see in the pics/videos



remy_martian said:


> Having 100HP reacting against those spacers in shock loading gives me the heebie jeebies. OK for dev work, though.


this entire setup is just for the next demo video to show how to get the MG1 to spin the output shaft with the torque settings set to 200 ie the bare minimum as opposed to 3,500 when we are doing one wheel peels


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## brian_ (Feb 7, 2017)

gregski said:


> so here's a mechanical video, where I actually turn a wrench, spin a spanner, and swing a hammer, (no electricity or wire harness talk I promise)


In the video you repeatedly describe MG1 as just a starter motor... this is still wildly incorrect. Yes, it starts the engine, but it is also a fundamental component of the power-split transmission - that's why it's ten times more powerful than a typical starter. MG1 does contribute to output power in some circumstances (when it must motor to force the engine to run at the desired speed and load), and the rest of the time that the engine is running it generates power for MG2, providing a power transmission path parallel to the mechanical power transmission path (and again controlling the engine speed).

Also, if you were to weld gears (never a good idea) to lock MG1 to the output, you would be welding the gears of the power splitting planetary gear set in the front of the unit, not any part of the compound planetary gear set in the two-speed transmission at the rear of the unit.

No, that's not a "clutch plate" or "pressure plate" - there's no clutch - but yes, the part with the starter ring gear is the flywheel. Hey, that's a starter ring gear, so there must be a conventional starter... and indeed there is so that the engine can be started even if the traction battery is low, emphasizing that MG1's primary role is not as a starter. None of the miscellaneous small parts are "clutches", either.

I cringed at the Vice Grips on the splines, as I'm sure many viewers did. 

Despite these points which are generally unrelated to use of the hybrid transmission as an EV drive unit, I do appreciate the effort to work through all of the details, and sharing those details with us.  I just hope that other viewers will learn from the relevant parts and not get confused or misled by the other bits.


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## remy_martian (Feb 4, 2019)

Chinesium vice grips can barely mar plastic, Brian 🤓


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## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

so fumblin' right along the Transmission Temperature sensor was next to be crimped to the A Connector on the VCU

we get those two wires (green/yellow and a brown one) from the gray Electronically Controlled Transmission Solenoid plug on the driver side of the transmission

*RED ALERT* (from me in the future) this was a huge waste of time as the VCU circuit board has the wrong resistors on it and this feature is not implemented, so don't bother wiring this up!


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## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

guys I hope you appreciate this detailed wire photography cause taking pictures of all these wires is like trying to photograph cats!

*RED ALERT* (from me in the future) this was a huge waste of time as the VCU circuit board has the wrong resistors on it and this feature is not implemented, so don't bother wiring this up!


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## Gregs-Nemesis (Nov 7, 2021)

OK, I get what we are doing here, but what are we Really Doing Here?


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## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

Gregs-Nemesis said:


> OK, I get what we are doing here, but what are we Really Doing Here?


Our open source VCU aka controller comes with virtual gauges, that's what the little red WiFi card is for, it is a tiny web server that servers up these gauges which you can view with any browser on any device, such as an iPhone, laptop, or in my case an old Android 7" tablet. So we are making all the wire connections to feed data from all the sensors to the VCU so it can display that as meaningful information on those gauges.


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## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

so let's wire up these motor temp sensors and get this over with

this is the cable for motor generator 1 it is part of the Transmission wire harness that I paid $250 for (pronounced: worth every penny) see those two red and blue wires, those be for the temp sensor we need to pin them to the VCU

*RED ALERT* (from me in the future) this was a huge waste of time as the VCU circuit board has the wrong resistors on it and this feature is not implemented, so don't bother wiring this up!


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## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

this is the cable for motor generator #2 see how it has an extra appendage (the blue and red wires with the fuselator on them) that's how the Inverter gets its positive power, we don't want those

we want the green and gray wires them are for the temp sensor that we need to pin to the VCU as such

*RED ALERT* (from me in the future) this was a huge waste of time as the VCU circuit board has the wrong resistors on it and this feature is not implemented, so don't bother wiring this up!


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## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

now I promised you we were going to go in order so I went on ahead and pinned all the Shift Solenoid wires although I really don't plan on using these feature all it does is shift between low and high gear whatever that means

*ALERT* (from me in the future) this was a waste of time as well since this VCU feature is not properly/fully implemented at this time, so don't bother wiring this up!












there were two extra wires, which eventually I think I am just going to cut off, but for nowsies I will keep them


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## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

then I sorta skipped ahead and wired the ground wire on Pin 20 figuring it may be important for testing purposeseses


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## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

In case you are all caught up on Yellowstone and are looking for something to watch


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## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

Came across this *Green Car Congress* *The Lexus GS 450h Hybrid System* article that describes the gearing in this transmission pretty well.

There are two electric motors inside this Lexus GS450h transmission relying on a power split device. Each one has it's own set of Planetary Gears. The car uses a two-stage motor speed reduction device. We lock the input shaft which is only connected to the first motor what they call a *Generator* in the first diagram below and refer to it as *MG1* (yellow wheel) in the second diagram.

The hybrid system in the GS 450h supports both high output and high vehicle speed. To engage the low gear range, Toyota opens the conventional planetary gearset’s brake 1 and locks brake 2, resulting in a reduction gear ratio of 3.900. For high gear, brake 1 is locked and brake two is open, with a reduction gear ratio of 1.900. 

FYI: Most guys like me who do the EV Conversion using this transmission always leave it in High gear.


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## remy_martian (Feb 4, 2019)

Why would you lock it in high vs shift lo/hi in an electric TRUCK application?


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## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

remy_martian said:


> Why would you lock it in high vs shift lo/hi in an electric TRUCK application?


feature is yet to be implemented properly and I don't need to spin at 15K RPM


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## remy_martian (Feb 4, 2019)

No. That's why I said "shift".

You do need low speed torque in a truck for towing or loadcarrying, unless it's a car with a box that you're building...then carry on.


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## PatricioIN (Jun 13, 2008)

The GS450h setup is capable of low or high but as stated no one has implemented smooth shifting on the fly. It is easy to select either gear at a stop or low speed. Might well be handy for towing or hauling, but doubtful it would actually be needed given the available torque inherent in electric motors.


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## brian_ (Feb 7, 2017)

PatricioIN said:


> The GS450h setup is capable of low or high but as stated no one has implemented smooth shifting on the fly. It is easy to select either gear at a stop or low speed. Might well be handy for towing or hauling, but doubtful it would actually be needed given the available torque inherent in electric motors.


Toyota found shifting between two ratios worthwhile enough to justify the two clutches and control system... in a passenger car. The benefit would be greater in a truck actually carrying a load.

Selecting low range when stopped then being stuck with it at highway speed is a big sacrifice to make because no one has bothered to work out the control signals.


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## PatricioIN (Jun 13, 2008)

brian_ said:


> Toyota found shifting between two ratios worthwhile enough to justify the two clutches and control system... in a passenger car. The benefit would be greater in a truck actually carrying a load.
> 
> Selecting low range when stopped then being stuck with it at highway speed is a big sacrifice to make because no one has bothered to work out the control signals.


True, but Toyota used this as part of a hybrid system with an ICE providing the primary power. *Very* different needs and considerations with that set up. For reference, this is the L110 transmission. They also use an L210 in some hybrids now which is very similar but with no high/low at all.

And it isn't that no one has bothered. Several (much smarter than me) people have tried/are trying. Shifting isn't a problem. _Smooth_ shifting however...


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## remy_martian (Feb 4, 2019)

It's a truck...you want smooth, drive in high gear. 

In a hill climb pulling a trailer, being able to downshift, even a hard shift is useful. 

Going down a hill, you can get yourself killed without a low gear....with faded brakes, I guarantee you the last thing you care about in your truck is a smooth downshift.


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## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

FYI I am building an electric truck in name only, it is a hot rod aka a street car, no towing, no haulin' anything, it's days of hard labor are over.


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## remy_martian (Feb 4, 2019)

And totally shit 0-60.

What you'll have is a Prius with a box on the back so your groceries get wet 😂


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## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

oh I hear you the day after I Herculined the bed of my '74 my father in law wanted to borrow it to take some stuff to the dump ! the stuff wasn't even fully dried yet, ha ha


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## brian_ (Feb 7, 2017)

PatricioIN said:


> True, but Toyota used this as part of a hybrid system with an ICE providing the primary power. *Very* different needs and considerations with that set up.


No, not really. The two-speed planetary transmission at the back of the L110 transmission (in the GS 450h and LS 600h) only transmits power from MG2; it has no role in the mechanical transmission of power from the engine via the power splitter, so it is there entirely to help MG2 work better.



PatricioIN said:


> For reference, this is the L110 transmission. They also use an L210 in some hybrids now which is very similar but with no high/low at all.


Did you get that from one of my earlier posts? 
Yes, the L210 is simpler - in the lower-powered and cheaper models, Toyota skipped the two-speed transmission. In the higher-performance LC 500h and LS 500h, the L310 uses a four-speed transmission. Now, which one of these does an electric-only truck or hot rod most resemble? I would say that it would be appropriate to have choice of gear ratios to get the best performance out of the MG2 which was never intended to propel the vehicle by itself in all circumstances.



PatricioIN said:


> And it isn't that no one has bothered. Several (much smarter than me) people have tried/are trying. Shifting isn't a problem. _Smooth_ shifting however...


How is that different from not bothering to solve the problem? It's apparently a lot of effort, but no one has put in enough effort yet.


----------



## PatricioIN (Jun 13, 2008)

brian_ said:


> No, not really. The two-speed planetary transmission at the back of the L110 transmission (in the GS 450h and LS 600h) only transmits power from MG2; it has no role in the mechanical transmission of power from the engine via the power splitter, so it is there entirely to help MG2 work better.
> 
> 
> Did you get that from one of my earlier posts?
> ...


So.. is your goal to contribute or just be an ass? It's really quite unclear.


----------



## brian_ (Feb 7, 2017)

PatricioIN said:


> So.. is your goal to contribute or just be an ass? It's really quite unclear.


To contribute correct information, rather than saying that the two-speed transmission section is only relevant to operation with an engine.

To be fair, you can of course use the L110 "dumbed down" to the same functionality as all of Toyota's transverse hybrids, none of which have multiple output ratios, and that's a perfectly valid choice if it suits the reality of a given conversion project's situation.


----------



## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

so decided to give the VCU a little rest and gently caress my BMW 530e plug in hybrid battery pack


----------



## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

in this video I take a peak inside the BMW 530e plug in hybrid, high voltage battery pack


----------



## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

I have a specific thread for this battery *I bought a BMW 530e hybrid battery pack - Now What?* but just wanted to toss some additional information in to this thread it being the master build thread and all

so this is the vehicle the battery came out of, a rear wheel drive (thanks Brian for correcting me on that) Bmmmmer


----------



## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

Here are some specs on that bad boy


----------



## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

things and such


----------



## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

and here are things exploded


----------



## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

and here's me going at it myself











I recall weighing this lid but I forgot what it was


----------



## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

one of the first things I did was unplug the main negative and main positive battery leads going to the built in (yet totally modular) Pre Charge Circuit inside the battery pack so that we could take a voltage reading using a basic multimeter as you can not do this with the cover on without turning the battery pack ON, (more on this later) but yeah for safety reasons a high voltage electric vehicle or hybrid vehicle battery pack is turned OFF until you turn on the car using the regular 12 volt car battery


----------



## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

then I isolated one battery module (disconnected from the other five) I just picked one at random, one that was easy to get to, I could have picked one on the other side of the battery pack it did not matter, ad I took a reading of just that one module (keep in mind we call it a module because it contains 16 cells inside of it, hence a cell module)

Note: I did not have to remove it from the pack, as a matter of fact I did not in the video, I must have done it below just for a photo opp, by the way 57.7 volts is Excellent for a used battery pack of this flavor


----------



## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

In addition to the cell modules aka "batteries" a typical battery pack such as this one will contain additional components, so let's take a look at those now

Cell Modules
Pre Charge Circuit
Battery Management System, BMS
Thermal Management System, aka Heating or Cooling System (Optional)
so here is what I call the Pre Charge Circuit box and what BMW calls the *Safety box*, very front bottom of pic where the four orange cables converge



*







*


the orange cables must plug in to what I can only imagine are the positive and negative *contactors* (pronounced: big relays)

*







*


----------



## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

and on the opposite side of this battery pack we have the Battery Management System aka BMS, also bottom front of pic


----------



## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

and lastly we have the cooling system, here with one cell module removed you can see what BMW calls the radiators, it was sandwiched between one battery below it and one above it


----------



## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

got to shoot a video of taking the BMW 530e plug in hybrid battery pack completely apart if you are interested


----------



## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

here's how little space these six cell modules actually take up as laid out on a 2'x4' piece of plywood


----------



## remy_martian (Feb 4, 2019)

6x AAA dry cells take up even less space.

If you want to show off space, you have to state the amount of energy in the volume you are showing. "How little" means nothing without that context.


----------



## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

it was nice of these plastic pliers to show up right after I shot the last battery video, cause you know, safety third


----------



## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

so there is going to be some overlap between this thread and the specific thread I made for these batteries called: *I bought a BMW 530e hybrid battery pack - Now What?* which is loaded with much more detail

anyway I bought two new battery cables for this battery pack, my intentions are to use these cables at first to connect the pack to the battery charger for some preliminary bench testing, and since they require some mods, I am here to share my mad skills











first we take a look at how BMW made them

*Proprietary Level: Expert*











note how inside the orange conduit there are actually two separate wires, and no, one is not for negative and the other for positive, they both run in parallel and connect to the same ends


----------



## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

so these cables present two problems:

1. they have those crazy end connectors that no one seems to carry, and I have an open Tech Support case with Digi-Key to prove it​2. there are two wires per lead (two for positive and two for negative) that have to mate with three wires per lead coming from the charger on the DC side​​


----------



## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

so I had to make some slight modifications to the cable ends


----------



## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

and I decided to go with an Anderson SB120 connector although this connection will not see more than 45 amps because that's the smallest connector I could get with a large enough metal crimp end designed to fit up to a 2 AWG wire, meaning I should be able to shove both of the orange cables into one metal end like so

Note: I learned that both of the red plastic pieces below are completely identical the genius of the design is that they can still join ie interlock with one another, I thought you need a male side and a female side but nope, they are identical, as are the metal innards below them


----------



## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

got a chance to make a video where I use SimpBMS to take a deeper dive inside the battery mining for more detailed voltage data


----------



## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

Ah Yeah! *The Crimpulator 3000* is here! not bad for $32 bones on AMAZON


----------



## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

and so we got to work on my test battery cables, I decided to add a little color coding to the two solid orange main leads, first some black heat shrink tubing went on both ends of the negative cable

for this I needed a bunch of yellow tools


----------



## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

and here is what the six cell modules look like all connected just the way they were inside the pack

Note the short orange wire on the far right, that's was the original main Positive lead that came off of Cell Module # 6, I decided to replace it with the same orange wire that runs from Cell Module # 1 on the left (that is what the original looked like) so now both leads match

One lead was originally shorter than the other. BMW did that because the leads ran to the Safety Box which was located on the right side of the battery pack closer to Cell Module # 6


----------



## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

think positive


----------



## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

i heart this battery pack


[what? .... too soon!]


----------



## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

a video on battery pack arrangement possibilities


----------



## brian_ (Feb 7, 2017)

gregski said:


> a video on battery pack arrangement possibilities...


I haven't watched the video yet, the YouTube description includes 


> There are six cell modules inside the 530e battery pack, but are they all identical? I answer that question in this video, with the focus on the BMS slave boards.


 I noticed that replacement modules are listed in two versions, "positive" and "negative", so I assume that they are mirror images or otherwise complementary configurations to make cabling easier.


----------



## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

brian_ said:


> I haven't watched the video yet, the YouTube description includes
> 
> 
> I noticed that replacement modules are listed in two versions, "positive" and "negative", so I assume that they are mirror images or otherwise complementary configurations to make cabling easier.


Interesting that you caught that, good to know, thanks

the cell modules are built exactly the same, (negative terminal on the left, positive terminal on the right for a lack of a better description) however I agree with your statement for the the BMS slave module wiring, that differs, on cell modules 1, 2, 3 it runs to the negative terminal side, and for cell modules 4, 5, 6 it runs to the positive terminal side

so if buying replacement modules for an OEM application than yes you would need to buy positive for one side and negative for the other for the BMS wiring harness to reach


----------



## Gregs-Nemesis (Nov 7, 2021)

and how do you plan on charging this sexy 3 year ol' filly?


----------



## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

Gregs-Nemesis said:


> and how do you plan on charging this sexy 3 year ol' filly?


Why using this 34 pound *Tesla Model S Gen 2* onboard charger of course.

*I bought a Tesla Model S Gen 2 Charger - Now What?*


----------



## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

Let's count the ways that make this *Tesla Model S Gen 2* onboard charger great:


In a world of 3 kW and 6 kW chargers, this one goes up to 10 kW
Do to it's popularity and sales numbers it has been reversed engineered and gained *open source support*
It is water cooled
It is internally protected requiring no additional pre charge circuit
Comes with unlimited supply of alien goop


----------



## Gregs-Nemesis (Nov 7, 2021)

Why do you keep saying Tesla Model S *Gen 2 *?


----------



## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

Gregs-Nemesis said:


> Why do you keep saying Tesla Model S *Gen 2 *?


Because the Gen 1 (distinguished by it's sharp edges) sucked ! and no one bothered to reverse engineer it to make it work outside of an actual Tesla vehicle

*I bought a Tesla Model S Gen 2 Charger - Now What?*


----------



## Gregs-Nemesis (Nov 7, 2021)

So what do you have to do to make it work?


----------



## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

Gregs-Nemesis said:


> So what do you have to do to make it work?


Well, it's actually really... complicated, but I'll walk you through it

You start off by voiding the warranty...


----------



## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

then you pop the lid off and yank the OEM logic circuit board and shove it in a freezer bag (the board, not the charger)


----------



## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

then you shoot over to *EVBMW Webshop* and fork over $300 bones for a *Tesla Gen 2 Charger Logic Board*

*







*


----------



## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

then you wait...

maybe watch some Damien Maguire YoutTube videos on how he and the Openinverter Gang (aka the OG's) reverse engineered this beast

*Tesla Model S Gen 2 Charger - Playlist*

*







*


----------



## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

old Tesla charger board (top, densely populated with this and that) vs new OpenInverter charger board (bottom, with less junk on it)


----------



## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

Unfortunately the new logic board does not come fully built. The company that Damien Maguire uses to build them does not solder on the connectors, so I had to do that myself and that connector on the right with the skunk yellow stripe was a major P.I.A. them feets were tiny 

the red thing is a WiFi card, pretty friggen cool!


----------



## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

ta da


----------



## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

and here it is installed


----------



## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

now that I had the new logic board in there I wanted to see if I can communicate with the charger, for that I needed to combobulate some comms 

this being an onboard car charger requires a car battery to power up


----------



## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

so I made a 12 volt harness


----------



## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

and even added some fuses and switches


----------



## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

hooked it all up and lights came on


----------



## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

I took it as a good sign and joined that charger board (red card) wireless network with my laptop and stared at the webpage that came up


----------



## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

this brilliant yet Craigslist like looking page was developed by *Johannes Hübner* a Jedi Master from Germany and you can read more about it here *Tesla Model S/X GEN2 Charger* on the Open Inverter dot org Wiki, you're welcome


----------



## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

although we power up the Tesla charger using a car battery in order to actually charge something we need to pull some electrons out of the wall, and to do that after 75 design changes I settled on an AC 120 volt cord that looks like this, just a simple Anderson SB50 gray connector


----------



## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

I had to make an "adapter" cable if you will that takes the 6 wires from the charger's three power modules and connects them to the two wire 120 volt cord (we are not counting the ground)

so think of it as 6 into 2 

or 3 into 1 

you get the idea


----------



## remy_martian (Feb 4, 2019)

Not a good idea to run that charger without a coolant loop, even if it means a pump in a bucket


----------



## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

another video, no way!?


----------



## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

combobulating the DC side harness was a bit more involved as it required fusing and oh boy did I learn way more about Bussmann this and Bussmann that than I ever wanted to

put simply they make 97 different stupid little fuse blocks, here's one of 'em, $30 bucks on eBay (used discontinued Model # BCM603-xP)

P = Pressure Plate (as in you screw down a little square pressure plate to hold the wires in place, good stuff)











I like this one cause it comes with covers, in know to keep death to a minimum


----------



## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

so yeah what I like about this kind is that I can screw down my wires using the round loop connectors and there are no additional blade like side posts around those screws to limit the width of the round connector that we can use, I will show you a different design later


----------



## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

What sux donkeys about this design is that you can only use Class CC fuses (the ones with the nipples on them) and they are expensive

(5 amp fuses shown for demonstration purposes only, I will be using 20A once they arrive)


----------



## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

and here's the other kind of fuse block also a Bussmann Model # BMM603-xSQ new AMAZON $25 bucks but note no covers, I had to fetch them on eBay separately

this one takes normal SPF fuses, but it has silly blade quick connectors by the screws for the wires

S = Screw
Q = Quick Connect
* these don't come with pressure plates like the first ones above, that stinks


----------



## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

folks I know I am getting way deep in the weeds here, but I just wanted to show you that when it comes to projects like this the Devil's in the details


----------



## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

and so I made the DC fused harness


----------



## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

and here it is dingle dangled to the Tesla Model S Gen 2 onboard charger


----------



## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

I learned that the Anderson connector powerpoles come in different AWGs, so I thought that's worth sharing


----------



## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

meanwhile at the Battery Charging Facility aka *The BCF* ...











The Red Light Distrcit











here's all the low voltage wiring I needed to start charging, just a black to battery negative and a red to battery 12v positive


----------



## brian_ (Feb 7, 2017)

gregski said:


> so yeah what I like about this kind is that I can screw down my wires using the round loop connectors...
> 
> View attachment 126564
> 
> ...


They're called "ring terminals", for anyone who wants to find them.


----------



## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

brian_ said:


> They're called "ring terminals", for anyone who wants to find them.


thanks, I must have not had my first cup of coffee when I posted that


----------



## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

a video where I explain why I chose the *Tesla* Model S Gen 2 onboard battery *charger* to charge my BMW 530e high voltage battery pack


----------



## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

with the winter in full swing and me hating "[outdoor] winter projects" the stalling continued

as I began to tear into what BMW dubs the Safety Box, essentially the pre charge circuit that prevents all 350 voltures from descending down on the unexpecting inverter all at once


----------



## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

I presume at one point this used to be a simple switch, and worked just fine... then the German's decided to do what they do best, and add some complexity to it, ha ha (I'm looking at you green complicated circuit board)












so out it went, as I was determined to a peak and see what lurks inside - ah yes, everyone knows the shortest distance between two points is an overly complex zig zag ! am I right fellas?


----------



## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

and this is what happens when you leave me unsupervised for any extended period of time


----------



## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

so the wife went out to run some errands leaving me with a phillips screw driver again


----------



## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

did a little experiment with two different bench power supplies to see which one will spin the electric motor faster


----------



## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

so with the Tesla charger all set up I realized I now needed a DC-DC converter, so I went out and got a first gen Chevy Volt one


----------



## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

this one is air cooled only and not liquid cooled


----------



## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

it has three connections, high voltage in from battery pack, low voltage out to regular 12 volt car battery and a coms port


----------



## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

you find them in the trunk of the original 2011-2015 Chevy Volt













the black communication harness is part of the much bigger body harness that runs across behind the back seats and you just need to cut a pig tail off of it


----------



## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

and started acquiring all the cables and wire harnesses for it


----------



## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

for a proper write up and part numbers please visit I bought a Chevy Volt Gen1 DC-DC Converter - Now What?

*SPECIFICATIONS*


*Part #:* 24262765 or 24261518

*Operating Voltage:* 260-460v

*Cooling:* Air Cooled

*Output:* 2,000 watts

*Control:* CAN

*HV Connection:* the orange High Voltage plug (right side of the pic below) connects directly to the high voltage aka "traction" battery pack

*Stud Connectors:* the two bolt studs (left side of the pic below) is where the regular 12 volt car battery connects

*HV Cable Part #:* 23432013


----------



## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

curiosity got the best of me, so I went out and bought a first gen Chevy Volt onboard battery charger as well for $280 bucks from a local Chevy wrecker dismantler in my town (near Sacramento, California) so no shipping costs


----------



## Gregs-Nemesis (Nov 7, 2021)

lemme guess you laid out all the charger crap in the driveway as well, and are gonna make us look at it ?


----------



## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

Gregs-Nemesis said:


> lemme guess you laid out all the charger crap in the driveway as well, and are gonna make us look at it ?


----------



## remy_martian (Feb 4, 2019)

It's useless without the blower that's part if the system - you might get 100 watts out of it with the partial setup you have there without cooking it.


----------



## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

then I laid out all the charger cables in the driveway for you to look at


----------



## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

then I had a thought since I am converting a 1971 Chevy truck what if I stayed within the GM ecosystem and used Chevy Volt parts:


----------



## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

Captain's Log: March 2022 B.C. [Before Conversion]

commencing operation March Madness (aka a simple 4 step EV Conversion)

*Step 1.* Remove hood

... feel free to follow along at home, any car will do preferably your exes, ha ha


----------



## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

*Step 2.* deICE

in this step we liberate any and all systems pertaining to the Internal Combustion Engine

here we removed the exastulators and weighed them for those on a strict diet

Note: we included the Ram Horn exhaust manifolds for a complete exhaust system

Total Weight: 71 el bee eses


----------



## Gregs-Nemesis (Nov 7, 2021)

*Total Weight Removed So Far (TWRSF)

71 pounds*

go on...


----------



## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

next we removed the Pavement Lubrication System aka SBC

Note: it broked the scale, which only goes up to 660 lbs 






















We get an EE error on the scale cause it only goes up to *660 pounds* !


----------



## Gregs-Nemesis (Nov 7, 2021)

*Total Weight Removed So Far (TWRSF)
*
Exhaust: 71 pounds
Engine: 575 pounds ( per Engine Weight FYI )
Transmission: 150 pounds (estimated) 
==============================
*TOTAL thus far: 796 pounds*


----------



## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

we went after the fuel tankulator next, and for that we had to remove them buckets, which gots ta go to the upholsterererer anyways

I think that's a 16 gallon tank, any guesses how many Home Depot 5 gallon buckets it took to drain it?

We also weighed the tank: it came in at 35.0 lbsers dry as a bone


----------



## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

don't forget that The Greg drained all the fluids, and a 16 gallon fuel tank alone would add 16 gallons x 6.3 pounds = just over 100 pounds

since the new transmotor will obviously hold trans fluid just as the old one, we will call that a wash

same goes for water/coolant, the new components (Inverter, Charger, Converter) are liquid cooled so we will call that a wash as well


----------



## Gregs-Nemesis (Nov 7, 2021)

*Total Weight Removed So Far (TWRSF)*

Exhaust: 71 pounds
Engine: 575 pounds ( per Engine Weight FYI )
Transmission: 150 pounds (estimated)
Fuel Tank: 35 pounds
Gasoline 16 gallons: 100 pounds
==============================
*TOTAL thus far: 931 pounds








*


----------



## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

and then it was nothing to it but to do it, whilst making a video of it


----------



## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

so I couldn't sleep at night not knowing the exact precise weight of the old power plant so...


----------



## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

mandatory stare and compare

black and blue


----------



## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

bruh, this build is off da chain


----------



## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

and did we just pay another $50 bucks to find out this thing weighs only 17 lbs over the maximum 660 lbs of the first scale (which by the way we can not return since the return deadline has passed - BONUS!)


----------



## remy_martian (Feb 4, 2019)

You could have just pulled the transmission off 😂...


----------



## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

and here is what the new(ish) 2010 Lexus GS450h transmotor weighs in at

FYI does not include the electric pump controller


----------



## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

and the inverter


----------



## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

a little stare and compare of the spinnie thingies 

I hope I have them oriented correctly, I'm not sure which side is which on that 2010 Lexus GS450h two piece drive shaft


----------



## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

and of course we weighed them


----------



## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

this one will have to be modified but here's it's starting weight


----------



## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

*Coming Out*​*Going In*​
35 lbs AC/heater delete
38 lbs front bumper
30 lbs rear bumper
71 lbs exhaust
35 lbs fuel tank
673 lbs engine / trans
16 lbs drive shaft

3 lbs fiberglass roll pan
3 lbs fiberglass roll pan
275 lbs transmotor
40 lbs inverter
24 lbs drive shaft
360 lbs battery pack*
34 lbs charger*
?? lbs dc-dc converter
*900 TOTAL roughly*​*740 TOTAL roughly *(so far)​


using two 2018 BMW 530e plug in hybrid battery packs, that is twelve 28 lbs cell modules rounded up to account for cabling

possibly going with a Tesla Model S Gen 2 onboard charger


----------



## remy_martian (Feb 4, 2019)

gregski said:


> a little stare and compare of the spinnie thingies
> 
> I hope I have them oriented correctly, I'm not sure which side is which on that 2010 Lexus GS450h two piece drive shaft
> 
> ...


My dad's '71 C10 had a two piece "spinny thing"...I know that for a fact because I still remember all the dirt that went into my eyes and mouth as I changed out the center driveshaft support on that sumbitch. GMC was made on the same assembly line. His was a longbox. So..you might get lucky and meet the Lexus in the middle using a longbox shaft & support.

BTW, for the amount of power that Lexus pos puts out, imo it's a heavy piggy in terms of its dry weight in combo with the inverter...


----------



## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

motivation


----------



## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

Meanwhile, in my happy place: $335 bucks, they didn't itemize the scrap random pieces invoice so I have no clue what costs what, but oh well


----------



## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

and here is my knowledge of metallurgy summed up

there's at least two types of aluminum angle iron, and one has a roundy round corner and the other has a sharp edge, the roundy round is stronger

I bought the roundy round one cause that's what they had in the larger sizes


----------



## remy_martian (Feb 4, 2019)

Wow. $335 for that, from the rems pile??

Maybe when a city slicker pulls up and asks to buy some of S&K Steel's "shiniest steel", the thumb goes on the weigh scale? 😂 

I pay $2/lb for rems. Wow...

But like a realtor once told me when I had California sticker shock, "you're not paying for a house, you're paying for the weather."


----------



## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

just mocking around 











1/2" plate and I am making a block off plate to aid in locking out the input shaft to make the front motor spin the output shaft, otherwise it only acts as a starter and alternator


----------



## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

Me: I will not strip, I will not clean, I will not paint, this is an Electrification and not a Restoration 

also Me:


----------



## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

just wanted to get an idear of how the batteries are going to go, each one of those cell modules as they are called is just under 60 volts, these are from a 2018 BMW 530e hybrid and they come 6 to a pack, wait did I just say 6 pack but backwards... rad!

so far I bought two packs so a total of 12 of these beauties

the other three will sit atop of these, bottom three will be mounted to the bottom of the frame C channel, and the top three to the top of the frame C channel using 2x4x1/4 angle iron in front and back

For the Record: I cannot fit four across as they interfere with the three K member bolts protruding upwards through the bottom of the C channel


----------



## remy_martian (Feb 4, 2019)

Looks to me like you can get all 12 in one layer if you turn them on edge...


----------



## floydr (Jun 21, 2021)

gregski said:


> they didn't itemize the scrap random pieces invoice so I have no clue what costs what


How much did the metal plate and angle weigh in total? Kinda a shame that Blue Collar Supply is gone might have been cheaper there. Although the shelves look like the remnant shelves at BCS. 
later floyd


----------



## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

floydr said:


> How much did the metal plate and angle weigh in total? Kinda a shame that Blue Collar Supply is gone might have been cheaper there. Although the shelves look like the remnant shelves at BCS.
> later floyd


hey a local brother, right on !!!

What? Blue Collar is gone, I used to go there a ton, but this place is 1,000 better, and get this the lady at the counter measured and weighed every piece and wrote it down on a detailed invoice, me being anal retentive thought awesome this is great, I get to see exactly what it all cost, and then she grapped a brand new Invoice and wrote: 

"VARIOS ALUMINUM PEACES" $173.44

two 4"x2"x1/4" aluminum angle 59" long for $137.04 for both

WTH


----------



## floydr (Jun 21, 2021)

Blue collar had a "i am retiring sale" back in 2019 I think. Yep gone last time I was by there. It was some lawn care service. "lawnman". 
Have to remember S&K has remnants. I have driven past it quite a few times over the years.
Later floyd


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## brian_ (Feb 7, 2017)

gregski said:


> and here is my knowledge of metallurgy summed up
> 
> there's at least two types of aluminum angle iron, and one has a roundy round corner and the other has a sharp edge, the roundy round is stronger
> 
> ...


They're both extruded. The rounded outside corners don't really matter and the rounded inside corner is structurally desirable if a sharp corner is not needed to fit around other parts. The numbers indicate alloys, not shapes. The extruded shape is not limited by the alloy, but apparently 6061 tends to come in the rounded shape for structural use while the 6063 tends to come in the squared shape for appearance in architectural use. You got lucky by getting the structural extrusion for your purpose.

Aluminum 6061 vs. Aluminum 6063


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## remy_martian (Feb 4, 2019)

She wrote "Various Aluminum Rems"

Architectural pieces are not meant to be structural.


----------



## markonesovic (10 mo ago)

Hey gregski,

Great videos - please keep making them. Quick question - could you have used a prius inverter with the 450H transmission and benefited from all the extra stuff clever stuff it comes with (like DC-DC, etc)?


----------



## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

markonesovic said:


> Hey gregski,
> 
> Great videos - please keep making them. Quick question - could you have used a prius inverter with the 450H transmission and benefited from all the extra stuff clever stuff it comes with (like DC-DC, etc)?


thank you so much and honest answer is I don't know, I luv the Prius transaxle motors / Inverter/Converter/Charger/Controller combo though, it is the best bang for the buck and I hope to do a front wheel drive conversion using it some time in the future

what I do know about the Prius is that it only runs on around 200 volts where as the Lexus runs around 288 volts so maybe though the Prius Inverter would spin the GS450h transmotor it may need some mods to get it up to speed at the full voltage of 360 volts we all plan on running it, hope that makes some sense, please correct me if I am wrong

have you checked out Damien Maguire's YouTube channel, if not I highly recommend it


----------



## markonesovic (10 mo ago)

gregski said:


> what I do know about the Prius is that it only runs on around 200 volts where as the Lexus runs around 288 volts so maybe though the Prius Inverter would spin the GS450h transmotor it may need some mods to get it up to speed at the full voltage of 360 volts we all plan on running it, hope that makes some sense, please correct me if I am wrong


Yes, that makes perfect sense. The 450h trans+inverter is a tried and tested combo at this point.

Started looking at Artur Kustusch wonderful XJ conversion and slowly getting dragged down the rabbit hole incl. yours and Damien's channel, the openinverter forum and wiki. The biggest hurdle for me would be getting the car load-legal where I live. Currently looking if I can get that resolved.

Best of luck with your build, and I hope you see it through!


----------



## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

markonesovic said:


> Yes, that makes perfect sense. The 450h trans+inverter is a tried and tested combo at this point.
> 
> Started looking at Artur Kustusch wonderful XJ conversion and slowly getting dragged down the rabbit hole incl. yours and Damien's channel, the openinverter forum and wiki. The biggest hurdle for me would be getting the car load-legal where I live. Currently looking if I can get that resolved.
> 
> Best of luck with your build, and I hope you see it through!


thanks, don't forget Misfit Garage, he is shoving one of these into a BMW E46 

Misfit Garage


----------



## brian_ (Feb 7, 2017)

gregski said:


> what I do know about the Prius is that it only runs on around 200 volts where as the Lexus runs around 288 volts...


The nominal voltage of Toyota hybrid batteries varies from about 200 V to about 350 V, depending on model, even within models badged "Prius". Non-plug-in Prius batteries were 38-module (228S1P) NiMh, then 28-module (228S1P) NiMh, and plug-ins generally have lithium-ion batteries of various configurations. Other Toyota-branded hybrid models run with different battery voltages, and the 288 V variation is used in various Toyota models (such as the Highlander Hybrid).


----------



## brian_ (Feb 7, 2017)

markonesovic said:


> The 450h trans+inverter is a tried and tested combo at this point.


Unfortunately, the "450h" portion of the vehicle model identification isn't quite enough to identify the hybrid system, as there is also an RX 450h with a different hybrid system from the GS 450h (of similar Hybrid Synergy Drive design, but as a transverse transaxle).


----------



## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

then I went on weighing other junk, here is the AC and heater delete

35 lbs Air Conditioning and Heating System


----------



## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

weighed the front bumper as well

38 lbs front bumper - to be replaced with a fiberglass roll pan


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## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

and here is the rear bumper

30 lbs rear bumper - to be replaced with a fiberglass rollpan


----------



## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

alright so I want to show you my band saw setup for cutting that aluminum (no I am not bragging) but I want to prove to you that I aint B.S.ing either, if you look at this page you will see that the SWAG table is $150 plus $30 for a footpedal (a must in my opinion) and a $60 dollar guide, so total comes to just over $250 with tax and license, shipping, finders fee and clear under coat, hee hee

*SWAG PORTABAND TABLES & ACCESSORIES*












so the point is the table is nice, it is friggen nice (don't ask me about that Craigslist charity buy piece of junk metal cart I got it sitting on, it looked huge in the ad, SURPRISE!)

anywho the saw itself is a BAUER from Harbor Freight, now I swore on my first born I would never ever buy again anything from HF with a cord attached to it, but I must have done this at a moment of weakness, well this junk cuts crooked, always has, and last night it would not cut through 4 inches of 1/4" aluminum angle, eth?

So then I see this YouTube video: Harbor Freight Portable Bandsaw Review, please listen to the first thing he says


----------



## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

just mocking around


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## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

just wanted to get an idear of how the batteries are going to go, each one of those cell modules as they are called is just under 60 volts, these are from a 2018 BMW 530e hybrid and they come 6 to a pack, wait did I just say 6 pack but backwards... rad!

so far I bought two packs so a total of 12 of these beauties

the other three will sit atop of these, bottom three will be mounted to the bottom of the frame C channel, and the top three to the top of the frame C channel using 2x4x1/4 angle iron in front and back
Attached Images

For the Record: I cannot fit four across as they interfere with the three K member bolts protruding upwards through the bottom of the C channel


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## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

then i decided to work on the battery brackets, but since I have a $2 dollar Harbor Freight saw on a $200 SWAG saw table, I couldn't even cut through 4 inches of 1/4" angle iron, come to find out, the original saw blade that this Harbor Freight saw comes with is junk


----------



## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

so I ordered some new blades on AMAZON, learning that the less teeth per inch the better for softer metals, please let me know if I'm making a mistake

and for the record neither Ace nor Home Depot carry replacement bandsaw blades in my county

Milwaukee 44-7/8" Deep Cut Bandsaw Blades 10/14 TPI 3 Pack https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00TPA6ALY/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_glt_i_53PX2BDNVM1AWP4KV63D


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## remy_martian (Feb 4, 2019)

gregski said:


> then I went on weighing other junk, here is the AC and heater delete
> 
> 35 lbs Air Conditioning and Heating System
> 
> ...


So, I'm guessing you're planning to put a pedestal fan on the dash, like the schoolbuses had, to defog the windshield?


----------



## remy_martian (Feb 4, 2019)

You know you can cut aluminum with a circular or miter saw using a carbide blade? HF also have a cheap 14 inch chop saw for metals.

Bandsaw blade is going to wander, especially the way you have it set up with the bandsaw guide rollers located in another county away from the workpiece.


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## remy_martian (Feb 4, 2019)

Why aren't you putting your modules on edge?


----------



## piotrsko (Dec 9, 2007)

Most wood working places carry bandsaw blades, some can even weld up specials. Look under tool repair.

You can run fine tooth if you use a lube on aluminum and not force the cut. Wax, floor paste, pork fat, dish soap, hand soap, anything that helps eject the kerf from the blade teeth. Doesn't take much.


----------



## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

decided to weigh a stripped down door just for funsies, I think maybe those of you outside these Independent States will get a kick out of our 'merican steel trucks (mind you they don't build them like this any more)

PM me if you come across any carbon fiber ones, ha ha


----------



## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

thinking about going in different direction in terms of getting straight cuts on my angle aluminum battery brackets, gonna give my trusty 10" Delta Shopmaster miter saw a go

thank you Artur for the $50 dollar * DIABLO Freud D1084L 10" Diameter 84 teeth TCG Saw Blade w/5/8" Arbor* recommend


----------



## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

since I only replace the blade on this saw once a decade it only took me 9 hours to figure out [again] how to do it, YES IT IS A REVERSE THREAD BOLT, thank you Delta for not putting a sticker on the saw stating that, makes for much more fun


----------



## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

like a hot knife through buttah


----------



## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

you can check out this setup in action here, the pause in the cut is do to me stopping to take a peak at my phone to make sure it was recording


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## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

if you are into straight cuts, precision holes, super clean EV builds and other such time wasting festivities then you may want to check out my friends *Artur Kustusch* Jaguar [ alphabet soup something something model ] build here, he recommended this blade and has been my mentor throughout the build so far, thanks be to Artur!


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## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

just spit ballin' the BMW 530e battery placement


----------



## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

like Sardines


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## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

and here is the entire first six pack mocked up, I think it needs to go forward sum towards the bow more but for now I just laid them on the flatest part of the frame [and yes flatest is a word, I just made it a word]


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## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

second verse, same as the first


----------



## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

so here we go, another one man slow dance 






















































this was my first attempt with the stock transmission crossmember, it just makes the tail end sit too high, so out it came


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## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

so I went on to working on the front block off plate next figuring that would add 1/2" to the front of the bell housing, wanted that plate on there before fandangling a mounting bracket

and with this ol' Craftsman Radial saw I just increased my chances of injury by 400%


----------



## piotrsko (Dec 9, 2007)

Never knew of a radial saw climb when cutting aluminium, but I prefer a hand held circular. The machine shop at Huge Aircrash Maple st cut literally tons of metal blocks on their radial without injury back in the day, be very careful or we will call you Lefty.


----------



## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

piotrsko said:


> Never knew of a radial saw climb when cutting aluminium, but I prefer a hand held circular. The machine shop at Huge Aircrash Maple st cut literally tons of metal blocks on their radial without injury back in the day, be very careful or we will call you Lefty.


ha ha, it's the only way I can ensure a semi straight cut, here is a video of me cutting that 1/2 inch plate one mil at a time


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## remy_martian (Feb 4, 2019)

^ That one-handed use of a radial saw with one clamp is scary af...begging for a two piece torso wearing a faceshield for safety. wow

You should take those HV cables off when doing this kind of stuff...easy to nick the insulation.

Fate must have been busy yesterday.


----------



## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

so we've reached the part of the project when it's time to do some zigging when you thought you would be zagging

what I mean by that is this is where all your initial plans go out the window, I initially wanted to stay true to the Lexus two different bolt hole size bell housing design and went out and bought six 1/2" bolts and six 7/16ths (yes using standard sizes on a Japanese component, sue me, ha ha)

but I never could get all 12 bolts to fit in the holes there would always be that one [or three] that were slightly off, so I said screw it and went with all of the smaller 7/16ths

[but I'm just being honest with all you all]


----------



## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)




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## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

so what are the odds one of my existing trans crossmembers will work (couple more on the floor not shown)


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## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

having eliminated the original crossmember that held the Turbo TH350 transomatic in place in the first place, I moved on to one with some drop, using rubber feets from my stock radiator core support (run what you brong!)


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## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

just keeping the Work Harder Not Smarter theme alive


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## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

mounting the transmission is by far the biggest job on this project


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## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

I'm going with these Jeep like AMAZON motor mounts, figuring if they was strong enuff to hold an engine they ought to hold a transmission

now hang on to your comments as this is all just spit ballin' mock up, and that frame's got more twist and turns than you know it


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## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

so like most I make big plans in my head and then use what I got layin' around the garage - ie sum random 2" square tubin'


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## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

I like to class things up with rounded corners, ha ha


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## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

one down three to go

slow is the tempo


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## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

I just trace sum random washer I find laying around

and I do two passes, first one is a ruff cut with a cutoff wheel


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## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

and the second pass is with lap sandpaper discs (I never use grind stones, they suck)


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## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

and that gives us this


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## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

which we make shinny for some JB Welding...


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## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

tacking like a Boss !


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## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

transferrin' dem holes!


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## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

and time for the eyecrometer test


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## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

it was really difficult to design while building and I had to put my symmetrical brain on hold for most of it as it's all pollywhompus, take these ends for example they want to mount where the frame goes down, and in, and turns


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## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

I seriously found this metal piece sitting at a side of a dumpster a few years back, that's the quality of parts we are dealing with here people

it wasn't quite wide enuff so it got split and will get reweldered


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## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

so this is what we are going for at the ends, sort of a clam shell design


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## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

here is what one side will look like, still needs some trimming, nipping, and tucking but you git the idear


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## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

and the mandatory stare and compare from 5 feet back, whilst sippin on a cold one, [noddin' yer head, like yeah I made that]


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## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

so let's crack on

here's me doing the wax on wax off for what I hoped to be the 900th and final, (and I mean it this time) final time before a weldin'


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## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

layin' down them dimes, [well, and nickels, some pennies, but mostly dimes...]

and it's totally straight if you turn your head to the side a little bit... ok, a little bit more


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## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

you know what they say: "Grinder 'n Paint make me the welder I aint!"

seriously though, the back side had to be ground flat to mate with the trans bell housing plate, feel me?

the front was ground to hide the crappy welds!


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## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

well dem ISOFORMA USA Amazon vendor peeps did us no favors weldering that stud aka bolt in there like that for us, shhh don't tell but gosh darn it was impossible to extract this contraption in it's current native state, so these bolts had to be liberated, thank you for using cheap easy to grind grade 5 hardware

and don't we all just luv buying new parts, just so that we have to modify 'em!


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## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

alright there it is, the transmission supported by a custom rubber mounted bracket, I won't lie it was a massive amount of work, but I am very pleased with the result - whacha all think? be gentle I have very thin skin (that's why I post on the Internets, ha ha)


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## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

you want to see sum close ups of them joints/welds, why of course...

I think they pass the 50 foot test, flying colors!


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## remy_martian (Feb 4, 2019)

You do have some skills...I knew if we waited long enough...
😂


----------



## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

with the trans mount installed I was dying to try and fit the batteries back in there

Note: the sharp peak in the middle of the first battery pack is there because I have yet to cut holes for the engine crossmember bolts in the aluminum brackets, once I do that they will go down about 1 1/2"


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## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

it's gonna be s!ck

same pics from a little bit of a step backness, just to try and take all that perspectus in


----------



## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)




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## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

I got the stock OEM Lexus GS450h two piece drive shaft so I started to work on the middle donut support mount, I believe it's crucialistic that the short shaft is perfectly in line with the transmission

I started out by divorcing the two pieces just to make the short stick lighter and easier to work with, plus mounting it by itself gave me a line of sight to test with my eyecrometer


----------



## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

I also chose to remove the bulky rubber doo dad off the long shaft, at the end that would mate with a Lexus differential

this is where we will welder up an "American" [pronounced: Universal] joint


----------



## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

next it was time to stack sum plates

for this I decided to work out front in my driveway, figuring it's been days since my last HOA complaint!


----------



## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

here I'm just showing off my protractor and sliding ruler skillz


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## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

Public Service Announcement

If your drill remnants look like this, this means you have a good sharp drill bit. This is Goodness!

If they look like sparkle glitter that means you have a bad dull drill bit. This is not good.


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## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

poking holes


----------



## Gregs-Nemesis (Nov 7, 2021)

yes, but what is he making ???


----------



## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

why the Mountulator 3000

... and please don't go all Anglesuxon on me, this is just a mockup


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## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

looks like both my Transmission and the short drive shaft sit at the same angle of 7.5° if this is too much I can easily lift the tail of the transmission up some as well as the intermediate shaft to match the new angle


----------



## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

I confirmed that using the latest technology, a white lazer level


----------



## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

and now, this...


----------



## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

got Big Sexy back from the shop and popped it right in, fits like a glove


----------



## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

boring rehash to setup Part II


----------



## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

sum sneak peakness to my VIP PatreonOnly.rad fans


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## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

that's cute, but can you turn that box around so we can actually see what you are doing?


----------



## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

this video better be legit.


----------



## remy_martian (Feb 4, 2019)

I always wondered why it was called a "ladder frame"

How much extrnsion cord you going to need to take it around the block?


----------



## remy_martian (Feb 4, 2019)

Just warched the video - congrats on the spinup.


----------



## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

Why should you convert to electric? any questions, ha ha

and that was no where near fill up of the 21 gallon petrol tank


----------



## Gregs-Nemesis (Nov 7, 2021)

remy_martian said:


> I always wondered why it was called a "ladder frame"
> 
> How much extrnsion cord you going to need to take it around the block?


----------



## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

this morning I was greeted by this dreaded hard drive failure on my primary home computer where I keep all my EV Conversion pics and documentation

the Intel SSD 535 Series hard drive just failed

480 GB Solid State Drive

I'm an IT guy but this sucks ballz! I tried to tether it to a working laptop as an external drive but it won't even power up


----------



## remy_martian (Feb 4, 2019)

wtf? I thought they did remapping of bad "sectors" on the fly because they do suffer write wearout?

So much for infallible...will back up my SSD this weekend with good old magnets.

That really sucks, man


----------



## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

ladies and gentlemen I give you the self leveling Inver-A-Jack ... now available in rustic white


----------



## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

naturally the exhaust nipple and the firewall bulge won't allow us to set it on center, I won't tell Johannes if you don't


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## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

*Me:* _for this project I will only use the strongest and lightest of metals, preferably unobtanium or at the very least aluminum_

*also Me:* _let's just check the scrap pile first_


----------



## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

so some ideas taking shape

I call it the Tee Pee design 












just checking the Stick Outability 











if you tilt your head just right, it's perfectly level


----------



## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

side bracketry 
































something like this, I guess


----------



## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

and I guess this is a good place to stop for the night


----------



## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

so this is how far we got (me and the mouse in my pocket)


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## remy_martian (Feb 4, 2019)

Seems like that inverter wants to be turned 90 degrees, looking from the top, messing up your frunk plans.

It's also NOT a good idea having aluminum in contact with steel, as your vehicle will get lighter with time.


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## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

I don't usually stop to check if the cables will reach the component I am trying to install, but when I do, I make sure it is when I am half way through making the bracket...


----------



## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

I am really not a fan of this run both cables to one side design (ie East), plus one of my cables has a booboo owie so I decided to unwrap it in hopes of heeling it and seeing if it can be rerouted Westward


----------



## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

then it was time to Xerox the driver side on to the passenger side


----------



## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

looks pretty polywhompus out in the wild doesn't it?


----------



## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

decided to shave off a few protruders to ensure flatability 






















trying to look all official and shiet 











just some scrap piece with a "speed hole" in it


----------



## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

one of many, many, trial fitments (FYI, if frame rail hurdles ever become an Olympic event, I will bring home both the Gold and Silver medals for team USA) 











I need one of them 90° drill extensions to drill out this one and single hole in the frame cause the firewall is in the way even with the cab unbolted and slid further back, and I don't feel like unbolting the bed of the truck


----------



## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

another day another template (and one dull razor)


----------



## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

not my favorite tool, still trying to learn how to use it as sometimes I am a surgeon with it, but most of the time a Barbarian


----------



## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

*Top Tip* on fillin in them holes, anything bigger than tiny I like to use some backing plate on it, this is a flattened out piece of copper pipe you can source at your local plumbing supply, works great as the filer rod won't stick to it


----------



## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

*A Note On The Side:*_ if you are good with working with wood, or simply enjoy working with it, you will be really good with working with metal as it is more forgiving, you can bend it and you can straighten it, you can also cut it as many times as you like and it will still be long enuff, ha ha (if you get my meaning, unlike wood)_


----------



## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

*Top Tip:* on punching holes, lay a piece of paper or card stock over the holes and with a ball peen hammer gently tap tap tap the holes perimeter and it will punch out the perfect hole for you to transfer over, also great for making paper gaskets, works around edges as well for that perfect border cut


----------



## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

and let's glue it on there


----------



## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

well now for the moment of truth, will this thing come out?


----------



## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

over the last 20 years I have seen more painting products get banned in California than I care to mention, you know the good ol' 

*May cause California in the State of Cancer warnings!* 

I about lost my shiet when I found out we can no longer buy Denatured Alcohol here !!!

so this is the latest thing I have tried lately, works pretty OK, and it has that familiar smell like it is just rebranded Mineral Spirits or Acetone?

maybe one of you Walter Whites can set me straight on the ingredients


----------



## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

and I got it covered with primer just before the rain that night, I really like this RUST-OLEUM primer it covers well, makes me feel like a PROFESSIONAL and you can get it at Home Depot or Lowe's at half the cost of what they sell the same stuff at the Auto Parts Stores


----------



## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

and here is *Reason #197* why I chose the Lexus GS450 transmission as my electric power plant, essentially so I won't have to do this:

In this video *Damien Maguire* shows us what it takes to attach a first gen Nissan Leaf electric motor to a BMW E46 five speed transmission.


adapter plate
input shaft coupler

Don't get me wrong we loved our 2013 Nissan Leaf which we leased for three years, and of course I love Damien, everything I know about EVs I learned from his videos.

but please take a looksie and anjoy

oh by the way 197 is also the horse power of the bigger electric motor inside of our Lexus transmission, yes there are two electric motors inside of it, the other one is a bit smaller


[media]


----------



## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

so when the combustion engine goes away, so does vacuum or the source of vacuum, this means that we loose power brakes, as the brake booster is vacuum operated, here I am starting to work with a replacement electronic booster called an iBooster from a 2018 Honda CRV (there were two generations of this animal, and I believe mine is still Gen 1)

thanks be to Lars and his amazing blog on this topic at EVcreate.nl *Electric power brakes*

but first the mandatory stare and compare (Chevy on the left, not Chevy on the right)


----------



## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

I can't believe the short sightedness of the Chevy engineers, that merely 50 years ago they could not foresee that we would some day be bolting up electronic components to these rigs, was all that pretend metric compliance for nothing? needless to say I must drill four new holes, oh the calamity


----------



## remy_martian (Feb 4, 2019)

Keeping a stick in a car is an apples and oranges comparison to your motorized slushbox.


----------



## remy_martian (Feb 4, 2019)

I know there's a drought in Californica, but these are going to fill with water and become a rusty mess if it ever does rain there:









You could have closed the tubes off and run a plate tab for the bolts.









The good thing about now cutting the tubes shorter to cover and tab them means the rest of the rail and some of your time is salvageable.

Also don't understand why the inverter mount didn't tee off that same crossmember (weight)....

😛


----------



## floydr (Jun 21, 2021)

Actually it has rained more in the last month than all of jan, feb and first half of march. here in Sacramento
later floyd


----------



## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

floydr said:


> Actually it has rained more in the last month than all of jan, feb and first half of march. here in Sacramento
> later floyd


um, that was random, unless I missed something, ha ha


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## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

a cool video by *TesLorean* showing how this iBooster works


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## remy_martian (Feb 4, 2019)

Yes, you missed a lot. But you won't see this posting either...your loss.


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## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

time to adapt and overcome


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## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

and I like to clean my old parts after I work with them, to maximize my chances of tetanus


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## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

after little thought I just nibbed off this eyelet off of the old booster and stuckatized it on to the new one


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## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

Fun Fact: Trusting that your 70s vehicle was built with the highest of precision fitment standards in mind and perfect symmetry is a sure way to make you drill and weld up your new holes two or three times to fianlly meet their polywhompuses

this is how off the factory brackets come off the firewall towards the new booster, they are NOT even (like I originally assumed)


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## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

this is the part where you tell me I mounted it sideways or upside down ?

2018 Honda CRV iBooster same crap as in the Tesla but for a 1/3rd of the cost


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## remy_martian (Feb 4, 2019)

gregski said:


> after little thought I just nibbed off this eyelet off of the old booster and stuckatized it on to the new one
> 
> 
> View attachment 129068
> ...


Yikes....the only thing standing between life and death is that hack job. 

Not sure what the pedal leverage is on that eyelet, but it could easily be on the order of a tonne in a panic stop.

Get a one piece rod machined from the proper strength alloy. Brake rods are not the place to glue things together with Harbor Freight welds.


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## remy_martian (Feb 4, 2019)

More scary $hit:










It's really bad enough that you mounted the booster on a standoff which will likely crack over time from the bouncing mass of the booster out on a moment arm, but when that circled standoff with your z kink in it is called upon to react to high brake pedal forces, it will straighten, wasting precious milliseconds in a panic stop and stealing braking force in favor of force straightening the bracket 🤦‍♂️

I suggest you redo it all properly.


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## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

I think I put off tackling the battery tray long enuff, so first it was time to make the uneven, even!

using only the finest metals from my scrap pile of finest metals


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## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

this is approximately 3,612 back and forths with the angle grinder 












tack you very much


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## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

at first this level of inaccuracy made my heart skip a beat...

but then later I realized the whole front end is up in the air a bit more than the rear and not on the level

so Top Tip, when twerking on old cars or trucks, measure and go off of their parts and not off of the circumference of the earth and shiet, (I once built a perfectly symmetrical split bumper for my '54 ... spent hours and hours on getting both sides identical, and then I mounted them and they looked jacked, I could not figure out what was wrong, so I cut the uneven side all up and welded it up so it looked like HELL on the garage floor, then I mounted it up, and my wife goes HMMM THAT LOOKS PERECT !!!


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## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

and here's how them horns look naked, perfectly level from 50 feet... 
































not purdy but strong


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## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

that's more like it, I like it! do you?


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## Moderator (9 mo ago)

remy_martian said:


> More scary $hit:
> 
> View attachment 129077
> 
> ...


I've been quietly viewing this thread for awhile in the background, unregistered. I could no longer witness Gregski get ridiculed. Its apparent that you bring nothing but criticism to this forum. Most of which are inappropriate, unwarranted or blatantly inaccurate. This is the latest, which include all three. Community forums are intended to promote creativity, knowledge and collaborative ideas to improves ones project. You contribute none of these traits. Its also ironic that you have no build thread of your own for us to critique your work! Us DIYers thrive on collaborative efforts and appreciate positive AND negative input, however, you fail to understand several factors. Specifically to this post include:

1. Its highly plausible Gregski is only sharing mock-ups and not actual finished work.
2. Your comment regarding the booster standoff is completely wrong as GM used these brackets for several decades.
3. As with all EVs, primary braking is not done with mechanical pedal application, rather regenerative braking, so your over-reaction to his design is misguided.

Please consider including a practical solution when criticizing members work. We all share the same desire to create a fun and safe project at minimal expense. At this point, the only thing you're contributing is the use of the "IGNORE" feature, which is convenient, but would rather allow ALL to contribute accordingly. Its obvious Gregski is ignoring you, which I will do as well and Im sure many others have already done.

I wish you well and hopefully we may one day view your project. Please consider contributing your knowledge and experience that may help others to improve their project, otherwise your negativity is unnecessary and simply immature.


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## piotrsko (Dec 9, 2007)

How does one sucessfully regen a series wound DC motor? So NOPE, not all of us EV people do regen to stop and do somewhat need brakes that will actually stop the vehicle, RFN, as the occasion remands

As for Remy, I am now considering that negativity a plus, for all those whom ignore his advise initially. YMMV, live long and prosper.


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## remy_martian (Feb 4, 2019)

Again, I know I'm on ignore here with our resident cowboy (seems like he ignores more than me and plods on), but for everybody else - do not put aluminum in contact with steel. The aluminum will eventually turn into a powder from galvanic corrosion - an aircraft I owned was written off due to corrrosion in its wing spar (and that was built by people who knew what they were doing).

What he's doing right now could easily be done in steel, would be as strong with smaller sections, is easily welded with the gear he already has, and will not crack under stress. 

He doesn't say _why_ he's using aluminum here. 

Or why on earth he's pushing the batteries forward into the crumple zone. 🤦‍♂️

Grab a 🍿 and enjoy the next installment of "Gregski's How Not To Do It" 😂


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## remy_martian (Feb 4, 2019)

Good to see a lurker finally contribute constructively to the forum, vs be Gregski's mom, by challenging what I wrote. Welcome to the forum. I'm a big boy and can deal with ad hominem attacks without conjuring up my dead mother to hold my hand as I run off crying because of the bully.

Engineering is all about finding the holes and better ways to do things. You may see that as negative, as many snowflakes do, but it isn't. Rockets with 7 people in them blow up and disintegrate in the sky because a group hug never happened over "negativity".

So, yes, ignoring the nannying, you brought up a valid point. @piotrsko covered one important aspect. I'd add to that argument that you get ZERO regen with a full battery, no matter the motor in the car.

In an emergency stop, even with an empty battery, regen does the square root of fuck all (engineering term) at 80kW or so on many cars, so you still need monster brakes (look at all Teslas - the disks are sized for stopping a 6000lb car).

I'd also point out that GM uses straight, not Z bent standoffs (are they heat treated? Definitely not, now). Huge difference in reaction forces. This has to work with a failed booster (dead battery or broken wire - unlike a vacuum booster, lose power and there is no booster backup for a couple of brake presses) in an emergency stop...

GM also uses a solid braking rod, not one with a metal-glued eye on it that's connected to a high leverage, leg pressed, adrenaline pumped, brake pedal.


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## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

so here's a peak looksee what we are going for, I don't even know if that Tesla Model 3 battery charger / DC-DC converter combo unit [ahem, sorry Power Conversion System, PCS] is laying on there right side up or upside down, (you tell me, ha ha)

I am also entertaining shoving it under where the oil pan used to live there may be just enough of a cavity to bolt it up to the battery tray from underneath, for that German like impossible to get to to troubleshoot feel


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## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

so is it going to be *A* or *B* as I have not decided on an onboard charger and or DC-DC converter yet?












on one hand I have modified the Tesla Model S Gen 2 charger already, wrote it up here *I bought a Tesla Model S Gen 2 Charger - Now What?* and even made a video for it that nobody watched: 






on the other hand I have the All-In-One charger and converter combo, less wiring less space, which I know nothing about ... yet


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## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

now both you and I know that I have enough plates spinning on this project simultaneously that the last thing I need is to start another phase of the project...

where am I going?


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## remy_martian (Feb 4, 2019)

^^ The Gen 2 charger has to live in the cab, so you have your answer.


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## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

Fishing! why are we going fishing?

Second Gen 2008 Toyota Prius Electronic Power Steering EPS





















one of the grounds































apologies for the bad lighting, my light crew had the weekend off


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## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

the brain aka computer or control module call it what you will sits way up high under the dash pad


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## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

since I did the pull myself I decided to take my time and not cut it all out with a machete

this is one of it's 17 ground connectors (the car itself has 863 grounds)


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## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

taking one for the team


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## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

I honestly pride myself on this pull, I pulled all home runs, from the plugs on the steering column computer all the way to the fuse box in the engine bay, I even yanked the relay sub block, which is a siamese with the electric radiator relay on the other side, BONUS! so I pulled those wires to the plug in the rad fan as well (for future use)


more grounds


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## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

three short sunny hours and $62 bucks later, we had ourselves an electric power assist steering column, with the controller, and the wire harness

Fun Fact: they wanted additional $65 for the sleeping bag, so I yanked it at the cash register in their lobby, ha ha (not on my watch)


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## eVolvoSaab (Sep 10, 2019)

gregski said:


> three short sunny hours and $62 bucks later, we had ourselves an electric power assist steering column, with the controller, and the wire harness
> 
> Fun Fact: they wanted additional $65 for the sleeping bag, so I yanked it at the cash register in their lobby, ha ha (not on my watch)
> 
> ...


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## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

although I treated myself to Jimobys tacos on the way home, shout out if you have been, it's a Cali think I think needless to say I was pooped, but I was determined to give her one try at fitting into Dusty

first the fugly steering wheel had to come off, it's a two bolt puller one beer job


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## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

Confession Time: I hate Priuses, they are the slowest vehicles on the planet, and if you are stuck behind one with an Uber sticker forget about it, you are going to be late, and God forbid they have both Lift and Uber, might as well pull over and wait it out, but, but, but...

the engineering is brilliant, honestly, the Lexus engineers should really cross the aisle and chat with the Toyota gals, cause they know how to build a fuse block and steering column/wheel, this thing comes apart like magic 












this weight on the steering wheel explains why they only get 7 miles of range per battery pack 











and one track ready Prius steering wheel


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## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

wait a minute, this 2008 Toyota steering column is NOT a direct bolt on to my 1969/71 Chevy GMC ??? may I speak to a supervisor please


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## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

so I bolted up the manual steering box (yes manual, as they come with a more forgiving 6.5 end to end turn ratio than the automagical ones) and yes a box and not a rack, some call it arcane, I believe the General prefers "proven" technology

the reason I swapped out my power steering box for this manual is because this Prius jobbie is not technically power steering as the force is applied above the box, so it's essentially power assist if you will


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## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

I happened to come across this: *Toyota Prius Power Steering Works in Almost Any Project Car*


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## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

well looks like reclocking is pretty easy, just two bolts


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## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

then it was time to give her a little shave


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## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

and another


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## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

Operation Kojak complete


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## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

after that, things escalated pretty quickly and more carnage ensued


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## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

I was spit ballin' using everything at my disposal for ideas (not all of them good ones)


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## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

finally settling on making a plate to re clock the pivot bracket (not for tilt per say but to help get the angle during mounting) something to hang it up with sorta speak


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## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

just trying to see if I can install this thing in more steps than Rotbox Metalworks


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## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

Captain's Log

it has been 857 Earth days since we landed on planet EPAS, and what started out as a standard recon mission has lets just say escalated

the threaded rod is for photo opp only 























we aint really gonna run that fugly PRIUS steering wheel, it's just there as a prop


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## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

so let's adopt this to that, as I am sure Grant makes an adapter for their Hot Rod wheels to a Prius for sure, but going that route would be cheating

I know right?! four spokes, chics luv four spokes!











oh that's cute, Grant is using metric hexeseseses so my 'merican ones don't work, great!












so how do we adopt this to that?











hmmmm, two holes align...











time for the plasma cutter











like a surgeon


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## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

ah, it's temporary


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## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

and the problems kept on coming

my rod was too short [where have I heard that before?] 






















this is just a mock up


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## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

one of the challenges I'm facing with the steering in a truck is the sheer length of the steering shafts, think of the Prius as a pug and my truck as a Borzoi wolfhound (yes that took seconds of Googling dog images to find - you're welcome)


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## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

so the long steering rod connects to the steering box using something called a rag joint (you can't make this stuff up folks) basically a round piece of an old tire, ha ha that's supposed to absorb some of the vibrations as the farmer goes down the dirt road in one of them trucks, folks these days replace them with U joints (defeating their original shock absorption purpose) and I may do the same (but probably not)


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## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

the long "intermediate" steering shaft that runs from the rag joint on up to the steering column inside the firewall is really made up of two pieces, designed to slide inside each other incase of a head on collision allowing the driver to be decapitated by the hood (ahem bonnet) instead, so I am keeping that rod and will just have to extend it 6 inches, or I may replace the Prius "intermediate" shaft with one from her sister car a Corolla

so much math


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## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

anyways, so I cleaned the garage yesterday and found this:

I believe it's called a "floor"


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## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

so since our son is home from Uni for the weekend I am using that as an excuse to stay quiet and clean this whole weekend so no cutting, drilling, or grinding

so it's time to fandangle with the Chevy Volt onboard battery charger, I put it off long enuff

my logic went like this, hey you're converting a Chevy truck, wouldn't it be cool to use some electric Chevy parts on it...


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## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

this thing has more tantacles than a Syberian octopus, so we start with the one that runs from the onboard charger to the "traction" battery

traction is just a fancy way of saying the big high voltage battery pack

this thing is incased in an aluminum pipe for you know Armageddon


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## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

I wasted many a beers trying to unpin that thing, as it proved futile, so I cut it in half and will offer 50% of the cable to the highest bidder, or the best dirty joke muszyngr at yahoo dot com


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## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

my 8 track collection


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## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

looks like the Barberians cut the proximity wires from the charge port, so I chased those down


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## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

and lastly I divorced the 12 volt battery leads from the CAN control side wires


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## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

so then I hooketized it all...


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## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

and quickly learned that my trusty and very pink CANalyst-II gizmo CAN Bus reader tool is NOT the tool for the job to control aka send CAN Bus commands to the charger, yes it reads them, and yes it can pretty much send one command at a time, but not multiple ones at once type of thing

File that under *Lessons Learned*


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## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)




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## remy_martian (Feb 4, 2019)

Take a typing class to get your WPM up...


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## muszyngr (8 mo ago)

armed with another CAN Bus analyzing tool, let's see what this MICROCHIP can do, it's black so it's gotta be good


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## muszyngr (8 mo ago)

same concept here, just a bit less arcane USB cable


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## muszyngr (8 mo ago)

and just like that we were back to where we left off, but with a different CAN Bus analyzer tool, hopefully a more better one (at least this one has a manual)


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## muszyngr (8 mo ago)

*LESSONS LEARNED*

In the spirit of full disclosure thinking I would go out and buy a complete OEM Chevy Volt first gen J1772 charge port and wall charger, seemed like a good idea at the time, but i soon discovered it just complicates things, actually makes it impossible to control the charger, as the silly charge port or wall charger needs to be controlled itself do to the Pilot and Proximity connections


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## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)




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## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

oh no he didn't....


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## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

and we got ourselves a dime a dozen regular US 120 volt (pronounced: "one ten") 15 amp power cord, perfect for some troubleshootin'


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## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

it's time for...




[ wait for it ]


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## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)




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## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

*I got it working* and when I do so I can see amps on the high voltage orange wire going into the battery, it reads 3.5 amps which is approximately half of what I have it set to ie 8 amps, but that's because I am on only 120 volts AC


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## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

I learned a lot over the weekend, and today I had to rest my brain and do something with my hands....

Commence Operation Porcupine


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## remy_martian (Feb 4, 2019)

^^ I'm surprised you could put 120VAC into it at all - probably putting half wave AC into it.

Curious how you are running it without any cooling.


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## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

the idea is a modular design that will put crane operators out of business


first we load up the bottom three cell modules (each weighing in at just under 30 lbs) 






















once those three are individually loaded and bolted up, we simply flip that batch over - right side up 






















and now we are ready for the top batch


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## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

now every battery pack has it's pros and cons, be it a Tesla pack, a Nissan Leaf, or this BMW 530e, and this one is no different, one of the downsides of it is these unobtanium proprietary high voltage cables, it is a real challenge to reconfigure the standard pack layout whilst utilizing only the stock high voltage cables

some like this one joins two cell modules very smartly.... (we like, we approve)


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## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

here is one BMW 530e battery pack (*Embedded Fun Fact:* which consists of six cell modules, unlike the 330e which only has five) reconfigured in The Stack Formation, unfortunately we are unable to complete this arrangement because we are one cable short, technically we have the cable but it is just too short to join Cell Module #2 to Cell Module #3


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## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

I give you the Battery Lifterizer 3000 (TM)


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## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

I'm a Simple Man, I see a gap... and I fill it! 























yes we did run out of gas... (no literally) 












but we recovered, and one side's done


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## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

and onto the other side, having the frame rails level now is a total game changer 











man I love a clean canvas


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## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

alright, let's load 'em up proper


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## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

now I currently only have one pack installed here, but hopefully you'll get the idea how this design is meant to hold two of them, six cell modules on top and anther six upside down


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## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

so time to make *a List for Phase I* as I plan on doing or should I say NOT doing some stuff in this Phase that may be a bit controversial

*PHASE I PROGRESS REPORT* as inspired by  *The Plan!*

[ this list is clickable so feel free to poke around please ]


Mount Lexus transmotor - ✔
Install modified Lexus drive shaft - ✔
Mount transmission fluid pump controller
Mount Lexus inverter - ✔
Mount Honda CRV brake booster - ✔
Install Toyota Prius power steering column - not happy with this install (my job, not the part)
Install first *BMW 530e battery pack* - ✔
Lay down on the floor the *Damien Maguire VCU*
Install modified BMW 530e pre charge circuit aka *"Safety Box"*
Install *Chevy Volt first gen DC-DC converter*
Install BMW E46 throttle pedal
Install B&M transmission floor shifter
Install Tesla Model S water pump



*Not happening in Phase I*

*Lock GS450h input shaft* in the Lexus transmotor*
Install *Chevy Volt gen 1 onboard battery charger***
Install Battery Management System aka BMS***
Install customized digital gauges
Install second BMW 530e battery pack


the *Controversial Section* (we can thumb wrestle over these items if you like - by appointment only, ha ha)

* Input Shaft, I want to dyno test the truck with only *MG2 powering the rear wheels* to see how much horse power it actually puts out in real life, before adding MG1 to assist with traction power

** no Charger, this is the first of the radical ideas, why do we need a battery charger mounted on board permanently, isn't that the equivalent of driving around with your very own gasoline/petrol pump, can you imagine pulling up to SHELL or Chevron with your own pump mounted in the back of your truck?

*** no BMS, eventually I plan on getting SimpBMS but it is just so expensive here in the States, I think they want $650 for the hardware


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## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

another day another mock up


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## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

as much as I love this BMW 530e hybrid battery pack, it's Achille's heel has got to be the proprietary high voltage terminals, which call for the unobtanium plugs and wires, here I am trying to figure out how to use only the stock amount of high voltage cables to rewire it flat instead of two cell modules stacked on top like in the original implementation


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## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

and as you may have heard my SSD (computer hard drive) failed last month and i LOST all of my EV pics and Notes but somehow today on Google Drive I found this pic from *Sir Artur*  my EV blood brother and mentor on this project, and here is how he pulled it off with one OEM set of orange twizzlers

the boy is smart, that's for damn sure


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## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

no I didn't just spend 4 hours drilling two holes in the most unreachable of places, who in their right mind designed these silly frame extensions?!?!


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## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

I was going a bit crazy toggling between Arduino codes for this and Arduino codes for that on my lonely Arduino Due board, so I decided to buy one dedicated to CAN bus(ing) from EVTV


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## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

so I must say I am a little bit bumbed, I connected the EVTVDue board with an older style USB cable to my laptop, launched Saavy CAN which by they way is just an executable (pronounced: you don't have to install it you just double click a .exe file to open it up) quite brilliant really, as it means it's very portable, and nothing happened

So I launched Arduino IDE (the software program where you write code and run code) I made sure the right COM port was selected, I crossed my fingers and launched the serial monitor, then I typed "?" took a deep breath and hit enter, and as I suspected, nothing happened which confirms to me *GVRET* must not come pre installed on this card

that's the only way I know how to check what is on an Arduino board, if you have any suggestions I'm all ears

my opinion is that it would be a real value added feature if the board came with GVRET pre installed, now I don't know if that means they would need a couple flavors of the board like one for Linus, one for Apple, and one for Windows, but I think they could reach and satisfy an larger segment of the not so DIY EV conversion community, as I find Arduinoing a steady P.I.A.

let me know your thoughts


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## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

and here I confirm with a multimeter that indeed my trusty ol' lead acid battery is charging at 13.3 volts cause it drops to 12.5 when not charging


man I really like this Chevy Volt first gen charger, you can test with just the 12 volt battery and not get dead


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## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

tell me you're done with Fab without telling me you're done with Fab


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## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

finally... no more Purple (sorry Prince, R.I.P.)


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## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

the transmission crossmember also got sum red luv in our outdoor free range organic make shift paint booth

Bonus Points for clever use of not only exhaust pipes but exhaust U clamps, not like we're going to be needing them again


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## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

while waiting on the paint to dry I recorded this


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## Frazier (Oct 25, 2021)

I have been watching this thread, i.e. lurking in the back ground hoping to steal all of your knowledge, for a bit now as I have almost the same vehicle and same year as yours and am looking to emulate what you have done. Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, right. Given the difficultly in figuring out which harnesses were needed and then obtaining them along with all of the other donor parts from Lexus, I just purchased a whole car off Copart. Considering I have the full car at my disposal, what other parts, aside from what you have already used in your build, do you think might be useful to keep, just in case? Thank you in advance


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## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

Frazier said:


> I have been watching this thread, i.e. lurking in the back ground hoping to steal all of your knowledge, for a bit now as I have almost the same vehicle and same year as yours and am looking to emulate what you have done. Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, right. Given the difficultly in figuring out which harnesses were needed and then obtaining them along with all of the other donor parts from Lexus, I just purchased a whole car off Copart. Considering I have the full car at my disposal, what other parts, aside from what you have already used in your build, do you think might be useful to keep, just in case? Thank you in advance


hey that's awesome, what I would recommend you do first is see if you can get the Lexus to start, run, and drive, also see if you can charge it, maybe throw it on a trailer and take it to a charging stations, assuming it is safe and no damage to the high voltage components, then see if you can capture any CAN Bus data, I think guys at the OpenInverter.org *Lexus GS450H VCU Support Thread* forum may be very interested in that as we have only seen them in the wild, they could walk you through getting us some data captures, I am in the process of writing a how to article on CAN bus control here I think I CAN, I think I CAN...

as far as your specific question keep the entire car for as long as you can, if you have mad engineering and fab skills you could consider grafting the entire rear end into your truck, our trucks have live axles, the Lexus had IRS so that would make the rear end, drive shaft, transmission combo really happy

see if it has electric power steering and if so hold on to that, though I am not sure how difficult it is to control it, maybe save the electric coolant pump if it has one, you could use that to cool the inverter, label every plug before you unplug it please

I would keep all of the high voltage stuff including the AC, battery pack (for testing) charger, etc, and of course all the wiring harnesses, especially the one that has the Inverter plug on it, and the one that runs to the transmission, those are two different harnesses

I would also do a walk around video for all of us with the car intact, as well as take a bunch of photos


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## Frazier (Oct 25, 2021)

Thank you for the info. I was already planning on keep some of the parts you mentioned, but you do bring up some good points. The car had a front end collision which caused some very interesting frame damage but aside from that the car was running and driving, albeit needing a massive alignment from the crash. The airbags didn't even go off and there's a lot of them in this car. There are ones for your shins. 

I have already begun the process of systematically removing the engine, transmission and the associated harnesses. I was also going to keep most of the hybrid system, just in case I needed it. I can tell you so far that any dismantler who chooses to keep the harnesses intact should be rewarded. I have been documenting the best I can for future generations to enjoy. 

I have a 72 Blazer and was going to keep it 4WD, divorced transfer case, solid axles. I know that I will get a lot of comments on this point, so before anyone tries to jump down my throat, I have an engineering degree, I work in aerospace, I have worked on a lot of 4WD systems before, I know what I'm getting into. I also know that my range will suffer but its a 3rd car, I don't need to be able to drive 300 miles, just be able to drive around town with the top off. That and to make my wife happy that this thing is running again.


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## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

Frazier said:


> I have a 72 Blazer and was going to keep it 4WD, divorced transfer case, solid axles. I know that I will get a lot of comments on this point, so before anyone tries to jump down my throat, I have an engineering degree, I work in aerospace, I have worked on a lot of 4WD systems before, I know what I'm getting into. I also know that my range will suffer but its a 3rd car, I don't need to be able to drive 300 miles, just be able to drive around town with the top off. That and to make my wife happy that this thing is running again.


'72 Blazer is my dream SUV are you kidding me, ha ha, 4WD eh? is this where I tell you about the all wheel drive Lexus LS600h your motors bigger cousin


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## Frazier (Oct 25, 2021)

Ah yes, the mythical LS600H. Going into this I started by looking for one of those, a full vehicle just like I purchased. Considering I was able to the this whole car for $1800 and have a fancy degree with a full machine shop to do my bidding, I picked this route as it seemed like I was going to be able to get what I needed/wanted for a reasonable cost. 

Adding in a divorced transfer case is not that difficult for this application from looking at both the Blazer and Lexus transmission. My plan was to keep it in the stock location and mount the Lexus drive system a bit farther forward than you did. I do really like your battery location and ordination so I will have to see how much room I eat away at by doing it this way.


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## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

nothing like a clean canvas


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## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

got the inside of the cab in primer


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## kruisecontrol (May 28, 2020)

i have been checking your build for a while and find it very interesting , good to see its moving along , my background is in diesel conversions and i know the long time it takes to make parts from different cars/trucks work together ,especially when no one has done it before , i will start converting my 71 cheyenne soon , although i am going a different route the time you dedicate to your project is inspiring..


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## remy_martian (Feb 4, 2019)

What "different route" are you going with the Cheyenne?


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## kruisecontrol (May 28, 2020)

going with a complete model 3 rear suspension / cradle replacing the rear axle , M3 standard range batteries under the cab , still debating about the battery fitment options, use the complete battery pack and build a frame around it vs taking the individual packs and fit them inside the original frame.


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## remy_martian (Feb 4, 2019)

Sounds cool - planning a build thread here?


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## brian_ (Feb 7, 2017)

Moderator said:


> 3. As with all EVs, primary braking is not done with mechanical pedal application, rather regenerative braking...


Full-effort emergency braking depends on the friction service brakes even if regen is working. The brake system needs to be designed and constructed on this basis - it's not just an extra "nice to have" feature.


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## brian_ (Feb 7, 2017)

gregski said:


> Confession Time: I hate Priuses, they are the slowest vehicles on the planet, and if you are stuck behind one with an Uber sticker forget about it, you are going to be late, and God forbid they have both Lift and Uber, might as well pull over and wait it out...


Apparently you hate Prius _drivers_; the cars are not especially slow, and every car sold in this century has more than enough performance to keep up with traffic if the driver chooses to do so.


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## remy_martian (Feb 4, 2019)

The one I rented a couple of years ago handled and felt heavy....like a truck.

Does this mean the chickens will come home to roost?


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## brian_ (Feb 7, 2017)

gregski said:


> so I bolted up the manual steering box (yes manual, as they come with a more forgiving 6.5 end to end turn ratio than the automagical ones) and yes a box and not a rack, some call it arcane, I believe the General prefers "proven" technology
> 
> the reason I swapped out my power steering box for this manual is because this Prius jobbie is not technically power steering as the force is applied above the box, so it's essentially power assist if you will


All "power steering" systems in cars are power-assisted mechanical systems. Where the assist is applied matters little if at all; certainly it is irrelevant to the choice of steering box (or rack) ratio.

Spinning the wheel several turns lock-to-lock when that is unnecessary to keep the effort low at the steering wheel makes for a lousy vehicle to drive. The first car that I drove was an AMC Gremlin with a ratio suited to manual steering, but with power assist, and as a result it was slow to steer and had no feel. I would not deliberately create that situation.


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## remy_martian (Feb 4, 2019)

My dad's C10 had armstrong steering - it was fine, though a bit of work parking.

The setup here seems pretty light on the front wheels with those Beemer modules, so no assist should be ok. I'm waiting to see what he does for front springs to level the truck.


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## brian_ (Feb 7, 2017)

gregski said:


> * Input Shaft, I want to dyno test the truck with only *MG2 powering the rear wheels* to see how much horse power it actually puts out in real life, before adding MG1 to assist with traction power


While it doesn't make sense to use a two-motor unit and dual inverters and not use half of it, it does make sense to find out what the performance is with just MG2.

If just MG2 is acceptable, one could even split the L110 into front and rear sections (which would require a shaft modification or custom shaft), and use only the rear section (MG2 and gearbox).


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## brian_ (Feb 7, 2017)

kruisecontrol said:


> going with a complete model 3 rear suspension / cradle replacing the rear axle , M3 standard range batteries under the cab , still debating about the battery fitment options, use the complete battery pack and build a frame around it vs taking the individual packs and fit them inside the original frame.


Have you seen Superfast Matt's Jaguar Mk V project?
Tesla Powered Jag

Anyway, that's all quite different from what Greg is doing in this build thread.


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## kruisecontrol (May 28, 2020)

brian_ said:


> Have you seen Superfast Matt's Jaguar Mk V project?
> Tesla Powered Jag
> 
> Anyway, that's all quite different from what Greg is doing in this build thread.


yes , very interesting build , will definitely take some pointers from his experience , the idea came from a guy in the ford trucks forum installing a s550 mustang rear suspension in a f100 back in 19 which closely resembles the model 3 rear suspension. 
recently bought a rolled model 3 for parts at a decent price after hunting for so long, i wish i could start a build thread soon but im neck high in work for at least a couple months.


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## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

so got the cab painted


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## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

and the floor got rubberized


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## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

so here's the crap I've been up to the last couple weeks (when not dealing with weddings and graduations, lol)


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## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

happy to report the final assembly has commenced, with the help of a few friends we got the drive shaft mounted, the transmission mounted, the cab mounted, and the "engine" crossmember installed, we could not go any further since I am still waiting on the control arm rubber seals, yes $3.00 parts, lol 

Top Tip: don't be too proud to ask for help, the scratches you save may be your own, ha ha


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## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

and she's back on her feet


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## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

a little motivation

WILWOOD Combination Proportioning Valve (pronounced: _adjustable_)


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## remy_martian (Feb 4, 2019)

That'll be interesting, given regen varies with SoC...


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## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

video of me making the bracket for the Wilwood proportioning valve


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## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

just a little stateside fun with drive shafts







the new old drive shaft came with a stock center support bracket, and it fit and bolted right up, still needs some wire wheel love though






















man I measured once, cut it twice and it's still too short!!!


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## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

so yeah I was little bit concerned about the EV ending up lighter than the original, so I decided to add an anti swear bar


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## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

so motivated by *Bill Bayer* I decided to take another stab at the Prius power steering doo dad, I was not happy with it under the dash


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## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

so here we go time for surgery


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## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

The *Pull-A-Parter 3000*

Sketch Level: EXPERT


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## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

American Polack Potrafi

*Pull-A-Parter 3000* complete kit with attachments also available in metric 






















and after all that if I had to do it all over again I would not waste my time pulling it apart I would just cut it right at the join of the two cylinders, in order to expose the shaft


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## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

alright so gears are turning in my head, this might could work


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## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

a video on designing the Prius power steering bracket


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## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

on this episode of Midnight Auto, we finally [start to] tackle the brake lines


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## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

plumbing brakes like a Boss!


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## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

yeah I forgot to put a fitting on my best run, don't judge me


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## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

I think once I clamputize them they won't look so wild

and I ran out of line, I guess 15 feet was not enuff, so I gotta buy another spool to do the rear drum brake line run, not all the way back to the rear axle just to the transmission crossmember


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## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

looks like my MOOG steering linkage parts from Rock Auto are on a US tour complements of FedEx

MASPETH, NY

KEASBEY, NJ

SNYDER TWP, PA

PORT CLINTON, OH

CHICAGO, IL

COUNTRYSIDE, IL

CAMDEN, MO

HIGGINS, TX

ENCINO, NM

NAVAJO NATION, AZ

NEEDLES, CA

BAKERSFIELD, CA

STOCKTON, CA

Shipment exception
Weather delay


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## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

so I decided to install the new old steering column in just for mock up of the Prius electronic power steering


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## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

big day today, hope to accomplish quite a bit, install brand new steering linkage, and get the radiator core support and inner fenders back on, among 7 million other little things, you know how it goes...


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## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

so with a help of a friend got the steering linkage on, the inner fender, and the radiator core support


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## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

then we took on the Prius power assist steering and decided to graft it into the GM intermediate steering shaft 










































this end goes to the stock GM manual steering box connected via what is called a rag joint


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## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

I do my own stunts


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## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

here we are re clocking the Prius gizmo


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## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

we also extracted the steering wheel shaft from the upper part that runs to the steering wheel


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## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

we also extracted the steering wheel shaft from the upper part that runs to the steering wheel 












the GM intermediate shaft coupler married to the Prius upper steering column shaft











and poked a hole in it to rosie weld it once it slipped on to the native Prius splines


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## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

you are going to need a dance partner for the next part

Step 1. cut a bunch or random pieces that look like this 













Step 2. welder them all up in any random formation


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## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

mount it to the frame, and back away 50 feet


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## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

enuff already mount the damn thing !!!

alright, alright...


mounted it looks great, is strong as hell, and it even turns them wheels 






















the flux capacitor 











The Iron Maiden 











It almost looks like a truck again


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## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

the Prius power assist project implementation summarized:


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## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

Black Sunshine


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## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

I think I missed my calling as a plastic surgeon


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## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

a 1,000 cuts later...


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## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

good enuff for government work


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## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

also got the brand new Grant steering circle installed


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## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

though I don't like how far it sticks out, I don't have a back seat to steer from 












I'm thinking eliminating the specialized riser all together


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## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

sure, we labored in the blistering garage all day yesterday only for it to completely cool off to only 105°F today


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## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

and we got ourselves, one finger power steering, completely CANable Free simply works in fail safe mode, (I believe this means the assist is the same regardless of vehicle speed as opposed to being progressively less as the speed increases in an actual Prius, oh well we'll take it)


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## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

learned how to wire it up from this video


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## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

a super explanation of how you change gears in an electric conversion vehicle


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## muszyngr (8 mo ago)

third half of the second gen Prius electric power assist steering combobulation into the 50 year ol' rig


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## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

you may find this video on this transmissions little sister the *Lexus GS300h* interesting 

as explained by the Irish block who is leading the reverse engineering \ development of the brain module to make them work in EV Conversion *Mr. Damien Maguire* of  *EVBMW.com * fame


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## remy_martian (Feb 4, 2019)

gregski said:


> as explained by the Irish block who is leading the reverse engineering \ development of the brain module to make them work in EV Conversion


I think you mean, "bloke".

Damien credits the team at Open Inverter for his progress in this one, as you should.


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## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)




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## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

so I decided to re plumb the iBooster with much nicer and gentler sweeping bends, and then go to *EVCreate* to see if I got the front and rear lines correct

any guesses if I got it right?


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## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

if indeed I made an error, now I must figure out how to somehow blame *SuperfastMatt* for said error, as I do not identify as someone who is error prone


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## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

so here we go taking another one for the team, I just subbed to one months worth of ALLData for a 2018 Honda CRV hopefully we can learn more about this master cylinder iBooster thingie 













if anyone here speaks Honda I would really appreciate a translation of E. *VSA modulator-control unit* 













and this is the closest we get to a label for the two brake line ports


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## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

respectfully...


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## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

ah yes, of course looking at an actual picture under the bonnet and it's clear as mud


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## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

*Vehicle Stability Assist*

VSA stands for Vehicle Stability Assist. It helps to keep cars handling correctly during cornering, particularly if the system's sensors detect understeer or oversteer. It's especially useful when different wheels have different amounts of grip, a situation that would normally lead to skidding or plowing.

*What is the VSA modulator control unit?*

[Greek] The VSA modulator-control unit checks the pump motor operation during regular diagnosis when the vehicle is driven over 15 km/h (10 mph) the first time after the ignition switch is turned ON (II). You may hear the motor operate at this time, but it is normal. [/Greek]


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## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

great looks like now I need to hunt down the remote reservoir for this iBooster animal


looks like this


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## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

so close...


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## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

how I dropped off yet another drive shaft for shortening and monkeyfication

[ after taking it down to bare metal, primering it, then painting it *BLACK* like the truck gods intended ] 













how I picked it up [ this time it's personal, lol ]


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## gregski (Sep 6, 2011)

second, time they've done that to me


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