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You are really advising every one to try any work before prepare for repairing. That's actually should be the aim of every person. Thank you very much for such a detail analysis.
Aye bro same I’m 14 right now when I get my drivers license at 16 I’m planning to make an electric car from taking out the engine of a car and putting in an electric motor hopefully everything goes to plan in 2-3 years
You are a great teacher. No extra information just straight to the point. Other guys on here just like to hear their own voices too much and I find it hard to follow. Thanks for this informal video.
I converted a VW bug with a Raymond motor that had internal series connections like you mention. Indeed, when I first started the car I had 4 reverse speeds and 1 forward. I took the motor to a motor shop and the corrected the wiring for the direction I desired. These motors are powerful, heavy but easy to work with. I don't have the car anymore but it was a great learning "vehicle" for me. Thanks for making this video.
@@HTrntrs I went on and founded the Virginia chapter of the Electric Auto Association which helped a 6 or so individuals convert cars. I wrote a grant to purchase a professionally converted ford Escort car and installed a solar charging station for it. Since then I have moved on to teaching.
Watched this video at least 6 times over the last 3 months and im just starting to understand how it works. Got my first dc motor today. An 11" traction. Excited and thank you, your videos have been super clear and great to follow.
Good information. I used one of these motors to power an electric farm utility vehicle and a useful small mod worth doing while the motor is apart, is to glue a thermocouple sensor to the stator winding. I just used a cheap digital thermometer and it gives me good warning about motor temp before any risk of winding damage occurs. Thanks for posting.
It is still going strong, just repacked second set of batteries after 10 years of daily use. $600 worth of batteries but we're still way in front over regular fuel cost for that same time. The only noticeable difference now is that its quieter, the commutator and gear train is completely smoothed out. Cheers
Many years ago now, (1968) I had the electric drive motor from a milk float, a sort of small truck used for delivering milk here in the UK. The motor was arround 4 times the size of the one you have there. It was a compound motor that converted to a generator by reversing the series winding relative to the shunt. I have no idea of how many apms it could put out but the first time I tried charging a battery it boiled it and then blew it up inside of thirty seconds and it was not a small car battery but a very large tractor battery, I was 15 at the time and the idea was to provide power in a shed at the bottom of the garden to use as a lab.
do you still explore the inevitable horizon of known hazards - when i was young, it was "Gilbert Chemistry" in my 'danger if you stand too close' laboratory.. splash damage can be very unpredictable
Great stuff... I know many people are afraid of using forklift motors. But I love 'em. They're cheap, and easy to work with. I also second your advice on not worrying much about the horsepower rating. That's only a continuous rating, and I've found that most motors are under-rated. Not only that, but the average motor can take over volting to increase the horsepower without any mechanical side effects. Just monitor heat, and everything will be fine. So, don't anyone be afraid of using forklift motors. They last forever, and do have a lot of power.
Dr fruikenstein any pointers from you would be appreciated. Can a inverter run this motor. And what sort of rpm can I achieve. Regards davesaxuk@aol .com
@@davestevens5159 Most retired forklifts will have a DC motor, as is the motor Ben features in the video. An inverter will only make the motor buzz. The easiest, best, and most reliable way to run a DC motor is with a PWM (Pulse Width Modulation) controller. This controller runs the motor by pulsing a DC current to the motor, usually at battery pack voltage. It's relatively easy to hook up, and usually lasts for a few decades with proper care. There are other ways to run the motor that have been around since the 1890's. But those ways are more complicated, and not nearly as reliable. However, they still tend to last quite awhile with proper maintenance. Keep this video handy as Ben also shows how to maintain the motor. If you plan on driving at highway speeds, you'll also want to run the motor at a higher voltage. Between 72 and 120 volts.
Very good explanation for a person who really hasn't worked with electric motors at all, talking about myself. I feel like you gave enough basic information on how it works to make my way through it.
Please remember to click SHOW MORE in the description for web links and more info! This video is about DC motors. There are plenty of other videos out there talking about AC motors, but it's not what this one is about.
BenjaminNelson, I pretty sure electrifying my 89 ford festiva would be easy. With a gas motor, it goes from 0-60 in about 3-5 minutes. It has no a/c compressor or power steering, but is 4 speed manual transmission.
BenjaminNelson this kind of motor uses a lot of energy... Am I right? I'm thinking of build an eletric motorcycle, but the engines for sale in my country cost thousands of dollars. So I was thinking about car alternators... They're practically brush motors, but again I think about energy consumption... Creating/modifying a brushless motor would be a good alternative?
Hi beijamin... could you give more tips about specifications??? what is the suficient specifications for a car for a bike since the horse power is so different for these motors.
You give very detailed instructions when you are explaining Motors. That is very helpful and useful I really appreciate you for that because I was always wondering where those extra two wires come from out of the motor you should become a college professor. Keep up the perfect work..👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍..... I love it
My unit was a 108 VDC system in a 1987 Toyota Corolla Station wagon. Used an S&S 48hp rated DC motor and Curtis controller, the lead acid 6VDC batteries were the really bad part - weight and the fact that they lasted me approx. 3 years! ($4800.00 for the batteries!) Still have the set up - had to replace the front end (it was originally automatic) put in a standard 4 speed, and clutch unit. It was a hoot when it ran, but doing it again I would save up and do an AC unit! And yes, built my own adapter plate for the transmission - and had a friction joint machined to do the join of engine to the transmission. It was a really steep learning curve time for me - on the job training - I had a bit of electronics under my belt but this thing was a whole new world in itself! - Build one you'll see what I mean. One of the best things I ever experimented with!
Ah, the days of the "Lead-Sled'! Batteries, motors, and controllers have all improved in that time. Building your own electric car is still a great project, although at this point it makes the most sense for a truck, convertible, or classic car. I can not say how much I learned from working on an electric car project. It really was a blast and tons of learning to boot!
Yes, there have been many projects where builders have used two motors connected together for more power. One way is by belting two together. Another is to use motors with tail-shafts and connect the tail-shaft of one motor to the drive-shaft of the other. That's typically called a Siamese-Twin. Here's one example of that type of setup. ua-cam.com/video/Ie7qvo-aC5k/v-deo.html
What a great Idea, I never thought. My neighbour has 2 old fork lifts in his back yard and as far as I can tell their just big paper weights. He wants an old Vovo that I have. Done deal. One other thing I might suggest is when you have the commutator out you take a long thin strip of emery cloth to go right around the commutator and clean it up by going back and forth, and then break a hacksaw blade and under cut between each contact on the commutator. Makes one hell of a difference.
Absolutely! When I went to a forklift shop to get new brushes for this motor, I told them what I was doing and asked for advice. The guy there gave me a "commutator stone" and told me how to clean between the segments of the commutator. When I had the motor over at "Hot-Rod" Jim's place to work on the adapter plate between the motor and transmission, he put the commutator on his lathe and took off just a hair. It looked brand-new! I cleaned between the commutator segments with a pick (or with a hacksaw, like you said) and finally applied a little of the commutator stone when I ran in the brushes. For $100 and a little work, it was literally a brand new motor!
Great info man. I'm thinking about adding electric drive to the two "inactive" wheels on a performance oriented vehicle. I think the most fun but also the most fabricating would be something like adding electric motors to the front wheels of a manual transmission rwd car (example a camaro) to essentially make it AWD, and another great thing would be that the electric motors would act like a dual clutch if you have it wired to a button on the wheel when you let off the gas to shift.
Beautifully done video and explanation. I'm an MS EE and CS. Practical, hands-on presentations like this are invaluable: from newbie genius scientists to folks in their garage working a project. You establish a physical basis of understanding and common terminology for elements and phenomena. Great job. (I wonder if this same approach could be used for our current US/World situations?) ;-)
Wow Benjamin, you are awesome! You have inspired me to go ahead with converting my 1992 Volvo 960 to electric. Old car but low mileage and zero rust. I think it will be relatively easy (ish) to convert due to the larger-than-average engine bay and rear wheel drive! Thank you so much! Your experience and insight is worth gold!
Depending on where you live, an older car can sometimes be licensed as "Classic" or "Hobbyist". These can offer an advantage of being less expensive to register, only have to pay a fee once, (instead of annual) etc. Check with your State or other appropriate government. Older cars are also often exempt from pollution control testing. Although an electric car makes no emissions at point of use, it can be a bunch of hassle and red tape to prove that to a government official!
Here's a little about when I took my project car in for emissions testing. It was an interesting experience, to say the least. 300mpg.org/projects/electro-metro/emissions-testing/
Hey thanks for the reply Benjamin. Yeah, although I don't live in the US. I live in Montreal and I assume laws differ here somewhat but I'll look into it. On another note though, I plan on removing the engine and transmission including the radiator allowing me to couple the DC motor directly to the drive shaft that connects to the differential in the rear end. Then I'm worried about weight... my Volvo is a solid steel beast weighing in at around 3500 lbs. To move that weight around I'll need more batteries... more batteries means more weight and more cost. The engine has an aluminum block (2.9L inline 6) so not as heavy as a cast iron block but certainly some weight can be saved by removing the engine and transmission. This might allow for more batteries. The other thing now is where to place all these batteries... the car's engine bay is enormous especially when the power train is removed but placing all those batteries in the engine bay will make the car very front-heavy and little weight to the rear-end. Use the trunk for battery placement and engine bay as a trunk perhaps? Anyhow, I'm looking into solving all these issues before starting to gut the car. Any suggestions? I very much value your experience.
Keep in mind that if you go straight to the driveshaft, you lose the gearing in the transmission and you only have the gear reduction of the differential. You will also need to add revers ELECTRONICALLY, by physically spinning the motor the other direction. (In my Geo Metro, the motor only spins the one direction, and I used reverse gear for backing up.) Because of the loss of gearing, vehicles with an electric motor going straight to the drive-shaft usually have used high power motors and higher voltage systems. Take at look at the EV Album (EVAlbum.com) to see some conversions people have done direct to driveshaft. As for weight and bulk of batteries, yes, more batteries you have the more weight there is. At this point, lithium batteries are a better choice than ever. I'm a big fan of used lithium batteries from salvaged vehicles. Cells from Nissan Leafs and Chevy Volts a readily available, and offer good power in less space and weight than lead acid ever did.
So, very generally, what "Horsepower" (since most of the DC motors I see online include that as a spec) should I look for as enough to be able to drive an average car.
!thank you! mobility is so important to progress and expansion of options for so many. if we could find a way to easily produce super simple cheap and easy to maintain "giant go-karts," if you will, it could change so many lives. sharing knowledge is love. keep spreading knowledge and more "power" to you my friend. =)
im building electric skateboards for me and go carts for my daughter. finding this gives me new ideas. go bigger. but finding one of those motors isnt so easy. love the site and how you make it approachable for the hobbyist.
Ben ! Found your videos and you have inspired me to convert my 1992 300zx to electric! I want to keep my manual trans and air conditioning! Would you be able to give me your thoughts on feasibility / ball park cost !?
Hi Benjamin. Tha ks for your videos they are amazing. I own a couple of Isuzu npr and nqr trucks. I do construction cleanup and pull a trailer with a Bobcat skid steer. The total GVWR of the truck is 18 thousand pound when loaded. And when pulling the trailer could go up to 24 to 26 thousand pound. If I would like to convert these trucks to electric, first.. is it possible? Amd what kind of setup would I need? Thanks man!
Everything is possible, you just have to decide if it's worthwhile to do as a DIY project. A project like that would NOT be for a beginner, and it would require a large budget. The big manufacturers are JUST starting to manufacture electric trucks. Tesla and others have been working on semi-trucks, and Ford recently announced that they are going to build an electric F-150 pickup.
Thanks for a well-explained video. Made understanding what to buy and so easy. Is the same principle for a larger folk lift motor for a 3-tonne campervan DIY campervan project? Any suggestions on what size motor i should look out for? Thinking of starting with an old 1984 Toyota chassis and building a custom camper on the back. I hope to find something that is 4 x 4. I'm looking at doing one with a roof full of solar panels and the goal is to let it charge in the sun on leisurely journeys and get a 100mile range or so. In a state of Australia that has a lot of Sun but charging stations or a generator could be utilized. Have purchased nothing yet so still in researching stages! Thanks again for your good videos. Very helpful.
You will need to fill every empty space with spare Batteries, as large RWD vehicle will drain them quickly. I well imagine any Crawler or Counterbalance unit will have a sufficient sized Motor. The larger the Motor..the more current it pulls...(going "overboard" will suck the charge down faster)
Yes. This project was converting a gasoline car to electric car by removing the gasoline engine and replacing it with an electric motor and batteries. Please watch the playlist for the entire project.
Thanks for the prompt reply. The motors offered on eBay are too expensive for me. Any chance of fishing a motor like yours at affordable price around 300$?
Ask around, check at junkyards, tell all your friends what you are doing so they can keep their eyes open too. A person can buy a very expensive motor with easy convenience, or a person can be creative and look for an appropriate motor from other sources. Finding a really good deal on almost anything usually means knowing its value and always being on the look out.
The motor shown in the video (and the one used in the car) are both Series-Wound Direct Current (DC) motors. I don't recall the exact power, but both motors were from forklifts and are capable of SIGNIFICANT work. I was able to pull 100 HP out of the one in the car.
Ok I like the idea and probably end up doing the same. Now the big BUT what batterys do you use and how long did they last before recharge regards PETER ONEL capetown south africa
This is my first video stater for my bike project. I have absolutely no idea what to do. Only that at 74 I plan to make myself a battery powered Trike between 1000w to 3000w! If you know how I can progress from here and where I would get my parts please let me know. I do so wqant to do this while I still can. They took my car away but the law says I can use a battery bike. So here goes. Help me if you can. Im English living in Spain! Cheers that what an inspiring video Ben!!
Thank you for your videos. I would like to convert my VW. Is a dc forklift miter still a usable way to go? 75 mph on the highway and 160 minimum range? Thanks!
Nice Simple Explanation and details. Free of all that annoying background music and so on. Good angles with the camera. Wish you had a shot of the car running with it at the very end.
UA-cam brought me into this with video 6 for whatever reason. I did see them to the end... There's as much video work and post production as there is building the car. It's a great documentary. I would have liked to see it in 5th gear cruising at 40 MPH with the speedometer and the voltage and amperage gauges all side by side. This sure has come a long way in the past decade with these open source regulators that you can work up now. I first saw this conversion concept around 1980 in The Mother Earth News - they sold books on it which are no longer in existence. The dc motor was a surplus aircraft generator and starter back then.
Hello! While I am not a specifically a dealer in parts, I do OCCASSIONALLY have some used components for sale. You can always check at 300mpg.org/shop/ to see if anything is available.
We are now on Patreon! We'd love your support as it helps us produce more videos like this! www.patreon.com/300MPG
Sir teach me
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@@charliebrownau wheres the cleavage click bait though.. hehe. All the best.
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If you dont live in USA with 2nd hand fork lift motors in your country or REGION
What else is available ?
I just had to pause the video to express my appreciation for your thorough explanation , I have no questions.
The spider in the video started his own Twitter account. See it at: twitter.com/spidermotor
One of the simplest and most informative video's Iv'e seen. Thanks for the great video!!
You are really advising every one to try any work before prepare for repairing. That's actually should be the aim of every person. Thank you very much for such a detail analysis.
It’s my first day learning about electric motors. You explained this well for me.
Aye bro same I’m 14 right now when I get my drivers license at 16 I’m planning to make an electric car from taking out the engine of a car and putting in an electric motor hopefully everything goes to plan in 2-3 years
You are a great teacher. No extra information just straight to the point. Other guys on here just like to hear their own voices too much and I find it hard to follow. Thanks for this informal video.
I converted a VW bug with a Raymond motor that had internal series connections like you mention. Indeed, when I first started the car I had 4 reverse speeds and 1 forward. I took the motor to a motor shop and the corrected the wiring for the direction I desired. These motors are powerful, heavy but easy to work with. I don't have the car anymore but it was a great learning "vehicle" for me. Thanks for making this video.
if u don't mind me askin, then afterwards did you do any other related project?
@@HTrntrs I went on and founded the Virginia chapter of the Electric Auto Association which helped a 6 or so individuals convert cars. I wrote a grant to purchase a professionally converted ford Escort car and installed a solar charging station for it. Since then I have moved on to teaching.
Thanks for sharing. People like you makes this world a better place. Keep up the good work! God bless you!
Great teaching skills, no profane expletives, solid information. Thank you and God bless you.
How many people use constant expletives when talking about EV conversions? Also, God is useless 🙃
Dude I love you. This is the page I've been after. You're a wizard..... an electric wizard.
Watched this video at least 6 times over the last 3 months and im just starting to understand how it works. Got my first dc motor today. An 11" traction. Excited and thank you, your videos have been super clear and great to follow.
11"!!! Woo! That's a big one! have fun!
Good information. I used one of these motors to power an electric farm utility vehicle and a useful small mod worth doing
while the motor is apart, is to glue a thermocouple sensor to the stator winding. I just used a cheap digital thermometer and
it gives me good warning about motor temp before any risk of winding damage occurs.
Thanks for posting.
Good tip! Always nice to know the temperature of things!
Great innovation "Alasdair". Is it still functional?
It is still going strong, just repacked second set of batteries after 10 years of daily use.
$600 worth of batteries but we're still way in front over regular fuel cost for that same time.
The only noticeable difference now is that its quieter, the commutator and gear train is completely smoothed out.
Cheers
Many years ago now, (1968) I had the electric drive motor from a milk float, a sort of small truck used for delivering milk here in the UK. The motor was arround 4 times the size of the one you have there. It was a compound motor that converted to a generator by reversing the series winding relative to the shunt. I have no idea of how many apms it could put out but the first time I tried charging a battery it boiled it and then blew it up inside of thirty seconds and it was not a small car battery but a very large tractor battery, I was 15 at the time and the idea was to provide power in a shed at the bottom of the garden to use as a lab.
do you still explore the inevitable horizon of known hazards - when i was young, it was "Gilbert Chemistry" in my 'danger if you stand too close' laboratory..
splash damage can be
very unpredictable
Thank you for these videos!! Man I'm so excited its hard to contain myself..
i been repairing motors for 30+ years you did a fine job explaining well done
Thank you!
Great stuff...
I know many people are afraid of using forklift motors. But I love 'em.
They're cheap, and easy to work with.
I also second your advice on not worrying much about the horsepower rating. That's only a continuous rating, and I've found that most motors are under-rated. Not only that, but the average motor can take over volting to increase the horsepower without any mechanical side effects. Just monitor heat, and everything will be fine.
So, don't anyone be afraid of using forklift motors. They last forever, and do have a lot of power.
Thx, what kind of speed can u get from a forklift motor? Would u be able to acheive 40mph? In an astra for instance.
"Cheap and easy to work with" Just what I need.
Dr fruikenstein any pointers from you would be appreciated. Can a inverter run this motor. And what sort of rpm can I achieve. Regards davesaxuk@aol .com
@@davestevens5159
Most retired forklifts will have a DC motor, as is the motor Ben features in the video. An inverter will only make the motor buzz.
The easiest, best, and most reliable way to run a DC motor is with a PWM (Pulse Width Modulation) controller. This controller runs the motor by pulsing a DC current to the motor, usually at battery pack voltage. It's relatively easy to hook up, and usually lasts for a few decades with proper care.
There are other ways to run the motor that have been around since the 1890's. But those ways are more complicated, and not nearly as reliable. However, they still tend to last quite awhile with proper maintenance.
Keep this video handy as Ben also shows how to maintain the motor.
If you plan on driving at highway speeds, you'll also want to run the motor at a higher voltage. Between 72 and 120 volts.
Very good explanation for a person who really hasn't worked with electric motors at all, talking about myself. I feel like you gave enough basic information on how it works to make my way through it.
cant thank you enough for this video! glad i found this channel!
Ditto!
Hi Benjamin, this was a superb explanation and very entertaining.
respect from Pakistan....m trying hard to make an electric car ....on my own...and your video was very helpful
Please remember to click SHOW MORE in the description for web links and more info! This video is about DC motors. There are plenty of other videos out there talking about AC motors, but it's not what this one is about.
BenjaminNelson, I pretty sure electrifying my 89 ford festiva would be easy. With a gas motor, it goes from 0-60 in about 3-5 minutes. It has no a/c compressor or power steering, but is 4 speed manual transmission.
Type "festiva site:evalbum.com/" into Google to see other Festivas people have converted to electric.
BenjaminNelson this kind of motor uses a lot of energy... Am I right?
I'm thinking of build an eletric motorcycle, but the engines for sale in my country cost thousands of dollars. So I was thinking about car alternators... They're practically brush motors, but again I think about energy consumption...
Creating/modifying a brushless motor would be a good alternative?
Hi beijamin... could you give more tips about specifications??? what is the suficient specifications for a car for a bike since the horse power is so different for these motors.
Can I get mild engine braking with this and a charge circuit? Is reverse just reverse polarity?
You give very detailed instructions when you are explaining Motors. That is very helpful and useful I really appreciate you for that because I was always wondering where those extra two wires come from out of the motor you should become a college professor. Keep up the perfect work..👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍..... I love it
I just found this vid….great information!! Thanks so much for taking the time to share your knowledge!!
perfect instructor
My unit was a 108 VDC system in a 1987 Toyota Corolla Station wagon. Used an S&S 48hp rated DC motor and Curtis controller, the lead acid 6VDC batteries were the really bad part - weight and the fact that they lasted me approx. 3 years! ($4800.00 for the batteries!) Still have the set up - had to replace the front end (it was originally automatic) put in a standard 4 speed, and clutch unit. It was a hoot when it ran, but doing it again I would save up and do an AC unit! And yes, built my own adapter plate for the transmission - and had a friction joint machined to do the join of engine to the transmission. It was a really steep learning curve time for me - on the job training - I had a bit of electronics under my belt but this thing was a whole new world in itself! - Build one you'll see what I mean. One of the best things I ever experimented with!
Ah, the days of the "Lead-Sled'!
Batteries, motors, and controllers have all improved in that time. Building your own electric car is still a great project, although at this point it makes the most sense for a truck, convertible, or classic car. I can not say how much I learned from working on an electric car project. It really was a blast and tons of learning to boot!
You are a very good teacher. I enjoyed listening to you.
Thanks Ben. You have a real talent for teaching....
Thanks Gary, glad to share!
Ah that great Wisconsin accent, takes me back home. Great video series
Good video
Good explanation and information useful video ,,
superb narration .
Thank you my dear friend
If you use two of them in series does it make it more powerful
Yes, there have been many projects where builders have used two motors connected together for more power. One way is by belting two together. Another is to use motors with tail-shafts and connect the tail-shaft of one motor to the drive-shaft of the other. That's typically called a Siamese-Twin. Here's one example of that type of setup. ua-cam.com/video/Ie7qvo-aC5k/v-deo.html
Excellent demonstration. Almost a complete guide to convert an electric car.
This is the good basic info I need to get started.
Very good, very clear explanation.. thankyou
Wow 😯 this easy
Thanks for teaching me
What a great Idea, I never thought. My neighbour has 2 old fork lifts in his back yard and as far as I can tell their just big paper weights. He wants an old Vovo that I have. Done deal. One other thing I might suggest is when you have the commutator out you take a long thin strip of emery cloth to go right around the commutator and clean it up by going back and forth, and then break a hacksaw blade and under cut between each contact on the commutator. Makes one hell of a difference.
Absolutely! When I went to a forklift shop to get new brushes for this motor, I told them what I was doing and asked for advice. The guy there gave me a "commutator stone" and told me how to clean between the segments of the commutator. When I had the motor over at "Hot-Rod" Jim's place to work on the adapter plate between the motor and transmission, he put the commutator on his lathe and took off just a hair. It looked brand-new! I cleaned between the commutator segments with a pick (or with a hacksaw, like you said) and finally applied a little of the commutator stone when I ran in the brushes. For $100 and a little work, it was literally a brand new motor!
You’re a top notch instructor. Thanks a lot!!!
The Flying Dutchman thank YOU!
You have a talent for educating. That was surprisingly fun for something I know almost noting about!
Thank you for a clear concise and well laid out video you just got yourself a new subscriber I am very interested in building my own electric car
Awesome video! Thanks for posting!
Great info man. I'm thinking about adding electric drive to the two "inactive" wheels on a performance oriented vehicle. I think the most fun but also the most fabricating would be something like adding electric motors to the front wheels of a manual transmission rwd car (example a camaro) to essentially make it AWD, and another great thing would be that the electric motors would act like a dual clutch if you have it wired to a button on the wheel when you let off the gas to shift.
If I wanted to make a simple car with a motor and speed controller (accelerator) will I able to do that? with just a motor like that?
So so awesome! Thank you!
Subbed the first minute in. . . .liked the video--only wish I could give it more likes!
Beautifully done video and explanation. I'm an MS EE and CS. Practical, hands-on presentations like this are invaluable: from newbie genius scientists to folks in their garage working a project. You establish a physical basis of understanding and common terminology for elements and phenomena. Great job. (I wonder if this same approach could be used for our current US/World situations?) ;-)
Thank you!
Wow Benjamin, you are awesome! You have inspired me to go ahead with converting my 1992 Volvo 960 to electric. Old car but low mileage and zero rust. I think it will be relatively easy (ish) to convert due to the larger-than-average engine bay and rear wheel drive! Thank you so much! Your experience and insight is worth gold!
Depending on where you live, an older car can sometimes be licensed as "Classic" or "Hobbyist". These can offer an advantage of being less expensive to register, only have to pay a fee once, (instead of annual) etc. Check with your State or other appropriate government. Older cars are also often exempt from pollution control testing. Although an electric car makes no emissions at point of use, it can be a bunch of hassle and red tape to prove that to a government official!
Here's a little about when I took my project car in for emissions testing. It was an interesting experience, to say the least.
300mpg.org/projects/electro-metro/emissions-testing/
Hey thanks for the reply Benjamin. Yeah, although I don't live in the US. I live in Montreal and I assume laws differ here somewhat but I'll look into it. On another note though, I plan on removing the engine and transmission including the radiator allowing me to couple the DC motor directly to the drive shaft that connects to the differential in the rear end. Then I'm worried about weight... my Volvo is a solid steel beast weighing in at around 3500 lbs. To move that weight around I'll need more batteries... more batteries means more weight and more cost. The engine has an aluminum block (2.9L inline 6) so not as heavy as a cast iron block but certainly some weight can be saved by removing the engine and transmission. This might allow for more batteries. The other thing now is where to place all these batteries... the car's engine bay is enormous especially when the power train is removed but placing all those batteries in the engine bay will make the car very front-heavy and little weight to the rear-end. Use the trunk for battery placement and engine bay as a trunk perhaps? Anyhow, I'm looking into solving all these issues before starting to gut the car. Any suggestions? I very much value your experience.
Keep in mind that if you go straight to the driveshaft, you lose the gearing in the transmission and you only have the gear reduction of the differential. You will also need to add revers ELECTRONICALLY, by physically spinning the motor the other direction. (In my Geo Metro, the motor only spins the one direction, and I used reverse gear for backing up.)
Because of the loss of gearing, vehicles with an electric motor going straight to the drive-shaft usually have used high power motors and higher voltage systems. Take at look at the EV Album (EVAlbum.com) to see some conversions people have done direct to driveshaft.
As for weight and bulk of batteries, yes, more batteries you have the more weight there is. At this point, lithium batteries are a better choice than ever. I'm a big fan of used lithium batteries from salvaged vehicles. Cells from Nissan Leafs and Chevy Volts a readily available, and offer good power in less space and weight than lead acid ever did.
Oh man, what a story! I'm very glad things worked out in the end. Unreal the bureaucracy that infests everything.
@BenjaminNelson Man I think you're a talented teacher, even my wife likes your mode of information delivery. Thanks dude!
Thank you! Glad you like my videos!
So, very generally, what "Horsepower" (since most of the DC motors I see online include that as a spec) should I look for as enough to be able to drive an average car.
Chevy bolt motor is 200HP
Excellent video! Keep them coming!
!thank you! mobility is so important to progress and expansion of options for so many. if we could find a way to easily produce super simple cheap and easy to maintain "giant go-karts," if you will, it could change so many lives. sharing knowledge is love. keep spreading knowledge and more "power" to you my friend. =)
Thanks for your video, you encourage guys like us to do the impossible.
im building electric skateboards for me and go carts for my daughter. finding this gives me new ideas. go bigger. but finding one of those motors isnt so easy. love the site and how you make it approachable for the hobbyist.
Great information l love it thanks for posting...
What type of transmission did you use
I simply re-used the stock 5-speed manual transmission that was already in the car.
Great video. Thanks for sharing with us.
Anyone else catch the spider that ran into the motor just seconds before he put his hands right in the spot where the spider was? 2:40
Its the only thing i remember from seeing this 😆
Gone for a joy ride !
That's how you switch car into reverse, spider drive lol. And no I missed the little bugger
2:40?? More like 3:09!
Came the comment section for this. Thought I was the only one.
Very good information and very well made, very clear and simply explained
Good educational video thanks
Nice video , very thanks for your time, congratulations
well explained and easy to understand. Thanks
This was a great video. So much information and it was appreciated. You just earned a sub!
Beautiful and detailed explanation.
Ben ! Found your videos and you have inspired me to convert my 1992 300zx to electric! I want to keep my manual trans and air conditioning! Would you be able to give me your thoughts on feasibility / ball park cost !?
Very good information! Easy to understand!
Great tutorial - thank you
OMG its a Geo metro! 😍 Allready double cool.
What a frickin' greatly explained video...I'm subscribed!
Mark Ream lol me too
@@hootbutler LOL! Me too!
Im in!
Me too. He's a natural teacher. Maybe he'll explain brushless motors just as clearly.
So basically the flash we see in a impact drill is explained here also lol. This is a giant impact drill motor
You are the hero we need lol
Very interesting, and well explained.
Hi Benjamin. Tha ks for your videos they are amazing.
I own a couple of Isuzu npr and nqr trucks. I do construction cleanup and pull a trailer with a Bobcat skid steer. The total GVWR of the truck is 18 thousand pound when loaded. And when pulling the trailer could go up to 24 to 26 thousand pound.
If I would like to convert these trucks to electric, first.. is it possible? Amd what kind of setup would I need? Thanks man!
Everything is possible, you just have to decide if it's worthwhile to do as a DIY project. A project like that would NOT be for a beginner, and it would require a large budget. The big manufacturers are JUST starting to manufacture electric trucks. Tesla and others have been working on semi-trucks, and Ford recently announced that they are going to build an electric F-150 pickup.
Great explaination of DC motors
Fantastic video!!! Thank you very much for this!
Thanks for a well-explained video. Made understanding what to buy and so easy. Is the same principle for a larger folk lift motor for a 3-tonne campervan DIY campervan project? Any suggestions on what size motor i should look out for? Thinking of starting with an old 1984 Toyota chassis and building a custom camper on the back. I hope to find something that is 4 x 4. I'm looking at doing one with a roof full of solar panels and the goal is to let it charge in the sun on leisurely journeys and get a 100mile range or so. In a state of Australia that has a lot of Sun but charging stations or a generator could be utilized. Have purchased nothing yet so still in researching stages! Thanks again for your good videos. Very helpful.
You will need to fill every empty space with spare Batteries, as large RWD vehicle will drain them quickly. I well imagine any Crawler or Counterbalance unit will have a sufficient sized Motor. The larger the Motor..the more current it pulls...(going "overboard" will suck the charge down faster)
Thank you! I loved your video
So tell me how and why do you not need a clutch to change gears if you have a 5 speed
No clutch needed! Full explanation at: 300mpg.org/projects/electro-metro/going-clutchless/
Is that motor powerful enough tooperate a car. On the highway?
Can you switch out a regular motor(gasoline motor) to an electric motor?
Yes. This project was converting a gasoline car to electric car by removing the gasoline engine and replacing it with an electric motor and batteries. Please watch the playlist for the entire project.
Thanks for the prompt reply. The motors offered on eBay are too expensive for me. Any chance of fishing a motor like yours at affordable price around 300$?
Ask around, check at junkyards, tell all your friends what you are doing so they can keep their eyes open too. A person can buy a very expensive motor with easy convenience, or a person can be creative and look for an appropriate motor from other sources. Finding a really good deal on almost anything usually means knowing its value and always being on the look out.
Great video!
2 things:
-What type of armature winding?
-How much power the motor?
Thanks
The motor shown in the video (and the one used in the car) are both Series-Wound Direct Current (DC) motors.
I don't recall the exact power, but both motors were from forklifts and are capable of SIGNIFICANT work.
I was able to pull 100 HP out of the one in the car.
@@BenjaminNelsonX Ok thanks
I like a strong motor with no brush - brush less more quiet and friction less
Thanks for posting well done video
Ok I like the idea and probably end up doing the same. Now the big BUT what batterys do you use and how long did they last before recharge regards PETER ONEL capetown south africa
This is my first video stater for my bike project. I have absolutely no idea what to do. Only that at 74 I plan to make myself a battery powered Trike between 1000w to 3000w! If you know how I can progress from here and where I would get my parts please let me know. I do so wqant to do this while I still can. They took my car away but the law says I can use a battery bike. So here goes. Help me if you can. Im English living in Spain! Cheers that what an inspiring video Ben!!
Thank you for your videos. I would like to convert my VW. Is a dc forklift miter still a usable way to go? 75 mph on the highway and 160 minimum range? Thanks!
What the rpm is?
Awesome job bro love it 😍😁
Great video!
Very nice 👌 Description Sir
thanks you helped me a lot in my project
What sort of power will this motor have? How do you know it's powerful enough for a car?
Nice Simple Explanation and details.
Free of all that annoying background music and so on.
Good angles with the camera. Wish you had a shot of the car running with it at the very end.
You can see the car running in some of my other videos, including this one: ua-cam.com/video/B41BlafQOYU/v-deo.html
UA-cam brought me into this with video 6 for whatever reason.
I did see them to the end...
There's as much video work and post production as there is building the car.
It's a great documentary. I would have liked to see it in 5th gear cruising at 40 MPH with the speedometer and the voltage and amperage gauges all side by side. This sure has come a long way in the past decade with these open source regulators that you can work up now. I first saw this conversion concept around 1980 in The Mother Earth News - they sold books on it which are no longer in existence. The dc motor was a surplus aircraft generator and starter back then.
Oh this is cool ... I was thinking of doing a 1988 e350 Electric motorhome. What size motor should , i be looking for and drive train??
Excellent video well done and thorough.
This sparks so many ideas!!!
A heartfelt thank you .
Amazing video!!!
Very informative, thank you
Great info, did anyone notice a spider walking from right to left ?
Thankyou for explaining the workings of that motor.
I still find it amazing that the number one comment on a video I shot ten years ago is about the spider.
Good evening sir, do you sell used electric forklift engines? My uncle is asking
Hello! While I am not a specifically a dealer in parts, I do OCCASSIONALLY have some used components for sale. You can always check at 300mpg.org/shop/ to see if anything is available.
A series wound motor is also know as a universal motor. Which can also use an AC input to run the motor.
well presented