Updates...

A few updates...

The California DMV finally figured out how to classify the car as an EV, and reissued the title with an E instead of a G. No more smog notifications! Even though it's been registered as an EV for 3 years, I got a smog notice last year, and found out they classified it as a hybrid. I suppose they were confused as the factory never made a 1996 Honda Civic EV. Anyway, it's fixed now.

The EMotorWerks MiniSmartCharge charger died, and took out the main pack fuse and my EVSE. I'm now using an Elcon UHF 3.3K charger. I had to write some Arduino code to send CAN commands to control it

, and everything works again. I suppose I'll have to getting the MiniSmartCharge fixed, otherwise it's just an expensive door stop.

I also installed the front splitter... I think it looks pretty good now :).

It's running!

Everything is back together now, and the car is running.

There a few things still left to do, like:

• Hookup the A/C controller to the Honda dash switches
• Charge the A/C and check for leaks
• Plug in the BMS boards (still getting built)
• Write some code to integrate the BMS results with the control of the on-board charger.
• Change the gauge cluster software to Torque and make new gauge layout in the UI

Rear pack installed!

I finished wiring up the back of the car. The rear pack is in! I also installed a mid-pack service switch.

Rear Battery Pack Started

2 of the rear 16s modules are now assembled and wired for the BMS. I built a nice carrier to hold them down in the rear battery box.

The final 2 8s modules will sit on top of this with a mid-pack service switch in between.

Charge ports early battery assembly

This weekend, I installed charge ports from a Nissan Leaf, which will give me a path to level 3 charging down the road.

I also wired up the first module (14S6P) for the new pack.

Coming along...

Power steering lines, cooler, AC compressor and condenser are all installed. The motor and transmission are also back in the car...

Work progresses...

The new transmission is mated to the motor and ready to install. Also mounted the motor controller cooler again and started routing the power steering lines.

Mounted power steering pump and rack, new lower control arms with factory sway-bar end-link holes (no more end-link adapter clamps) and installed new tie-rod ends.

 New transmission, back from the shop.

 New front shocks and raised top-hats.

Motor and transmission are out, ready to send the transmission out to get micro-shotpeened. It's also going to get a new final drive installed - changing from 4.25:1 to 3.25:1.

Removed front battery mounting frame and old vacuum pump. Now I can see how the new batteries might be able to fit.

Front battery is out...

New Batteries!

The game of Tetris begins again... I have acquired 456 Enerdel CE175-360 batteries, which I am so far planning to install in a 76S 6P pack. This will mean a jump from 170V to ~310V fully charged. With the current pack, full load (1000A!) would result in ~30V of IR drop across the bus bars, current sense shunt, fuse, and the cells themselves, so really no more than ~130kW of output power. This new pack will see much lower max current (maybe 600A?), and at 6P will be much lower impedance (0.7mOhm > 0.45mOhm) so hopefully much less IR drop (less heat) and guaranteed full power across the pack capacity range. 40kW more power, with a weight reduction would be noticeable!

These batteries are much higher density so the pack can be arranged for better overall weight distribution in the car. It should result in ~50/50 weight distribution. The green box in the diagram below is a placeholder for a Toyota MGR unit to hopefully add an extra 50kW peak motor with regen to the rear wheels.

A Visio drawing of the old vs new pack arrangement is shown below.

Updates...

When I inspected the motor controller water cooling lines at the conyroller inlet and outlet, I found they were dry, so no cooling at all!

Today I rerouted the entire motor controller cooling circuit, adding a reservoir just higher than the controller.

While I was in there in also changed my home made vacuum reservoir to a more compact and lightweight commercial unit.

Refuel 2015 Photos

Can't wait until next year!!

First track event completed!

It didn't perform as well as I'd hoped. The car handled great, but it was the first time this drive train has been used in anger, and so there was bound to be some teething problems...

I found that the Soliton1 motor controller was limiting the max current after only a couple of laps. It was down to as low as 300A or so at full throttle! That meant a long slow crawl up the hill towards the corkscrew... Argh! When I returned to the paddock I found that the coolant lines from the heat exchanger were cold, while the controller was hot. The pump was running, so I must have air in the system. I suspected the routing of the hoses and the lack of a reservoir at the highest point was not going to work well, but I didn't think it wouldn't work at all! Anyway, I've ordered an OBX 1 1/4 quart universal coolant expansion tank, and I'll re route all the lines a bit better.

Another thing that happened was that the vacuum pump pressure switch has stopped working. I guess it just couldn't take the heat. So, I'm taking this opportunity to replace the vacuum pump with a Hella UP30 and a nicer vacuum reservoir, along with a new PSF109S 81-330 pressure switch.

All in all, it was a really fun event, and it was fun to chat with other early adopters.

Rear splitter installed... Really finishes off the rear end. Now it should be clear there's no exhaust :-)

Getting ready for Refuel 2015 @ Laguna Seca!

Track tires and wheels mounted... It really sticks now.

I'll also update the brake pads and rotors. Otherwise, the car is still working great with no issues at all!

Other miscellaneous parts going up for sale...

Have to clean up...

Time to get rid of the old ICE parts:

First up, a special Honda D-series short block... D16Y8 block with D17 crank, Darton Mid kit (bored to 78mm), Crower maxi-lite rods and custom pistons designed by Larry at Endyn. The oil pump was ported by Endyn also. One of the pistons is bad so a new custom piston will be needed.

It was a really nice unique engine, and would make a nice sleeper.As an NA engine, it was really nice, with a nice big torque curve. On turbo, it pulled 200whp and 230wftlbs peaking at 2500rpm, with a stock Y7 head and cam. How often do you hear of a Hinda with more torque than HP!

You can see from the photo the dipstick tube is a bit of a hack job... The D17 crank has a larger front journal diameter, so the D17 oil pump is required. The D17 oil pump does not include a dipstick, rather it is in the oilpan. In any case, I am including a new D17 oil pump, and the plan was to get a dipstick tube welded to the oil pan somewhere. The new owner will have to figure this out, but it shouldn't be hard.

Here is a 3" stainless steel exhaust custom made for a 96 hatchback. It has a Moroso 3" Spiral Flow Muffler as a resonator, Magnaflow 3" High Flow Catalytic Converter and Magnaflow 3" muffler with a nice tight pie cut turndown. Custom made by Spoolin' Performance in Fremont, CA.

Here is a Magnaflow 15643 Stainless Steel 2.25" Single Cat-Back Exhaust System, only lightly used.

Honestly, I have to get rid of it all in 4 weeks. Best offer that can come to Morgan Hill to get it ASAP by Feb 15th takes it.