(driving) Leaf swapped vw golf cabriolet

[Bratitude]

Might as well start a thread on another car I’m working on:

Mk1 VW cabriolet

here's the recipe:

• Zombieverter VCU
• Full gen2 nissan leaf stack(including leaf gearbox)
• smart four2 17kwh battery pack
• my leaf-to-vw drive shaft adapters with a type 2 axle flange.

building up the leaf stack to “drop right in”
-mount cable throttle sensor
-remove support bearing on leaf gearbox and change axle seals
-pop in the leaf-vw stub shaft adapters and type 2 conversion flanges
-mount & wire zombie VCU
-mount water pump

-fab HV line from battery to leaf stack with OEM connectors on each end

-fab motor mounts to stock vw locations

project goals:

• make this a very quick turn around, a few days at max.
• develop cast aluminum leaf motor mounts to early fwd VW's
• prove the simplicity of the zombiverter and open inverter platform
• show ev conversions can be done on the cheap! (budget is under 5000$ CAD)

full part list, prices in CAD (continually updating):

• zombiverter vcu 500$
• enclosure and header 130$
• gen 2 leaf stack (gearbox, motor, inverter, pdm, charge port, chademo, battery cable) 1500$
• leaf water pump
• leaf stub shaft adapters 500$
• type 1 to type 2 conversion flanges 120$
• honda throttle cable sensor 50(?)$
• smart four2 17kwh battery 1000$
• steel from off cut bin 100(?)$
• HV wiring (welding cable, crimp terminals, etc) 100(?)$

current costs: 4000$ CAD

[Bratitude]

smart four2 battery uses a ODU 2 pole HV connector, wrecker wants 300$ for the battery cable so thats a no go.



the connectors seem to be unattainable, but the matting pins seem to be available https://odu-automotive.com/products/odu-lamtac/

[Igor]

Love this. Always enjoy your work so will be looking forward to updates!

[tom91]

Becareful you might might end up finding that the Smart packs tend to go into "scrap yard mode" and destory the cells intentionally. Check you do not have a pack that is capable of doing this, or worse has done this.

[Bratitude]

Becareful you might might end up finding that the Smart packs tend to go into "scrap yard mode" and destory the cells intentionally. Check you do not have a pack that is capable of doing this, or worse has done this.

iv heard of this, bms is currently disconnected. but haven't probed them yet, ill check. thanks for the insight!

[Igor]

Woah! I hadn't heard of that. Fiendish.

[Bratitude]

Got the 2 side motor mounts mocked up!
The leafs torsional mount is on the back of the gearbox, so I’m going to make a cradle that wraps underneath the gearbox. the cradle will mount to the front beam in the engine bay and the engine mount just below the firewall. the leaf mount will then float on that.

and it fits! axles connected and are at happy angles, Pdm clears the hood!

for the drive shafts, I removed the inner carrier barring from the leaf stack, pulled the seals and replaced them with 56x36x8 shaft seals. 56mm is the bore id on the leaf, 36 is the od of the vw flanges. after that popped the stub shafts in and slid on the flanges! Then the vw axles just bolt right up to the leaf gearbox!



also swapped the power steering rack for a manual one

[Bratitude]

Smart two four battery mounted. Pretty simple frame!

Just some angle iron and a few tabs.

leaf 12v line/fuse terminal fits perfectly to the stock 12v battery location as well

[Bratitude]

looking to hunt down the leaf stack harness connector

would enable using the stock stack harness, would make for a very clean install!

heres the side thats on the stack harness

fully mated

[themoe]

Not helpful post at all for what you just asked..... but I was literally just measuring up everything in my cabby to ensure fitment before slowly acquiring parts for a similar build. Looks like it's a perfect fit!!!!

Looks like you were possibly going to make motor mounts to sell? Is that the case? Can I be your first customer? Please????????

Also, were you able to get axles to fit without cutting them? If so, that's amazing. The mk1 golf and leaf seem like a great combo.

Best of luck with the build. Here's hoping we can keep a bunch of these guys on the road with conversions like these.

[Bratitude]

Looks like you were possibly going to make motor mounts to sell? Is that the case? Can I be your first customer? Please????????

yes thats the plan is to make some cast aluminum ones, keep the weight down. and will be very clean install! for sure.

Also, were you able to get axles to fit without cutting them? If so, that's amazing.

yes, my leaf gearbox stub adapters allow stock vw axles to bolt up un modified

[themoe]

I am literally giddy with excitement that someone else is figuring out what I considered the two major pieces that would be difficult for me in the conversion.

Amps, ohms, volts, bits and bytes I have..... machined parts and welding..... not so much.....

[Otmar]

Becareful you might might end up finding that the Smart packs tend to go into "scrap yard mode" and destory the cells intentionally. Check you do not have a pack that is capable of doing this, or worse has done this.

I've been fixing a Smart ED3 pack recently and have learned way too much about this.
The best place I've found for info is:
https://www.smartcarofamerica.com/forum ... drive.170/

Best I can tell, the common brick mode is triggered by a slow decay of the 12V battery, which causes a brownout in the BMS, which overvoltages the current sensor, which causes a code in the BMS that keeps the car from activating HV to charge or otherwise. Unattended, it drains the cells in a few weeks to months.

On my mind since yesterday I finished documenting an open source Arduino LIN scanner to test the current sensors.
https://www.cafeelectric.com/blog/2023/ ... nsor-test/

The car looks great! Brings back memories riding in one in Carmel on the Pacific Coast so long ago.

[Bratitude]

Amps, ohms, volts, bits and bytes I have..... machined parts and welding..... not so much.....

This! i see amazing development in the former, but a huge gap on the hardware side for folks! the area im trying to fill. i want ev conversions like lego!

[RetroZero]

Love the project. Gives me the kick I need to move onto next steps. Thanks for sharing and developing

[Bratitude]

Amps, ohms, volts, bits and bytes I have..... machined parts and welding..... not so much.....

This! i see amazing development in the former, but a huge gap on the hardware side for folks! the area im trying to fill. i want ev conversions like lego!

I've been fixing a Smart ED3 pack recently and have learned way too much about this.
The best place I've found for info is:
https://www.smartcarofamerica.com/forum ... drive.170/

...

On my mind since yesterday I finished documenting an open source Arduino LIN scanner to test the current sensors.
https://www.cafeelectric.com/blog/2023/ ... nsor-test/

really good stuff! thanks started a wiki page https://openinverter.org/wiki/Smart_fourtwo_batteries

[themoe]

This! i see amazing development in the former, but a huge gap on the hardware side for folks! the area im trying to fill. i want ev conversions like lego!

I'm a EE and work in the transportation field (on a few scalable hybrid powertrains); but never really have to dive into mechanical parts.

As far as plug and play conversions..... It definitely seems like you are supporting that route; and where conversions will have probably have to go for safety. The only issue I can see is batteries, there are just too many options. It would be amazing if someone just came out with a small pack focused on power for this need; something like 10kW and using one of the Amphenol HVDC connectors. Then everything truly would be plug and play. I's probably just a matter of time before someone attempts a conversion with a lack of knowledge and causes serious harm. 200+ volts and highly volatile Li batteries aren't exactly safe things.

Also, if you want any help with integrating existing systems (dashboard etc) I'd be more than willing to help. When I get to my conversion I was planning on retaining the dashboard and shifter (it's an automatic). Everything would appear original, the only real difference being I was thinking of having the tach be a power gauge (the range of 10-70 seemed too perfect).

[Bratitude]

Also, if you want any help with integrating existing systems (dashboard etc) I'd be more than willing to help. When I get to my conversion I was planning on retaining the dashboard and shifter (it's an automatic). Everything would appear original, the only real difference being I was thinking of having the tach be a power gauge (the range of 10-70 seemed too perfect).

that would be great, thats a whole other side that needs work in that space, the integration with controls and instrumentation!


zombiverter and housing is in. all built and programed. i have to say, im not a fan of this aliexpress connector/header. its a bit cheap, and mine is missing gaskets. had to bend pins and what not to get it to seat properly.
i may make a revision with the molex header...

this is a lot of wire, I wont get the pre populated header again! id much rather crimp m own wires

started a wiki page for zombieverter and leaf stack, as the zombie wiki page is a bit of a big long mess more around the gs450h stuff

https://openinverter.org/wiki/Leaf_stac ... ombiverter

slowly will build over time.

[Bratitude]

Honda throttle sensors mounted on the side of the leaf.
Melted off the plastic end on the stock vw throttle cable, will have to make a bigger crimp/end for a secure connection on the sensor cam.

for the 12v wiring, re used the leaf battery tray, relay box and 12v cables.

Stock leaf coolant tank mounted and water pump.
coolant series loop through the heater core with some 3/4 hose.

bottom cradle is mostly done.

Links from the body mount near the driver side lower controller arm bushing, to the beam spanning across the front.

Then the gearbox bushing bolts to the cradle.

It also acts as a skid plate for the gearbox, as it dose sit a little low.



next up is mounting the zombie where the original ECU was under the kick panel on the passenger side. Then clean up lv wiring.


went for a quick test run, all the power in forward, almost no torque in reverse, could barely get it off the lift

[Bratitude]

honda accelerator pedal position sensor matting connector looks to be a 6189 1083 sumitomo

a common connector across many different vehicles including subaru throttle pedals.

[Bratitude]

honda accelerator pedal position sensor connector is actually: sumitomo HX040 6pin

you can get them here for aiexpress https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1000036 ... 18028ugFu4

pinout for the sensor is

[EVSwap]

Can't ask for better battery fitment than that! Super cool conversion. So many cars out there ripe for a full LEAF stack swap!

[Bratitude]

cleaning up wiring, coolant, etc. engine bay is 99% done

hv battery and interior wiring next and then off to the races

[bunyipmini]

Awesome conversion. Especially drive shaft adapters.

Would you mind sharing some closer pics of the engine cradle and engine mounts?

[Bratitude]

Tip on if your pdm is missing a coolant spigot, 1/2 npt tap fits perfectly !