Novice 6x6 ATV conversion
Posted: Sun Jun 28, 2020 2:52 pm
My introduction, my name is Randal and I'm starting my adventure into electric power conversion. Some background on me, I'm not an electrical engineer, nor even work in an electric field, I am a mining/exploration geologist. So I'm prone to using wrong terms and mis-understanding concepts but I'm willing to fail and learn.
I've got a decent automotive hobby background and have converted a couple of pre-1980 cars to fuel injection using through hole solder together boards (Megasquirt). I've got well over 100,000 miles on one of them alone. When I started that venture documentary was iffy, but the EFI hardware was figured out, and many parameters were set by modifying INI files. Using plenty of junkyard parts from newer engines and adapting them to older engines was something I had fun doing. Now I want to convert my 1967 Thunderbird to electric, but before I go all in with a car I thought I'd start with an ATV I have collecting dust due to a high maintenance transmission.
When I started planning this project I was originally looking at a pair of golf cart motors, one for each side. But that would also require a duplication of all the control parts as well. Looking at used/wrecked golf carts, IF I could find two local, they were going to be $600 each. Just getting used motors were $200 each. Then I read about the Toyota MGR unit having an open differential that I could bias power left and right with a simple set of disc brakes. So started pricing them, and seemed to be in the $300-$500 range, but would only require a single controller. And that's how I ended up here.
Pricing out components, I found the local pick-a-part yard charges $50 for inverters! Checking their car stock online they had two Prius's. A 2006 with a Gen2 inverter and a 2015 Prius C, which I thought would be a Gen3 inverter but may actually be a Yaris type. For $130 I brought both them and a small coolant pump home.
As I've been reading through this forum and wiki I kept my eye out for a MGR unit and on Facebook Marketplace a salvage yard 100 miles away had a couple for $100. So off I went. Originally I was expecting to get a 2012 Lexus RX400H unit, but when they brought it out it was missing the axle shafts (they were in the picture), so they handed me an older 2006 unit in a wet bag but the copper contacts and plugs were corrosion free so I took it. It has a 1 year warranty so need to run some tests on it within that time! Now that I had the inverter and MGR in hand I decided to pull out the ATV's gas tank, transmission and engine.
I think if I cut the ATV's transmission mounting brackets I can slide the MGR forward some and either set the inverter nicely behind it, or more than likely build a battery box behind the MGR and set the inverter on top of it.
The gas tank was located in the front, I think I can build a battery box for up front, and if decided put the inverter upfront as well.
So being its my first EV project, I'm trying to keep costs down and learn as much as I can so I'm going to start with a Damien through hole board controller and will pivot to either Johannes' board or to the Yaris(?) inverter if needed. So not counting spare parts, I'm $50 on the inverter, $100 on the MGR, and $25 on purchasing two Damien boards from jnsaff's classified ad.
Until I have the control board assembled and ready for testing, I'll be looking at what disc brakes I can use (motorcycle?), get the MGR bolted in, and start working out the sprocket size that makes sense and how to support it with the brakes.
Anyways, I'll be asking lots of questions! Thanks for the help!
I've got a decent automotive hobby background and have converted a couple of pre-1980 cars to fuel injection using through hole solder together boards (Megasquirt). I've got well over 100,000 miles on one of them alone. When I started that venture documentary was iffy, but the EFI hardware was figured out, and many parameters were set by modifying INI files. Using plenty of junkyard parts from newer engines and adapting them to older engines was something I had fun doing. Now I want to convert my 1967 Thunderbird to electric, but before I go all in with a car I thought I'd start with an ATV I have collecting dust due to a high maintenance transmission.
When I started planning this project I was originally looking at a pair of golf cart motors, one for each side. But that would also require a duplication of all the control parts as well. Looking at used/wrecked golf carts, IF I could find two local, they were going to be $600 each. Just getting used motors were $200 each. Then I read about the Toyota MGR unit having an open differential that I could bias power left and right with a simple set of disc brakes. So started pricing them, and seemed to be in the $300-$500 range, but would only require a single controller. And that's how I ended up here.
Pricing out components, I found the local pick-a-part yard charges $50 for inverters! Checking their car stock online they had two Prius's. A 2006 with a Gen2 inverter and a 2015 Prius C, which I thought would be a Gen3 inverter but may actually be a Yaris type. For $130 I brought both them and a small coolant pump home.
As I've been reading through this forum and wiki I kept my eye out for a MGR unit and on Facebook Marketplace a salvage yard 100 miles away had a couple for $100. So off I went. Originally I was expecting to get a 2012 Lexus RX400H unit, but when they brought it out it was missing the axle shafts (they were in the picture), so they handed me an older 2006 unit in a wet bag but the copper contacts and plugs were corrosion free so I took it. It has a 1 year warranty so need to run some tests on it within that time! Now that I had the inverter and MGR in hand I decided to pull out the ATV's gas tank, transmission and engine.
I think if I cut the ATV's transmission mounting brackets I can slide the MGR forward some and either set the inverter nicely behind it, or more than likely build a battery box behind the MGR and set the inverter on top of it.
The gas tank was located in the front, I think I can build a battery box for up front, and if decided put the inverter upfront as well.
So being its my first EV project, I'm trying to keep costs down and learn as much as I can so I'm going to start with a Damien through hole board controller and will pivot to either Johannes' board or to the Yaris(?) inverter if needed. So not counting spare parts, I'm $50 on the inverter, $100 on the MGR, and $25 on purchasing two Damien boards from jnsaff's classified ad.
Until I have the control board assembled and ready for testing, I'll be looking at what disc brakes I can use (motorcycle?), get the MGR bolted in, and start working out the sprocket size that makes sense and how to support it with the brakes.
Anyways, I'll be asking lots of questions! Thanks for the help!