8 Build Your Own Electric Car: Coupler

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6 жыл бұрын

300MPG.org
In this video, we show how to build a clutch-less coupler to connect the driveshaft of the electric motor to the input shaft of the transmission in the electric car conversion project!
For some great ideas on different vehicles converted to electric, check out the listing at the EV Album! www.evalbum.com
This video is one segment of an instructional video I created in 2010 from a home-built electric car I made in 2008. Of course, battery and motor technology has advanced quickly since then, and affordable, commercially-built, Electric Vehicles are now a reality.
This video series covers ONE low-tech and simple way of converting a car to electric. Many of these same ideas and techniques still apply to go-karts, motorcycles, boats, and lots of other projects. We hope that you enjoy watching these videos and learn a little something from them.
There are still a few copies of the original DVD for sale. Besides the video, the set also has a DVD-ROM with photos, web clips, and documents from the project.
All profits support our work and go towards future DIY Clean Transportation and Renewable Energy Projects.
300mpg.org/electric-car-instru...
There's also an online streaming version available.
vimeo.com/ondemand/electriccar
You might also want to check out the book BUILD YOUR OWN ELECTRIC VEHICLE, by Seth Leitman and Bob Brant: amzn.to/2jFUXVJ
For CURRENT electric vehicle, DIY, and renewable energy projects, please visit 300MPG.org.
Music Credit:
"B-Roll" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License
creativecommons.org/licenses/b...
We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.

Пікірлер: 115

@BenjaminNelsonX 5 жыл бұрын

We are now on Patreon! We'd love your support as it helps us produce more videos like this! www.patreon.com/300MPG

@davidwilson8088 5 жыл бұрын

Could you try incorporating Capacitors as a light weight, quickly charged power source alternative for all battery system?

@prondamusic5283 4 жыл бұрын

I need catalog checklist on just stuff I need to switch proper way to sequence batteries charging point how many batteries what kind of batteries size of motor ,I also need adapter plate and accessory bracket for power steering air conditioning alternator I'm interested this for 2004 malibu manx

@sherdil5892 4 жыл бұрын

Hi Sir! Kindly make a video on sizing or caculate to select best motor for ev. Thanks

@tigerseye73 5 жыл бұрын

As an industrial plant mechanic that has repaired large production machinery for 45 years+ , I can attest to the fact that the Lovejoy style of coupler you are using is not intended for heavy loads. The elastomer cushion will wear away fairly quickly and will be a constant maintenance problem . Your video presentation and content in general is excellent. Well done.

@ochieng3827 6 жыл бұрын

Great series, love it

@truter5243 2 жыл бұрын

I used this kind of lovejoy coupler to build a DIY locking differential on my gocart for when you go mudding. Very solid connection, but boy do you see metal fly if you accidentally get your rpm sync wrong lol But mine was not permanent connect. The one side could slide 30mm on the shaft so that you can make the connection when needed. Learned very quickly that it's a good idea to only do that while stationary

@TheObaby18 5 жыл бұрын

Amazing teacher. I watch your videos all the time. 🙏🏿 Great job man.

@BenjaminNelsonX 5 жыл бұрын

Thank you.

@letsgetcraftinwithsupreetk669 3 жыл бұрын

Good sense of teaching

@tempura7690 6 жыл бұрын

Show us what it is like to drive your car. I want to see how it will be without a clutch. Cool series man!

@BenjaminNelsonX 6 жыл бұрын

Stay tuned! We have a video about that coming!

@campbellrocksagain 5 жыл бұрын

1 day I'm converting my 08 vw golf to electric. I'm going to watch all these videos and make my own

@jhonyuriel9215 4 жыл бұрын

CampbellRocksAgain Hi sir. If you did your project, you should put it on KZfaq, it will be nice to see it. 👍

@HumanRightsArmy23 3 жыл бұрын

I'm also planning to do, because the one-time road tax of my car is ending in the month of June. So, I think, it's better to convert it into an electric car than to leave in the kabbadi!!

@KRConnection 6 жыл бұрын

Great Job .would love to see it go !

@hfe1833 3 жыл бұрын

This what I'm looking for,thanks

@davidson46100 4 жыл бұрын

After you got the motor and transmission lined up I hope you drilled and reamed 2 alignment pins.

@LatinDanceVideos 3 жыл бұрын

This is what I’m left wondering about. Def need high accuracy on centering, alignment and once aligned, dowels to maintain alignment. I like his explanations. Shows how to do this on the cheap.

@zahidkhanmojlish5308 4 жыл бұрын

Nice video thanks

@ssekalalamuhammad4286 Жыл бұрын

Very good for clean environment

@timtucker8270 5 жыл бұрын

As always, great information. Thank's!

@martinparrish9532 6 жыл бұрын

I did a solid coupler in my 70 beetle ev conversion. I used the clutch center and welded it to a piece that fit on my shaft of the D&D motor. The coupler failed after about 2k miles. The splines disappeared on the coupler. I made another one and put a little grease on the splines. So far no other failure.

@Directory1 5 жыл бұрын

Martin Parrish grease is key man.

@shawng5799 5 жыл бұрын

The coupler/clutch plate centre will be hardened steel and when you weld it you alter that. It needs to be heat treated again after welding.

@emmanuelofficialtz7333 6 жыл бұрын

Very nice

@shawng5799 5 жыл бұрын

The coupler/clutch plate centre will be hardened steel and when you weld it you alter that. It needs to be heat treated again after welding.

@vianajames97 Жыл бұрын

Very good

@Boemel 6 жыл бұрын

I always had the dream of building an electric Porsche 924. It has a very low drag coefficient.

@Thadude701 2 жыл бұрын

Cheap at this point also

@schwuzi Ай бұрын

Also the stock engine is crap lol

@Boemel Ай бұрын

@@Thadude701 12k now for a project in my country.

@lals035 Жыл бұрын

Hi, im taking your videos as guidance for my conversion, thanks for all the info... do you have a part number for that lovejoy ? im using a hyper 9 motor with a manual transmission and looking now for the coupler! thanks in advance

@Colin56ish 6 жыл бұрын

Correct shaft alignment must be done with a Dial gauge. Even a little bit of misalignment will cause problems such as wear and vibration. Once the alignment is perfect you would normally drill and fit dowels so that any future alignment is always going to be true.

@YvanR0Y 6 жыл бұрын

Yes, otherwise shocks and vibrations from normal use can bump things out of position.

@lazar2175 6 жыл бұрын

Fortunately,electric motors used to power cars like this one spin only at around 1500 rpm.This is like putting it on a electric drill. If it was on a gasoline engine,that usually spins at 7000 rpm,so it might be noticeable.

@YvanR0Y 6 жыл бұрын

I think it's more a question of shocks and vibrations. In a vehicle there is more than RPM to take into account when assembling drive trains.

@mickcoomer9714 5 жыл бұрын

You are right about the DTI. I was horrified when he said he just moved it round to find where it didn’t vibrate. No wonder the first coupling broke. Alright for proof of concept, but as the finished job?

@EamonnSeoigh 5 жыл бұрын

Misalignments will stress bearings to early failure. Even at low revs, the loads are still there. The other consideration is axial shock. Is the coupling solid or floating....?

@jrea424 5 жыл бұрын

Would a knuckle joint, like a pto shaft do the job?

@alejanzar 6 жыл бұрын

Hi I'm normal guy, I do all my mechanic work in my car, but to build an electric one it looks complicated, do you build electric cars for others?

@carlosarevalo3786 4 жыл бұрын

Thank you very

@ignaciovela4618 3 жыл бұрын

have you ever tested chinesse alibaba gearbox? they fit the motors so no coupler needed

@garrettwhite9071 5 жыл бұрын

What you made looks a lot like what's called a mini spool. If you could find two mini spool that are the same size but different sizes splines one size for motor one for trans, you could make two adapters that would hold up for about $70.

@BenjaminNelsonX 5 жыл бұрын

I'd never heard the term "mini spool" before, but it's not uncommon for people working on something to come up with a solution similar to something that's already in an industry somewhere! Hopefully, people knowing that term will give one more option of DIY projects! Thanks for your input!

@terriecotham1567 5 жыл бұрын

You can upshift on manual transmissions by letting off the power - or shift into Netual but I downshifting is not as ease I would thank you could upshift with the Elec- motor as well. and who knows it could be possible I just never could do it You have to love people who tack their own time and money on things like this for so many of the things in our life came from the common man at home working on an idea's at times seem like fools dream to some. From the computer to the aircraft at Kitty -hawk build by bicycle shop guys Thanks for posting and all the work you did I remember seeing the claims made by CSX if I remember right they claiming they could move? a weight of cargo? miles on one Gallon of fuel if I remember right And the show were one place was using a small Turbine engine close to the size of 16 to 22 oz of bread to power a generator and power a car from a -dc or AC motor and getting 100 MPG in a Ford Taurus Mercedes was so impressed with there set up they ship them a new Mercedes so they could build and test there car with the engine set up they had and this was back in 2008 I saw the video on PBS. Thanks for your time and for posting your work and ideas along with headaches along the way for people like you help make the world a better place for all and help open the minds of those to come Thanks

@imho7250 6 жыл бұрын

Glad to see you redoing these topics, and you have aged a bit since the last time years ago. LOL

@JasonBlack66 6 жыл бұрын

I would really like to do an EV Conversion. What sort of motor would i need to accelerate in my EV at the same speed as a modern average 300HP car? like a V6 Cadilac CTSV (i think thats the right model name) or if you are familiar with Australian Cars, a Holden Commodore with an Alloytech V6 (i think they are called global v6 or somthing by GM). Those motors are found in the cadilac i mentioned, the commodore. the Australian Holden colorado (i think they are the same as the united states chev colorado). they are also found in other caars. I think they are a great engine and deliver an adequate amount of power for a NA v6. Im not thinking of turning a commodore into a EV, Its just i think the level of power it delivers is about perfect for me and like to retain that satisfaction in my EV. I would really like to make a late 70's or early 80's (infact all the way up to about 1985) Toyota Land Cruiser Troupe Carrier into an EV. I would like it to be able to accelerate like it would with a 300hp Modern petrol engine. Is that even possible with a Forklift motor? I'd love to hear your thoughts. Thank you for the winderfull video series BTW. :)

@kirkragland7563 4 жыл бұрын

Great idea but you should do a little more welding and machining to Ballance your coupler.

@ejt3708 5 жыл бұрын

Back in about 2006, there was a company that sold a hybrid kit that used an electric motor which turned an RWD driveline via a belt. The ICE engine stays as is, just operating PS etc in neutral. I think I could do this for my pickup. Any thoughts?

@BenjaminNelsonX 5 жыл бұрын

I always liked this concept. Instead of a belt, the driveshaft just goes from the engine to a motor which is in-line with the driveshaft. kzfaq.info/get/bejne/irKAhZVenJPcoIE.html

@MichaelDavis-bz2wi 4 жыл бұрын

Make a love joy cuppler and make thecenter of the cuppler a half circle along with the motor and tranmission bar for a tighter connecation like tesla

@oliversizemore3416 6 жыл бұрын

Do you think the two part coupler would've worked better if it were welded or would you recommend just using the solid coupler?

@BenjaminNelsonX 6 жыл бұрын

I'd recommend the solid coupler. It's rock-solid and super-strong. Make sure the motor and transmission are in perfect alignment and then tighten all the bolts.

@pespsisipper 2 жыл бұрын

6:00 i reconize the red old-school car horn!! silly submarine alert noise :)

@BenjaminNelsonX 2 жыл бұрын

A-WOOOOO-ga!

@JohnSmith-wo5gl 5 жыл бұрын

I had a Geo Metro and replaced the clutch and pressure plate but pretty much all manual transmissions rely on the pilot bearing and rear main bearing of the engine (whenever the clutch is engaged and transmitting power as the front bearing of the transmission. The whole beginning of this video, the spider coupling, cardboard adapter plate template and everything is kinda moot. If you can hire Mr. Machinist/hot rod guy to make these things up. (You really need these skills and tools to do this right) and maybe do this part of the video or have this video as a "how not to do it" video. If there were a commercialy available adapter plate that exactly centered the shaft to .001 at least...

@eddydaniels5921 4 жыл бұрын

Hi Sir, great videos you made. You must be a teacher :). But why didn't you use the existing coupling with the flywheel from the old engine.Than you didn't had so much to spend on building the coupler.

@BenjaminNelsonX 4 жыл бұрын

Using the flywheel is MORE complicated and requires more machining than the simple coupler. 300mpg.org/projects/electro-metro/going-clutchless/

@Thadude701 2 жыл бұрын

He said " Lovejoy". haha!

@michaelvrooman5681 2 жыл бұрын

Is there an electric motor with a shaft at both ends to turn P.S. pumps etc etc ? Alignment is most of the problem with shaft couplers. I would try a chain coupler before a Lovejoy. They can handle more torque

@BenjaminNelsonX 2 жыл бұрын

Yes, it's fairly common on larger motors to have a "tail-shaft" coming out the opposite end of a motor. In a car, it could be used to power accessories such as an air-conditioning compressor. There's certainly more than one way to couple together two shafts. Lovejoy coupler components were readily available at a local store.

@armangazeryan8541 4 жыл бұрын

How do you heat the vehicle without draining the battery?

@pkf4124 4 жыл бұрын

So whats it like changing gear without a clutch. I'm imagining its a case of accelerator off change gear accelerator on, or is it more technical than that.

@BenjaminNelsonX 4 жыл бұрын

Nope. You got it. It's that easy.

@alext9067 5 жыл бұрын

How could you adjust the alignment if the aluminum plate had already been drilled?

@BenjaminNelsonX 5 жыл бұрын

It wasn't perfect. There was a very small amount of "slop" or room to adjust. On a rotating machine, you can often tell by sound if something is trying to bend, is being pushed against, etc. That would be bad for the bearings in the long run. This was only a very small adjustment.

@teecon569 6 жыл бұрын

could you use a U-joint instead of that coupler?

@riddnic 3 жыл бұрын

yes, more shakey and klinkey but works

@vasterasjonas1 5 жыл бұрын

Hello can i use a 4.7/7.3 KW electrick motor for a car conversion mounted on the gearebox?

@EcoGreensFarm 5 жыл бұрын

That won't be enough power to do more than golf cart speeds, even in a small car. You would need 40-50kw minimum for a small car, 60-80kw for a mid sized car, and up.

@ibrahimayoussouftoure7854 4 жыл бұрын

My question= are you planing to use a manual gearbox or automatic? i think automatic gearbox will be more useful for an electric car.

@BenjaminNelsonX 4 жыл бұрын

This video is part of a series. Watch the entire series to see the complete project, including that it uses a manual transmission.

@ObamaoZedong 5 жыл бұрын

Can you just remove the transmission and couple the motor to the drive shaft to eliminate the losses caused the transmission?

@BenjaminNelsonX 5 жыл бұрын

On this car, that wouldn't be an option, as it's front-wheel drive and doesn't have a single drive shaft. On something like a pickup truck, you could directly connect the motor to the drive-shaft. This is typically only done with a rather powerful motor, as there's pretty limited gear reduction in the differential. Generally, there will be a large current draw with poor acceleration. Of course that can be overcome with a powerful enough motor and high-voltage/high-current battery pack (which also costs $$$)

@ObamaoZedong 5 жыл бұрын

BenjaminNelson thanks

@robertjackson4121 5 жыл бұрын

So why do you not make a custom machined parts for sale. Make model car and motor.

@audiokees4045 3 жыл бұрын

But how much wattage is the elctromotor? ot looks so small and seems a vorkligt motor, so so much speed is not possible for that car? maybe the transmission does put some extra power in.

@BenjaminNelsonX 3 жыл бұрын

I’ve run up to 500A at 144v through this motor. That’s about 100 horsepower.

@audiokees4045 3 жыл бұрын

@@BenjaminNelsonX I presume that is piekpower shortwise otherwise thing will burn I think. What kind of forklifter motor is used? I need as I see the 144 volts version then. Maybe to find on a forklifter scrapyard?. But what happens if I rewind a 15 kilowatt three fase asynchrone motor to 144 volts x 3 and put 500 amps through it will maybe the rotor get overheated? I just need only the formula foor rewinding it, I can even do 4 poles, and use a current limited 4 fase mosfet driver system. Windings are multistrains, so a lot of copper wires paralell.

@elioliver9554 5 жыл бұрын

Where do you get an electric motor with the power to drive a car?

@prismagraphy 4 жыл бұрын

eli oliver he covered this in another video

@81mrlz 5 жыл бұрын

I wonder how many HP deliver your electric motor?

@BenjaminNelsonX 5 жыл бұрын

This motor was essentially a junkyard find, and it never had an ID plate on it, so I don't know what the rated horsepower was on it. I HAVE run it at a peak of 500A at 144V. That's just shy of 100 horsepower, and keep in mind how the torque is almost instant. This car originally had a 49HP gas engine.

@j.d.fontanella9015 5 жыл бұрын

Does anyone have any information on registering a car once it's converted? How does this become street legal?

@BenjaminNelsonX 5 жыл бұрын

Here's the answer to that from my Electric Motorcycle series: kzfaq.info/get/bejne/hL9hf7iV0JammIE.html

@keltonfoster 3 жыл бұрын

Can you use a viscous coupler?

@BenjaminNelsonX 3 жыл бұрын

You can use anything that will connect the motor to the gear reduction of the car. Anything other than a simple direct physical connection will be less efficient though.

@keltonfoster 3 жыл бұрын

@@BenjaminNelsonX thank you

@gunkhs8191 4 жыл бұрын

How do you change gears without clutch

@BenjaminNelsonX 4 жыл бұрын

Here's an article I wrote about NOT having a clutch in an electric car. 300mpg.org/projects/electro-metro/going-clutchless/

@gregorytimmons4777 5 жыл бұрын

Hard to understand why you would not use a clutch unless you stick it in a gear and leave it using the instant torque of the electric motor to get the car moving. So maybe 3rd gear for around town and 5th on the highway.

@BenjaminNelsonX 5 жыл бұрын

300mpg.org/projects/electro-metro/going-clutchless/

@srwisner 6 жыл бұрын

if you do have misalignment that coupling spider is going to wear like mad

@srwisner 6 жыл бұрын

OK so two minutes later he said that's exactly what happened

@BenjaminNelsonX 6 жыл бұрын

Hey, learn from other people’s mistakes, right?

@rustystick 5 жыл бұрын

@@BenjaminNelsonX why not use a rag joint coupler?

@BenjaminNelsonX 5 жыл бұрын

@@rustystick I believe a rag joint coupler would probably work fine. You would need to double-check the torque ratings on it first, of course.

@rustystick 5 жыл бұрын

@@BenjaminNelsonX, well, for example my Dodge Magnum has an engine that is rated at 425hp/420ftlb torque. It uses a rag joint...

@itsthelittlethings100 2 ай бұрын

3:15 - No chucks behind the real wheels makes me 😬

@itxi 3 жыл бұрын

That's some rusty stainless on that coupler ;)

@marthiustelemaque7877 5 жыл бұрын

Should've gone with a clutch 🤔🤔🤔

@BenjaminNelsonX 5 жыл бұрын

The solid coupler has always been fantastic. In a project like this, using a clutch or not is more a personal choice than anything. The coupler fit well with my skill level in machining, is simple, and reliable. (Plus, I could never burn out or have to replace a clutch!) For more about clutch vs. clutch-less, please visit: 300mpg.org/projects/electro-metro/going-clutchless/

@terryi8892 5 жыл бұрын

Someone apparently , the 'Experts' keep removing my likes on your videos BenjaminNelson .beware it could be an insidious plot to keep You down and marginalize Your You Tube income.

@deathincarnatesplace 6 жыл бұрын

here is a diy dream. find telescoping glass tubing some wire and some circuit board copper sheeting or solar panel copper sheeting and then etch copper on the outside of the tubing and then connect wires to take the electricity. then do the same with all the tubes until you make one that is one foot across. then place on board to tilt to the sun. then make one the same size as a solar panel and put in the sun. if done correctly the 20 sheets for one solar panel equaling 20 volts is now 200 volts and you can run a lot of stuff on it. if you make it a vacuum system like a light bulb then it increases energy and if you make it more than one foot tall then you make about 200 volts for every layer. please remember vacuum is best as it will heat up ok. good luck.

@gangleweed 4 жыл бұрын

LOL....if this was in Australia it would be termed "Outback Engineering"...…...this is not to put down your efforts but it's very basic ….never mind the fit,......she'll be alright mate...... on the pavement engineering without much engineering expertise that would apply to a regular mechanical builder......you are intending to run it on the road aren't you????...….I don't think welding those high tensile clutch parts is a good idea due to the metal composition when you weld them. I would not use this video to do a similar retrofit.....in the manner you approach it...…. but it does make me interested in the fact that an electric make over is possible with the right source of parts etc.

@CaptainXJ 6 жыл бұрын

There are bugs in every video :)

@BenjaminNelsonX 6 жыл бұрын

You just found an EASTER EGG! I've included one small bug in every video I've ever made. Can you find them all?

@superbmediacontentcreator 6 жыл бұрын

Gosh, this was so laborious I fell asleep... you take a good intresting project and prsent it so it's boring and almost stupid...

@gregorytimmons4777 5 жыл бұрын

Not everyone is a genius like you. He is explaining it in detail for a layman. Including mistakes he made. Future use of the car will reveal that he is still making mistakes. Ones that only trial and error and research after failures will correct. I'm amazed a smart guy like you would even watch the video as you obviously have the knowledge to do this within your superior brain.

@elioliver9554 5 жыл бұрын

Where do you get an electric motor with the power to drive a car?

@BenjaminNelsonX 5 жыл бұрын

Of course, you can simply mail-order an electric motor for a car conversion, but the motor used in this project was simply repurposed from an electric forklift.