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Jimmy's Electric Adventures

J1000

Rising Sun Member
Joined
Oct 11, 2018
Messages
1,557
Location
Morrison, CO
Ahh ok gotcha good info, sorry for making you repeat yourself. It runs on 48 volts or so now might bump it to 70 something in the future.
That would be 8-10 LEAF modules to get that voltage. Should fit in a golf cart no problem and would make it rip. they are 60Ah also so that would be 4kwh or something onboard. You could drive miles and miles with those batteries!
 

J1000

Rising Sun Member
Joined
Oct 11, 2018
Messages
1,557
Location
Morrison, CO
This is coming together so nicely. Remember back I bought a 2013 LEAF. I dissembled the battery from that LEAF for my Electrek, but I kept all of the other parts. The busbars and all wiring looks identical to that of my 30kwh pack. So that means I can use the busbar assembly and bracketry that I saved from my '13 pack to build two identical stacks of 24 modules from my '17 pack. After that I just need to adapt the BMS wiring. That saves me tons of labor drilling and cutting busbars and makes for a super clean, OEM setup. Thanks Nissan! I'm glad I saved all this stuff!

I took the left and right stacks and built them into a long 24 module stack. I will need to think more about how to secure these modules. There is a lot of mass here, maybe 150lbs or more, and it is really only supported by 4x M6 all-thread studs. The OEM stack has a different type of module for half which have studs built into their case which tie into more bracing within the pack. Since my new stack doesn't have these studs, and there's no way to add them, I will have to add bracing another way. I have a few ideas I'll see what makes most sense as I go. If it were a sports car I could be more relaxed, but since it is a 4x4 that will be thrown all around while rock crawling or whatever I need to really do this right.

I also want to maintain all of the original hardware from the battery pack. Well, it's not that I want to but I must. That's how the Resolve-EV controller works, with all OEM hardware in place. So I will keep the service disconnect, current sensor, both contactors, etc and somehow mount them in/on/to my battery box.

My new stack:
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OEM rear stack:
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If you look closely you'll notice the busbar assembly (orange plastic and copper) I installed upside-down from the original one. I flipped it so that my + and - on each end line up for shorter overall wiring. So easy!

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Using my left over brackets to compress the modules. LEAF modules MUST be compressed during use or they will expand and destroy themselves! I measured the exposed thread on the OEM studs and tightened these until they matched.

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The BMS wiring saved and labeled ready to transfer to the new pack. I will be extending/shortening the wires as necessary for a clean install.

oVtlEqj.jpg
 

J1000

Rising Sun Member
Joined
Oct 11, 2018
Messages
1,557
Location
Morrison, CO
I finished up the battery stack today and all the BMS wiring. It was not nearly as bad as I was anticipating and it came together nicely. I'm really happy with the result. Now I just need to build a battery box to hold it. I am using the stock Nissan LEAF BMS but in a new configuration so the BMS wires had to be modified, some shortened some lengthened.

Half the BMS wires hooked up:

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The rest:

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Showing the correct voltage!

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Plastic cover installed:

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The little silver things are the temperature sensors.

Now I can hit those rock climbs at full send knowing my battery is safe and sound and all the wiring nice and neat.
 
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J1000

Rising Sun Member
Joined
Oct 11, 2018
Messages
1,557
Location
Morrison, CO
Jeez this battery box is ridiculous. I may be over-building it by using 3/16" steel but damn it's going to be sturdy! It's a 36x20x15 inch box. The pictures basically tell the story:

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It's going to fit!! The A/C has got to go. I could probably keep it with some slight mods but in the end it will just be easier and better for the EV side of things to ditch it. Oh well. Thanks @DomOfTheDead for the critical precision eyeballing!
 

J1000

Rising Sun Member
Joined
Oct 11, 2018
Messages
1,557
Location
Morrison, CO
Still working on the battery box! I welded in some brackets and studs to mount the battery stacks to. I also started on a box to hold the contactors (giant high voltage relays) and the main battery connections. Also started on the aluminum side panels. Next time I think I will do cut-send-cut or something similar and design all this in CAD. Doing it the old fashioned way is so much effort.

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J1000

Rising Sun Member
Joined
Oct 11, 2018
Messages
1,557
Location
Morrison, CO
I got my cheap secondhand OME lift installed while the battery box was getting sandblasted. It is OME 2" Medium and it looks just about right! Thanks @KC Masterpiece! The rear end is high due to the obvious lack of weight back there at the moment. I was putting this off until the last moments because now it's so much harder to work inside the engine bay. Oh well.

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Battery box sandblasted. Seam sealing and painting it today.

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J1000

Rising Sun Member
Joined
Oct 11, 2018
Messages
1,557
Location
Morrison, CO
Spent all day today and got one panel done haha. Going slow because it was the most important panel. Got all my wiring complete and 366v measured at the contactors! The BMS must be wired correctly because it is plugged in but it's not smoking! A good sign!


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The contactor box bolts on to the aluminum side panel.



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Panel on, riveted, bolted and sealed up:

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WE'VE GOT VOLTAGE!
 

J1000

Rising Sun Member
Joined
Oct 11, 2018
Messages
1,557
Location
Morrison, CO
First coat of paint on. And since everyone wants to know, it weighs 600lbs. Oof. That's about 100lbs heavier than I anticipated. Still lighter than a 1FZ!

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Notyourmomslx450

Cruise Moab Committee
Cruise Moab Committee
Joined
Aug 4, 2014
Messages
3,202
Location
Westminster
Wow!!
 

MonPetiteShoe

Cruise Moab Committee
Cruise Moab Committee
Joined
Oct 7, 2020
Messages
424
Location
Aurora
Yo, She thicc.
 
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