Wiring and guages

I spent some time installing the digital guages in the dash cluster. The dash is wired and reinstalled. I mounted the tachometer and ran the wires to the engine bay.
I wired the motor speed sensor, digital guages, tachometer, and some of the power wiring to the control box. I made the high voltage cables for the motor and wired it in as well.

Control box

I managed to work in some time to work on the truck, I trimmed the plastic shield that will protect the motor from rocks and water and got it installed. I also fabricated the panel that covers the radiator opening and mounted it in place.
I wrestled the 85# control box into the engine bay and bolted it in place.
I connected the throttle linkage and checked operation. I also ran some of the wiring to the control box.

progress? not really

Due to work and other obligations progress has almost stopped, I have almost completed the lower shield to keep water and debris from getting into the motor.
I have installed a heater in the garage and will be able to work more of the year, woo hoo!
Have some time off coming and may get busy.

Controller part 2

The control box is all but done, and systems tested on the bench, a few minor problems but all resolved at this point. I weighed the box while balancing it on a scale, was about 85 pounds.
The vacuum canister is plumbed and mounted. The air shocks have been hooked up and a hardware run was done to get the steel and hardware to mount the bed back on the truck and make a battery rack. While out for hardware, I stopped at Lowes and got some sealtight type covering for my battery cables to protect them under the truck.
Next up installing the controller and starting on the gauges.

Changes on the fly

I decided to change the vacuum pump to another that I located on Ebay to go to just one pump.
Much of the wiring has been completed and tested. I bought a set of large crimpers at a good price, (thanks Mike) to make up the battery cables, it was much easier than the other method I had been using, a crimper that you had to use a hammer to crimp the connection.
I ran all the vacuum lines on the truck to the reservoir and the heater controls as well as in the control box.
A location for the charges has yet to be determined, they could be in the front, or with the batteries. Guards for the motor and electronics against water damage still need to be made, I have some sheet rubber, but may use some aluminum also.
Battery location and quantity has changed, they will be in the bed of the truck and be 12 volt rather than 6 for ease of service, weight, cost, and less range requirements; this can be changed at a later date if things change or go to lithium.
The gauges in the cab still need to be tackled as well as finishing the control box, running power cables under the truck, building the battery enclosure, plumbing the air shocks, and making the emergency disconnect setup. Although it sounds like a lot it won't take too much more to finish to the point of finally ordering the batteries.

controlling it all

7-8-09 Spent the better part of the day making brackets and fitting the controller box in the engine bay. I also made the mounts for the vacuum canister.
7-9-09 I worked on the schematics for the truck and figuring out where to mount all the relays and contactors in the box. It took a great deal of time making brackets for the pumps, and all the relays. The remaining item is mounting the controller to the heatsink and mounting to the top of the controller and wiring up all the parts.

Speed sensor

Update on the speed sensor, I made a bracket and mounted the sensor to the front of the motor as well as the pulse wheel to the front of the motor. I ran a quick test to check operation and everything worked well. I now need to make a cover to protect everything. When I set up the tachometer the rpms will be limited to 4500, a little under manufacturers max speed rating, I haven't decided if I will use the shift light as a warning feature.
I spent a little time making a adapter for the motor temp gauge sensor on the lathe, I had a oil temp gauge laying around that I will use for motor temperature, the manufacturer suggests limiting to 280 degrees, the motor has a thermal switch but I wanted more information while driving.
I still need to mount the battery monitor in the cab as well as the meters for voltage and current in the cluster. I will have to find a location for the tachometer and motor temperature gauge in the truck as well, another day.

Misc odds and ends

Spent some time figuring what I will be mounting in the enclosure in the engine bay. I played with the vacuum pumps I had bought, I think I will run both pumps for redundancy one on 12 volt and one at 144 volts. The 2 pumps generate vacuum much faster than the one I had planned on running. I also played around with the optical pickup for the tachometer circuit that is part of the overspeed shutdown, I had to add a pullup resistor to the sensor for the tachometer to work properly. I made a pulse wheel from a scrap grinding wheel that I had on hand. I will mount this on the front of the motor with a 1/4 bolt.
I now have all the systems tested and checked, just need to mount the parts at this point, I had to order some new timers from Ebay for the start sequence and overspeed circuits, I had some others that were 24 volts and wouldn't work at 12 volts. I plan to have a delay after the key is on to allow the vacuum pumps to run and also precharge the controller, I think 10 seconds would be enough.

back at it

I spent the first day of vacation trying to figure out where I left off on the truck. I sealed the frame with a rust inhibitor paint and will put the final coat on tomorrow.
I have decided to go with less batteries and save on cost and weight as the range would be ok for my use.
Looking at the wiring on the truck while the paint was drying I found the switched 12 volt leads I need to power things up when the parts go in.
I also looked up the wiring diagrams to help sort out what I can delete from the engine bay.