Motor Installedmore on Jan Watercraft & Flo-RiteRear Battery AccessCompletedMy plate..Charger MountedAll cleaned up & raedy to go...Finished product...Battery watering system CAUTION!
OwnerCraig Vinton
Owner's Other EVs1994 Dodge TEVan
1994 Chevrolet S-10
1929 Mercedes Roadster EV
LocationSeattle, Washington United States map
Web/EmailWebPage email image
Vehicle1996 Geo Tracker
MotorAdvanced DC FB1-4001A Series Wound DC
Purchased from KTA Services.
DrivetrainRear wheel drive with 5-speed and clutch. Normally driven in 3rd gear and 4th & 5th gear on flat.
ControllerCurtis 1231C-8601
Purchased from KTA Services. Mounted on 3/8" thick aluminum plate with heat transfer paste.
Batteries10 Trojan T-1275, 12.00 Volt, Lead-Acid, Flooded
Purchased from Allied Battery in Seattle. Battery connections are 2-0 welding cable with crimp on lugs.

Watering system is installed on rear 6 and the front lower batteries to eliminate the time and hassle of opening access.
System Voltage120 Volts
ChargerRussco SC 18-120 SO
Purchased from EV Parts. It is adequate if you pre-heat the car while charging. It draws a significant amount.
HeaterMES-DEA RM4 fluid heater with integrated pump from Metric Mind. This pumps through the stock heater core.
DC/DC Converter Go Power GPC-45
This is exactly the same as the Iota DLS-45. Purchased from a company called Outside Supply.
InstrumentationAdded two 1.5" Yokogawa panel meters, one for voltage and one for amperage. Also added lights to annunciate the closure of the motor thermal switch. Curtis 900R battery fuel gauge.
Top Speed60 MPH (96 KPH)
I have gotten to 65mph in 5th gear on the freeway (flat).
AccelerationReasonable.
Range30 Miles (48 Kilometers)
Around 30 now on normal Seattle grades. Range was improved by aerodynamic front end and reducing flywheel weight by almost 12 lbs.
EV Miles
Start:107,500 Miles (172,967 Kilometers)
Current:109,800 Miles (176,668 Kilometers)
Total:2,300 Miles (3,700 Kilometers)
Seating CapacityOriginal seating for 5.
Curb Weight3,380 Pounds (1,536 Kilograms)
Certified Scale Weight. GVWR listed at 3420.
TiresNew Goodyear Integrity 205/70R15's at 44psi (1819 load rating).
Conversion TimeBegan 7/3/07, substantial completion date 9/8/07. Worked mostly on weekends and at night. Estimated 96 hours of work.
Conversion Cost$10,500. Vehicle originally purchased for $450 with a blown head gasket.
Additional FeaturesThe adapter plate was cut from plate steel, with a ring of 6" pipe welded between two flanges to provide an area for the motor shaft and coupler. The coupler was machined locally with a setscrew/keyway. Motor shaft was dimpled and blue thread locker applied to setscrews.

There are 6 batteries where the fuel tank used to be. Under the carpet is a plastic access cover that allows access to the batteries. If batteries need replacement, the whole rack can be lowered with a jack after being unbolted, or the batteries can be individually removed.

There are 4 batteries under the hood, with 3 above the motor, and the 4th all the way at the front. ABS plastic was attached to the underside of the hood to prevent battery shorts if they were to come loose.

I used 2 Albright solenoids to kill the main power, one on each leg of the 120V system. The negative leg closes when the keyswitch is turned to the ignition position, providing negative to each of the 120V devices. The positive leg is always connected to the fluid heater and DC/DC converter, but only closes to the controller when the interlock circuit is completed. The interlock circuit only allows the motor to run if the key is in the ignition position, the start latch is activated (by turning the key to the start position), the throttle is depressed, the clutch is not pushed in, the parking brake is not on, and the charger is not plugged in. The controller also has a high pedal disable to prevent the car from starting with the throttle down.

12V vacuum pump by SSBC was replace with a centrifugal pump that is much quieter with less vibration.

The power steering rack replaces with a manual one.

The rear springs were replaced with units made by Old Man Emu, hence the nickname. They were sold by an internet 4WD retailer called Rocky Road.

While replacing clutch, I machined 12 pounds out of flywheel. It has extended range considerably.

code by jerry