Path: news.eternal-september.org!eternal-september.org!.POSTED!not-for-mail From: Bob La Londe Newsgroups: rec.crafts.metalworking Subject: Re: Batteries - EV Conversion Date: Mon, 3 Mar 2025 09:04:03 -0700 Organization: A noiseless patient Spider Lines: 129 Message-ID: References: MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=UTF-8; format=flowed Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit Injection-Date: Mon, 03 Mar 2025 17:04:03 +0100 (CET) Injection-Info: dont-email.me; posting-host="6823586423bd8ba3844a6e484c1848fd"; logging-data="1456943"; mail-complaints-to="abuse@eternal-september.org"; posting-account="U2FsdGVkX188py5d4l88LAcwF4Ilwpjq" User-Agent: Mozilla Thunderbird Cancel-Lock: sha1:yltv4XmeEPVXj7Zrn9ttdhPTlAI= X-Antivirus: AVG (VPS 250303-2, 3/3/2025), Outbound message X-Antivirus-Status: Clean In-Reply-To: Content-Language: en-US On 2/26/2025 4:38 PM, Bob La Londe wrote: > Back Story:  About 3-1/2 to 4 years ago my dad had a brain tumor > removed, and it came to my attention that he was not managing their > affairs very well.  He and my mom were receiving social security, and he > was doing various handyman type work.  He had some other assets, but he > was hoarding them instead of using them.  I stepped in and took over for > a little while, but out of respect I kept him in the loop.  When he > would tell me something, I'd put in my time and work to make it happen > and find out how it would work out and he would try to horse trade with > me I quit. > > Example:  He said he would like to sell a fifth wheel trailer he owned. > I looked it, up checked the market, found how much others selling the > exact same trailer were asking, and how long theirs had been on the > market I knew for a fact what they wouldn't sell for, and what I would > have to settle for in order to sell it.  He tried to negotiate with me. > He literally burned my time without regard.  I'd have been ahead if I > had just made stuff in the shop and given him money.  That was the > proverbial straw.  I'm not faulting him.  He literally had a hole in his > head.  Not his fault.  He just wouldn't let me do what I needed to do > without throwing my time in the fire. > > One thing I did do was line up a renter for a commercial property he > owned.  I was working out the deal at the same time as my peeve, and > then turned the renter over to him because I wasn't going to have my > time wasted again. > > My dad passed away a year ago, and I wound up taking over everything > again.  I'm actually a bit overwhelmed, but that's beside the point.  At > least because of the time my dad was recovering from his brain surgery I > had all his account names, passwords, and I have his cell phone.  I was > able to just step in and make short term decisions quickly. > > Among other things I took over working with the renter until they moved > out at the end of last year.  They were from out of the region, using > the property as their local base of operations for a solar generating > station they were working on.  While they were here (for three years) > they accumulated some stuff.  Trying to get out before the end of the > year they had a truck sitting in the yard with a blown engine they > wanted to just get rid of.  I told them if they couldn't rid of it they > could leave it behind, but they would have to provide the title or I > would charge them what it cost me to have it hauled away.  I figured > worst case scenario with the title I could load the truck on one of my > trailers and get a few hundred bucks from a salvage yard with the title. >  Enough to make up for my time to do it.  A few weeks later the title > arrived in the mail. > > I got to looking at the truck and its better, and worse than I thought. > The motor is not rebuildable.  They already had it out of the truck > laying on the ground half apart.  All of the front trim, radiator, grill > parts are all out laying in the bed of the truck.  Probably made it > easier to pull the motor.  They had told me "The motor is completely > blown up, but the transmission is good."  I got to looking at it and the > body is straight.  All the trim is there.  The interior is full of > desert dust as any vehicle that sets around here gets, but its intact > and in good shape. If it had a good motor (less than 3 grand for a reman > (4.7L) long block, and a couple grand in additional parts to do it > right), it could be made into a decent truck again.  The only real > cosmetic negative is for some reason beyond my understanding one end of > the front bumper is bent up and out.  Not impact or wreck damage.  Maybe > getting pulled out the sand or something by somebody who doesn't know ho > to do a pull.  The sheet metal behind it is all perfect for its age. > 2013 Dodge Ram 1500 Extended Cab.  Its a Dodge.  I am sure there is > stuff that doesn't work, but cosmetically it could be a nice truck. > > The thing is I don't need a truck for serious truck things right now.  I > bought the new F250 FX4 back around the end of August last year for > truck things.  With its 6.8L engine it develops more horsepower and > torque than the 6.6L turbo diesel in the 07 Silverado I sold last year. > There is one thing though.  The F250 only averages about 11.8 mpg. > > Finally getting to the point: > > I got it in my mind to do AN EV conversion on that Dodge.  Not for heavy > hauling or road trips, but for going to the hardware store.  A few > sheets of plywood.  A couple bags of ready mix.  That sort of thing. > > I kinda had a plan.  I was going to use LiFePo batteries instead of > lithium Ion because they are safer.  Since its short range it wouldn't > matter.  100 miles range would be fantastic.  50 miles range would be > more than adequate.  This lets out the obviously killer deal in EV > motors.  Ford released the Mach-E crate motor dirt cheap.  I mean cheap. >  I think the original OEM price was around $3-4K, but you can buy them > from a number of reputable sources including the big name racing stores > for $1.5K or less.  Power and torque are very good.  It also requires a > 400V battery.  That lets out cheap battery options.  It doesn't come > with a controller, inverter, charger, etc.  I could make any gear train > parts, but the rest adds up, and the companies that have proven gear to > work with it aren't even selling any of it to the unannointed. Basically > if you buy that motor hoping to do an EV conversion you will be bread > boarding everything from scratch or you will have to turn your vehicle > and motor over to one of the CABAL and pay them to do everything. > Pricing is very closed mouth, but those who have dared to defy the > priesthood have said the minimum cost is around 20 grand and it goes up > very quickly from there.  Basically it makes it all pointless. Might as > well drop a remanufactured 4.7L gasser in it be out 6 grand including > all new front/top of the engine stuff. > > The thing is I don't necessarily need the 285 true horsepower of the > Ford Mach-E.  A Hyper-9 is only 144 volts nominal 90ish horsepower.  It > would work just fine for a local only surface street pickup truck with a > gear box instead of a transmission, and its only about 5 times the price > of the Ford Mach-E crate motor.  Still needs controller/inverter/ > charger/batteries, etc. > > I really want to do something with this truck.  Its to nice to throw > away, but in the end I may just haul it to a salvage yard. > > > > > Various responses above in context... I would have responded sooner, but I was on the road most of the day yesterday visiting my daughter in Tucson for my grand daughter's 2nd birthday. She's so cute. -- Bob La Londe CNC Molds N Stuff -- This email has been checked for viruses by AVG antivirus software. www.avg.com