[WIP] A Build Thread for my Honda Acty Kei Truck Conversion

[trashman]

Hi guys! My project is coming along and I'm at a place where I feel good about sharing my project, lessons-learned, and to try this out as sounding board.

My project is an HA3 Honda Acty with a busted motor. I've been a fan of kei trucks ever since a trip to Japan. When the opportunity came to get one that had been registered for road use but was being sold as a "mechanic's special" I decided another project couldn't hurt. The Acty has a rear wheel drive, mid-engine layout with an option for AWD. The motor (roughly the size of a large motorcycle engie) is mounted in a transverse configuration over the trans-axle.

My donor car is an EM57 2013 Nissan Leaf with tree damage and a good battery (10 bars).

I've decided on using the Nissan inverter, motor, and trans-axle. I'm also using the Leaf's 24 kWh battery, which will fit nicely between the frame rails. My first choice was to use the Resolve system to minimize my development burden on the electrical side, but I just could not find a place to stick the Nissan Leaf's PDM. It certainly won't fit on top of the original power-train stack under the truck bed, and even with all the ICE components removed, there isn't a location I can remote mount it without creating ground clearance issues. To that point, I will need to figure out how I'm going to do the high-voltage switching and charging without the original PDM.

To control the power-train, I've already installed the open-inverter Nissan-Leaf Gen2 solution, and have gotten as far as energizing the board with 12v and communicating through the web-interface. I have not done any configuring yet.

The most sensible option seems to be to use a lobotomized Tesla Gen2 charger with Damien's board https://evbmw.com/index.php/evbmw-websh ... ogic-board. I like this option for how compact the charger is and how cheap used Gen2 chargers seem to be right now. While the chargers seem cheap, I never see them sold with their pigtailsI'm not sure if there's a better/more mature option that uses transplanted OEM parts. Gen3 chargers seem to cost significantly more, but I don't know how hard it is to accommodate the interconnects on either option.

It doesn't seem impossible to reuse the original Leaf BMS, but I haven't seen any documented examples of EM57 BMS transplants, and I have to wonder if it's just not a great choice for other reasons.

The Orion BMS is attractive since it's a commercial-off-shelf-item and would enable the Chademo receptacle I already have from the Leaf. The major drag is that it's at least $1500.

I'm leaning towards reusing the Leaf's high-power switching module and keeping it packaged with the battery and BMS inside a single custom waterproof enclosure, but I've seen some of the Tesla High Voltage Junction Boxes and they look like they bolt right up to the gen2 chargers and take care of much of the interconnect issues. In any case, they will have to mounted to the exterior of the vehicle, so any solution needs to be IP rated or enclosed later.

For the suspension, I'm building a custom DeDion axle to replace the original sub-frame piece. The upgrade will facilitate current gen Honda Civic rear brake calipers (equipped with electronic parking brake) and retain the original 4x100 wheel bolt pitch pattern. This solution eliminates the more difficult to source Kei truck parts and allows for cheap and widely available Civic parts. Unfortunately, the half-shafts represent a significant fabrication burden where I will have to make some stub adapters similar to what Brat Industries sells to accommodate Porsche 930 CV joints and adapters.

Edit: Figured out how to post the pictures directly to the forum instead of an external link

[tom91]

I would have suggested running a Zombie + Original Leaf logic board + Leaf Pack with OEM BMS and Contactors. Then a Charger that can be controlled by the Zombie.

This way you system would be more joined up and interactive.

[Zieg]

Welcome! Did I see something about this project posted elsewhere? Seems familiar in some respects.

Couple thoughts:

-The Tesla charger isn't sealed around its perimeter FYI, so you'd have to do something so nothing gets under the lid. I designed a printable part that fits on the HV end of the charger and accepts cable glands. It has a groove so you can silicone it to the lid if you wish.. I verified it fits the contour but never actually used it before selling the charger. Can send a stl if you want. Also you don't need pigtails, the connector part numbers are all listed in the wiki so you can make your own harness without having to splice and solder stuff.

-Keep in mind if you ditch the PDM you will need a DC-DC converter as well as the charger.

-Does the Zombieverter work with the OEM BMS? Could be an option. Or you could use the Thunderstruck MCU/BMS satellites. That's what I have. It's a decent system, though not as programmable as one might like. You are limited to which chargers and DC converters you can use, unless you control them from something else. It CAN do chademo though.

-Axles, is there a way you can adapt the leaf axles to the Honda outer CV joints? If the shafts are longer and sufficient diameter you might be able to have them cut to length and new splines machined to match the Civic outer CV joints. Or, you could send a sample of each axle out and have a place make you a new set of axles to your spec. Not the absolute cheapest method, but IMO the most reliable.

[maboyce]

I'm excited to see how you get along with this. I have a Daihatsu Hijet that I might want to convert someday, but it comes with a conventional live axle and all the pakaging problems that entails. I was actually thinking of using a stock Acty rear axle turned backwards, which lets me build a motor cradle that sits in the very back of the truck where the fuel tank used to go and opens the whole space between the rear and front axles for batteries.

Do you still have your stock axle, and if so, do you have the centre-to-centre measurement of the spring perches by any chance? If you are in the western part of North America I might even be interested in buying your old axle.

[trashman]

I would have suggested running a Zombie + Original Leaf logic board + Leaf Pack with OEM BMS and Contactors. Then a Charger that can be controlled by the Zombie.

This way you system would be more joined up and interactive.

Shoot, I've already lobotomized the EM57 inverter, but it looks like the Zombieverter could still be a good option as a VCU, especially if it retains the CHAdeMO functionality and stock BMS. I didn't realize the Zombieverter would preclude needing to modify the stock inverter.

EDIT to add:

-Does the Zombieverter work with the OEM BMS? Could be an option. Or you could use the Thunderstruck MCU/BMS satellites. That's what I have. It's a decent system, though not as programmable as one might like. You are limited to which chargers and DC converters you can use, unless you control them from something else. It CAN do chademo though.

After checking the Github page for the ZombieVerter, it looks like that's totally the case. Huge oversight on my part to miss that, but I guess I'll just learn to appreciate that my inverter is running the OpenInverter platform and allows me that much more control. It definitely looks like getting a ZombieVerter VCU is in the cards to run the stock BMS and whatever charger I end up getting.

https://github.com/damienmaguire/Stm32-vcu

[trashman]

Welcome! Did I see something about this project posted elsewhere? Seems familiar in some respects.

Couple thoughts:

-The Tesla charger isn't sealed around its perimeter FYI, so you'd have to do something so nothing gets under the lid. I designed a printable part that fits on the HV end of the charger and accepts cable glands. It has a groove so you can silicone it to the lid if you wish.. I verified it fits the contour but never actually used it before selling the charger. Can send a stl if you want. Also you don't need pigtails, the connector part numbers are all listed in the wiki so you can make your own harness without having to splice and solder stuff.

-Keep in mind if you ditch the PDM you will need a DC-DC converter as well as the charger.

-Does the Zombieverter work with the OEM BMS? Could be an option. Or you could use the Thunderstruck MCU/BMS satellites. That's what I have. It's a decent system, though not as programmable as one might like. You are limited to which chargers and DC converters you can use, unless you control them from something else. It CAN do chademo though.

-Axles, is there a way you can adapt the leaf axles to the Honda outer CV joints? If the shafts are longer and sufficient diameter you might be able to have them cut to length and new splines machined to match the Civic outer CV joints. Or, you could send a sample of each axle out and have a place make you a new set of axles to your spec. Not the absolute cheapest method, but IMO the most reliable.

Thank you Zieg!
I have not posted anything about this project before. I've had it for a long time, but I'm only now making headway to the point that I'm reaching out for advice and sharing.

So it sounds like the Tesla charger can be waterproofed. That's great to know. I would definitely be interested in your weatherproofing part file.

The Thunderstruck BMS option doesn't seem to attractive, given it look like I would need a master controller and three satellite modules to control the whole system, which would approach the cost of the Orion BMS.

The axles have been a very difficult development exercise. My original plan was to simply graft the leaf half-shaft to an appropriate half-shaft at the other end. The problem with this design (beyond the dubious practice of welded half-shafts) is installation and removal. The DeDion component is rigid and I'm not confident I can shift the motor over enough with one CV axle installed, to get the other in. This is a major reason I've moved towards Porsche/VW CV joints since they can be bolted/unbolted without requiring a significant amount of lateral movement to free the stub axle. Custom half shafts are definitely the most reliable option, but if I can build the tooling to quickly manufacture my own splined shafts, that would be a huge lift for this and future projects.

[trashman]

I'm excited to see how you get along with this. I have a Daihatsu Hijet that I might want to convert someday, but it comes with a conventional live axle and all the pakaging problems that entails. I was actually thinking of using a stock Acty rear axle turned backwards, which lets me build a motor cradle that sits in the very back of the truck where the fuel tank used to go and opens the whole space between the rear and front axles for batteries.

Do you still have your stock axle, and if so, do you have the centre-to-centre measurement of the spring perches by any chance? If you are in the western part of North America I might even be interested in buying your old axle.

I still have a the entire stock rear axle, with brakes and cv joints and will likely be getting rid of them at some point. I also have original transaxle in case you want to simply bolt a motor right up to it.

The center-to-center distance of the leaf-springs is 945mm.

[Zieg]

Ah, maybe it was cheaper when I bought it. I went with 4 satellites plus the MCU since I wanted other features it had. Used orions do pop used from time to time though.

[Zieg]

Ok here's the part I made for the gen2 tesla charger. It was intended to accept a 20mm (hole size) cable gland with a 24mm nut. I was going to put a bit of silicone in the groove around the perimeter to help it seal, but I never got past the test fitment stage before selling the charger. The idea was to take out the plastic tray inside that holds the AC and DC connectors, remove the connectors and connect directly to new wires coming in through the glands. Removing said internal parts also frees up some longer M4 screws that would then be used to hold the part to the charger using existing screw holes. I also put 2 holes in the top that I was considering drilling through the charger's lid to add more screws for a secure fit. Use at your own discretion/risk.

g2 charger cable gland adapter 20mm.stl

(245.98 KiB) Downloaded 327 times

[Bratitude]

It doesn't seem impossible to reuse the original Leaf BMS, but I haven't seen any documented examples of EM57 BMS transplants, and I have to wonder if it's just not a great choice for other reasons.

The Orion BMS is attractive since it's a commercial-off-shelf-item and would enable the Chademo receptacle I already have from the Leaf. The major drag is that it's at least $1500.

https://openinverter.org/wiki/Nissan_Leaf_BMS

many of use re-use the leaf bms. why go through the hassle of rewiring what is already there?
there is a junction point at cell tap 48-49. if you need to have 2 separate battery boxes, you can split it evenly.


we are very supportive of reusing the oem bms's. less to mess up.

zombieverter will do chademo, and supports the leaf bms out of the box.
and handle all your state logic. tom and the team are re-working the OI board integration atm, so zombie-leaf board will be a 1 click set up
but stock leaf dose run very smooth over can

nice motor mounts

So it This is a major reason I've moved towards Porsche/VW CV joints since they can be bolted/unbolted without requiring a significant amount of lateral movement to free the stub axle.

i have drive shaft adapter for the leaf gearbox that allow 90, 100, 108mm wv cv joints on the gearbox fyi

[trashman]

nice motor mounts

Thanks! I got a real hank for counterbores and raw steel in my designs. I finished welding them up this weekend. I experimented with similar aesthetics when I built the swing arm for my electric scooter build.

I'm definitely sold on the zombieVerter and placed one on order, and I think I'm going to go with the Mitsubishi Outlander for the charger/DCDC solution. It looks like it's not hard to get them with pigtails and harness intact.

i have drive shaft adapter for the leaf gearbox that allow 90, 100, 108mm wv cv joints on the gearbox fyi

Man! I wish I'd seen your site first! I've already started making my own stub axles. When I first started planning the project, I realized I could save a pretty huge chunk if I made my own splined shafts, so I tooled up. I am not enjoying this part of the process so far, but getting setup to make my own splined shafts would be a huge lift for future projects.

In your design, you eliminated the larger boss that I assumed was necessary to match the oil seal on the differential; is that part not important?

[maboyce]

Man! I wish I'd seen your site first! I've already started making my own stub axles. When I first started planning the project, I realized I could save a pretty huge chunk if I made my own splined shafts, so I tooled up. I am not enjoying this part of the process so far, but getting setup to make my own splined shafts would be a huge lift for future projects.

Are you going with something fancy like a hob, or just a module rotary cutter? Or the classic shaper with bespoke hand-ground cutter?

[Bratitude]

Man! I wish I'd seen your site first! I've already started making my own stub axles. When I first started planning the project, I realized I could save a pretty huge chunk if I made my own splined shafts, so I tooled up. .

In your design, you eliminated the larger boss that I assumed was necessary to match the oil seal on the differential; is that part not important?

Doing it where you put the seal on the stub just puts the flanges further outboard. Not ideal. My design just uses the seal face on the flanges and replace the seals to match the new od.


Definitely looks like you have have some fabrication talent, but sounds like you should comb through the form and wiki more and see what’s already been developed, sounds like it’s going to save you a lot of time


I guess it shows the wiki still needs ALOT of work

[trashman]

Are you going with something fancy like a hob, or just a module rotary cutter? Or the classic shaper with bespoke hand-ground cutter?

I'm just using a basic double angled 90 degree chamfer cutter. Plenty of hot rodders have been doing this to make their custom half-shafts and it precludes me from having to purchase any expensive tooling.

Doing it where you put the seal on the stub just puts the flanges further outboard. Not ideal. My design just uses the seal face on the flanges and replace the seals to match the new od.

It was totally lost on me that you replaced the seals and just registered on the EMPI adapter! That's so much simpler and you get to start with a smaller piece of stock material.

The wiki is great as long you know what component or system to look up. Big fan of everything openinverter.org is doing and stands for.

[trashman]

I'm pivoting to a mounting the motor behind the rear axle, in order to solve a problem where the brake caliper sits way too close to the ground for my comfort (6th picture). If I flip the axle and rotate it around, the caliper gets tucked behind the tube of the DeDion weldment (4th picture). The only problem is that the frame of the truck now interferes with the inverter when it's mounted in its stock location on top of the EM57 motor.

Along with the EM57 stack, I have a Gen3 Prius Inverter siting on a shelf. The EM57 inverter is pretty big and kind of difficult to shoe-horn in to the space I have left. The Gen3 Prius is attractive for how small it is, but am I missing any integration headaches that aren't obvious? It seems too good to be true.

It's not clear to me if I need to get the Open-Inverter board for the Prius Gen3 Inverter, or if the Zombieverter VCU will do the whole job through the sync-serial connection. To be clear, I'd like to connect both power stages of the Prius Inverter in parallel to the EM57 motor.

[Bratitude]

Along with the EM57 stack, I have a Gen3 Prius Inverter siting on a shelf. The EM57 inverter is pretty big and kind of difficult to shoe-horn in to the space I have left. The Gen3 Prius is attractive for how small it is, but am I missing any integration headaches that aren't obvious? It seems too good to be true.

It's not clear to me if I need to get the Open-Inverter board for the Prius Gen3 Inverter, or if the Zombieverter VCU will do the whole job through the sync-serial connection. To be clear, I'd like to connect both power stages of the Prius Inverter in parallel to the EM57 motor.

Don’t do this. This is a head ache. Just stick with the leaf inverter and controlling it over can via zombie. Much smoother and simpler.

using. Prius inverter will require the oi board, and then you will need to tune the inverter to run the motor. And very unlikely you will achieve a tune similar smoothness as the stock leaf inverter.


The project will very quickly spin out of control in complexity.

an outlander rear drive unit is definitely the ideal choice here.