Insight modding

[Sigma Projects]

Lithium ion (I know fires) 12v battery swap on the insight. It was about time to change the 12v found this battery $80 new from another insight member so I figured why not. I took the existing battery tray and cut it up, bent it, and riveted back together to make it fit the new battery. Saves about 25lbs which is a 1.3% weight reduction which for $80 is pretty cheap, lol.

[Sigma Projects]

Got my new BCM boards in for future proofing the hybrid battery system.

Stock board


New parts


I couldn't help it and painted the magnesium chassis a similar color as the boards. It's actually a Toyota color 


New board also makes it easier to amp up the system with a current hack feature built in.


Thumb screws to make it easier when I need to get back into it.


I still need to pick up a screen to monitor the systems and to make configurations.

[twotone_ra64]

Nice! That reminds me, I need to get a new inverter and BSM for my E-gokart. Is that chassis paint color 896 blue metallic by chance?

[Sigma Projects]

Thanks, It's actually Stellar Blue Pearl (8L7) from the first gen Tundras.

[Sigma Projects]

Rear poly bushings installed. No more rear end shimmy over pot holes and drops.




Got rid of most of the slop in the shifter finally. I modified a billet shifter arm for a RSX and then 3D printed an arm extension since the RSX shifter arm is actually shorter than the insight's.

before: https://i.imgur.com/4noOgyB.mp4
after: https://i.imgur.com/G9bJQbw.mp4

here's what the arm looks like


fits like a glove... after lots of tweaking

[Sigma Projects]

Just realized I didn't post the slight lightening of the flywheel. I had a machine shop take a few pounds off the stock flywheel and then had it balanced. I also replaced the fasteners for the sensor ring with titanium, which actually accounted for nearly half a pound, which surprised me.

[Sigma Projects]

I got the new battery control module and display wired up along with modifying the fuse location to accept a 200A fuse to replace the 100A, and soldered in the little PCB in the motor control module for upping the power out put.

Pulled the pack out to check it over before doing any mods. Damn you batteries for weighing so much.



Old fuse


New fuse


Soldered the new board. Was annoying, made ugly solders, then remembered that the PCB had more copper than normal and it was recommended to use a heat gun on the board to get the solder to flow better... dang it. I have to add this board to the motor control module if I want to change the max current available above stock.


Started putting in the new wiring. It's a nice kit, came with the wires already pre terminated so all I had to do is find the right pin out and plug it into the OEM harness, no cutting/splicing needed.


Wired up the display and started going through the settings, quite a nice setup the guys have made.


Next step, route wires correctly and start my hunt for lithium batteries and a good fire extinguisher

[Sigma Projects]

Routed the cables and mounted the screen in the panel and updated the firmware. Still learning the new system, slowly learning it. Electrical anything is not my strong suit.





Looking forward to when I'm actually well versed with the system so I can start working on implementing lithium power.

[corax]

That's really neat, I haven't heard of many people hot rodding hybrids at the private level. 
So, I'm guessing the battery monitor also somehow allows you to control the max current output of the battery pack?  Any links to the system you bought, or instructions, or . . . anything? 
I've been going back and forth in my head lately - V6 RAV4, or CR-Z.  I've heard the CR-Z is kinda sluggish, if that can be remedied it might tip the scales for me

[Sigma Projects]

Thanks, for the Insight they developed a custom unit because there's no CAN Bus. On the CR-Z it uses canbus so you'd want to check with https://www.orionbms.com/

The designer of this BCM added the option to communicate with canbus so if a person wanted to add one of Orion's BMS systems they could. The unit primarily monitors all the readings of the battery system and can shut off regen/assist features and allow the user to custom tailor the parameters of what they determine or healthy stats of their battery. That way a person can swap out to a custom battery setup, change parameters and the hybrid system won't throw a fit and operate properly.. I also opted for the functionality to spoof the motor control module so that when it requests for regen/assist the system will output percentage higher than whatever it requests.

Here's the manual for the BCM replacer I got.
https://docs.google.com/document/d/177-KZIWvJy_Ju772l4eaOzd6xbE-scBuKBaxjrigppM/edit

Yea, honestly I would figure with how many junked Honda hybrids out there someone would pick up the IMA systems and start building hybrid packages to put in between the motor and trans. Since the early hybrid systems that Honda used on the CR-Z, Civic Hybrid, and Insights (sans latest model) uses the same basic setup that Sasha has on his 350Z Hybrid race car. Pankcake electric motor in between the engine and trans.

Or like how the GS450h has the electric motor inside the trans. There's a guy who just used the transmission alone to build an EV BMW E36 that does burn outs no problem.

[Sigma Projects]

CR-Z Pack arrive. Already it's so much lighter than the nimh batteries alone that my back is thanking me. I won't be utilizing the inverters or MCM so a few more pounds off the pack.

What the whole IPU looks like


All the non-battery components removed and taken out of the plastic case.


And here's what the lithium cells look like


It's kind of fun to think that these are basically the same cells found in the new NSX.

[RedCar]

Super cool project. Especially on such an obscure platform :D

I really wish i was better with electronics... if i ever finish obsessing over big yellow maybe i'll start with electric go-kart.

[Sigma Projects]

Thanks, I'm learning as I go alone. Electrical stuff has never been my strong suit, but I'm willing to jump into the fire. I just hope it's not a lithium chemical fire.

Electric Go-kart would be pretty fun.

[ozzie]

My brother and I have this idea, we build a couple of go kart chassis together, then go off on our own. I build mine gas powered, he makes his electric. Then we race them. Kinda wish we had the budget for it, especially if we could get camera gear together and make a youtube series of it.

[Sigma Projects]

get a wrecked hybrid and ditch the gas motor I feel like there's a huge untapped EV gold mine for all the hybrids that are starting to show up in wrecking yards now. There's a guy doing burn outs in an E36 EV conversion where he used just the transmission from a GS450h.