I snapped a picture of this Amazon page this morning. Is this real? The owner of a copy of Forrest’s paper back has a $55 asking price and he’s rejected four offers and holding fast to the asking price?
When I read this book, I thought it was a lot like a Popeye experience.. remember, he eats his spinach, and look out! This book is a little like pouring knowledge out of a can into your head.
So Forrest, if you stumble onto this page, maybe you buy the rights of this book back from Radio Shack, or make it available in E book, or talk to them at least.
So many of the books I read long ago seem obsolete today, but there are treasures that would be part of a computer science course if I were designing it, and Forrest’s book would be one of them. Of course you know I’d be curious enough to ask questions of perspective students and I’d think there were things to learn. Have you ever pulled a spark plug from a lawn mower or small engine? What color was the plug? Do you like to chop wood? When you open a faucet, which way do you turn it?
I’d ask a series of questions only because I’m convinced curious people can’t help but do these things and note the results, (unless they are deprived of opportunities being warehoused in the inner city). And, I’d want to conduct my own little experiment… how did the students answer the questions, and which students did best in the class? You might remember an experience I had years ago, and talked about… eating lunch with a famous guy who made up a series of questions from which he selected candidates to be military pilots in WWII. No, it wasn’t like he called up and invited me to lunch, I was part of a study he was paid to conduct. You normally remember being a rat in a maze, I close my eyes today and remember the room, where I sat, and where he sat at the table. I was careful not to eat like a horse, and grateful they didn’t serve BBQed Ribs. His accounts were so interesting, it was hard to eat at all.
There’s little doubt in my mind that our Tuskegee Airmen were screened by the same test as white Airmen, and they picked the cream of the crop. But what I’m curious about is the ratio of those who grew up in the inner city, and those who lived in the country? Are inner city kids denied experiences that are building blocks, and does this inner city upbringing handicap you in measurable ways?
We get back to that test…the Good Doctor phrased his question “do you like to chop wood?” What amazed him was almost every pilot that did well said he liked to chop wood! And the feed back from instructors in flight school lead to the conclusion that if you answered that one question as a “no”, you were well on your way to being de-selected for flight school. I’ll let you analyze the why…
I’ve written many times about hands on versus book learning, and I was thinking… there are times when the information in a book paints a much clearer picture of what’s going on. Even if you pop the top off and stare inside a digital chip, there’s not much to see or learn..
Fact is, back in the late seventies I knew a few guys that did that as part of their job, using an electron microscope to read the contents of a masked rom… often from their competition… It would have been far easier and quicker to read the memory contents on a page along with the remarks.. if only they could..
One of the most poetic drawings I remember was a detached drawing of a relay logic circuit used to check parity of an originating number in a relay logic telephone switch. Since it could be part of a billing record, they really wanted to get it right, and looking at the drawing was an experience similar to hearing a favorite musical score, it was elegant, it was a form of beauty, but staring at the equipment bay you saw tubes, coils, mercury filled reed relays, cool… but not poetic.
Here’s a page I found today, and on it is a mention of Forrest Mims, one of my heros. This page gives him credit for the PIP, and Forrest’s presentation of how the PIP works is like a musical score. What you walk away with is a vivid picture of how a computer works, you can literally memorize all the op codes, and see the processor working in your head as you read. The book can NOT be found on line today, the title “Understanding Digital Computers”.
Forrest.. does this mean the book will be copied overseas and made for sale?
Years and years after reading Forrest’s book I told Forrest it was like a secret weapon, I went on to tell him that anyone reading his book right before taking a certain test in Telco would pass! It allowed a few clerical people I knew to move from clerical positions being phased out to good paying entry-level tech jobs. I bought a few of Forrest’s books for people and told a lot of other people to buy them..
You know what’s coming don’t you? Forrest said.. “George.. I was writing that book as I was doing it.” the pages Forrest wrote were minutes behind the bread board work, and loading the addresses and executing the contents. Hands on! (Hands on DIY!) and don’t we know near magic things happen when you put your hands on it..
If you remember the first time you saw a reduction gear box with one gear in it?
and stuttered “wow!”.
That little book of Forrest’s is like a spring-board, it may have been written in 1978, but it’s as valid today as it ever was, and he has written a lot of good books on Electrical Devices, it all helps to develop critical thought in machines and their designs, and it translates over to other things once you see how similar they are.
Thanks Forrest, thanks Radio Shack.. and Heathkit too 🙂
I bring this topic up quite a bit, and I do think that the experience we gain with ‘hands on’ does cause us to experience the consequences of NOT thinking!
Can’t we all recall that last big mistake we made? “I knew I should have lifted the ground wire before I” ___ _____ ______ fill in the blanks..
Fact is, the Majority of the people we know have little or no hands on experience , some don’t know reality from a video game. They are easy marks, and easy prey.
The more we DIY, the more we learn to make assessments of the situation before we drill holes, or put power to it.. and we learn to look out the window to see if it’s raining before we choose our dress for the day.
We learn to make assessments of other peoples’ efforts…. an example might be a man who tells us he’s building a 5KW wind turbine, but we note he has made no effort to do any kind of wind study, and hasn’t yet picked a set of blades. It reminds me of a very expensive looking install of a wind turbine across the street from the ferry terminal in West Seattle. I was thinking the owner might rationalize it all as art, and don’t we know how much money some spend on such things?
I think about who I’d trust to check my oil, and instantly I think of the women in my life. My wife is a critical thinker, and more organized than myself. Through my years of study, I know we don’t prune woman from our ranks, as I know some very thoughtful and mechanically talented women. They are exactly where you find them.
Dr. Ileana Johnson Paugh comes to mind. would she ask if the wind blows there before investing in a wind turbine? No doubt! Ileana is not without emotion, it’s that she’s not driven by emotion in making important decisions, choices, or investments, she’s hands on..
I see Ayn Rand as the same type of person, a good observer, and a person who would invest heavily in the study of a situation before she got out a wrench or her check book. Neither Ayn or Ileana would ever be caught marching behind a streaming banner without a good understanding of the message and who is carrying it and why.
Since I’ve decided to focus on woman for the moment, let’s look at Debbie Wasserman Shultz. How much would you bet on her ability to check the oil in the car she drives everyday? I see she’s got an online petition about Obama care being the law of the land, and you need sign it and help inform the opposition it’s just a wrong and extreme position to go against the law! It’s clear to me that we are only a footstep behind Greece, they too have spent a lot of money they don’t have, and they are now very angry that they find they were borrowing not from others, but from their own futures and those of their children.
A great article you must read follows…. we are mostly men here, but we need recognize that not all women would quickly indenture their children into the Slaver’s hands in exchange for temporary security.
Thoughtful people know that Obama care and the Hojo Motor are exactly the same machines, one attempts to make energy out of nothing.. , and one attempts to make economic benefits where none exist! Both work against the basic laws of physics or economics. The man or woman who buys either has not learned the fundamentals of critical thought.
But now we need understand where we invest our life’s energy…. Here’s a question asked by another and a profoundly wise answer!
So, how do we combat an emotional response to a false premise egged on by the refusal to think for oneself critically? Ayn Rand once said, “Reason is not automatic. Those who deny it cannot be conquered by it. Leave them alone.”
Remember the good old days when people knew you could be smart no matter what color you were? Some of the smartest people I ever met were… were, well they were from all places and different colors too..
As always it’s the comments that tell us a lot, read the comments made under the following post.. was that top one liked that many times… really?
One friend wrote, I’ll bet Rush has fun with this in the morning.
Yes.. I do owe those who commented to the previous post, and the amount of off line comments I received were far greater.. no person said.. yelp you need knock off your poltical rants, and many agreed… there’s a close relationship between DIY and our freedoms, more freedom, more DIY possible..
Thank you, and do remember, if you’d like to submit an article, DIY or? please let me know.
Thanks again to all my friends, so many colors, so many religions, so many countries..
In private email I got this msg: “If I wanted political bull shit, I’d turn on TV.. I just unsubscribed!”
It’s the first email I received with the sentiment, but don’t we know… for every man who speaks up, there’s a hundred thinking it, and it’s a fact that participation drops when it gets political..
This is most likely my last political post..
As of this date, if you are undecided as to whom you’ll vote for, you might be needing a good and intensive mental exam same as Joe.
I’ve made political posts for one reason, and I think Dr. Ileana Johnson makes a great summary of those reasons. She came here to escape the brutalities inflicted on the people in her homeland, she knows first hand how it happened. A leader same as Obama started by dividing the people, pitting one group against another. This was followed by increasing the taxes on the so called rich, and later confiscating their land and giving it to people loyal to the leadership. (many here would love that, many here loved Joe’s performance in debate!)
With our modern tools, our government can distribute more wealth overnight than they once could in a year with our near paperless environment. What Happened in Ileana’s homeland took a few years, with modern tools, the same thing could happen here in a few weeks.
Of great interest to me, is how we Americans ignore the facts that President Obama’s vision of what America should be is failing all around us.. Europe is literally coming undone, those who are attempting to stop the bleeding are being demonized in Europe and here!
Right or wrong I’ve put up political posts because I >know< we are at a crossroads. Soon we will see what choices America makes. We are like an Island, we have been for many years. Will people here who have never lived elsewhere help destroy God Given rights and the Freedoms we have here? Maybe so..
But regardless of our direction, the DIYer will live the far more comfortable life, you can’t confiscate knowledge… but you can kill it as Pol Pot did..
Dr. Johnson’s latest post includes her experience of driving in her homeland on a recent visit. She rented a VW Jetta Diesel, fuel at $10 a gallon, and a need to bribe every person she needed services from. She notes the damage done by the free lunch program in her homeland.. and it will likely take generations to rebuild what a few years of ‘progressive’ rule.
For me, I can say I at least tried to warn my family and friends should we decide to take the easy road to hell, it’s far more than politics.. we are at the TEE in the road.
I’d like my grandchildren to enjoy the same freedom I was given.. a gift from all those who sacrificed before me, and now we see a society who demands gifts, and knows that it is their right to receive them. There’s no way I couldn’t share, but like I say, minds are already made up, so future posts will be about how we DIYers go forward with whatever voters choose..
Do consider reviewing this article: People are often critical of true leaders…
Leaders lead, they don’t wait for the polls to give them the more popular path.
Of great interest to me is the comments. It really does make me wonder if we are not a doomed species having interfered with natural selection a little too much..
Jan Inslee, an Attorney, and Politician. Just what kind of Book would he write about the promise of green energy?
How smart is Jay Inslee? Well he calls attention to the fact that he wrote a book on clean energy. Within the pages is plenty of proof he has no technical background, but he doesn’t seem to recognize just how inept he is as per his technical assumptions.
Nearly every idea Mr. Inslee proposes in his book is now history, and the failure of these ideas is well understood. I can’t imagine a Govenor more inept in the understanding of what creates a job.
It’s not the fact that Inslee wrote the book that is disturbing.. it’s the fact that he calls attention to it !
Google Jay Inslee Book if you have the stomach to learn more. Green appears to be Jay’s religion, of course the forced tithing on our part makes millionaires out of a lot of players. Your average progressive has no clue what their leaders are up to, that includes Jay…
First off, don’t think this is about any Ford Think, this is about one that I bought without understanding the previous owner (a State University) had done nothing to take advantage of the many items fixed under warranty. what this means is I owned a Think that would take twice the money to fix than the purchase of a different Think Neighbor with the problems fixed. Keep that in mind, it’s not that I hate EVs, it’s that this one is not economically viable to fix..
what to do? Toss in on the scrap heap, or re-power it?
I decided to save it.. Considering my time and labor, it was an insane choice, but full of learning, and by following my effort, you might avoid a lot of the work and planning. Avoid the hard part, and enjoy the learning part, and then take your Ford think to places other Thinks will never go, and will you remember to check the fuel tank? The Mileage so good, you might forget, it now runs on gasoline 🙂
The car is pretty much done, and a great deal was learned.. the 250cc ATV engine now sits mid-ship, and there’s still room for passengers in the back seat!
I’ll redo these pages as I have time, and if you have a Ford Think that is NOT economical to fix, do Know I plan to sell an inexpensive CD full of pictures of how I did this one, there was a lot of re-engineering involved, but you know how it is, I could do the next one is 1/20th the time! I have a lot of Ford Think Electric Parts to sell..
4/16/13 Update.
Progress stopped on this project.. it’s taken me a bit to get over the news that Washington State has imposed a flat tax on EVs to be paid up front in lieu of road tax. If you consider the cost to own a vehicle like the Ford Think…., the cost of Insurance, License tabs (ever higher each year), and now laden with city transit taxes, Seattle congestion taxes and more. The average person IS far better off driving a 3/4 ton truck around on short errands and just paying for the extra fuel than paying all the associated expenses to own and keep an EV with limited utility as a second vehicle. Washington State continues to demonstrate their inflexible and not so logical attitudes. They allow motorcycles on the streets, but they impose strict standards for most vehicles with 4 wheels. We turn to Japan, and see the ‘K’ class of vehicles, no doubt they are less safe than a full size Car, but are they less safe than a Motorcycle? And this whole idea of a three wheeler being allowed, but if you put an extra wheel on that vehicle for added stability, it becomes illegal, is that a line drawn that embraces the idea of making better use of our resources, and is it consistent with the States investment in wind energy? Are K class vehicles and UTVs with street legal tires and lighting adequate for running neighborhood errands while getting 50-60 MPG via their light weight, small and efficient engines?
We live in a society where leaders are certain they need protect us all, and as I ponder this latest Sick and Sad Boston Terrorist event that happened yesterday.. I can only imagine what is going through the Bloomberg mind, and other minds like him.. “why didn’t we ban the bomb along with limiting magazine capacity?
At some point, maybe my State will look at other states and note how nuts it is to allow motorcycles on the streets, and not allow properly equipped ATVs and UTVs. When they have the right tires, lights and turn signals, are they not as safe as a Motorcycle? I’m sure it would take some doing to find a State Official in our DOT who would pick the motorcycle over a side by side UTV knowing he’d be involved in a 25mph T-bone.
Meanwhile.. Europe is full of laws, and in some places it’s illegal to be fat, but you can buy a UTV set up for the street. And to think.. some of these people here who don’t allow us to own and operate the more efficient vehicles call themselves progressives.
With that said.. I need to finish the Think, and save it from the junk heap. I like the fact that it is a light weight vehicle using an alloy frame and composites, but there’s so many signs of ‘junior engineering’ or cost cutting in this car. I remember the Gang Greenies scolding Ford for their effort to collect as many Ford Thinks as possible and get them off the road. Of course they were accused of being influenced by big oil 🙂 fact is, they bought a pig in a poke full of kiddie engineering mistakes, or at least that’s what I think..
As a foot note: The State of Washington has made exceptions for themselves when it comes to “K’ class Japanese Mini Trucks.. . You find these vehicles at State Auctions, and it appears they were safe enough for the State Employees to drive on State roads, but no good for you…
Yesterday I pondered how to put a clutch in this car without making it look like a hatchet job? Maybe thinking about it a while would prevent me from chopping up the floor boards? But don’t we know, the better thinking always seems to kick in, after you do the job. Could I bring both pedals through that stock opening in the floor boards?
It appears the Ford Think uses an ‘off the shelf’ Brake Pedal assembly, and the support is generous enough to suspend a clutch as well. I just copied the brake pedal arm, and the pedal itself. then cut off part of the tube the bushes fit into, bored a hole in my clutch arm to receive that part of the tube and welded it in place. As per making this piece, a person could lay the brake pedal out on another piece of steel near the same thickness, trace the pattern, then take it to the drill press and drill a series of holes nearest the trace line in center punched holes. Once small holes are drilled, you can move up a few drill sizes and break into the adjacent hole.. finish with a grinder or coarse files if you have no better way to make it. A lot of parts on this car appear to be designed under the King’s measure, I drilled a one inch hole in the pedal arm, this allowed me to push in the bush tube, and ready it for hanging next to the break pedal.
I made a simple steel bush that supports both clutch and brake, the stock system used what looked like a typical nylon bush at each end of the bush tube, 3/4 inch ID, 7/8 OD for the nylon bush. I left adequate clearance in my home made steel bush and coated all with a silver based anti seize between the bush and support tube. If it ever gets sticky, it will be easy to pull and grease.
Intro to project:
The story all starts with the fact that I have a Ford Think Neighbor I had hoped to repower with better batteries. Considering the cost of the components, and the fact that I do not live in an ideal area for an EV, I’ve decided to experiment with the car— err I mean Golf Cart and see what I might do with it.
Soon Wah Lee sent me this picture of a think like EV while he was visiting the Mainland recently.
The first time I saw the Ford Think Neighbor I liked the styling, this is a copy of the think above, or is it the people in Norway that copied the Chinese EV?
No doubt others like the design, and we can certainly see the influence of the Think Neighbor on this vehicle above that was found by Lee on a street in Mainland China. Gone is the Think’s front trunk lid, and it looks as if this designer chose to reduce the parts count with what looks like one piece instead of individual front fenders and a trunk/lid up front.
I do think a ‘think like’ EV could be a very practical vehicle for a cop on the beat in congested areas. My friend SW Lee sent me a number of pictures of two and three wheeled bicycles with that big familiar motor hub as well. He explains that China is experimenting with EVs, in the hopes it will provide mobility while not increasing the serious pollution in cities where the air can be near too thick to breathe well at times.
China has not had the technology to work on emissions the way we have, and there’s much to do, and many of the older powered carts, two wheeled tractors and more will change IF they don’t bite off more than they can chew. Unlike us, I think they (Chinese Leaders) fear hunger, and know that an empty plate leads to many deaths, so it’s best to be realistic about what you can afford to do.
Ford-Diff1
Above: I’ve unbolted the rear fenders and drilled out a few pop rivets to remove the trunk compartment on my 4 seat think.. What you see is the rear differential/motor loose, and near ready to lift out. Just ahead of the differential, you can see the motor controller that looks to be a bear to replace if you have to. I’m not sure I totally understand why they didn’t protect this unit better as well… under the car? What the heck were they ‘THINK’ing?…. there are areas where salt and anti icing agents are applied to the road, and I can’t imagine the programing port would appreciate these agents.
The differential has a ratio of 1:10.30 I’d imagine that means this GE DC motor will churn some rpms, and why wouldn’t it?
10:1 diff
I was curious just how they accomplished the reduction, and you can see that there’s three gears in the set, and they mesh at all times. What I’m thinking about is just plucking out the assembly to the right and making a custom chain driven rear differential out of it. That large gear is called a crown-wheel by our UK Cousins, and if you read this valuable page, and scroll down in the linked article, you’ll see that the ford think differential has crown wheel that is bolted to the assembly that carries the spiders and bearings. This allows a DIYer to remove the crown-wheel and literally bolt a custom motorcycle sprocket in it’s place. The modified think unit will be plenty strong for the power I am considering, and I keep all the shafts and stock components, just plug in the splined shaft back into the modified differential. A small water cooled ATV engine might fit back here with little problem.
DiffParts2reuse
In the above picture you can get a better idea how the splined shafts ‘plug’ into the differential, and how I will go about making a bearing support for the chain drive diff. If I am clever, it will bolt in the same space with the same holes, and these handy side pieces should allow me to create same without a lot of trouble.
I think about the advantages of the four seats, and just how often I’d use them for what I normally do.. maybe I’d keep such a vehicle for running into the small town in the Central Mountains, but more often than not, two seats upfront, and a small bed in back would be far more useful, I have plenty of time to think this over..
As you can see from the back, the use of aluminum and other light weight materials in this vehicle means it won’t take much to push it. If I take the back seat out, no doubt I could do most anything, maybe a V8? but my approach is to use as much of the stock parts as possible, and make the conversion as KISS as I can. I do admit some of these other EV conversions look fun, but a real IRS rear, and a small water cooled power plant is still my thought.. sip fuel, make it as quiet as possible, and here again, the water cooled design helps keep the noise low. BTW, theres’ plenty of room up front for a radiator.
And here’s an insane toy likely made up with a high performance bike engine driving a chain driven differential similar to what I am considering.
30MPH seems plenty fast for a golf cart.. One way of fitting a small MC engine might to place a live shaft towards the back of the engine compartment. Set the engine forward of that shaft, drive aft, and then drive from the aft shaft forward to the chain differential. Some ATV engines have a super low first gear, this could allow us to re-purpose some of these EV’s that are just too costly to fix to the Farm or Ranch, and they are vehicle designed to get into and out of easily..
A little off topic, but I have an old EZGO Marathon Golf Cart with a small two stroke in it. The CVT drive allows me to pull a self powered mower at very low speed, and the roof(shade) and cup holders make it a most pleasant way to mow 5 acres of grass. This old marathon is so easy to get in and out of!
It all depends on how cheaply you can buy someone else’s problem, and how much money and effort the conversion costs. Maybe you will be able to sell some of the electrics to the EV hobbyists when you’re done?
More to follow..
GB
OK, it’s 10/6 around 1600 hrs… more thinking on this, and maybe time to share my thoughts about the kiss approach, part of good kiss is soliciting ideas, another part is never toss a part from a donor vehicle or your project vehicle untill you’ve thought about it for a week or more.. why hurry? How many times have you cut something off or tossed it away and wished you hadn’t?
Note, the crown gear has been removed.
As I kicked around the shop today, I removed the Gear from the center of the diff housing finding it easiest to put a pencil flame from a propane torch on the foot of the bolts to help break the lock-tite lose, then penetrating oil.
With the stock end caps and differential laying in place, it became obvious how simple the part is I need make, or at least it looks simple 🙂 I will measure the OD of the stock end caps, buy two pieces of round Aluminum bar stock and make a recessed area for the differential bearings and outside of that, an area to ‘plug in’ the stock end caps! That’s one part to design, and two to make per conversion. Yes, you know I will change my mind before I make the part.
There is plenty of room to mount our custom motorcycle sprocket, and if we’re lucky, only the ID will be custom.. and the OD that the sprocket fits onto will receive A custom cover. All though there’s at least 20 ways to approach making this can or cover, I love to play with two part epoxies, and having both ends of the diff housing the same OD will make the cover easier to make.. Since there are no stresses here. I plan to ‘build up’ the other end to match the machined area, this will allow me to use a straight tube for a cover..
Here’s a rough idea of what I have in mind… done MS in paint.
Nope, I don’t suggest this is a good drawing, but try and picture this as the right side, and picture one on the left as well. The bolts pass through the stock locations in the stock rear diff mount rails, then through the stock end cap (green), and into our custom bearing housings (grey). our red bearing and brown bearings are stock sizes. Not shown is the hole that the splined shafts plug into.. use your imagination.
Got ideas? Share them.. we need distill this to as much KISS as reasonable.
In order to place the engine in the more convenient spot for maintenance, and to keep the passenger space unencumbered, I have an idea how to drive with a single chain and still keep the engine more aft and accessible… still thinking about this, but I want the engine in a place easy to check and change oil and perform other service.
10/15/2012 I’ve had time to fondle the pieces of the stock trans axle, and to come to the realization that I am best off with a very compact power unit. Having learned something from my hands on hours of home power generation design, I tend to migrate towards the idea of using enough power, but not more than i need to do the job.
I think about motorcycle miss conceptions, and what I learned from Dan Coyle, a man who commuted to work almost every day rain or shine. He did so on an extremely fast Zuk 1300 air cooled. With 80,000 miles on the odometer, the bike was still running strong, and it went on and on.. last I talked Dan, he was over 100,000 miles! Of course Dan was methodical about changing oil, and he took great care in selecting oil with higher anti wear agents, ones that are likely illegal now or soon will be. What I learned from Dan is even the higher performance bikes can go the distance with proper care. We all know that the lowly Honda push rod engines didn’t offer us huge power, but I never saw one fail that wasn’t seriously abused.. a design to consider?
True Motorheads, no matter how hard they try can not ignore Motorcycle advancements and design. The same for aircraft, there’s just too much innovation that seems to show up here first, and to be tested and tortured.
I’m a little nervous about the size of engine I’ve selected (250cc) It’s a mule of an engine that develops about 16 useful horsepower, it’s compact, and I’ve decided I’ll skip the CVT drive system which I’d prefer, but not at the expense of bulk that adds complexity to the conversion, and loss of seating or hauling space. The engine must be easily accessible, it must be water-cooled, as the vehicle may be forced to move along on an incline at lower speeds that could create high temperatures in an air cooled engine.
There’s two uses I’ll design around. One comes from my experience with an old EZGO Marathon golf Cart, it has a small two stroke in it, I forget size.. maybe , 230-240cc? I have taken the Marathon places where some people get nervous on a Quad. sure, it crawled to my destination, and the air cooled got so hot it burned out some oil in the exhaust canister that had likely been there for 20 years. The wonder of this machine is how it is designed from the ground up for easy in and out, and provide low speed grunt. I have found it an ideal vehicle to work around the ranch or farm, or run to the neighbors. There’s one task that the Marathon does so well, and that’s pull a self powered mower! Nothing I’ve tried comes even close! Mowing about four acres is a big job, and best done in reasonable comfort. The Marathon Will develop enough torque to spin a tire that has a good bite and still be just off idle. On the hottest day, I can mow with a roof over my head for sun protection, cup holders on either side, and a small ice box on the generous floor board for refreshments. I’ll fill the thirsty mower a number of times while mowing 4 acres, and sometimes it enters my mind to ask myself, just when did I refuel the EZGO last? It’s a fuel mizer for sure.
Can I repower the Ford Think to deliver the same low speed performance? I think so, and we need note that the Think is also a vehicle designed for easy in and out, and the roof line is adequately high, which helps when doing chores that require constant in and out.
The other design criteria is reaching a place on top of Monahan Mountain, there’s a rock you can walk out on and look up towards the top of the pass, and down towards Ellensburg. I like to visit this place. The Think needs to be able to make the trip up there on a steep logging road. Since the old Marathon can do it, I think the Think will too.
A worst case situation will be the need to change counter sprockets, but a stump pulling first gear might eliminate that need. The power plant is four speeds forward, one reverse. A push-rod design, and fueled by gasoline. I wanted diesel, but my first effort is about KISS and low-cost conversion. I do worry about flywheel mass being low, and other things, and don’t we all know there’s no real substitute.. you really need to fab it up and drive it!
One thing I’ve learned is you don’t get too carried away fabricating parts till you have all the major pieces to measure and fit. There’s always something your mind’s eye misses, and as we know, no matter how much attention you pay, there’s always going to be that thought you’d do it different the next time, but we make the effort to distill the idea to it’s simplest KISS form.
One thing we address right up front on a work vehicle that will operate anywhere near a mower on dusty land. You’ll build an air cleaner large and easy to service with an intake high as reasonable on the vehicle.
Today, I’ll leave a sketch with Otey, he’s got some four inch round stock to make the new bearing carriers for the chain diff, and the saw to cut the stock off in proper lengths; and he can creep up on the dimensions I need for clearance between the carrier and bearing OD. My hobby lathe mill takes more skill and patience that I prove to have at the moment.
As I sit here reflecting, I think about the Sow running the EPA, and my fellow voters who are cocksure that central planning is best. They who don’t see the value of States having the autonomy to do things as they see best for the people in their region. And this word ‘sustainable’. The pigs have tinkered with the word! Our Children easy prey. If Lisa Jackson had better aim, she’d piss on your back and tell you it was raining!
I think about my own State, we have a lot of people here that travel to Idaho to vacation and enjoy the outdoors. Some of us here even have Idaho license plates on our ATVs and UTVs. It’s not because it makes them legal here for a occasional run to town to spend buckets of money at restaurants and more.. it’s because we Washingtonians keep making the trip to Idaho to spend our vacation dollars…. they welcome us, the local cops wave as people respectfully stroll into their town on recreational vehicles.. to spend money lots of money. Need help or advice? The cop is there to help you, he might even advise you on best tire pressures to run on the street and where the nearest free air is if you ask him.
No wonder people want the FEDS controlling it all. Idaho should never have the autonomy to venture away from the Pig’s plan…. that being to herd you into the city, and reduce your need to travel. No doubt all those video games serve a purpose.
10/22/12
As I listened to the debate tonight, I finished up the new bearing housings for the open chain drive Diff. Following is a picture, Once I decide on the sprocket I’ll mount, I can make the sleeve that covers the spider gears. I’ll need to wait till the engine arrives before I attempt to design more. I’ve learned the hard way.. you really need put your hands on it before you start figuring exactly how you’ll design it, jump the gun, and you can make problems for yourself.
Bearing Housings made
Designing the shifter, clutch linkage, unwinding the electrical, and that cooling system.. that should all be fun. And eventually, I’ll do the same run down to Otey’s place as I did on the Cushman, will it be faster? It will have 60% more horsepower, but I haven’t calculated the weight Difference yet.
One sure thing, the fuel tank will be a boat tank, I like them!
11/6/12
I’ve struggled with priorities!! Will it be KISS, or will it be making the best use of passenger space in the vehicle? I can’t have both, and I’ve finally decided I will cut into a few parts of the structure to make room for the engine in what I think is the best location. I think the gussets I’ll add to assure the structure is still strong will be more than adequate, but it will likely man that a person will have a spool gun and wire feed to reproduce my effort.. (aluminum welding and/or mods). But shouldn’t we be honest? Just how many people will convert the Ford Think to gas or diesel? I’d imagine those who follow will spring for the gun, or hire the work done by a DIYer friend who has the skill.
Did I say I did settle on a 250cc engine with 4 speeds forward and reverse? and I have one on loan to test fit? Following is a picture, but it may not be obvious what I’m attempting to do yet. The open differential doesn’t have the sprocket mounted yet, but as mentioned, it mounts where the ‘Crown’ gear once did.
The splined shaft that normally carries the counter sprocket will receive a “splined connector”. The side cover has a casted in piece that can be milled or drilled out where the added shaft will cleanly exit and a carrier bearing will be fitted just inboard of the mounted sprocket that aligns with the larger sprocket on the differential.
Before I show the picture, you may recall, I was interested in the conversion noting it was an extremely light weight car, with plenty of alloy and composites used. With this in mind, I chose a power plant that weighs in at 67 pounds minus the carb and a few electrical parts! I haven weight the electric motor, but it’s close to a push weight wise, but remember, we need not haul that lead around. There are opportunities to shed a little more weight, but it gets more expensive to do so.. trading in the steel wheels for lighter weight alloy a possible consideration. Oh, and that on board battery charger.. what a heavy pig that was!
250ccThink
All should fit in the trunk!
250ccThink-B
In the above picture, you might see that the chain drive will be just out board of the left engine case. It should be easy and quick to change counter sprockets for low speed work, or for road work at higher speeds, maybe even up to 35MPH? I guess I’ll eventually know how well it works. More study, and then maybe the fabrication of a motor mount system with neoprene mounts?
11/11/12
I need inventory the weight of parts removed and added, one of the things that we know from Dr. F. Porshce’s time of EV design is that lead and other EV components can be heavy. In the Ford think, I see serious efforts to reduce weight and some curious.
The on board charger might be a tweakers target for theft, just what is it inside that little on board box that makes it weigh 40 pounds?
I weighed up the old trans housing with the electric motor attached 55 pounds.
There’s still more to remove, and we’ll be well over 500 pounds lighter. Have you ever pushed a cart with 500 pound on it up a hill?
sure.. I know, I can’t plug it in.. but do note.. I waited for a long time for President Obama to deliver a decent and less expense battery pack. All I got was news that my forced investment in a battery company is no bankrupt. Yes, I guess I should have waited to buy the Think that the Government bought, and then sold for a heavy loss at auction.. but how to salvage my loss.. that’s my effort here.
After several attempts at fitting the engine in the place I want and making brackets, I’ve developed a new approach. The power plant really needs a skid plate under it considering the places I might attempt to go, and the chores I might attempt. This is gold cart you might say! I answer… you would never believe where I’ve had my EZGO Marathon, and the only damage has been a rock hit to drive train components.
11/15/12 With this new direction, I’ve chosen to consider a combined skid plate and engine mounting plate. First fit the plate, set engine on top of plate, shim it in place checking clearances, and then attempt to fit motor mounts from plate to engine mount locations making sure that drive shafts and suspension parts are free to move as designed.
Here I find myself cutting steel plate into odd shapes and knowing I could do it faster and more accurately If I only use a mill! And.. isn’t it time to study my own ATV Quad, and see how they did the motor mounts? Just how much Isolation did they engineer? I have faith the skid plate motor mount idea will work.
11/24/12
My confidence grows, the motor mounts look good enough for prototypes, and my attention turns to other things that need be fitted, will this run on Christmas day?
12/21/2012 (bad head cold, down time) As with all hands on projects, the real learning happens WHEN your hands are full of grease, and your wife is demanding you keep those smelly work clothes in the garage or shop.. Don’t stink up Her part of the house, and for goodness sakes don’t ask again what part of the house is yours? She’ll just remind you it’s why you have a shop!
Buried deep into this post where few will ever find it, is my note of just how poorly >my< Think was designed! As with all engineering exercises, we know we can’t just blame the engineers, because they often answer to unrealistic customer demands and more. Teh Ford think neighbor (this vintage) looks like one of those hurry up and get this thing out the door! But as we learn with other things, you can NOT force a mind to look deep into the guts of something, especially if he knows he might find a reason to change his belief in the cause. He may already be part of the Parade, and worshiping that banner he’s placed above the front door.
Identifying the pressures on Ford Motor Company might be a place to start. By nature, healthy People and Corporations don’t intentionally commit suicide, but politicians, being so isolated from reality often do. Don’t like this discussion, jump forward!
Maybe it was the CARB that doomed this car? They demanded it by a certain date, and Ford Delivered it. If you’re interested in the story, you’ll do a little research. You’ll likely take the fork in the road you want. If you want to read about how the rich and ugly people (like Huffington) doomed the car, read at the Huffington post. Most who write over there, couldn’t tell you the difference between a BTU And an IOU..
I’m this far and what I’ve learned is the Think is so much worse of a design than I thought, and totally worthy of converting it to another fuel.. Propane, Natural Gas? Diesel, gasoline, you have plenty of options.
IF you choose to go electric, and you found a think (like I did) where public money bought the car originally and then the custodians apparently ignored the all the service bulletins and updates Ford did under warranty, you are likely screwed.
One place that never seem to let you down (if your qwest is to know reality) is eBay. There you will find support fo the Ford Think, a lot of parts, and people with knowledge and some without, but ti you follow the thread you’ll learn just how many problems people had with version one, and what you need consider replacing.
As freely as I write here, there’s not enough room to discuss the problems with the original charger, Controller, Batteries, motor, the insane location chosen for the controller, (under the car where road chemicals can attack it. and so much more.
So.. here’s where I’ve decided to add a couple of alternative titles,
Tips on converting your EV to gasoline
Convert your EV to gasoline
Convert your Ford Think to gasoline
Why convert an EV to gasoline?
The Chain Goes about here, lots of re-enforcement to add.
There were reasons for a DIYer to rehab this Ford Think, and I say it would be you move forward fully understanding that you could buy another Think that had a LOT of money put into it and fully upgraded for a LOT less money than you will rehab one like this for. You move ahead knowing you do it all at greater cost, and just for fun and learning.. we need not justify what we do, unless its to do with…. (wait a minute!) fact is we need justify more each day!
So.. where am I?
Engine installed, and now the drive system figured, and a new muffler found on Ebay for $19.95! Held up by a nasty head cold, but that muffler will find a home!
12/21/12
Muffler might go right here?
Muffler Here?
12/24/12
As I sit here thankful to be recovering from some cold or flu, I’m thankful for DIYer can do friends off in other lands, SW Lee and I have swapping few emails, we both have these somewhat new Shineray 250s with reverse, and documentation is not so easy to come by. This engine is designed after very old designs with a very long history of good service. These are NOT power houses, they will impress no one as per performance, but fuel economy is important to the home market, and even a fuel injection system is in the works, or is it actually a reality if you have the money to waste at this point?
As Lee and I sort out the wires and what they do, I share with him, he shares with me. We find a few drawings that give us the key connections, the colors from the engine, and to the devices like the external rectifier, and the CDI unit! We know the pins, but what’s missing for us is the wiring harness. The connector on the engine doesn’t match the CDI unit.. because that’s what the wiring harness did 🙂 Neither of us have easy access to the connectors they used.. and we’ll take a breather before we decide to solder our own work to theirs. These parts will be along at some time, and so much is slowly showing up.. on eBay, at EZATV.com and more.
But I’m at a loss for all these wires coming from the engine, is it eleven ? And then Lee writes.. Hey George.. what about neutral light? Maybe even a Reverse gear warning or light? And maybe there is even a (lock out) button we need push before it’ll go into reverse? Oh yes, it’s so nice to have DIYer friends and ideas exchanged 🙂
But there’s other things to wire 🙂 There’s a Thermal switch on the radiator, and another one on the thermostat housing.. One turns on the fan, the other is an over temp alarm, or dies it depend on the installation? Then there’s that starter lead, but most will be easy to figure with the hints we already have.
Yes.. some of you had given up on hearing about what actually caused that failure of a Chinese Horizontal in Fiji?
Our friend and fellow DIYer Noel Douglas had been focused on other tasks, and was finally able to inspect those bushings, and guess what? Yes, we’ve seen it all before.
The oil feed holes were there in the block as required. The holes in the bushings were there as well, but the understanding that the two need line up? well.. that was missing.
I have theories as to how this happens, and one is managers manage and those below them are simply grunts or less in their eyes. I do beleive when a mechanical Engineer in some cultures comes home with dirt under his nails, his mother cries.. how is it she raised just another mechanic? The divide? Educated people don’t have grease under their finger nails. Managers sometimes make the decisions as to whom are qualified to put an engine together and how. Just how hard could it be to drive that bush in the hole? We’ll have the lad whose only previous job was slopping pigs in the country do it cheapest..
And yes.. this is the same mentaility we see at the DOE, just how hard can it be picking winners and losers? So I am not picking on Chinese….. or am I ?
Here’s Noel’s email to me.. but do remember.. Chang Fa is a company, but many put that name on the engine they assemble, since we request it!
Just arrived back from Australia and quickly on the job again.
Took that Idler gear shaft ( also the shaft the crank handle fits ) out and found the problem.
The guy who fitted the cast iron bush in to the block did not align the oil hole in the bush with the oil hole provided in the block.
I have also found the same problem with a second 1115 ChangFa.
It looks like I am going to have to check this out with every new ChangFa before putting them to work.
Regards,
Noel
— Noel Douglas Matangi Private Island Resort Box 83 Waiyevo Post Office, Taveuni.
*** I close with this thought… you remember that joke.. where the Dr. tells the Mother… yes.. your Son is fine, but I have a bit of bad news.. your Son will likely grow up to be an engineer…. this of course is followed by the Mother crying.. her son to have dirty stained hands, and to be frustrated with management all the days of his life…. She sees the future.. hours of scolding him for soiling his clothes, while other kids practice staying clean, he’ll be crawling under the family car looking at what? And taking every greasy thing apart to look inside..
How rare it is to find highly effective managers who also have the Interests and some even the credentials of Engineers?? Yes… you guessed it, they are most often members of our DIYer tribe. Noel Douglas, and Soon Wah Lee.. I think they are in that rare group of people who manage well, and wrench well too 🙂
Thanks Noel.. you run more hours that most in the world today… , your Island is like our endurance test lab.
As I look back on my journey through life, I think about those neat little cars we had in the late seventies. One of my favorites was the Mazda push rod 1200 cc commuters that sold for about $1800. According to a Boeing Engineer that commuted from Kent to Everett 5 days a week, he was getting a >real< 38.x miles a gallon measured by neck to neck fill ups.
Eighteen Hundred dollars actually bought something back then, but still… these cars were a bargain at that price in the day, and seldom did anything break. They were strippers by today’s standards, and the deluxe model meant you had an automatic choke and a radio! The Mazda 1200 was a pushrod marvel! A cross flow head, strong lower end, and the little engine would rev 8000 RPMs! When I visited the race track at SIR back in the days, the Mazda Rotary was on the track at SCCA races, so was the much inferior 1200 cc Datsun, and some racers spent a fortune getting power out of them, but no Mazda 1200s did I ever see.
Here I am looking back on these light weight wonders, and that little Mazda 1200cc I once owned and loved. The drive train a mechanical marvel of lightweight alloys and simplicity! Aluminum being one of the most abundant elements was inexpensive then. These old designs are the DIYer EV builders dream as well, or at least in my mind.
The cycles we see during our lives. Commodities higher than a kite, and then so low that people won’t pick up some of them if they are offered free! It seems timing has been important up until now, but doesn’t now look different? Haven’t we moved off the map of the known into the unknown?
One of the more expensive components for a solar system is the panels themselves, and through the Magic of Government Involvement , Wealth Transfer, and Colossal failures, Solar Panels can be purchased inexpensively. Is it time you considered taking some of your hard earned dollars that are evaporating in your savings account and buying panels?
My answer.. yes, if you have the skills to roll your own, or friends that can help you meet code, and steer clear of problems, like neighbors who might plant trees to the south of your panels.
If I were buying panels, I’d sure consider the tried and true, following is news of yet another company setting up in or near Portland Oregon. A Mecca of Liberal thought, where many think that supply and demand can be manipulated by the all knowing, all seeing Deities in Washington DC, ‘their Gods’. If you have ever taken a moment to read of Shiva, of the Hunter, of the Illusionary world. Of the warnings that it is not just our youth who have no direction, but man in General. The illusionary world, full of Lies, Deceit, hypocrisy, and IPOs!
Thin film roll on roofing.. in thirty 30 years, we could know if it’s as reliable as the stuff we’re familiar with. If you were considering buying panels now as a hedge, and you have a safe place to store them until you fly them.. Consider buying the proven stuff by the pallet, the cost goes way down, and pallets are packed for shipping. With individual panels, the packing need be good, and it’s expensive for those who do the shipping to you. Consider a group purchase with other DIYers in your area and target the pallet load.. normally 20 panels..
We currently see a total disregard for the Value of Coal, we know it’s just another hydro carbon we can easily manipulate into clean forms of energy, and even stock to make plastics, clothes, housing, and far more. But we need also recognize that Aluminum is an energy intensive material, and a key material. Could the Deities in DC destroy the Industry before they understand it’s a cornerstone? Who in their right mind would think any reality would stand between them and their re-election?
What’s your guess, is the world ready for this product? I say there’s the chance it’ll go over like the EV.. everyone wants it.. if the government will only destroy more of our currency to help deliver it to them for an attractive price 🙂
After this election, that $1800 car will likely cost you $18,000. DC will say it is a good thing.. it might cause you to move to the city, and ride the bus… it’s where you belong..
Now’s the time to watch this movie….. now that some time has gone by. Now that the Leaf has proven that people were not lined up 3 miles deep to buy such a car…. and now… will they say the Leaf is nowhere near as advanced as that old EV1 that many said was the perfect car for their needs?
Grand Daughter Ava says “Dad Needs this car”
Yes, that was Dan Neil at the end, you can always pick out a car guy, one who understands cars and the car business.
And what am I saying here? Nothing more than It’s time to review Who killed the Electric Car. I think the value of watching it grows with each passing day. The only positive comment that counts for Fisker, Volt, Leaf, and others is a Purchase Order Agreement followed by payment. It’s a very sad note that Toyota was the only manufacturer that did the leg work to understand who the real buyers were, and what they could afford to pay. Dan Neil either did .. or could have predicted the outcome of Fisker, Volt, and the Leaf.
It’s always been this way. Studebaker didn’t make covered wagons because a group of people demanded they be built. They built them because the Wagons were in demand, and people could afford to buy them, and did.
