Before removing all those gas-guzzling components, you'll want to do several things to your car such as:
Pump up your tires to 40psi and measure the distance from the fenders to the ground on each wheel. You'll want to match this distance after you install the electric components to match the suspension height.
Steam clean the engine compartment, focusing on the interior walls under the hood and the transmission (you'll be getting rid of the engine).
Get a baseline curb weight of the vehicle. You can often do this at a local truck stop if they have a scale. Truck scales often have separate sections for different axles. If you can, straddle two sections of the truck scale so you can measure the front and rear distribution of weight in the car.
Get a baseline measurement for the 0-60 mph time in seconds so you can compare the before and after acceleration of the car.
If your engine is running well, you might try to sell the engine before you remove it so that prospective buyers have the chance to hear the engine in working condition.
Upgrade your suspension springs so that your car doesn't scrape the ground after you install all the heavy batteries (see below).
Fix all the other little broken things on the car that make it a pleasure to drive like burned out lights, switches, etc...
Notes on Upgrading the Suspension
Due to the additional weight from the lead-acid batteries, you will have to upgrade the springs in your suspension to handle the load. Upgrading springs can be a very dangerous operation, so people who aren't used to doing this operation should probably have it done at the local garage before removing the internal combustion engine.
Here's a quote from Rob Connelly for upgrading the Civic springs for electric conversion:
"I calculated the spring rates that I had on the car, and then calculated what they needed to be, and found that the Civic EX with automatic transmission and all the bells and whistles used front springs that were just what I needed for this car, so I put them on in place of the originals ($50 from Rockauto.com!) For the rear, I calculated that the old front springs would be just right if I cut off 1-1/2 inches from the top. I did that, and put them on and they were just right -- my ride height is just what it used to be. I kept the original struts."
For people who don't want to cut up their old front springs, you can purchase new springs with the shorter length from (insert link here). The part number is (???).
This solution is a lot less expensive than the coil-over solution in the original CivicWithACord EV conversion. Thanks, Rob!
Method from CivicWithACord:
Ground Control, in Shingle Springs, CA can equip you with Coil-Overs, and adjustable Koni shocks/struts for $948. You will want item 4530.02, 1200.250.0275, 1200.250.0200 on the coilovers, and 8041-1152 for the front struts, and 8041-1153 on the rear. They will include a spanner wrench. You furnish the spring compressors. The main deal is that you're putting in 2" longer, stiffer springs to handle the extra weight.
The car gets raised, wheels removed, and in the case of the front, brake hose bolts are taken off. Meanwhile, the two nuts that hold the STRUT in place are removed, as is the fork below. At this point, the strut ass'y can be removed. This is the dangerous process: The spring is compressed, and the strut shaft is held in place with an allen wrench, while the nut is released. Ideally, it takes place in a vise, such that in case of slippage, it does't go too far. Next, the perch can be hammered off, and the spring slowly released.
I set the coil-overs at 1" as measured from bottom of the coil-over to the lower perch. This will leave a ride height of 24-1/2",which is the usual. Keep in mind that you will pressurize your tires to about 40 psi, which will give a rather jiggly, harsh ride. To compensate, you may wish to give the shock adjustment a full turn in the "looser" direction.
Option: Upgrading the Springs After Engine Removal
In the process of removing the internal combustion engine in the next section, you will have to remove the forks and ball-joints for the front wheels to remove the transmission. Unbolting the brake hoses and taking out the strut assemblies with springs is just another few minutes. You can then take the removed strut assemblies along with the upgraded springs or coil-overs to a suspension shop to have the work done fairly quickly. You could do this at home with your own spring compressor, but realize that it's a dangerous operation best left to experienced mechanics.
Licensed under the TAPR Open Hardware License (www.tapr.org/OHL)
Copyright 2008 Tim Kutscha