Motor Bearing Maintenance

 The manual says that the front and rear motor bearings are "easily withdrawn" but that did not prove to be the case.  Don, Buzz and Robert but the Model 63 up on the lift and removed the rear end and the electric brake to expose the bearings.  They did not want to come out.  So rather than destroy a bearing that we could not replace, they used a needle greaser and greased them in place.

Other Detroit Electrics that we know of...

1917 Detroit Electric Model 68 B

Revs Institute
2500 Horseshoe Drive S.
Naples, Florida 34104

Found an article in Hemmings on this car.  March 2021, made a contact with John Arsenault.

https://www.hemmings.com/stories/2018/06/07/back-to-the-possible-future-the-revs-institute-adds-a-1917-detroit-electric-to-its-collection

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1917 Detroit Electric Model 68

PDF detailing Donald's restoration.

Restored by Donald Davidson 

https://www.greencarreports.com/news/1100087_1917-detroit-electric-vs-2014-bmw-i3-a-century-of-electric-cars

YouTube video of this car in action.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u1IinQf0q3Q

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1917 DE Model 64 Brougham owned by Neil Shelton in Portland, OR.

An article from Curbside Classics talking about Neil Shelton's.

https://www.curbsideclassic.com/curbside-classics-american/curbside-classic-1917-detroit-electric-brougham-charged-up-for-another-century/

Front and Rear axle work

 

Steering Tiller Handle Rebuild

 The Speed Tiller handle was wrapped up in electrical tape the horn button was just hanging out of it.  Once we unwrapped it, we found that the original Bakelite handle was broken.  We printed a new one in PETG and rewired the horn button.

Cable Rebuilds

 

Controller Cleanup

 

This is the Motor Controller for the Detroit Electric.  There are 10 copper fingers contacts that contact copper plates attached to a drum.  The drum is rotated in 5 increments (notches in a semi-arc).  This selects which of the five speeds you are using.

Before

After

Cut Out Switch rebuild

 The Cut Out switch is activated by both left foot brake and the accelerator tiller bar.  The idea is that when you are wanting to fully stop you apply the left foot brake with applies the wheel brakes and opens up the main battery circuit to completely deenergize the vehicle.

There were some problems...

1. Apparently, the plunger spring had broken at some point and caused a short to the case.  We found a piece of broken spring in the box and a place where the case had melted away.  The divot in the case is not a big deal but the spring had been re-bent to fix but the new configuration didn't put enough force to keep the plunger between the contacts (that's the theory).  Hence the second issue.

2.  Arcing had melted one side of the contact away.  So we had to make a new contact.

3.  Insulators were broken and all needed to be replaced.  These are the original Bakelite and are shot.  It's very important to have these pieces in place as all the vehicles current goes through these.  There were three types of insulators, a two level barrel type (as used in the reverse switch), a barrel insulator to shield the cone terminals and an insulating base plate on the inside.