My Senior design project - a "Swamp Thing" tracked vehicle clone

[strantor]

Man that is too cool. Have tracked how much time and money you've invested in it?

 

[Garauld]

Hi strantor - I have a ballpark estimate of material costs about $3k. No idea on hours as it was mostly fun to play in the shop and see it actually run.

 

[ArlyA]

Here's a recent test run video I made:

That was an automatic tranny you used correct??

 

[Garauld]

Yes, 3-speed plus OD. Standard Toyota Echo tranny.

 

[Garauld]

Today, I covered the drive sprocket spools with 1/16" thick UHMW. This is an attempt to reduce the chatter from the steel track bars rapping on the metal spools. I'll do a test run tomorrow. I also plan to test whether I can manually select which gear (1, 2, 3, OD) to start out on by bypassing the ECM and energizing the appropriate clutch solenoid(s). I attached a write-up of the shift operation and a crude wiring diagram that I will use to hotwire the solenoids. Stay tuned...

 

[strantor]

Today, I covered the drive sprocket spools with 1/16" thick UHMW. This is an attempt to reduce the chatter from the steel track bars rapping on the metal spools. I'll do a test run tomorrow. I also plan to test whether I can manually select which gear (1, 2, 3, OD) to start out on by bypassing the ECM and energizing the appropriate clutch solenoid(s). I attached a write-up of the shift operation and a crude wiring diagram that I will use to hotwire the solenoids. Stay tuned...

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pretty clever little diode circuit. Looks to me like it should work.

 

[Garauld]

Well, the previous schematic wouldn't work; a diode was in the wrong place. I hope this one will. I am currently soldering together the components and will try it out soon.

 

[strantor]

Well, the previous schematic wouldn't work; a diode was in the wrong place. I hope this one will. I am currently soldering together the components and will try it out soon.

View attachment 673824

Huh? Seems to me you managed to simplify the circuit with one less diode but they are functionally equivalent. That should have worked (if it is at all possible, which I think it is). If it didn't work, I suspect you didn't assemble the circuit exactly the way you drew it. Or I'm missing something

 

[Garauld]

Strantor - thanks for taking a look at my wiring schematic. I doctored up your top left schematic to show the problem in green - the relay coil can be back-fed from the ECM wiring and would turn it into a buzzer.

 

[strantor]

Strantor - thanks for taking a look at my wiring schematic. I doctored up your top left schematic to show the problem in green - the relay coil can be back-fed from the ECM wiring and would turn it into a buzzer.

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Doh! You know i started to evaluate the circuit for the auto position but just drew a couple of lines and then convinced myself it was a waste of time because the relay would be de-energized.