StefanSG
Well-Known Member
I asked in the forum last year about getting hold of a dead Torqeedo that I could revive, I bought a non-functioning one on Ebay and I've successfully recelled it. I had to buy a long Torq15 driver to open the pack and this is what I found
possible seawater ingress causing ruptured dead cells. You can see a shiny layer at the bottom of the pack, this is a solid rubber based sealant that holds the pack very securely in the case. I sent this picture to a chap called Lars in Germany who makes battery packs, he advertises on German Ebay and sells an off the shelf pack with a different layout (see Ebay item 323885661561 or Seller akkuservice-dellinger) the price he quoted of 290 Euros included shipping and 2-3 weeks later a brilliantly wrapped and very solidly made pack arrived which fitted perfectly. He uses identical spec batteries to the original, 8S8P Molicel INR18650-P26A which make a 20,8Ah pack which is an improvement on the original
Getting the old cells out was relatively easy although messy and hazardous, especially as some of the cells still held a charge. The sealant stuff peeled away from the base relatively easily... in the later models they use a more brittle material that takes a bit more work.
I wanted to install a BMS and finding one that matched the spec of the battery (8s 29.6v) wasn't easy but there is a company in China called RJXZS who sells one, via AliExpress. Its a 50A BMS and cost about £26 inc shipping. BMS 8S 29.6V
There isnt room on top of the pack to put the BMS but luckily this BMS is pretty small (70mm x 70mm x 9.5mm) and fit into one of the "wings" of the battery case with a very minor bit of chopping.
I used all the original + wiring which was in good shape and put in a new - cable which needed to be slightly longer to reach the BMS, but followed the exact same wiring as the original pack. I left the original charge/battery PCB & indicator exactly as it was. I plugged it into the original Torqeedo charger and left it charging overnight (checking periodically that no cells were overheating) and it charged up to 100%.
I used Bond-It black polyurethane PU18 sealant to fix the battery pack back into the case and to seal the tongue and groove around the lip of the join.
This was all back in December, I left the pack till now (about 2 months) - still at 100% despite the cold. I had to do a minor repair on the "kill pin" which someone must have tried to substitute with a pencil or a screwdriver and had bent the safety switch which was luckily an easy fix.
I tested the motor today, I was worried that the BMS would cut out with a surge in power but - in my recycling bin - it performed brilliantly.
I really like the design of the travel it all packs up into a small holdall like an overnight bag. When I get a chance I'll test on the water and see what sort of range I can get, but its more than adequate for my needs to drive a yacht tender.
feel free to ask any questions, criticise my soldering etc.
StefanSG
DISCLAIMER: I am not an electronics expert. I am a hobbyist who has made up a few Li-Ion packs in the past for tool batteries, electric scooters etc and made my own battery welder from an old microwave transformer. I would sincerely advise using a professional such as Akkuservice to make up your pack. Take the utmost care when soldering up these packs as they will spark, burn, melt metal and cause noxious fumes. Opening up one of these packs of course goes against the Torqeedo ethos and will void any warranty and can be potentially very dangerous. I have posted this for information only, please use common sense when dealing with lithium packs.
possible seawater ingress causing ruptured dead cells. You can see a shiny layer at the bottom of the pack, this is a solid rubber based sealant that holds the pack very securely in the case. I sent this picture to a chap called Lars in Germany who makes battery packs, he advertises on German Ebay and sells an off the shelf pack with a different layout (see Ebay item 323885661561 or Seller akkuservice-dellinger) the price he quoted of 290 Euros included shipping and 2-3 weeks later a brilliantly wrapped and very solidly made pack arrived which fitted perfectly. He uses identical spec batteries to the original, 8S8P Molicel INR18650-P26A which make a 20,8Ah pack which is an improvement on the original
Getting the old cells out was relatively easy although messy and hazardous, especially as some of the cells still held a charge. The sealant stuff peeled away from the base relatively easily... in the later models they use a more brittle material that takes a bit more work.
I wanted to install a BMS and finding one that matched the spec of the battery (8s 29.6v) wasn't easy but there is a company in China called RJXZS who sells one, via AliExpress. Its a 50A BMS and cost about £26 inc shipping. BMS 8S 29.6V
There isnt room on top of the pack to put the BMS but luckily this BMS is pretty small (70mm x 70mm x 9.5mm) and fit into one of the "wings" of the battery case with a very minor bit of chopping.
I used all the original + wiring which was in good shape and put in a new - cable which needed to be slightly longer to reach the BMS, but followed the exact same wiring as the original pack. I left the original charge/battery PCB & indicator exactly as it was. I plugged it into the original Torqeedo charger and left it charging overnight (checking periodically that no cells were overheating) and it charged up to 100%.
I used Bond-It black polyurethane PU18 sealant to fix the battery pack back into the case and to seal the tongue and groove around the lip of the join.
This was all back in December, I left the pack till now (about 2 months) - still at 100% despite the cold. I had to do a minor repair on the "kill pin" which someone must have tried to substitute with a pencil or a screwdriver and had bent the safety switch which was luckily an easy fix.
I tested the motor today, I was worried that the BMS would cut out with a surge in power but - in my recycling bin - it performed brilliantly.
I really like the design of the travel it all packs up into a small holdall like an overnight bag. When I get a chance I'll test on the water and see what sort of range I can get, but its more than adequate for my needs to drive a yacht tender.
feel free to ask any questions, criticise my soldering etc.
StefanSG
DISCLAIMER: I am not an electronics expert. I am a hobbyist who has made up a few Li-Ion packs in the past for tool batteries, electric scooters etc and made my own battery welder from an old microwave transformer. I would sincerely advise using a professional such as Akkuservice to make up your pack. Take the utmost care when soldering up these packs as they will spark, burn, melt metal and cause noxious fumes. Opening up one of these packs of course goes against the Torqeedo ethos and will void any warranty and can be potentially very dangerous. I have posted this for information only, please use common sense when dealing with lithium packs.
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