1. Are the Magic Pies water proof and can you ride in the rain or will it short out the electronics or hub itself?
2. I plan on putting my batteries in a sealed plexiglass box. Do these batteries need to breath or have air circulation or will they over-heat?
Thanks,
Ken
Not "waterproof" so much as water resistant, the hub's covers are very well sealed but the keyway in the axle shaft (for the wiring) could still allow some moisture to pass through...
...having said that it would take a full, prolonged immersion - actually sinking the wheel past the axle & leaving it there for any water to enter. I've ridden in the rain with no ill effects whatsoever, in fact this has been a
very wet season up here & other than being vaguely annoying there's been no problems. I do have all my wiring & connectors tucked away in the panniers, except the main power supply & 8-pin (need easy access to remove wheel) & those are easy enough to deal with;
If you'd like a bit of extra protection against water intrusion & corrosion - I'd suggest putting a gob of dielectric (nonconductive) grease like:
Loctite 37535 Dielectric Grease in the axle's keyway, even smearing some on all the connectors before putting them together. For maximum protection from corrosion during winter use,
CRC Industries 06026 Corrosion Inhibitor sprayed on any exposed metal surfaces would help quite a bit... but it is a touch slimy *shrug* better that than crusty I figure lol
As for the batteries, many have made sealed or semi-sealed enclosures for their LiFePO4 battery packs without any issues, mine have never changed temperature whatsoever that I can tell - no matter discharging or charging. Some come in factory-made cases (both stainless & aluminum boxes) so I don't think that would be a problem.
I should prolly mention I dunno what Northern California winters are actually like, but if you do get freeze-ups, if they ever use salt and/or calcium chloride on the roads there - your bike
will be damaged no matter the precautions you may take, it's just a matter of how much. The above & frequent washings will help keep it to a minimum... but TBH I suspect it's prolly a lil worse 'round here tho heh