Custom forklift

[wildfire]

Well for those who have been asking about my old forklift project I'm happy to say that I got it completed. This ends a very long rebuild for me with this old forklift. I purchased it around this time last year and started in to rebuild it shortly after. I wanted it to be a fun project and to a point it was only for all the hard long hours it took to get it to this point.

Basically everything had to be done. I had to remove all the paint, rust and crap others had done with it over the years before I could even begin to start the rebuild. the first thing I had to do was build a new engine hood for the beast. Toyota wanted over $3000. just for the hood so I fabricated the one you see on it now out of 1/8th plate. This one will be awhile before it rusts out.

Basically I went right through the complete machine. New rings, bearings, lapped the valves and installed new valve stem oils seals. I rebuilt the mast. all new bearings in it as well and had to rebuild some of the hydraulic cylinders because they were leaking. Some of them had to even be re-chromed due to the pitting on them.

After all that was done I sand blasted, primed and painted it. I fabricated the custom stuff such as the headlamp guards. Custom built the rear light bar and all the lights you see in it are strobes. I built sun visor as well and added some more aluminum plate to the sides to **** it out a bit. The top have a plexy glass top in it now. I added all new gauges and even fabricated new sections of the dash because it was in pretty bad shape. It even has air horns now along with chrome duel exhaust stacks. I had to design some custom adapters to get them to work on the lift but they sound nice so it was worth it.

I removed the old Toyota charging system and it's external voltage regulator and installed a GM alternator with a built in regulator. Of course that's harder than it sounds because I had to make up new brackets to get it to fit. I also added a cool hook up to the engine cover that I can just plug my booster cables into so I don't have to pull up the lid to do it.

Anyway there's much more to this story but I'm sure you'll see by the pictures there was a lot of work involved. One thing I did learn out of this. Never try and rebuild a forklift unless you have a forklift to help. These buggers a very heavy. I'm happy with the outcome. It's runs like new and will come in handy around the shop. Here's some photo's.

[wildfire]

New charging system installed:



Some of the old wiring I removed:



Booster cable hook up:

[wildfire]

More photo's.

[wildfire]

Making of a storage box and light bar. It took me almost two days to make the light bar and another to build the box.

[wildfire]

[wildfire]

Considering I'll be using the lift around the yard either boosting vehicles or even towing them I realized I needed a storage box to put the cables and tow sling in so that's what I made yesterday. I had a bit of checkered plate left so I used that on the project. I also had to decide who I was going to mount the box and not wanting to drill or weld the counter weight I decided to machine a few parts for the lift holes and use two small pieces of threaded rod to hold them in place and then I could just simply bolt the box on the back and not alter anything. Here's how it ended up.

[Maineiac]

That is outstanding. It takes alot of patience to take on a big project like that forklift and do a good job.. I have done a fair amout of machinest work. Sometimes welding and machinest work go hand in hand. Congradulation on a real fine job.

[Pass-N-Gas]

Wildfire,

I agree with you anything worth doing is worth doing right! If you don't take the time to do it right the first time you never will.. besides I'd rather do it in the shop and not broke down on the road..

He is my girl doing her morning exercise.. Why weld overhead when you don't have too.. Just flip it over and roll the deck back in the shop on a dolly. (Old trailer house axle-LR of screen)

There's a tad over 4,000 on her (it's the deck for my 42' GN)

[urch55]

Wildfire,

I agree with you anything worth doing is worth doing right! If you don't take the time to do it right the first time you never will.. besides I'd rather do it in the shop and not broke down on the road..

He is my girl doing her morning exercise.. Why weld overhead when you don't have too.. Just flip it over and roll the deck back in the shop on a dolly. (Old trailer house axle-LR of screen)

There's a tad over 4,000 on her (it's the deck for my 42' GN)

Hey there PNG. I like your lady friend. Every Fabricator needs a girl like that. Just like any lady you got to treat them right.. You have a winner there.. Bob

[Pass-N-Gas]

Thanks Bob,

She is a working fool all she expects is some clean #2 and Hot Bath after we unload the trailer full of oil soaked pipe...

A forklift is one of those things you start out thinking you can't afford, then you get one and tell yourself you can't afford not to have one..

I'm at the same crossroads on a CNC plasma table now.. The time they save is tremendous..it's the 32K in today's oilfield economy that makes me scratch my head..