Battery posts corrosion wtf

[Grit dog]

Optima USED TO be the best battery money coud buy, hands down I don't care what anyone says. But in the last few years they are complete garbage now. I have been battling with them for a while now, I got a red top that's been replaced under warranty 3 times in less than 2 years. It's got a 3yr warranty. That car is currently off the road so I have it on a maintainer, but when it does go back on the road I will not buy another. Red top at least, maybe the yellow tops are still okay IDK. But man it seems like nobody builds a good battery anymore, I just buy whatever is cheap from walmart or tractor supply lately. The AGM batteries from tractor supply seem okay and they're like 10-20 bucks cheaper than anywhere else.

Old, new, red, yellow or blue….****, that rhymes…point is I don’t have anything good to say about any of them.
I’ve had a couple good red tops, but even those, I was warrantying annually almost 20 years ago.
Maybe I just had really bad luck, but in comparison, I have an at least 3 year old “reconditioned” battery that came in the blue GMC. It has now lasted at least twice as long as a half dozen or more Optimas!
Then again, I feel like I’m having very good luck with that little re-con battery. Better than I expected.

 

[SirRobyn0]

Old, new, red, yellow or blue….****, that rhymes…point is I don’t have anything good to say about any of them.
I’ve had a couple good red tops, but even those, I was warrantying annually almost 20 years ago.
Maybe I just had really bad luck, but in comparison, I have an at least 3 year old “reconditioned” battery that came in the blue GMC. It has now lasted at least twice as long as a half dozen or more Optimas!
Then again, I feel like I’m having very good luck with that little re-con battery. Better than I expected.

I'm right there with you, but my time letting Optima take my money was probably closer to 25 - 30 years ago.

 

[AuroraGirl]

It's a flathead 4 cylinder of some sort. I always assumed it was Towmotor built but never really looked into it. When I've ordered parts for it, oil filter, carb kit ect, I've just gone off of whatever part number I can find on whatever part I need to replace. I might have to look into that because now I'm curious.

I bet its continental, chrysler, ford(if it was old enough), or similar. I read somewhere that flat 4 and 6 chryslers were still being put into new equipment until the 80s and were well supported for propane conversions. WHich is probably how they made emissions(if that was a potential obstacle that is)

 

[AuroraGirl]

I believe it is a Continental. For their day, they were ok, once the motor was tired, it lacked the compression and vacuum to run right with the up draft carb. Another issue with them is their distributors would wear out and not hold a points gap causing it to run poorly. Converting it to propane with an electric lock off valve would give it a couple more years with that engine.

How about 1940s continental? My massey harris in the shed has a 4 cylinder from them but I read that its not a very great engine from them in gas(But the LP ones were good)
I think the other massey harris probably has a same engine or just similar . its also 4 cyl continental

You must be registered for see images attach

I guess the engines were slightly different from the late 40s to the early 50s
There was also a distillate variant but it just had lower compression and power compared to the gas one

 

[SirRobyn0]

I believe it is a Continental. For their day, they were ok, once the motor was tired, it lacked the compression and vacuum to run right with the up draft carb. Another issue with them is their distributors would wear out and not hold a points gap causing it to run poorly. Converting it to propane with an electric lock off valve would give it a couple more years with that engine.

I bet its continental, chrysler, ford(if it was old enough), or similar. I read somewhere that flat 4 and 6 chryslers were still being put into new equipment until the 80s and were well supported for propane conversions. WHich is probably how they made emissions(if that was a potential obstacle that is)

It's not a Ford. At least I don't think it is. My Dad has had a couple old 40's Ford Tractors, an 8N and now a 9N. This motor is very different from that one. I really don't know Chrysler flats.

So I did a quick Google search after writing the above, which shows that @1STLS1 is correct, it's a Continental.

I really have very little knowledge of the forklifts life before it came to the shop. I will say that when I came to the shop it ran like crap. A set of points, and carb overhaul and she's been great every since. About due for a new battery right now though. Plenty of power in low range. My only complaint is that the main transmission will sometimes jump into gear, so if left to idle, I always make sure to shift both the main and sub-transmission to neutral and of course set the hand brake.

 

[AuroraGirl]

It's not a Ford. At least I don't think it is. My Dad has had a couple old 40's Ford Tractors, an 8N and now a 9N. This motor is very different from that one. I really don't know Chrysler flats.

So I did a quick Google search after writing the above, which shows that @1STLS1 is correct, it's a Continental.

I really have very little knowledge of the forklifts life before it came to the shop. I will say that when I came to the shop it ran like crap. A set of points, and carb overhaul and she's been great every since. About due for a new battery right now though. Plenty of power in low range. My only complaint is that the main transmission will sometimes jump into gear, so if left to idle, I always make sure to shift both the main and sub-transmission to neutral and of course set the hand brake.

is the jump caused from an idle speed thats slightly too high? are the transmissions hydrostatic or hydraulic in anyways? If so I would say try some seafoam trans tune. thats done some magical things to PS and transmission issues before. But that being a vehicle PS Pump and Auto trans, not an antique forklift. i know my skidsteers reservoirs have hydraulic oil and engine oils. I believe the engine oil is on the one with the chains driven by pump run off the crankshaft

i think

 

[SirRobyn0]

is the jump caused from an idle speed thats slightly too high? are the transmissions hydrostatic or hydraulic in anyways? If so I would say try some seafoam trans tune. thats done some magical things to PS and transmission issues before. But that being a vehicle PS Pump and Auto trans, not an antique forklift. i know my skidsteers reservoirs have hydraulic oil and engine oils. I believe the engine oil is on the one with the chains driven by pump run off the crankshaft

i think

The transmission is just a non-syncro gear box. No hydrostatic or hydraulic in the tranny. Of course I'm kind of taking a stab in the dark, but given where the lever feels like neutral is and where it actually is I think at some point in it's life someone abused it to the point of bending the shift fork, maybe. That shift level is adjusted all the way by the way.

 

[1STLS1]

The transmission is just a non-syncro gear box. No hydrostatic or hydraulic in the tranny. Of course I'm kind of taking a stab in the dark, but given where the lever feels like neutral is and where it actually is I think at some point in it's life someone abused it to the point of bending the shift fork, maybe. That shift level is adjusted all the way by the way.

This often happened, the new driver thought he was some NASCAR star powershifting it into high. Often the linkage is just so worn it's hard to engage the gears. Nobody expected them to still be in service 50 years later.

 

[1STLS1]

How about 1940s continental? My massey harris in the shed has a 4 cylinder from them but I read that its not a very great engine from them in gas(But the LP ones were good)
I think the other massey harris probably has a same engine or just similar . its also 4 cyl continental

You must be registered for see images attach

I guess the engines were slightly different from the late 40s to the early 50s
There was also a distillate variant but it just had lower compression and power compared to the gas one

Continentals were used in numerous industrial applications after WW2, I believe most fork lift brands used the same engines, with 5.65 to 1 compression, they were pretty bullet proof until they lost compression and lacked the vacuum signal to run a gas carb correctly. A LP engine will last at least twice as long as a gas engine due to the gas washing the oil away from the cylinder walls and over time wearing the bores out. LP gas is a much cleaner fuel and it's air fuel ratio isn't as critical. A gasoline forklift may start seeing signs the engine is worn out as early as 3500 hours were a 7000 hour propane engine will often have the same compression as new.

 

[1STLS1]

It's not a Ford. At least I don't think it is. My Dad has had a couple old 40's Ford Tractors, an 8N and now a 9N. This motor is very different from that one. I really don't know Chrysler flats.

So I did a quick Google search after writing the above, which shows that @1STLS1 is correct, it's a Continental.

I really have very little knowledge of the forklifts life before it came to the shop. I will say that when I came to the shop it ran like crap. A set of points, and carb overhaul and she's been great every since. About due for a new battery right now though. Plenty of power in low range. My only complaint is that the main transmission will sometimes jump into gear, so if left to idle, I always make sure to shift both the main and sub-transmission to neutral and of course set the hand brake.

Pop the cap off the distributor and move the shaft from side to side and see how much play there is in it. I want to say I have purchased new bronze bushings for them from Tractor Supply in the bulk bushing drawer I drilled the center out to make it fit the shaft. It should run out ok in high, almost be too fast for what it is

 

[SirRobyn0]

Pop the cap off the distributor and move the shaft from side to side and see how much play there is in it. I want to say I have purchased new bronze bushings for them from Tractor Supply in the bulk bushing drawer I drilled the center out to make it fit the shaft. It should run out ok in high, almost be too fast for what it is

Yes it'll do that. I can run it so fast it's scary for what it is. No real guess on speed, but with no suspension and a rough pavement parking lot you can get it bouncing around to the point where I'm hanging on and letting off the gas. Yes, she'll get speed up in high without a hitch running good. Pulling a car in low range sometimes I wish it was geared a little lower. It's got the power to drag a 5K truck don't get me wrong but to keep it in the power band, for example pulling around the sharp corner into the shop I have to slip the clutch more than I'd like. If I had a gear lower I wouldn't have to slip the clutch so much.

Used it today but it was in high stress situation (so no pics) we had a car that needed to go out (customer waiting) and a new tech in training we hired didn't know that the chain to open the door with would come off the wheel up at the top of the door if you let it go slack when opening. So he tossed it off the wheel. I grabbed a pallet, put it on the folks of the forklift, and ran one of the guys I trust not to do anything stupid up on it to put the chain back on the wheel. Forklift extended as high as it will go will put the wheel about eye level. So it's pretty high. He got the job done and the folk lift fired right up and did just what we needed.

 

[1STLS1]

Pulling a car in low range sometimes I wish it was geared a little lower. It's got the power to drag a 5K truck don't get me wrong but to keep it in the power band, for example pulling around the sharp corner into the shop I have to slip the clutch more than I'd like. If I had a gear lower I wouldn't have to slip the clutch so much.

Used it today but it was in high stress situation (so no pics) we had a car that needed to go out (customer waiting) and a new tech in training we hired didn't know that the chain to open the door with would come off the wheel up at the top of the door if you let it go slack when opening. So he tossed it off the wheel. I grabbed a pallet, put it on the folks of the forklift, and ran one of the guys I trust not to do anything stupid up on it to put the chain back on the wheel. Forklift extended as high as it will go will put the wheel about eye level. So it's pretty high. He got the job done and the folk lift fired right up and did just what we needed.

 

[1STLS1]

A forklift is designed for lifting things, not pushing or pulling. In your situation, you will kill the clutch, on a automatic or hydraulic transmission one you will flatten the torque converter fins and ultimately wipe out the trans. Just an FYI

They make inexpensive cages that mount to the forks, please get one and use it. A person standing on a pallet, 20 feet in the air, unsecured, is an accident waiting to happen. It's far less expensive that one accident.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07S89YYZ7/

 

[SirRobyn0]

A forklift is designed for lifting things, not pushing or pulling. In your situation, you will kill the clutch, on a automatic or hydraulic transmission one you will flatten the torque converter fins and ultimately wipe out the trans. Just an FYI

They make inexpensive cages that mount to the forks, please get one and use it. A person standing on a pallet, 20 feet in the air, unsecured, is an accident waiting to happen. It's far less expensive that one accident.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07S89YYZ7/

Obviously I understand what a folklift is designed for. It's not like I'm running a wrecking yard pulling cars all day long. It's more like once a week.

I also totally agree on the cage / pallet thing, it honestly scares me and I'm not the one going up! In the 5 years I've been there this is the second time we have had to do that, and in the moment there wasn't really any other choice, I understand the safety concern and don't make a habit of it. With that said I did not know they make cages for forklifts. Typically I've had a lighting company come in once a year to replace any needed lights in the shop, if the guys will agree to doing it ourselves I'll order a cage it'll then it'll pay for itself the first time we use it, so I can justify the cost to the owner. You know how that goes....

 

[AuroraGirl]

Well since you gotta be such a hard a$$ His nick name is forky pig.

so what are the odds I just visited my dad today and he has a forklift of the same make, with a flathead 4, propane, and its about the same vintage. The forklift is more of the exit/enter only from one side and the controls are all to the "right" while the tank and the engine are on the "left" side of the forklift.