Forklift information?

[WizeOne]

Just in the off-chance someone here has some knowledge/experience I need some information for my old Hyster Forklift. I believe it is an early 60's model YE62, with some sort of 4 cyl flathead, probably a continental engine.

This forklift sits inside a vented 40 ft shipping container but it still gets a lot of condensation during the winter. I only use the forklift about every six weeks but the environment is murder on the points and makes it hard to start. So I set about to convert the Delco Dizzy to a Pertronix Ignitor. Before I do it, I need to know the timing specs so I can reset after the Pertronix install. I also need to find out what the reference points are otherwise I will have to go thru the top dead center of #1 routine to establish it.

I took a timing light out to see if it showed anything on the crank pulley or front cover but could determine nothing.

I've tried to google the forklift model to no avail so if anyone has any info sources, I'd be beholdin'.

 

[DJ]

Re: Forklift information?

I took a timing light out to see if it showed anything on the crank pulley or front cover but could determine nothing.

.

You're going to have to figure that out, sooner or later. otherwise a timing spec. is useless.

 

[Caveman Charlie]

Re: Forklift information?

The company is still in buisness. Have you tried contacting your local dealer?

http://hyster.com/americas/en-US

 

[WizeOne]

Re: Forklift information?

The company is still in buisness. Have you tried contacting your local dealer?

http://hyster.com/americas/en-US

No I didn't CC. Got ripped off by a Hyster Dealer a number of years ago. I paid them 1K to rebuild the mast cylinder. They said they did the best they could considering all the inards were obsolete. It leaked like a sieve when they were done. I got to figuring it was only a hydraulic cylinder, how complicated can that be. I called an independant hydraulic cylinder business and they had me fixed up in no time. That was 12 years ago and the cylinder still works good.

IMHO, a dealer is out and something tells me that the factory would conveniently not have any information on something that old.

 

[Pierutrus]

Re: Forklift information?

Sounds like time to shop for something newer.
You can throw money...at the old...BUT,
Start shopping.

 

[WizeOne]

Re: Forklift information?

Sounds like time to shop for something newer.
You can throw money...at the old...BUT,
Start shopping.

No reason Pierutrus. It runs like a top and all the 3 stage lift and sideshift work perfectly. Fact is I couldn't even afford to re-purchase this one today so I'm sticking with it. Just trying to make sure it starts easily considering the environment it lives in.

 

[rwise]

Re: Forklift information?

And that old one will do twice the work a new one will do!

 

[bigadam]

Re: Forklift information?

on my old clark i drown the inside of the distributor and the cap with wd-40 and i have not had anymore condensation or corrosion problems with mine... and it sets outside most of the time

 

[WizeOne]

Re: Forklift information?

on my old clark i drown the inside of the distributor and the cap with wd-40 and i have not had anymore condensation or corrosion problems with mine... and it sets outside most of the time

Could do that bigadam, but the Pertronix just gives it hotter fire right out da gate! It'll also fire quicker when the battery gets a little weak from sitting.

 

[Bondo]

Re: Forklift information?

Ayuh,...

I've worked on Very Few forklifts,...
But,...
I've never seen Any motor, that didn't have a Timing Mark on either the front pulley, or the flywheel....
And, Sometimes they're not traditionally timed by a Light,..
I have seen them as only a plug in the flywheel housing that you drop a pin into a hole thru...
Just a WAGuess....

 

[WizeOne]

Re: Forklift information?

There is a generous coating of light rust and light oil residue mixed with condensate on most of the parts. The crank pulley faces rearward and the flywheel is not readily visibible. I shined my timing light down on the crank pulley and could see no solid scribe marks as well as no pointers affixed to the timing gear/chain housing.

Don't really have a straight on vista as it is all pretty close to the radiator.

I'll see if I can locate an independent forklift repair bidna to see if they can supply the info.

 

[Windykid]

Re: Forklift information?

It sounds like it needs a good cleaning first. Then pull Number one and bring it up to TDC. Look for timing marks then. Or mark one with a paint pen. Also most of the flywheel plug set timing have been on diesel engines so the injector timing gets perfect. I havent seen any flathead motors with timing plugs, but I'm still a young wipper snapper.

 

[WizeOne]

Re: Forklift information?

It sounds like it needs a good cleaning first. Then pull Number one and bring it up to TDC. Look for timing marks then. Or mark one with a paint pen. Also most of the flywheel plug set timing have been on diesel engines so the injector timing gets perfect. I havent seen any flathead motors with timing plugs, but I'm still a young wipper snapper.

That's good advice Wk. Then the only missing piece is the initial advance, if any. It is a flathead, possibly an L head, all with a non-vacumm advance distrib. Can't imagine that it runs too far from TDC but I would like to know for sure.

 

[dolluper]

Re: Forklift information?

Well after your last adventure ...back to pertronics eh ......well pull number 1 plug ....pull the dis cap off turn the crank till number one is just hitting on the cap terminal....ifin your on the comp stroke mark your crank {HM}l ....... to line up with someting as a reference point ex like a bolt,,,,you know what I mean eh

 

[WizeOne]

Re: Forklift information?

Well after your last adventure ...back to pertronics eh ......well pull number 1 plug ....pull the dis cap off turn the crank till number one is just hitting on the cap terminal....ifin your on the comp stroke mark your crank {HM}l ....... to line up with someting as a reference point ex like a bolt,,,,you know what I mean eh

Yes, dolluper. Seems like I am a glutton for punishment. Hopefully this Pertronix setup will not have a phasing issue. I did put one of these in my old sixties V8, followed their airgap instuctions (adjustable style, not rivited like my boat unit), never , as of yet, retimed it and it started up in a flash. Was much easier starting all the time.

I did stop by a 'lift truck' business yesterday and they were not sure about my model but did say that the old flathead Continentals usually ran at TDC.

So your suggestion is what I will do. Run #1 up to TDC, on the compression stroke, and make my own timing marks. They did say, however, that the markers could well be on the flywheel end. I have not had a chance to go explore that possibility. I'm really not sure how much visual access I have on that end.