| This is the father-in-laws forklift, a Baker/York we converted to a Chevrolet 350 and turbo 400 transmission. We have been using it to set up, take down and load out at his auctions for nearly a decade. It does have some cooling issues but adding a heater core with a fan and doubling the electric fans on the tractor has helped. So did flushing the mouse nest out of the 1954 Chevrolet sedan radiator we use. Basically the counter weight blocks a little too much and once the motor heats that steel on hot days we see some overheating. Lucky for us we can kick the electric fans on and thermal circulation brings it back down fast. The next step is a deck mounted radiator from a stationary oil field motor, that will keep it cool but finding the time to pull her out of operation is difficult. The jackshaft and down gearing with a chain is an idea that might bring many an old machine back to life with modern power. It was simpler to do and has worked harder that anyone could have hoped. I will say that we first tried direct drive and for a short while had the fastest and scariest machine around. |
