Seabee forklift

[Oldfart]

Where do I go to start a thread about Seabee Forklifts?

 

[DieselAddict]

Here. This looks like a generator only section but its not.

 

[Oldfart]

Here. This looks like a generator only section but its not.

Thanks for the response. Good to know. Besides the Seabees forklift I just scored, I have a couple of White diesel powered trailer mounted pumps, an Air Force skid mounted generator along with a generator/welder powered by a Wis. 4V engine. I need to get them all running.

 

[Oldfart]

Navy Seabee Forklift

I have managed to buy from Government Auction a 1978 Navy Seabee Forklift. It is an Allis Chalmers ACP 60 B. So far I know I need a new steer wheel sized for a 7.50 X 10 tire and cylinder seals for the lift mast. Quick calls around the Denver area only gets me hummmm... for answers. Anyone know of a source for parts for one of these?

 

[Bmxenbrett]

What kind of tire shops are you calling? You will most likely need to call a equipment anf truck tire place.

 

[Oldfart]

I made a run at forklift sales and repair facilities. Tires are not a problem. One of the steer wheels (split rim) is all cobbled up. It has had parts of the center of both halves welded together rather poorly. It appears the rim got partially torn from the hub. The hub is missing a stud, but the ring with the studs that bolt the halves together is fine. There does not appear to be any damage to any of the studs. Don't know if all that was replaced along with the welding repair or what. I spent Friday calling around Denver and by the time I started calling out of town. Shops on the east coast were closed. Found a potential shop in California and by the time I called them the parts man had already gone home. I can't believe Allis Chalmers did more than build their forklifts with as much off the shelf parts as they could. Especially with things like engines, wheels, hubs, cylinders etc.

 

[Oldfart]

Forgot to mention that the poor welding job is such that the two rim halves do not pull together all the way. Over welding and rim distortion make for about an 1/8 inch gap. This makes a couple of the lock nuts not really lock nuts.

 

[Guyfang]

You need to list the equipment, model numbers, NSN's and any info you have, so people can start to get ramped up. I would start a thread for each piece of equipment. Easier to keep things straight.

 

[Oldfart]

I used to have a list of my stuff with my avatar, but it got long and seemed sort of boasting so I streamlined it. Makes sense to start a thread about each unit as I start to get it up and running though. I did start threads about our XM-791's, but that project has gotten put on very slow while I heal up from my second knee replacement. I know I am feeling better when I run out and start bidding on military stuff again. East Coast should be coming to like right now, so I am about to get on the phone looking for parts. Thanks for the advice.

 

[Oldfart]

Found a forklift wheel shop in Virginia. They will custom manufacture a wheel for $65. Wheels and Hubs of Emory at least knew the dimensions of the wheel and what I was talking about. Others kept saying their parts books did not go back that far. ~~~ Photo of the welded wheel attached.

 

[AMTAK]

https://www.liftpartswarehouse.com/

 

[Oldfart]

Thanks for the lead. Of all the places I called this was not one of them. I will contact.

 

[Another Ahab]

Where do I go to start a thread about Seabee Forklifts?

I'm totally on-board here:

- Subscribed.

 

[Another Ahab]

Found a forklift wheel shop in Virginia. They will custom manufacture a wheel for $65. Wheels and Hubs of Emory at least knew the dimensions of the wheel and what I was talking about. Others kept saying their parts books did not go back that far. ~~~ Photo of the welded wheel attached.

A custom wheel is $65, that's it?

How can you say no?!

 

[Oldfart]

A custom wheel is $65, that's it?

How can you say no?!

At that price I will order two wheels. I have the suggested link looking for wheels and seals for the lift cylinders. They said they will call me with what they can find for available parts.

 

[Another Ahab]

I'm not guessing that there are a lot of USN installations in the glorious mountain state of Colorado, but who knows?

Do you have any idea what is the background of your forklift, where it served (Southern CA?), etc.?

 

[Oldfart]

Actually, we have several Navy facilities here in Colorado. Most notable is Buckley Naval Air Station. It used to be out on the plains east of Denver, and now it is surrounded by Aurora. However, to your point about the history of the forklift, we know so far that it came out of a National Parks facility in Grant N.M. My assumption is that they picked it up from Navy surplus which would have been free of cost other than transport. The nearest likely Naval facility to Grant N.M. would be something around southern California, but the Seabees were deployed all over the world during the time frame of the forklift. There is some white stenciling on the back of the forklift that seems to indicate it was part of DET 8. There are lots of letters that must stand for some organizational positioning, but I have yet to research what all that could mean. I would guess that if it was overseas somewhere, they would have likely left it there rather than haul it home. I think some careful sanding is called for to try to make out the stenciling.

 

[Another Ahab]

The nearest likely Naval facility to Grant N.M. would be something around southern California, but the Seabees were deployed all over the world during the time frame of the forklift. There is some white stenciling on the back of the forklift that seems to indicate it was part of DET 8. There are lots of letters that must stand for some organizational positioning, but I have yet to research what all that could mean. I would guess that if it was overseas somewhere, they would have likely left it there rather than haul it home. I think some careful sanding is called for to try to make out the stenciling.

Thanks, Oldfart, and certainly not asking for any information from you unless you would be looking into it for your own interest.

It's always fun to know the "family" history of the Old Iron, but only incidentally to whatever you have planned for your MV's.

 

[Oldfart]

We dig for the history on all that we have. Some are just harder than others to find out anything. My son bought a 5 ton dump from Government Liquidation. It was on a facility near San Francisco. All we could learn was that it was FOI. It would appear some shipped out unit did not take it with them when they deployed. On the other hand our M220 had quite a bit we could learn about it's 55 years in military service. My daughters M43 is another mystery. We got it from a guy in Las Cruces, NM who got it from a neighbor who moved away. He had no idea about any history. It has the Marine style lift attachments welded to the bumpers so we assumed it was a marine unit that had been repainted in a civilian attempt at camo. We found the regular data plate had been removed and a marine I.D number plate added. Makes us think it was one of those dog robber deals where the Marines got it from some other branch. There is a name scratched on the window frame drivers side which is next to impossible to track to any military unit. It has bullet holes on one side and in the rear door that look like it was trying to leave an area of gunfire. Really would like to learn more about her ambulance.

 

[Another Ahab]

They all got stories, even the ones that never let "home".