Seabee forklift

[Oldfart]

I puttered around with the Seabee forklift some this afternoon. It started fairly easily. Took some choke to get it running and it stumbled around some until it warmed up. My son (Jollyroger) has been doing most of the driving, but since he is off to Elk hunting camp I got to play all by myself. It will take some time to get sharp with the "incher" pedal. Sort of like a clutch, but not quite. That and the rear steering will take some getting used to. Many years ago I ran a fork lift some on a summer job working as a mechanics apprentice for GMC Truck and Coach. It's coming back to me, but that was 60 years ago. My daughter (Ghostdriver) decided to check on her old decrepit father and discovered I was driving around in a swarm of wasps. They had built a nest in the ROPS piping. She sprayed and one of the beasts decided to work my leg over through my socks. ~~~ I determined it had a horn because the horn button does move up and down under the rubber cover and there is a wire exiting the steering column that disappears under the floor board where I have not yet pulled the cover to inspect. I have also determined there was once an emergency brake lever that is missing. Again under the floor board may or may not be the driveshaft drum for the emergency brake. I did get the seat adjustment to free up and slide back and forth. Bad thing is that it was all the way back and my legs and belly are a tight fit to the pedals and steering wheel. I think I might shim the seat up an inch and back an inch for more leg room to get to the pedals. ~~ The other thing I determined is that the forklift was load tested at 1 1/2 times the 6000# rated capacity on 12-15-80 by the Navy at APW SF Bay. So that would put the forklift probably at Treasure Island in 1980. I think that is the same time frame that Naval Construction Battalion 3 was running the place. ~~~ I think we will have to really go through the carb. I notice it really lugs the engine going up our entrance ramp to the farm. Of course the auto trans does not do a whole lot of retarding going down hill. It takes a while for the engine to feel like it is warmed up in spite of the temperature gauge. And I never saw the transmission temperature gauge change. Suspect it is not working as it shows about ambient all the time. Ghostdriver snapped a few photos of me behind the wheel.

 

[Oldfart]

Ran to the farm this afternoon to drop off some surplus I picked up at Ft. Carson earlier this week. While there, I decided to brake out my old multi-meter to see if I had 12 volts to the rear stop/tail lamp. I checked voltage from the new key switch, through the new fuse and then out of the old light pull switch. All showed 12 volts. Went to the rear lamp itself and removed the lens cover to check the bulb. I discovered 12 volts in the bulb socket and a resistance check showed the bulb filaments open. While I was at it, I removed the larger floorboard panel and determined that there was indeed a horn as well as a driveshaft brake drum. It appears the emergency brake mechanism is all inside the brake drum. What seems to be missing is the emergency break lever and cable assembly. The horn and horn relay are in place and the wiring is attached, so the no sound problem should be solvable. I checked our shop for a replacement 1157 bulb and it seems someone had used up my stock and left old burned out bulbs. Had to run to the parts store so I opted to get some LED replacements. Installed the LED replacement in a red color. Since I was alone again, I did not check the stop portion of the rear lamp. I need a mirror or the multi-meter connected to the correct wire to check the stop lamp on my own. Easier to wait for my son to get back from hunting camp. Some more photos attached:

 

[Another Ahab]

I checked our shop for a replacement 1157 bulb and it seems someone had used up my stock and left old burned out bulbs. Had to run to the parts store so I opted to get some LED replacements.

Not exactly thoughtful, but it is a sign that someone WAS there.

 

[Oldfart]

Some photos of the drive shaft brake drum and the horn assembly under the floor board.

 

[Oldfart]

Not exactly thoughtful, but it is a sign that someone WAS there.



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I used to let some of my son's friends use our shop. Problem was not my son's friends, but some of the friends, friends. Lost tools (including a hydraulic tubing bender with dies up to 2" tube.) Open a tool box drawer and find a Snap-on wrench missing or replaced with a Proto or Mack tool. Fortunately I did not have room in the shop for the stainless nuts and bolts I bought at a hardware store that went out of business, but my stocks of fuses, spare bulbs, crimp wire ends and the like are sorely depleted. Ever since I got in the car business, I have kept spares of those kinds of parts so I could keep a line of used cars ready for sale without having to run for parts all the time. ~~~ I sure would like to find Kilroy's buddy.

 

[Oldfart]

I managed to visit the farm today and my son gave me a hand checking the stoplight operation. Turns out the tail light operates off the push/pull switch on the dash that is powered by the accessory/run positions on the ignition switch. The stop light that I could not check without a mirror or someone to push the pedal, operates from the run position (and maybe the start). I notice pulsation of the LED tail and stop light that matches the pulse of the electric fuel pump. Leaving the light switch on, and starting the forklift we found out the tail lights go out on the start position. Did not check to see if the stop light works with the key in start position. I know someone wired the fuel pump to operate off the coil, so it would operate in the run and start positions. ~~ took a video, but can't get it to upload. I will post again when I get it converted to something acceptable to the system.

 

[Another Ahab]

I managed to visit the farm today and my son gave me a hand checking the stoplight operation. Turns out the tail light operates off the push/pull switch on the dash that is powered by the accessory/run positions on the ignition switch. The stop light that I could not check without a mirror or someone to push the pedal, operates from the run position (and maybe the start). I notice pulsation of the LED tail and stop light that matches the pulse of the electric fuel pump.

Hey, Oldfart, just for record GENERAL makes a killer mirror (WITH lights), and I know I've seen (somewhere) a device that can be used as a substitute Soldier B for depressing a brake pedal. If I can find that I'll post it here.

https://www.generaltools.com/hand-t...scoping-lighted-rectangular-inspection-mirror​

 

[Another Ahab]

Hey, Oldfart, just for record GENERAL makes a killer mirror (WITH lights), and I know I've seen (somewhere) a device that can be used as a substitute Soldier B for depressing a brake pedal. If I can find that I'll post it here.

Maybe you already know about these, but anyway here (found one):

http://www.lislecorp.com/divisions/products/?product=91​

 

[Oldfart]

So, ... it took a while to find a file format I could get small enough to get uploaded. That, and I trimmed the length to a third and shifted to only 25 frames per second. (Ahab) We have the telescoping mirror in our shop, but as previously mentioned, the mirror has been broken out by our "friends". Actually, my son and I consider it a bonding experience when we do these things together so that's my excuse and I am sticking to it. ~~ The trimmed portion of the video we went ahead and started the forklift. It is still blowing crap out of the radiator fins and the exhaust still smells a bit like old gas. The more we run it the better it gets. The video clip had the stuff blowing out of the radiator, but I could not capture the smell. ~~ I wish we had the mast cylinders seals replaced. We got a call to help our Military Vehicle Collectors Club move some heavy stuff from one members machinery building to another's truck and trailer. We used our JD 250 skid steer in the background of the stoplight video clip instead. It worked, but lifting the front bumper of the Coleman tug to clear the rear of their trailer would have been a lot easier with a real forklift.

 

[Oldfart]

I managed to reduce the file size of the last part of the previous video clip to where it would upload to SS. New key switch is working great.