Seabee forklift

[Oldfart]

The old "boondockers", remember them well.

Frankly those were the only shoes that fit me very well. I got a pair when I joined the ROTC in college. Found out then that my military foot size was 10 1/2 DDDD. The PX at Fitzimmons Hospital where we did most of our shopping would stick me in a pair of 11 E shoes. Civilian shoe stores would move me to 12 D, but even those were tight around my toes. I have a high instep as well so finding anything to fit is difficult. I used to think I was just not too well coordinated until I learned I was tripping over the toes of shoes too long for my foot. I went barefoot as much and as long as I could (Still do.) ~~ As to the forklift, I have ordered up a new ignition switch. I have done all sorts of computer searching for what the original switch was like and can find nothing. Might have been military style with just a lever and no key, but finding nothing for a guide and knowing the machine will not be shedded, I went searching for something weather resistant. Also decided we needed a removable key since we won't be posting a sentry with an M4. It seems no one in the Denver Metro area stocks anything any more. Found a Cole Hersee 4 position ignition switch rated as weather resistant (95060-50). It has a plastic body with O ring seals and water tight wiring loom. The key has a hood that fits over the barrel of the switch to keep moisture away from the tumblers. They make a plastic cover that fits under the outer bulkhead mounting nut. It can snap over the switch when the key is removed. https://www.finditparts.com/product...=submitted&utm_medium=email&utm_source=orders

 

[Another Ahab]

I went searching for something weather resistant. Also decided we needed a removable key since we won't be posting a sentry with an M4. It seems no one in the Denver Metro area stocks anything any more. Found a Cole Hersee 4 position ignition switch rated as weather resistant (95060-50). It has a plastic body with O ring seals and water tight wiring loom. The key has a hood that fits over the barrel of the switch to keep moisture away from the tumblers. They make a plastic cover that fits under the outer bulkhead mounting nut. It can snap over the switch when the key is removed.

That key switch is a nice find.

That internet will drive you nuts, because on the one-hand it opens up your search capability a quantum jump, but then you also always wonder what you might be missing just because your search terms MIGHT be missing one key term.

 

[Oldfart]

That key switch is a nice find.

That internet will drive you nuts, because on the one-hand it opens up your search capability a quantum jump, but then you also always wonder what you might be missing just because your search terms MIGHT be missing one key term.

So true. There are large search differences between "weather resistant", "weather proof", "water tight" and "water proof" when added to "ignition switch". Adding terms like "marine", "military" and "shielded" bring a whole new dimension to results. ~~~ I made a jab on my last trip to an auto parts store, telling them they had a good location to open up a parts store. That was over the wheel studs. All they stocked for wheel studs was three different types of 9/16th inch studs and only 1 to 3 of each in their inventory. And they had to try to find them by application. Counter help frequently has no idea what the part even does. When I showed the counter man the stud I wanted, he asked the application and he really floundered when I told him it was a 1978 Allis Chalmers ACP 60 B forklift. When I get asked the "for what vehicle" question with the follow on "which engine", standard or automatic, etc. I usually add that it has brown leather upholstery like that made a difference.

 

[Another Ahab]

When I showed the counter man the stud I wanted, he asked the application and he really floundered when I told him it was a 1978 Allis Chalmers ACP 60 B forklift. When I get asked the "for what vehicle" question with the follow on "which engine", standard or automatic, etc. I usually add that it has brown leather upholstery like that made a difference.

Well, it doesn't of course, but it sure identifies you as a funny man with a sense of humor!

 

[rtk]

In the OLDEN days, before BIG BOX parts stores , it was pretty much a MOM AND POP BUSINESS , with the parts counter up front and a machine shop out back . The parts counter actually had people who knew their inventory and what you needed . Pretty much all gone in my area . There I feel better after my rant . That is going to be a nice highlow once you get the kinks worked out .

 

[Another Ahab]

We're lucky.

We got a killer group of franchised Ace Hardware Stores here in the D.C area called "Strohsniders".

Strohsniders is a cross between the Mom-and-Pop model and the Big Box model. I think they are up to something like (3) area stores now.

It is TOTALLY killer!

 

[Oldfart]

In the OLDEN days, before BIG BOX parts stores , it was pretty much a MOM AND POP BUSINESS , with the parts counter up front and a machine shop out back . The parts counter actually had people who knew their inventory and what you needed . Pretty much all gone in my area . There I feel better after my rant . That is going to be a nice highlow once you get the kinks worked out .

My turn to rant. I just got my second tracking number for the same order. Since I could not find my part locally anywhere in the Denver Metro Area, I decided to shop online. I found the best price I could from an online store and while at it I ordered an ATO fuse holder (actually available locally) so as to increase my order and help average down the cost of shipping. It turns out the two items ordered together are actually being shipped from different parts of the country. I suppose I should not complain as the cost to me remains the same, but what a waste of effort. One item is being shipped by UPS and the other by FedEx. I did get a shipping discount as the cost of both is the same as one alone would have been. It seems clear now that my purchase has been made from an Amazon like vendor who does not stock, but simply drop ships. ~~~~ Oh for the days of Mom and Pop parts houses. We used to have a 24/7 parts house in lower downtown Denver that stocked everything. Nuts, bolts, even complete engines. There was many a Saturday or Sunday night I made the trip for some part I needed to get my jalopy running again. Toward the end of their existence, they added a small surcharge to out of normal business hours transactions (nights and Sundays). It was annoying, but understandable. I do also understand the costs of space and wages have driven many businesses to streamline their inventory by reducing the numbers of SKU's. Particularly in the auto parts business the advent of the Internet has caused price competition that squeezes profit margins to where it makes no sense to stock slow moving items. I understand it, I just don't like it.

 

[Oldfart]

We're lucky.

We got a killer group of franchised Ace Hardware Stores here in the D.C area called "Strohsniders".

We used to have a really good True Value hardware store near us. Our area used to be rural, and we have watched it grow to suburban and now city. Our farm is surrounded by houses. The True Value grew from a small main street store front to a pretty good sized store in a shopping center. When Home Depot and Lowes both came to town they closed their doors. Nobody in town stocks coal shovels and the like anymore. After the initial discounts of their merchandise, I bought up what was left of all their stainless nuts bolts and screws along with the vending bins they were in. Several years later, one of those intersection based shopping centers got built to the north of us of a mile and a half. A really good Ace Hardware opened up there. Turns out it was the son of the guy that had the True Value in Parker. They lasted about 3 years and they folded when their lease about doubled due to property tax increases. There too, I bought up all the left over automotive stuff like fuel hose, fuses, towing hardware etc. Oddly, both of those hardware stores actually had competitive prices, yet the big box home improvement stores took most of the business. And the hardware stores both provided helpful staff that knew something.

 

[Another Ahab]

We used to have a really good True Value hardware store near us. Oddly, both of those hardware stores actually had competitive prices, yet the big box home improvement stores took most of the business. And the hardware stores both provided helpful staff that knew something.

THAT is the big selling point of the Strohsnider stores. The staff knows their stuff.

 

[Oldfart]

THAT is the big selling point of the Strohsnider stores. The staff knows their stuff.

I think that's the only way smaller stores can survive. Good customer service and knowledged staff.

 

[Oldfart]

So..., My new, new ignition switch arrived by UPS today. After having a chance at some first hand touch and feel, I think I am pleased with my purchase. It seems like a robust switch. Obviously built for exposed applications. Key only removes in the off position. Spring return from start to ign/acc and firm detent in each switch position. Water tight wire loom connection with a thermo plastic knurled nut for the dash panel surface and a plated brass nut for the back of the dash panel. The hole for the key switch through the dash panel is 1" with a flat on one side. The key switch has flats on opposite sides of the key barrel that are 3/4" apart and the barrel is just a hair under 7/8". Essentially made for a 7/8" dash panel hole with parallel flats. Right now, I am thinking about fabricating a spacer to move the key barrel to the flat side of the hole. the spacer would look like a crescent moon. ~~~ Yet to arrive is the ATO fuse holder with fuse. As you can see from the attached photos, the old cigarette style fuse holder is so aged and weathered that it broke apart when I tried to remove the fuse to install the first attempt at ignition switch repair. The fuse is between the ignition switch accessory pole and the push pull panel switch that is supposed to run the lights. The mast light is missing, but the wires are in place. The only other light seems to be the stop light on the rear and maybe some instrument lights.

 

[Oldfart]

Went to the farm for a bit today and decided to install the new key switch. I sanded the dash panel some to get rid of the surface rust and slopped on some of the OD we had mixed up earlier. It was hot and the fork lift dash was in the direct sunlight. Paint was trying to dry while I brushed it on. Rummaged through my buckets of old washers and shims looking for something thin enough to cover the hole in the dash without making the mounting nuts impossible to thread on. I ran across a couple of rubber washer/shim/mounting pad things that were the right size to cover the hole in the dash and both with the right inner diameter hole for the switch. When I got it all together I find there is a bit of spin possible as there is only one flat on the switch barrel against the flat on the hole through the dash panel. I may have to go back and make the new moon shaped filler after all. Still, unless I really twist into start hard, the switch will stay put. some photos of the 93 degree direct sunlight work. I left sweaty handprints on everything I touched.

 

[Oldfart]

Going to take a break from playing with our forklift so we can help double the population of Wyoming during the solar eclipse. Colorado (CDOT) estimates between 500K and 600K cars will be moving out of the State toward the totality line through Wyoming and Nebraska. Closest spot to the Denver Metro Area Is Glendo Wyoming right on I25. Normally a 3 hour drive, but CDOT expects massive traffic delays. Good thing I have adult children to tend the farm while I am gone. Heard about a rancher a little farther along I25 who is renting out spots to park a camper or what ever for $35 a day. I went looking for some of those cheap viewing glasses, but... no luck. We scrounged the shop for every welding goggle and helmet we have instead.

 

[Another Ahab]

Going to take a break from playing with our forklift so we can help double the population of Wyoming during the solar eclipse. Colorado (CDOT) estimates between 500K and 600K cars will be moving out of the State toward the totality line through Wyoming and Nebraska. Closest spot to the Denver Metro Area Is Glendo Wyoming right on I25. Normally a 3 hour drive, but CDOT expects massive traffic delays. Good thing I have adult children to tend the farm while I am gone. Heard about a rancher a little farther along I25 who is renting out spots to park a camper or what ever for $35 a day. I went looking for some of those cheap viewing glasses, but... no luck. We scrounged the shop for every welding goggle and helmet we have instead.

You don't need the glasses.

Two sheets of white "shirt" cardboard, and you can see the whole thing. Just a pin-hole in one and hold that sheet over the second sheet and the image will project on to the lower/ second sheet.

It's not about "seeing" that, anyway.

It's more about just being outside when it happens. Very magical. Very cool.

I've only witnessed one. When I was a kid. The silence is what I remember most. All the birds just stop singing. Completely. It's a trip, a real trip.

 

[Oldfart]

You don't need the glasses.

Two sheets of white "shirt" cardboard, and you can see the whole thing. Just a pin-hole in one and hold that sheet over the second sheet and the image will project on to the lower/ second sheet.

It's not about "seeing" that, anyway.

It's more about just being outside when it happens. Very magical. Very cool.

I've only witnessed one. When I was a kid. The silence is what I remember most. All the birds just stop singing. Completely. It's a trip, a real trip.

We went to the Wind River Indian Reservation Casino to view the eclipse. The hotel there had a couple of complimentary viewing glasses as a part of the room. I had taken a 6 foot long box to make a viewing box (cut a hole and tape aluminum foil over the hole then make a pin hole in that while also cutting a viewing hole in the side near the far end of box where you place a sheet of white paper to catch the image). Did not do that, but stacked various welding lenses to give us the right amount of darkening. As the light waned, we would pull a lens out to make it easier to see. My son managed some photos directly on his cell phone, but the parallax reflection was the best image. There was a very high thin cloud in the way. Hard to see it in the bright sunlight, but as the light faded, the cloud became more apparent. Our dogs did not seem to be bothered at all, but the birds started chirping as the eclipse started in and then they fell silent as it got darker. My sis and her family decided to view the event from their home near Grand Lake, CO where the eclipse was about 93%. The shared a welding helmet and then viewed the image on the concrete of their patio through the filter of pine needles and then Aspen leaves and finally a couple of colanders. We did not measure the temperature drop, but my sis's family did and it was 14 degrees. You are right, it isn't just about seeing the image, but the whole experience. I was probably the most impressed by the corona. I had hoped to see the shadow waves, but I think the thin cloud probably hid that from our view. There were people sitting in their cars watching and for some reason when it got dark their headlights came on. The smartest thing we did on the whole outing was to spend the night following at the casino, thereby avoiding the traffic jam on I25 as all the Coloradoans were trying to depart Wyoming at the same time. Glendo is normally 3 to 4 hours out of Denver (add another hour for coming from Casper) and for most it was a 10 to 12 hour drive. On top of that my son and his wife managed to turn a $2 investment in a slot machine into a little over $102 payout. Arrive home to messages from the vendor about my fuse holder having trouble finding its way to me. At least if there is a real problem, it is a part I can get locally.

 

[Oldfart]

Got my ATO fuse holder the other day. Vendor called worried about it's delivery leaving a message. I called back telling them it had arrived. FedEx seems to have trouble finding us. Never mind the daily traffic count past our farm is 70K cars a day, farms just don't seem to compute when surrounded by City. Went to the farm this afternoon and did a quick install of the fuse holder. It is between the key switch accessory terminal and the push/pull switch for lights. After I got it wired in, I looked for tail light and had none. Could be the bulb and it could be it is only a brake light. Since I was solo, I could not push the brake pedal and stand behind to check the light at the same time, I decided I would go through the light system at a later date. The mast light is missing altogether, but those are the only two lights on the whole forklift. ~~ While I was at it, I did some investigation on the rough running engine that got so bad it died in the driveway and had to be towed back behind the barn. Fuel gage is stuck on full, and peering in the tank shows what looks like enough fuel to start and run. However, today when I turned the key to run, the electric fuel pump ran on indicating it was sucking air. Added 5 gallons which is what we put in when we first drained the tank and added fresh gas. Thinking that we certainly could not have used 5 gallons already. The pump ran for a bit until it got back pressure and shut off. I assume the pickup in the tank is far enough above the bottom that it took quite a bit of that first 5 gallons to get the level high enough for the pump to get some fuel. In any case it seems to run fine now. The fuel system is sort of a hodge poge of make do. The single action mechanical pump is still in place, but bypassed. Fuel line comes out the top of the tank with a hard line and goes to a glass sediment bowl that just hangs free in the air. Hard line goes from the sediment bowl to and electric fuel pump with a built in filter. That just lays on top of the clutch and then a rubber line runs over to the carb where it connects to another hard line. We plan on getting the mechanical pump back in the system and cleaning up the plumbing. My assumption is that either the mechanical pump failed or they were having some vapor lock and installed the electric to avoid the problem. Even yet, the fuel lines are too close to the exhaust manifold with out shielding or insulation. Attaching a few photos of the new fuse etc. and the engine running again.

 

[Oldfart]

trying a longer video of the engine running.

 

[Oldfart]

trying a longer video of the engine running.

Looks like the file is too large to upload. The small one got sent instead.

 

[Oldfart]

I took some time to recode the cell phone movie so it was a smaller file. Looks like it will upload. So glad our pig in a poke forklift has a good engine. Do wish the mast cylinders would have been OK as well. But.... life and online bidding are what they are!

 

[Oldfart]

I found a movie floating around on my cell phone that shows the Forklift mast light wiring and a spot where the light should be. That and the tail light assembly. Took me most of the day to get the movie modified so it would upload to SS. ~~ The Forklift engine is running in the background. Thank goodness I am old enough to not be embarrassed over running out of fuel. Although I am now going to check out the fuel pickup location when we re-plumb the fuel system.