Forklift engine change

[Mike4]

I have a (*&^(*) petrol engine in a forklift which I am exploring the change to diesel .
Sick of pampering this piece of crap each time it has to be started , with all of the usual petrol engine joys , plugs , points and general farting about.

Diesel starts quicker and will run for months without having to spend time and money every couple of weeks,

Has anyone done this or know of someone who has?

My patience with petrol engines has ended.Its a Mitsubishi industrial 4B something.

Cutting it up with the plasma will be NICE!!!!

I want reliability not pretty .
Michael

[KBs PensNmore]

Mike, that's why they're called Bitsumissin!!!!! Any motor could be fitted into anything, just have a look at U TUBE, to see some of the way out conversions done there.
The hardest part would be to come up with an adapter plate/bell-housing to do the job and a bit of electrics modification, adding a glow plug warmer doohickey, the fuel shut off solenoid, etc.
Have you a motor in mind? Check out the diesels in Pajero's, could be a bolt in job.
The question I would ask myself, is it worth more to fix it or get another? If it's going to cost 5 K to fix and at present it's worth 3 K, I'd look at spending the 8 K on another one. Where I came up with that price is for a decent motor, manufacture of adapter plate if a bell housings not available
Bob Ward has fitted a Celica 5 speed behind the Hudson motor, he might be the best contact, if he doesn't chime in here. There is a write up on it here somewhere!
Kryn

[Mike4]

I will be making and adaptor plate which bolts to the existing equipment in the machine , basically a flat plate with holes drilled and tapped to join the two sections together .

The hard part is finding a readily available industrial motor (cummins or similar ) that will fit in the space , the electrical bits are not difficult .
I will be changing the reverse beeper switch mounting position as it is cirrently under the floor and of the machine is working in the rain the reverse switch either stays on or wont work due to water ingress into the non draining mounting currently fitted .
I will more it off the drive unit and fit it to the direction control lever some where under the dash.

This will be a chance to remove some ( in my opinion ) poorly designed attachments and mount them in different ways to make servicing easier .

The biggest one id engine oil change and filter mounting .

Spin on filters should be mounted to have the bottom pointing down not horizontal so that oil dribbles over everything , as well as fitting a hydraulic driven fan for the radiator , then the only belt will be the alternator.

Michael

[snapatap]

your fork should have a SAE bell housing, so it should be just a case of adapting the flywheel and making mounts. The problem is good 2nd hand small diesels are hard to find and a new motor would be $7-10000. I have a 3.5T hyster that i am going to replace the 6cyl flathead continental with a 4cyl isuzu diesel. The gas motor is really reliable, it just so gutless it stalls all the time.

[Mike4]

I may have a 3.0 litre turbocharged diesel , just needs the electronic crap disabled in the fuel pump and in it goes.

Michael

[Mike4]

Further to the forklift enging swap, definately diesel now as exchange petrol engines available require ECU,and other electronics which defeats the idea of a straight swap in the maximum of two day down time .

I think that $40-50 k for a good 2.5 tol diesel is looking attractive as everyone that I have approached wants to do the swap , not supply the complete engine and take a couple of weeks , and they will charge accordinly.

Michael

[Com_VC]

Any competent auto electrician should be able to sort out the wiring side of things so you end up with something that is plug and play.

[Mike4]

Even finding one to wire spotlights that keep working is impossible , ( speaking from experience).

Many cant think outside the usual poser train of thought, everything only has to last twelve months according to a few of them , I expect a set of lights to be operational for the time that I have the vehicle , barring accidents.

Michael