been wanting a forklift for some time now.I could always find uses for them around the house but could never find a great enough deal on one to pull the trigger.Now having just put up a new pole barn I could use one a lot more so I ended up picking up this old clark from a job I was working on.It was last used a year or more ago for odds and ends around a local concrete plant.I cannot seem to find any images close enough to narrow down results yet.I have been searching for a couple hours now at least. First thing I did after unloading it was try to see if it would fire up.Cracked the propane valve open and right away what looks to me like a pressure relief valve just in between the tank and motor starts hissing/leaking.After closing the tank valve ruffly 3 minutes and the hissing goes away. I grabbed a set of jumper cables and jumped a brand new fully charged battery to the dead one on the clark and has a super slow turnover.actually stopping after 1/4 to 1/2 revolution of the crank. Any old clark owners on here? What would cause such a slow crank over? Looks like a generator setup if I'm not mistaken How to identify model/year? Any info greatly appreciated Thank you in advance!!
That can instrument panel was popular with Clark in the 60's, hard to see much from that view, but I am guessing a C30 with a flathead 4 continental, maybe a Y112 engine. Jumping a stone dead battery won't give you a good crank, the jumper cables no matter how good just aren't up to it. Could also have some rust in the cylinders and they're surely stone dry and squeaky. You need to fix whatever is leaking liquid propane obviously, and get the battery charged if it will or a new one. I would pull the spark plugs and pour in about a tablespoon of Marvel mystery oil or in a pinch some ATF and then gently try to spin her over with the plugs out. You get it spinning easy and the propane system working, verify spark, if it's going to run, it should light right off. Good luck, Lanway
Lanway, Thank you very much Sir for the information you have taken the time to provide me with!! So first thing this morning work called off due to rain so i was on a mission to see if this thing would run. I picked up a new battery,Marvel Mystery oil and a hydrostatic relief valve.Let me tell ya trying to find a relief valve was kinda a pain as I did not know whether to call an equipment dealer or propane dealer.I ended up finding one at a forklift repair shop here local. The lift had a Rego hydrostatic relief valve part number CL6016-10270.I could not find one local without ordering it but the gentlemen at the repair shop said this one would work part number ET08023 made by Total Source so hopefully it won't cause harm. After replacing these couple items i went for the first fire and bam! this little gem runs and sounds like a sewing machine!!! I can't put in words how excited I am right now to have a forklift that I can use around the shop and house.I have a terrible back and this thing is going get lots of use and be a tremendous amount of help with odds and ends. I guess now I will continue to find out model/year etc..... If you were to have purchased this unit what would be the first thing as far as maintenance you would perform.I will do oil change,filters,fluids etc...as soon as I can figure out what I have so I make sure I put the right fluids/parts in it. By the way......paid 100.00 for it
Yay! Actually could be from the fifties, and it might only be rated for 2,000 but I'm leaning towards 3,000. Maybe somebody else will chime in with more recent memories, my forklift days were in the 80's, when I worked on machines like this and even older! Just keep it filled with lubricants and it will run longer than you or I most likely. Cheers :drinkup
Nice buy! I like a good pallet jack, but then you usually pay more than $100 bucks for one. Sure wouldn't hurt to find all the grease zerks and give them as much grease as they need, then again after a few months of use. Same with some spray grease on the joints that don't have zerks. You know it hasn't seen any grease in 20 years most likely, and you'll forget about it after the honeymoon. Watch your head with that. Even a substandard ROPS would give you some warning if you back into something, and protect you from most stuff that might drop on your head.
x2 on the no ROPS!! will be fabbing one up asap! gonna clean it up good and hit all zerks for sure
Thats a cool little lift. It will be real handy on hard surface. Remember the mast sticks above your forks. Pretty common for folks that only occasionally operate forklifts to poke holes or do damage to the structure above, or to garage door or headers when going in or out. Whats with the big exhaust stack on the 210 JD garden tractor in the picture? Is it a racer or puller?
everything I am finding close seems to have two mesh inserts in the side doors.i did come across one pic with one mesh style door but no solid info yet.where does clark put the serial numbers on these old gems?
The 210 is my bone stock chrome stacked summer yard mower... mows ruffly 1/4 acre once a week.I Like older mowers...they just don't make em like they used to:beatsme
If it is a 2000 lb machine, it is a CLARK "Clipper". mfg in the 50s. If it is a 4000 lb machine, it is a CLARK "Carloader. mfg in the 50s. In your center pic , showing right side of machine. There appear 2 holes. Beneath the lower hole, and extending forward appears a rusty line. Sort of a box outline from the holes, forward, then up to top of floorboard, then floorboard line back down to edge of the hydraulic tank., then down from top hole to lower hole. You are looking for some letters and number stencil cut into frame, about 1 inch high. Look closely as it will have layers of paint. If you can locate any, then using this outlined area, use a hand grinder with a good wire brush, scrub it down. You will find something like CEC-125-54 or CL-125-54. They being the serial number and year of mfg. Luck.
You da man TD24!! I came up with CEC 826 486
Will have to mull it a little more for break out. May be truck #826 of production run #486. Look good farther right for more #. 1st though, loosen the LP tank straps, standing looking at the valve/hose connection end of the tank, turn the tank about a 1/2 turn c/clockwise. Get the pop off pointing up, the hand valve to the right, then the draw tube will be in the bottom of your tank. As it is, you will "run out of fuel" with a half tank left. Those two holes are access for grease fittings in under there. Those have been greased by the excess outside. Engine is a Continental Y112. Use straight 30W oil. Use AW32 hydraulic oil. Use 90W gear oil in the diff. Probably has a"hang on" FRAM oil filter canister, Open it and match what is in it. Should be a "can type" air cleaner in there somewhere. A NAPA Store will be able to provide filters and ignition parts, and probably have the little truck listed in their indexes. Try them.
excellent information!!:notworthy no more numbers to the right as of yet.I will clean some more paint off tomorrow
Yes, and you should fix that locator pin on the side of the tank strap bracket, that pin lines up with holes in the grab handle of tank to locate the tank in the proper rotation as mentioned by TD24.
Will do willie59! In bed with flu today so not much accomplished except. ..... A small cedar kids play house was delivered today for a birthday party we hosted I was able to use the forklift and saved my back and time toting it around and then later loaded it on a pickup truck Geesh........I love this little lift
best way to bleed brakes on this lift? reservoir was bone dry.added fluid but pedal does nothing.thanks in advance!
This is my not messing with the wheel cylinders method.... It has worked many times for me and if you are lucky, it might work for you to get you going. This is a shade tree method but if your brake fluid has evaporated over the years you may get brake pedal again...this is no substitute for a real brake job !! fill reservoir let sit overnight or longer add fluid if necessary slowly push with finger or foot until you see bubbles hold pedal there until no more bubbles appear release brake pedal slowly and gently repeat procedure if you start to feel resistance with your foot push easy and let sit push pedal one inch and watch bubbles add more fluid look under forklift if you see brake fluid.. fix problem
Captain.. You learned this a long time ago or from and old guy.
Now I am that old guy !
thank you sir! i will be giving this ago soon!working 16 hour days right now.thanks again!
Can someone, tell me what year and model this forklift is please.
First machine is a Clark "Clipper" model, typical 2000/2500/3000 capacity. From pic, LP tank is off by a half round turn to right. Loosen and turn left till pop off spout is straight up. You get low of LP, it will not pick up liquid and quit. Out of gas, NO ... Withdrawal tube is not on the bottom down in the remaining liquid gas. PIC #2: Needs the seat replaced and about 2 hours of STEAM CLEANING. The 48" or longer forks on it are worth more than you purchase price. LOL IN THAT SAME PIC: Observe the two greasy holes in frame. Using them as a ROUGH template guide point....... Look closely from their horizontal location FORWARD to the front of frame------ Then using again, vertically from the bottom hole up to the top of frame/floorboard. In that bounded area, you will find the model/serial number steel stenciled into the frame. Will likely be like CEC XXXXXX.. CEC meaning Clark Equipment Company, and the X's will be a numerical code for it's ID. You will have to look closely, due to many repaints and the hardened concrete residue. Best look, try to locate something, then a good Milwaukee hand grinder with a WIRE BRUSH to clear out the found figures. THEN clean 2 or 3 inches more each end to that. Clark was bad about spreading out the string like CEC then 2 or 3 inches later starting the numbers, then possibly tacking on a 2 digit number by itself. Find these, clean, and snap a close up pic and post. We will then get the detailed info you need. On your second truck.......Is is a Clark C40B or C50B model on LP gas with a 3 stage upright. Probably came new on factory LP. Quick look shows it needing: Cover for the hole in dash (left side) where the gasoline gauge would have been, a new seat, the Clark Equipment decal should have been mounted with the word CLARK overlaying the cut out CLARK, with Equipment below, it is a one piece decal. Very tricky to line that up when mounting. Shows that a non green bleeding Clark man installed it.. Hitch pin in counterweight appears to be original...AMAZING that. Most are missing or sticking bent out of the pocket due to someone attaching a chain with the pin not seated all the way down in bottom socket. Visible steer tire (rear) chunked out badly due to op backing in to immovable objects while backing in tight locations. Will make it ride rough. Drive tire (front) looks real good. Same locator: From the square cut out in frame and vertically up in line to the front edge of the engine compartment door. then horizontally to front of frame. Look for a series of C40B/C50B, then like xxx xxxxxx steel stenciled in frame. (Eg C40B 1234 2345). The C40B is a Clark 4000 lb capacity, the 1234 is the line number sequence of that truck built in production run 2345. On the sample, it would mean it was the twelve hundred thirty fourth truck coming down the production line during factory production run number two thousand three hundred forty five. Again find it, clean, post a close up pic and we will get you the detailed info you need. END OF BOOK ON OLD CLARK FORKLIFTS.... Apologias to members for long post, but he said he needed the info....
OOPS.... SORRY... Did not look back and see where I had posted previously on the first machine... Consider the latest truck and apologies. Green blood was running HOT tonight.