# Forklift motor spinning direction



## DIYguy (Sep 18, 2008)

Pierre spiteri said:


> Hi all i am on the lookout for a forklift motor, i have found one which is 48v 13.7kw. I would like to ask if this is powerful enough to move a small car ex like a small peugot 106 or a renault clio. I would also like to know what direction does the motor have to spin in order to make the wheels of the car turn foward.
> 
> 
> thanks for your help and time
> ...


 From the picture, it appears as though you may have a pretty decent motor there. . . but u should tell us the diameter at a minimum. Looks like a GE maybe an 11" diameter ? A 9 " is more than enough and 11" may be overkill depending on your expectations. You may want to do some measurements to see what you can fit in.

Regarding motor direction, of course it must turn the same way as your ICE to move the car the same way. You can easily change the direction of the motor by changing the polarity of the field or armature in relation to the other.

If you show pictures of the tag and a few close up of the brushes/commutator, you will get some more detailed feedback. Hopefully Major will chime in. . . he is our resident expert. 


Cheers


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## Yabert (Feb 7, 2010)

Wow! beautiful beast.

This motor seem similar to my 11'' motor who was rated 9.6 Kw at 48v. So yours is probably longer. 
This kind of motor is overkill in a small car.... exept if you need to burn rubber!.

About direction, the terminal of DC series EV motor are often named A1-A2 and S1-S2 (maybe D1-D2 or ?? on yours).

For one direction, connect A2 to S2, A1 on one battery terminal and S1 on the other.
For other direction, A2 to S1, A1 on one battery terminal and S2 on the other.


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## Mad Professor (Dec 18, 2010)

Pierre spiteri: I am looking into using a Peugeot 205.

See my post here: http://www.diyelectriccar.com/forums/showthread.php?t=57187

Best Regards.


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## Pierre spiteri (Apr 13, 2009)

thanks for yor reply the motor is a 13.7kw 48v i still need to measure it regarding inches. How much voltage do you think i can give it?. I would like to give it at least 72v i am still looking for an affordable and efficient controller. I want to power a small car ,which is about 1000kg or less , in Malta we have a lot of hills so i think that the extra torque is needed for stop start hills. I am not thinking for racing yet. can you give me some advice pls?

happy chirstmas


Pierre Spiteri


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## DIYguy (Sep 18, 2008)

Pierre spiteri said:


> thanks for yor reply the motor is a 13.7kw 48v i still need to measure it regarding inches. How much voltage do you think i can give it?. I would like to give it at least 72v i am still looking for an affordable and efficient controller. I want to power a small car ,which is about 1000kg or less , in Malta we have a lot of hills so i think that the extra torque is needed for stop start hills. I am not thinking for racing yet. can you give me some advice pls?
> 
> happy chirstmas
> 
> ...


72 volts is no problem, even with neutral brush timing. If you want to run higher voltage (say 120 or above) you should advance the brush timing to reduce possibility of arcing. I have a similar motor that I run at 170 volts max with 13 degrees of advance. Perhaps at 120 volts you may need about 10 degrees. This is a guideline....


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## Pierre spiteri (Apr 13, 2009)

how much kw do you think will the motor produce at 72v 450amp controller? i cant find anybody who tried this before.


thanks for your help

Pierre Spiteri


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## DIYguy (Sep 18, 2008)

Pierre spiteri said:


> how much kw do you think will the motor produce at 72v 450amp controller? i cant find anybody who tried this before.
> 
> 
> thanks for your help
> ...


72 x 450 x .85 = 27.5kw or about 37 hp.

72 volts may be rather marginal for top speed unless u just plan on a low speed car for in the city.


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## Pierre spiteri (Apr 13, 2009)

hi again

so to find the bhp of a motor you have to multiply 

voltsXampsX0.85 = hp?


thanks for your help

Pierre Spiteri


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## DIYguy (Sep 18, 2008)

Pierre spiteri said:


> hi again
> 
> so to find the bhp of a motor you have to multiply
> 
> ...


Well, bhp is typically considered to be the rating of an engine prior to losses from gearboxes or other peripheral loads. Further, kw is simply volts times amps/1000. I used .85 as a typical efficiency of an electric motor. It could be higher or lower depending on design. Hp is derived from dividing KW by about 745. so 72 x 450 = 32400 watts or 32.4 kw. multiply by .85 and u get about 27.5 kw. Divide that by 745 and u get about 37 hp. This would be peak values. 
There are other considerations before picking a motor/batter/controller combinations such as desired top speed for instance. This is determined primarily by voltage. (of course gearing plays a role). Hope that helps.


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## Pierre spiteri (Apr 13, 2009)

dear sir

i would like to ask from where can i get the EMC certification of my Ge 13.7kw motor?


thanks for your help


Pierre Spiteri


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