# Forklift motor



## BenNelson (Jul 27, 2007)

I found a guy who has a junked forklift he is parting out.

Does anyone know what size forklift motor would be needed for a small EV?

I am looking at doing something very similar to the "Forkenswift" - light, small, cheap.

I figure I can start looking around for inexpensive parts now and have enough to do the build this summer. Basically make a golf cart that is street legal.

That's all my electric motorcycle is really. But I need 4 wheels and a roof for rain and the 3 seasons of the year you can't ride a cycle in Wisconsin.

Anyhow, does anyone know how big of a forklift motor I would need to push around something like a Geo Metro?

Are there other parts I should try to strip off a forklift too? Controller, pot, relays/contactors?

Does anyone know what a fair price to pay for a used forklift motor would be?

Thanks in advance,

-Ben


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## BenNelson (Jul 27, 2007)

I got to stop by and take a look at that motor the guy has for sale.

The forklift has two motors. The smaller one, to run the hydrolic pump is about a 5 inch diameter. The ID plate on it says "48V .45KW"

The traction motor on the forklift is still in the bottom bolted to the differential. It is really dirty and didn't seem to have an ID plate on it.

That said, it is about a 10" diameter. This is a LARGE motor! Just wish I knew what horsepower it was, its RPM etc. I believe it is 48 volt, because the pump motor is, and I don't know why you wouldn't run both motors at the same voltage.

The forklift itself is a Nissan Cub 01L15S, but I can't find any direct information about the motor itself.

Here is a link to an E-bay listing for the same make and model forklift. The images show a plate for data about the battery system, but not about the motors.
http://cgi.ebay.com/NISSAN-ELECTRIC...ryZ97185QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem


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## TheSGC (Nov 15, 2007)

I am unsure of what price to pay, but for stripping parts: get the controller, potbox, contactors, heavy gauge wiring and probably both motors to be safe. Those motors are extremely powerful since they are designed to lift 2000lbs(pump motor) and the traction motor has to move that load and the vehicle which is closer to the weight of an SUV. Check around for part prices of forklift motors and the related electrical parts.


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## Hi Torque Electric (Dec 23, 2007)

Hey Ben

Figuered I'd insert some answers for you.

>>I found a guy who has a junked forklift he is parting out.
Does anyone know what size forklift motor would be needed for a small EV?

There are people using 70 lbs motors on lighter conversions but I feel 100+ lbs is a more appropriate weight to use as a general rule.

>>I am looking at doing something very similar to the "Forkenswift" - light, small, cheap.

I walked them through advancing the brushes and it's a great example of doing it on a budget.

>>I figure I can start looking around for inexpensive parts now and have enough to do the build this summer. Basically make a golf cart that is street legal.

This is a great way to get your f1st EV grin and get your feet wet.

>>Anyhow, does anyone know how big of a forklift motor I would need to push around something like a Geo Metro?

A 7" 70lb motor will do it (usually blower cooled though) but that big one will blow your mind 8^o

>>Does anyone know what a fair price to pay for a used forklift motor would be?

A lot depends on whether the parts are still being used (high core value as a lift motor still). Sometimes I get cores just given to me while other times they run me a few hundred bucks (but I know they are clean). Feel free to snap some pictures and email them to me and I'll have a look.
Hope this helps. Happy motor hunting.

Jim Husted
Hi-Torque Electric
http://www.hitorqueelectric.com/

-Ben


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## BenNelson (Jul 27, 2007)

Here are two photos I snapped of those forklift motors.

The one with the ID plate on it is the hydrolic pump motor. It is about 5 and half inches in diameter and marked 48 volts.

The other image is the traction motor. I wish I stuck a yardstick or something next to it - there isn't much of a sense of scale, but it's about 10 inches in diameter. It is still attached to the forklift and very dirty. Is this a diamond in the rough, or just plain rough?


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## Hi Torque Electric (Dec 23, 2007)

Hey Ben

The small motor couldn't be used for anything bigger than a Ebike or maybe a put around gokart. The larger motor is hard to say still and I was also thinking a tape measure on it would be nice. Hard to judge size even with the bottles in the pic for ref as they are higher. On the plus side, Nisson makes a great motor so there is a diamond in the rough to be had here I'm thinking, it just a matter of how many carrots it is, LMAO! Tell the guy I said it's a rust bucket, it's going to need a ton of cleaning and that it's probably "not" going to work anyway but you'll take it off his hands in hopes it's not a total waste, hehe. Wave a little cash in his face and have a wrench at the ready if he bites 8^) 

The stuff we still need to know is how much does this motor weigh?
What kind of shaft does it have?
What are the conditions of the armature and coils? (if you can, pop the cover band and look for yellow or wine colored windings and banding)(if it's burnt looking pass on it).
This motor still might be on the smaller size (and EVen if it isn't) don't go in there like a kid in a candy shop drooling over you new diamond cause the price just doubled, LMAO.
Hope this helps
Jim Husted
Hi-Torque Electric


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## BenNelson (Jul 27, 2007)

This guy is going to be out of town for a few weeks.

I was thinking that maybe when he gets back, I can go over there again with a scale and a socket set.

Unbolt the motor, pull it off, see what kind of a shaft it has, and weigh it.

I am currently reading the ENTIRE thread from the Forkenswift on the Ecomodder forum.

They were not able to use the main motor from their forklift because it was exactly too big to fit onto the Geo transmission. They ended up using another motor that was on the forklift, one that was about 8 inches or so.

Maybe I get lucky and this would be exactly the right size to slap on an economy car transmission!


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