Clark IT-40B "Towarable"

Hey, I just bought an older Clark forklift. I found the model online and it's being referred as a "towable" forklift. Some of the online pictures show a pintle hook in the back in the upright position and you can lower it to have it towed or to tow things. It looks like to towing hitch was removed from mine but I can make one.

LOL, so... why do they call it towable? Is it because it can tow things with the hitch or can you use the hitch to tow the forklift behind a vehicle? The latter sounds weird because I am sure those wheels/tires/transmission won't hold to 50-60mph tows. Or I am just losing my mind? Thanks

You tow the dang thing.Real common in the concrete block hauling field years back hooked up to the back of a 40-45' flatbed trailer. Now days replaced by the piggy back style that hangs off the back of the trailer. 50-60 MPH Hah!! try 70-75 going back empty for another load.

Thanks JOhn, I can't even imagen how this machine will do with all the potholes that we have where we live.

Anyways, went back to look at the forklifter today and indeed the towing hitch is MIA. The hydraulic tank is full of water, I mean FULLLLLLL! It's not milky so either hyd oil cap was just put back on it and before it was exposed to the weather or someone poured water in it just for fun. The battery is also missing and so is the battery leads. I will go back Monday with leads, battery, hydraulic oil and some tools to drain the tank. Other than those issues and needing a paint job and seat cover, she looks pretty straight. I hope it's an easy fix so I can lay some rustoleum on it and make purdie. Let the fun begin...

Yeah, towed...

Hey Aruba-

Yes, they really, really, really mean 'towed'. I have a '68ish Clark IT60... TALL mast (it stands 13' with forks down). My forks are shaft mount, and there's retaining fixtures on the sides of the carriage where the forks can be flipped up over the fenders and CLAMPED in place, so that they're not sticking out to poke any cars that'd rear-end it.

There's many OTHER 'features' that make MINE towable...

Let's start with the suspension... drive axle is solid, and rigid to the frame, with Super Single-sized tires... not duals. The steer axle is SPRUNG... and it has caster and camber like an automotive/highway truck application... so when you're rolling 'backwards'(from the forklift op perspective), it will trail properly and not whip to one side or the other.

Hydraulic steering... it's 'non-feedback' type OPEN CENTER operation... so when it's sitting still, you can walk up to it, and push the steer axle side-to-side without much effort. This allows the wheels to steer when a typical hydraulic steering valve system would PREVENT motion. Once the engine pump is running though, the steering valve will keep the wheels pointed however the operator desires (or, that's the design intention, anyway).

Brakes... MY IT-60's 'towing kit' supposedly included a second master cylinder on the tow bar that served as 'surge brakes' for towing the machine. The way the brakes on the machine work, however, the leading-and-trailing pads are much more respectable travelling backwards (with respect to forklift operations) than forwards. They're really really grabby when driving as a forklift.

Oh... the driveline... Yeah, my IT-60 is SWEET... Slant-six swings a torque converter that drives a forward-neutral-reverse gearbox, which then feeds a four-speed truck gearbox, then the drive axle pinion. In FIRST gear, it goes something like 16mph. What it needs 2nd, 3rd, and 4th for, I don't know, but it's probably capable of 55mph or better in 3rd... and GOD HELP US if anyone ever were to try to drive it in anything other than first... because it uses a torque-converter, you can mash it up to speed, then step on the converter disengage pedal and coast down the highway (backwards, because it's too squirrly going forwards!)...

The hydraulics are all closed center... and the hydraulic pump is a variable ratio 'vane' type pump. This is really nice, because not only doesn't it need a pressure relief valve, the vanes retract when there's no pump flow. Really nice, too, when the engine is cold, because it doesn't have to try to pull a hydraulic pump in it's cranking load. Did I mention that when the hydraulic pressure is down, the steering system drops out, and allows the wheel steering to drop back? Yeah... so when you're blasting down the road at 25mph BACKWARDS, and you take your foot off the gas, dump the torque converter, and you'll clost and save fuel.. your steering goes away...

To inch up on a load, you let up on the torque converter 'dump' (inching) pedal... then give the engine some gas... the truck will pull forward... pull back on the carrige lift sticker, and it'll just kinda sit there. Hold the inching pedal and rev up the engine, so the hydraulic pump will flow... take your foot off the brake, and before it rolls too far back, engage the torque converter. It's gonna jump.. bark the tires, and stab a hole in your load... let up on the gas and the mast won't lift or tilt, and you'll have no steering... so you're damned.

So to make a long story much, much shorter...
My IT-60... is a technological PIG.

And there's a whole LOT of things that Clark SHOULD have done some other way. Fortunately, they've learned a little since then.

I'm amidst converting all these screwed up concepts to something that will work more sensibly, under very, very slow, sensible progress with a constant engine speed.

Thanks Dave, sounds like these are fine machines. Mine has not been started in many many years and as I stated earlier the hyd tank was full of water. Monday I went by the the shop and I transferred a full 3 gallons of liquid in a container. Turned out that almost 99% was water. After putting a hot battery she cranked right up and the engine idled very smooth. I am planning to drain the hydraulic tank and fill it with fresh hyd fluid and install new filters. I can't wait to get her home and get her a paint and name her, lol.

She runs, she drives, she got no brakes, lol, and the (mast) lift cylinder looks like it's raining hydraulic fluid, lol. And it's missing the park brake cable.

What master cylinder do I need to buy (Part number)?
Is there a part number for the packing of the cylinder?
How about part number for the parking brake cable?

I am excited and ready to work on this jewel. One the way home two people wanted to buy it, one when leaving the auction site and another at a traffic light. I told both "I have not had a chance to play with it yet", lol

Aruba1

A forklift dealer will be able to look up the parts needed. The parts will be all aftermarkets as Clark hasn't supplied those parts for 12+ years. For the cylinder seal kit, you will need the deck number off the mast (front side stamping) and cylinder number if possible.

Mike

I get all my cylinder parts from our local hydraulic shop. They are always a fraction of the cost of a dealer.

We've always got replacement master cylinders at our local NAPA for older lifts. Most use a M/C that is common with some sort of vehicle application.

You may have to make something work on your parking brake cable. We've ended up going with Mico line locks on several of our forklifts with bad manual parking brakes. The only down side is you still have to chock the wheels if you leave it set for a long period as if there is a leak in the system your brakes can release over time.

I contacted a dealer for the MC and Wheel Cylinder and it's a little over what I want to pay. When I get home tonight I will finish removing the mast cylinder with my back hoe (lift it up instead of lowering the mast) and have a shop rebuild it. Because of the water intrusion in the tank there is a possibility that water existed before it was parked 10 plus years ago. Because it was leaking so bad I believe the PO (an industrial company) filled the tank with water to get it where I got it, lol. To be on the safe side the shop will hone the cylinder so it can be back in excellent shape. Being it's owned by a good friend I will pay cost price :-).

Now the wheel cylinders. I have not taken them off yet but from looking at the hub it seems identical to a 70-80s 1 ton truck setup. I hope to get at least one side removed so I can carry it to NAPA to get a replacement. I haven't had the time to look at the manual park brake setup yet but I like to get it to work right as I know it will keep the forklift in place once the park brake is set. The MC should be an easy item to find on ebay but I need to get it off first to find out the bore size.

Did I say that I like to thinker? I like to thinker.

Thanks

The cylinder seem to be stuck or bolted on to the mast as it had some resistance when I tried to pull it with the backhoe (pulling it straight up). From the pic it looks like to bolts keep it in place while allowing it to swing sideways within the mast. I was able to remove one bolt but on the inside there is a nut that is welded in place so removing the bolt is not helping matters. So should the cylinder lift up while being side ways to clear he welded nut? Am I missing something basic?

I've been following this thread, but hadn't seen one of these in years. Then, today there's a similar one labeled as a Cat R40 rolling down the highway. Unfortunately the third one-handed phone shot got messed up, so I can't show the mast area of the machine.

That is awesome, thanks for posting. Seeing is believing, lol. I seriously need to build me a hitch, I like the idea of just rolling this thing around.

wheels17 said:

I've been following this thread, but hadn't seen one of these in years. Then, today there's a similar one labeled as a Cat R40 rolling down the highway. Unfortunately the third one-handed phone shot got messed up, so I can't show the mast area of the machine.

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Forklift dealers have insane prices. I once had a new tilt cylinder rod and piston made from scratch at a machine shop for about half price of what the local Cat forklift dealer wanted for the parts. The dealer finally told me that Cat had discontinued the parts but did supply the build drawings for them. What the local dealer does is take the drawings and gets a local machine shop to make it for them.

Confirmed! The two little bolts need to come loose in order to lift the hydraulic cylinder. Who would have thought about that? LOL. Cylinder is loose and I am carrying it tomorrow to have it rebuild. In the meantime, everything is one hold due to a 2 week emergency flight but at least I got till Saturday to remove the wheel cylinder and MC and have them delivered while I am out.. I am very excited to get this thing running well with solid hydraulics, brakes and with a new paint job.

If you have one of these with a hitch, can you please pics of the hitch and some measurements? Thanks

Alright, I got the lift cylinder back from my friend. It's fully rebuilt and ready to go in. I also got a new master cylinder off ebay for $35. The wheel cylinders are somewhat unique to the forklift and they cost $45 each on ebay. I opted out to replace just 1-1/4" cups as they are no pitting in them (NAPA got them for $2.39 each). The brake liners are in perfect shape so I will just clean and scuff them. I will post some pics of the brake system once I have them done. I can't wait to see how she will perfect and then she'll get a nice coat of paint.

Wow!

You're making a whole lot more progress on yours than I am on mine... My mast has to come off, and lay down in order to get the multi-stage collapsible cylinder out... and while it's off, I'm changing out the entire driveline, making it slow-speed hydrostatic, as I'll be using it to move machinery, not shuttle pallets... more like a mobile crane anyway.

The seal kit I was quoted for my collapsible was just above $1600.00. Since I don't need to put 6000lbs atop a 35' tall building, I may opt to change the design somewhat, mebbie reduce it to a single stage or something. I dunno... I'll blow up that bridge when I come to it.

Excellent work!!!

Thanks. The brakes works GREAT. The cylinder install went smooth, thanks to my JD310B and a set of forklift to get lift the cylinder high enough to put it in place. If you like, I can get in touch with my friend, I believe he said the rebuild kit on the cylinder was something like $70. Alternatively, take the seals to your local hydraulic place and they can match it for you. $1600 for a seal kit is just ridiculous IMHO. Can you do me a favor... and send me pics of how your park brake cable runs, and how long it is? Mine was missing and I want this machine back to it's original stage.

I hope to post osme pics tomorrow. But now she idles, runs and stops. And although I have a leakdown on the pressure on the tilt cylinder (they are not leaking and were not rebuilt), the mast cylinder holds pressure for 0ver 24 hours... and counting.

Finally some pics... the master cylinder can be found online under part number 971571, 389936 and 3011190.

Master cylinder in place...

Can someone post a picture or a drawing that shows how the ebrake cable should be routed and where it goes? I think it goes to the front of the gearbox but I am not sure. Also if you should post the length of the cable and/or part number would be great. I think it goes as on the picture but I am not sure. Thanks