Forklift won't Start

Here's a little back story. I recently picked up a new forklift and I have been getting ready to sell my old one. I've had the new one for a few months. I warmed up the old one and used it to change the main mast hose on the new lift. It sat idling for about 15 mins while I was testing/bleeding new hose on new lift. When I put the new lift away and came back, the old one had quit running. I thought it was fuel so put on a new tank and all it would do is crank. Turn's out there is still fuel in the old tank, it just quit running.

The old lift is a 60's propane towmotor lt-35 and has worked great for me. Once I rebuilt the regulator, it has always started easy and ran well. It has a 4 cyl n-62 continental flathead. Here is a list of things I have checked, at this point I'm kinda stumped.

-Cleaned propane reg
-Cleaned carb
-Cleaned/regapped points
-Cleaned air filter
-Did compression test(all seem fine)


It's getting fuel to the carb. I can hear fuel flowing when purge button pressed.
It's getting spark (seems to be nice strong blue spark)
It's getting air (removed air filter to test)


It doesn't seem to want to even cough with a shot of starting fluid. It's just ironic this thing has run great for a few years, but as soon as I want to sell it I can't get the thing to come to life. Any help is greatly appreciated.

Here is a pic I found on the site of the same lift, mine just doesn't have the roll bar.

sheared key on distributer? Check to make sure timing is on spec. I have ran across this before. Maybe???

FWIW, I had a similar puzzler on an 80s machine. Went overnight from running fine one day to wouldn't fart when cranking the next. Checked all the things like you have, had someone helping, finally put new plugs in it and it ran like there was never anything wrong. The old plugs would have run fine in a road vehicle, propane must be fussier.

I put new plugs in it about 6 months ago when i did a tuneup. I will check the distrib key but I don't think that's it. Thanks

Are you smelling propane when you try to start? It could be flooding. Sometimes when the regulator/vaporizer screws up it can just dump fuel in.

Remove all plugs and reconnect the wires and lay plugs on top of head and crank the starter.

All should have good spark and this will also allow you to check plugs and vent out the engine.

Check timing to be sure it is correct.



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Thanks for the replies. I will go ahead and check the timing tomorrow and verify spark again. I am smelling a little propane on startup, but it's because I have been holding the purge button open most of the time when trying to start. It has always needed this, and always started on about the second crank.

Start with the basics. Fuel, Spark, Compression, Timing. You've checked the first three. Now the forth.

Remove the rotor cap and observe the rotation direction of the rotor. Remove the timing cylinder spark plug. Crank the engine until air is pushed out of the spark plug hole. Now turn the crank until the timing marks align. See if the rotor is pointing in the general direction of the timing cylinder rotor cap lead. If its not within about 45 degrees, your distributor has lost timing. This is a mechanical failure inside the engine. Further inspection is necessary.

If its close reassemble the rotor cap. Turn the distributor about 45 degrees in the direction of rotor rotation. With the key on and the timing cylinder lead hooked up where you can see a spark, turn the distributor opposite rotor rotation until you get a spark. You are now timed 0 degrees.

Spark should jump over 1/4" in free air, 1/2" is better. Feeble won't work, its much more difficult to make a spark in compressed air than atmospheric air.

Well I checked timing and that seems to be fine. At this point I am thinking it is a weak spark. Although it is blue, it doesn't seem to want to jump any type of gap.

Check points and dwell.

Tiny bit of crud makes fgor resistance which prevents full charge.

Dwell wrong same thing.

Condenser will also cause this.

Sudden fail could be resistor too.

Should have a resistor on battery side of coil to ignition.

Often bypassed by starter solenoid.

If bypass not working weak spark on crank.

If resistor opens no spark after crank.

Check voltages.



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Yes capacitor replace....also eliminate any high impedance ignition components...they cause carbon tracking of the cap...due to the often small size and plastic composition of older caps......as mentioned propane is very stable and needs a greater spark energy than gasoline.

Obviously the older lift has it's feelings hurt.

Try a different coil if you can.
I have seen these fail in some weird ways.

Threw in a new coil and condenser today and it fired right up. Anyone wanna buy a tiny 1 ton lift?