Got the Go-ahead from HQ for my IoE idea (Page 3 of 10)

Now I'm confused.. Monkey Power and 50 metric ton motor have been mentioned..  Is this some giant hugely inefficient electric motor or steam engine?

No, forklift motor is there, battery was removed because it blew up

Story of suck:

I borrowed a truck and trailer from Brandon (captain of the Dr Strangelove Benz) to pick up the forklift today. I brought with me a battery to power it and drive it onto the trailer. It would power on, but not drive as a "LO" display flashed (i assume the hydrolic fluid as it was way low). Then some electrical gremlins kept it from turning on (probably the 500lbs of blasting media in it from when it was repainted). I told the guy, I needed the forklift operational so i could drive it up my drive into the garage. He offered to use his other forklift to put it on the trailer, but that still doesn't get it up my driveway. I told him i didn't want it, and i would like my deposit back. He kindly obliged. As i was climbing into the truck to leave, he said "since it is broke, why don't you take it for half price and tinker with it."

Definitely a steal as it is worth it's original price in scrap, but still the dilemma of moving it up my driveway. I think for that price, i can rent a warehouse and work on it there. Plenty of room for Lemons. He is giving me the weekend to think about it.

I had to return Brandon's truck, so i put another $35 in the tank and grabbed my girlfriend and some McDonald's. Made it 1 mile from the gas station when the truck died. Put it in neutral and tried to start and the gauges died. Turn it off, then on, and gauges come back. Try to start it and the gauges die again. Coast to a stop, open the hood and find oil all over the alternator, battery and whole drivers side. Big puddle forming fast under the block. Like all of Brandon's Jettarosa motors, "a piston was voting independent".

I still dont have a forklift and now i'm down someone else's truck.

You know, I once talked Starbucks into giving me a forklift for free.

When the lease on that warehouse expired, it got left behind.

Anyway, your lift's refusal to work was quite possibly because it didn't like your puny battery. In order to get ours to go, we had to gang up 3 automotive batteries to get it to even CONSIDER moving under its own power - but you could TOTALLY lift things. It was fine with that.

With no battery in it like that, the thing really shouldn't be all that heavy - the battery is most of the counterweight. If you can get it on a trailer, you should be able to get it off again by backing the trailer up into the garage and making judicious use of a come-along.

+1

There's no "low hydraulic fluid" indicator on any of the forklifts I've worked on.

It is an older Caterpillar, and dont worry about my battery pack, I stole it from my work's emergency backup system. I took 3 batteries to give me the required 36v  and the lift's gauge read the amps at 1/2 charge. Each one of those batteries weighs 80 lbs.

I'll go back and get the lift, and make a little money at the scrap yard, but without Brandon's Chevy2500, looks like i'm back to "Old Reliable"

Wasn't that another team's sports car? Building an IOE legend and driving a real race car are two very different things...

That said, I wanna see this thing succeed! I only wish I could fly out for its first event. It's not likely...

That thing's gotta be rated for no more than, say, 200 Pound Tongue Weight/2000 Pound Towing Capacity. Just don't let the DOT guys catch you.

John, you're a man after my own heart. NEVER GIVE UP! NEVER SURRENDER!!!

Need a pickmeup? I know I do right about now. 1 week to go and 1 car still isn't caged. It runs with a jerry can and jumper battery, and there's rain in the forecast...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ocnrPLKbkD0

Of course, if you're in elementary school, "pickmeup" means something totally different.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/edu … s_homepage

Wasn't that Rick James... or was it Dave Chappelle playing Rick James?