At long last it is time to part with my Towmotor 501 forklift. Serial number says it is a 501P. I can tell you now someone put that on there for fun because it is a 501. No power steering, never had it, never will. Only real difference between a 501 and a 501P.
Needed a valve job when I bought it in 2005. Been using it on the family farm for seed and chemical ever since. Still needs a valve job, probably rings too. It’s running rich because I didn’t adjust the needle valve after pulling and cleaning carb. Today’s gasoline, after it sits for 6+ months in carb, gums up the tube in the Zenith. Has to be cleaned while off. I have one original freshly cleaned carb and one brand new never opened carb for it along with an assortment of new electric fuel pumps, oil filters, and other miscellaneous parts for it. I also have the official parts manual as well as copious quantities of printed pages from military manuals for this and other Towmotor lifts of the vintage.
Tank had a bit of internal rust that was annoying but has been cleaned and re-sealed. I don’t think a tank that thick could ever rust through, but it was wiping out electric fuel pumps and clogging the carb right after fresh cleaning, so I fixed it.
Starter was just rebuilt a few weeks ago. I have another starter that “works” on it which needs a rebuild. If you get impatient trying to unclog the carb without taking it off after it has sat for months you will almost always wipe out the starter, especially if you try to cheat and squirt B-12 chem-tool down one of the pistons. Yes, guilty as sin. That’s why I have so many carbs now. I’ve gotten good at swapping them.
The hour meter works but I wouldn’t trust it. Fuel gauge does not. Temp, amps and some other gauges work. Never had a spill bucket for the radiator so I just top it off with antifreeze and sometimes some squirts out. We move 20-80 pallets per year, not an unreasonable choice.
I did find sites that claim to have the valves, pistons, rings, etc. for the Continental F140. I do have the head gasket and thermostat gasket already as I debated about fixing myself. Lack of heated shop made that decision more than anything else. All of the sites wanted me to measure the exhaust valves and rings and that meant pulling the head and being a third of the way done with a valve job.
She is looking for a new home and listed for a reasonable price. You must pick up! I do not know if you could drive it up a beaver tail trailer because not much ground clearance. Recommend a drop deck with small ramp or a modern no-axle trailer that can be lowered to the ground.
