Forklift Battery Help?

[BlainePurdum]

I'm looking for any possible information I can get on how to change a forklift battery? The current battery in our forklift at the warehouse is about 5 years old and is showing corrosion build up. Any tips on how to change it, or where to look for a new one will be of great help. Thanks!

 

[George2615]

Welcome to TBN...........
Doing a quick yellow pages search I found 9 battery stores in the Chicago area. Any one of them can probably supply you with the right battery once you get it out and take it to them. Hard to say what group size battery is in your forklift since you provided no info on the make, model, pics of the machine or battery. Batteries are easy to change. Undo the plus and minus cables and hold down clamp and lift out. Your FL may have a single or dual batteries.

 

[k0ua]

Electric forklift, or fuel powered forklift?

 

[CCWKen]

My 3910 is about due for a battery. It's a 4DLT battery and weighs close to 90 pounds. I'm dreading removal, transporting for "core" and installing the new one. I've been trying to figure out how to make a sling or something. Without help, I'll probably have to use the Kenbota to hoist it out of the tray and replace. It's about chest high in the tray but at least the tray swings out.

 

[kc5dlo]

A battery company will have all the needed equipment to change out a forklift battery. Around here, you need to purchase through a forklift maint. company as the battery people wont sell direct to an end user. If it is just corrosion, you might get by with just cleaning the battery. We paid less for a used forklift than a new battery would cost about 8 years ago and it is still going strong.

 

[BlainePurdum]

Thanks everyone for the tips! I was able to use the suggestion of a buddy of mine that runs a warehouse in Hoffman Estates and get a new battery pretty cheap off Intella Lift Parts website. He's going to help me change it so no problems there. Curious about the corrosion however....Should it have lasted more then 5 years? I'm wondering if maybe we store it in a place that isn't ideal based on the last reply. Ours was really bad.

 

[sparc]

First off without knowing what the manual says I would hazard a guess that you should be checking the batteries once a month for proper electrolyte level at which time you will notice if the connections need attention. That's all a wild guess without knowing what your manual says which should have a maintenance schedule you should be following.

Not sure how many batteries you have but I had a good size scissor lift that used six 6v batteries and that is what I did regardless of how much action the lift saw in any month. It was once a month inspect batteries, clean connections as needed, and charge. If the lift was used then charge after use at end of the day.

I would imagine your forklift would not be much different with regard to battery maintenance.

 

[buickanddeere]

Corrosion depends on if the initial installation had dielectric grease applied . Where the battery is vented to. If the cells have been over charged. If other than distilled water has been added. Is the operating environment hot ? Have the cells been over filled? Operated over rough ground ? Deep cycling the batteries ?

 

[JJZ 109]

Corrosion depends on if the initial installation had dielectric grease applied .

Always a good move. Just replaced an 8 year old battery in my Bobcat skid steer. Cable ends cleaned up and dielectric grease applied to everything. Had to cut one bolt from the battery cable end and replace. 2 cables into the positive terminal, so cutting it off and replacing really wasn't an option without replacing the whole cable. I was able to save the cable end and just replace the bolt. Anything with threads got anti seize.
A real bear to get at. Probably the most difficult battery change I've ever done.

 

[pat32rf]

I was doing an oil check under the hood of my company service truck when the fleet boss (older, nosey whitecollar fella) noticed the copper neverseize on the battery bolts and went ballistic. Going to short everything out!
Then I showed him how I also used it on 600volt water heater terminals.....