Finding a motor on a budget

286328 Views 173 Replies 62 Participants Last post by piotrsko, 5 mo ago

sukusia

Discussion Starter · Mar 26, 2011 (Edited)

So here is what I learned about motors from this site. I wanted to post a quick reference so newbs (like myself) do not have to sort through the sticky page.

When looking for a forklift motor:
Get a series wound motor because they have very high torque and handle abuse (over volting) a lot better.
Know the difference between a Spex motor and a Series wound.
When dealing with series wound forklift motors go for higher voltage. (36V may require advanced timing.)
Hp does not directly represent torque (although it does have a factor in its equation).
Get a class H insulation if possible (makes your motor last longer)
Get a motor around 150lbs (Wouldn't risk a motor that's too light, it won't have the oomph you need. a few extra pounds is A-o.k. but a significant amount of extra pounds limits your range)
Get one with a male shaft
A keyed shaft is easier to work with but you can still work with a spline shaft
Try and get the coupler that goes on to your motor when you buy it/rip it out (saves you $$ and time)
When looking for a different motor:
Ac is not the way to go for your first conversion (or do i just have low expectations of myself?)
You can tell if a motor is AC if it is a 1 phase or 3 phase motor
Pancake motors are usually not good candidates for car conversions. (Yeah you saw the one on ebay. They overheat easily)
Golfcart motors are seldom powerful enough for a conversion
Motors specifically made for EV conversions are the best but its gonna cost you.
You do have to look at many factor such as volts, amps (which gets you Hp). Torque is nice to know. Continuous Hp. So many factors!!!

"HP is HP Electric motors and gas engines are rated differently w/r/t HP. And they have different torque curves. But one HP from an electric motor shaft is exactly the same as one HP from a gas engine shaft at the same RPM "- Major

If there is any more helpful hints I'll be happy to add them

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101 - 120 of 174 Posts

TheFallen018

· #101 · Jul 28, 2018

Hey guys, I couldn't quite find this info in the thread, so maybe someone would know.

I'm looking to buy a 3 phase induction motor with a rated power of about 90-100kw. I haven't been able to find many motors that fit this description. Would anyone know of a good place to buy motors like this?

Also, are there any recommendations on things to look for in these motors?

Thanks.

Duncan

· #102 · Jul 28, 2018

Hi
An industrial motor at 90 -100Kw will be HUGE - 300Kg or more

About the only source of AC motors of that sort of power level and a decent weight is Electric Cars

The motor from a crashed Nissan Leaf or something

alfamuppet

· #103 · Aug 1, 2018

TheFallen018 said:
Hey guys, I couldn't quite find this info in the thread, so maybe someone would know.

I'm looking to buy a 3 phase induction motor with a rated power of about 90-100kw. I haven't been able to find many motors that fit this description. Would anyone know of a good place to buy motors like this?

Also, are there any recommendations on things to look for in these motors?

Thanks.

Peak power maybe 100kW is what you require unless you are converting a coach... most ev motors except pm (permanent magnet) are rated at their 100% duty cycle, hence 15kW to 25kW tops ... then they are over driven to usually 5 times their name plate power to get 100kW (not continuously). PM motors cannot be over driven otherwise the heat destroys the magnets.

E.g. Advanced FB4001 27Hp continuous, 100Hp peak ( 20.146kW continuous and 74.6kW peak for our metric friends).

The cheapest option is a secondhand DC motor made for EV's or the ac route is an Enova or Brusa secondhand or a 18.5kW to 20kW 4 pole ac induction motor re wound to 100 to 150 volts (see you motor winding specialist or the You Tube videos on rewinding it yourself if you want it for bottom dollar). Tesla motors are ac and could be cheap as they are a bit too exotic, but there are parts for them to run on this very forum.

knoxsp

· #104 · Oct 2, 2018

Would a motor from a mitsubishi outlander phev be suitable for a conversion? The specs say the rear motor has 95hp. These are comparatively cheap on ebay, but i can't find an example on this forum of one being used, which suggests they may not be a goer.
Any help is appreciated!

fj1289

· #105 · Oct 3, 2018 (Edited)

Hirngespinste said:
Sure... "traditional" is the best

new guy smart comment - but it was good enough to put man on the moon and bring him back again!

Now back to learning about this EV stuff!

Emyr

· #106 · Oct 4, 2018

fj1289 said:
new guy smart comment - but it was good enough to put man on the moon and bring him back again!

The scientists used SI units but the vehicles were made by traditional US aero shops, using imperial units.

The guidance computer used "metric" SI units internally, but converted inputs from imperial and converted SI to imperial for displays.

See paragraph just after figure 4.
https://www.doneyles.com/LM/Tales.html

jbman

· #107 · Oct 30, 2018

Hey folks,

I'd like your opinion on a motor. They included several pictures, so I'm trying to make sure I know what to look for on this motor or a different one in the future.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/273503659982

The commutator appears darkened, but is it "scorched"? What does an appropriate film look like?
I see four terminals, but is this motor sepex or series?
There are two sets of plugs on the sides - would those be a temperature switch and thermistor, perhaps?
The bearing at the front is not sealed. I'm not sure if a seal goes over the top of it like on a pinion or wheel bearing; is this a concern?
Is the overall condition of this motor too poor?
Additionally, it's pretty pricey - I've struggled to find good prices on forklift motors locally or even on eBay, so I'm doing what I can.

Thanks a lot! I'm trying to scout out a motor for my CJ7 conversion that I'm planning.

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MattsAwesomeStuff

· #108 · Oct 30, 2018

I'd like your opinion on a motor.

My opinion is that they're charging 4x what it's worth.

Go to, or call up a local forklift repair yard and ask for old DC motors they may have sitting around. You'll get something better for closer to $200.

Reactions: 1

Duncan

· #109 · Oct 30, 2018

MattsAwesomeStuff said:
My opinion is that they're charging 4x what it's worth.

Go to, or call up a local forklift repair yard and ask for old DC motors they may have sitting around. You'll get something better for closer to $200.

I sort of agree BUT - it's not as simple as that!
I finally tracked down our local elephant's graveyard - but it was not easy or fast

jbman

· #110 · Oct 30, 2018

MattsAwesomeStuff said:
My opinion is that they're charging 4x what it's worth.

Go to, or call up a local forklift repair yard and ask for old DC motors they may have sitting around. You'll get something better for closer to $200.

I have been struggling to find a forklift yard locally. That's the only reason I'm looking online. I'll keep checking, and I agree the price is high. Just trying to get a better idea. Thanks!

Sent from my SM-N960U using Tapatalk

Duncan

· #111 · Oct 30, 2018

jbman said:
I have been struggling to find a forklift yard locally. That's the only reason I'm looking online. I'll keep checking, and I agree the price is high. Just trying to get a better idea. Thanks!

Sent from my SM-N960U using Tapatalk

Hi
the way I found mine was by asking at a furniture place that had an electric forklift who looked after it!

You want "industrial concerns" that require cleanliness - so no exhaust soot from their forklifts

MattsAwesomeStuff

· #112 · Oct 31, 2018 (Edited)

I have been struggling to find a forklift yard locally.

Dunno if you wanna say where you are, but... the thing about forklifts is literally everywhere in the industrial world has to have a place that services them in just about every city over 50,000. Everyone needs forklifts, everyone needs a place to fix them.

I have a sweetheart deal with mine. They'll move a forklift up on jackstands for me, outside the gate, and I can come help myself to it at night over a week or two, gutting what I want off it. And they don't charge me for anything I take. And I can occasionally borrow tools when there's something I don't have big enough tools to tear up. And they leave me deserts sometimes. The tradeoff is I show them pictures of what I'm working on.

Reactions: 1

jbman

· #113 · Oct 31, 2018

MattsAwesomeStuff said:
Dunno if you wanna say where you are, but... the thing about forklifts is literally everywhere in the industrial world has to have a place that services them in just about every city over 50,000. Everyone needs forklifts, everyone needs a place to fix them.

That's the realization I came to after reading some more. I looked up repair shops instead of salvage yards, and I found a few local ones and sent out some messages. I'm in Colorado Springs.

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MattsAwesomeStuff

· #114 · Oct 31, 2018

I looked up repair shops instead of salvage yards, and I found a few local ones and sent out some messages.

Bingo.

There aren't really any boneyards for forklifts because it's all proprietary shit and not worth fixing.

But guys who repair them will often buy clunkers for their batteries, because the most common servicing issue is some old piece of shit that was deep discharged too much needing new batteries and they can only afford $3k, not $40k.

Also, service lights and cracked dashes and stuff. Contactors, power cables. Foot-sized Anderson connectors, fuses, all get stripped out. The rest usually sold or given to some lower tier scrapper who'll haul it away for free, use the steel salvage to break even on gas money, and strip out the copper and aluminum to make it worth their time.

Unless a place services the same make and model of motor repeatedly (big cities), they won't bother to use shelfspace for them. They'll have a few "just in case" in the back, from a decade ago when they thought they might actually use them, and some pump motors that they might actually put into lifts once in a while, but not be attached to any of them. If they can get salvage price for them, that's probably more than they were getting from their scrapper.

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Duncan

· #115 · Oct 31, 2018

The mast and forks are worth something in an agricultural area - you can attach them to the back of a tractor for a useful forklift thing

boekel

· #116 · Oct 31, 2018

5

I've had luck lately with 5 motors coming off a hydraulic project they changed specs. someone found them on our local craigslist.

24cm diameter (9,5 inch?)
10kW (S2 30 minutes)
48V

only downside so far is I need to bring out two extra poles, as they are built for one direction (had hydraulic pumps)

B2/3(?) flange

so that is worth a look also, hydraulic companies / adds for DC motors
I always keep some search tabs open in my browser for these kind of deals.

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major

· #117 · Oct 31, 2018 (Edited)

That is what a commutator and film (or patina) should look like.

Beautiful motors boekel.

major

{edit} sorry. I'll try to resize on my laptop later.

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J_D

· #118 · Feb 17, 2019

Hi, I'm a complete newb on here, and I'm planning a future Mazda RX8 DC conversion using used parts and new lead batteries.

Could you advise me what voltage forklift motor I would require please?

I want something to match 200hp, the RX8 weights 1400kg and need to reach 70mph.

Thanks for your help

Jon

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johnsiddle

· #119 · Feb 26, 2019

Hi Guy's

Do you think a hydraulic motor from a Lansing Bagnal Forklift rated at 67v and with the part number 4005679, Series wound continuous, would be a suitable EV drive motor?

regards John

major

· #120 · Feb 27, 2019 (Edited)

johnsiddle said:
Hi Guy's

Do you think a hydraulic motor from a Lansing Bagnal Forklift rated at 67v and with the part number 4005679, Series wound continuous, would be a suitable EV drive motor?

regards John

Hi John,

I assume you mean a pump drive motor. Hydraulic motor typically refers to a device using hydraulic fluid flow to produce a mechanical output.

Contrary to what was told you on the other thread, main (lift) pump motors from fork trucks can be as powerful, or even more so, than traction motors. It depends on the type of lift truck. Just because the pump motor is rated on a low time-on duty cycle doesn't mean it won't run continuously, at a lower power output. And they are often fan cooled.

The pump motor from a forklift may be suitable for an EV conversion. Typically they are unidirectional, so be sure rotation direction is correct for you. Switching rotation requires internal modification. And typically the motor will have an internal splined shaft making a coupling for a car very difficult.

Regards,

major

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