1953 Clark Yardlift

[shor2832]

I have a 1953 Clark Yardlift 60 that I use at my shop in Portsmouth, RI. Does anyone know where to get the seal for the lift cylinder? I had a local shop, Moy Works in Newport, replace it twice but it has failed both times. They had to have the seal fabricated at a different shop as it is made out of leather. The replacement, however, was thinner and different looking than the original. Has anyone run into this problem?
Also, does anyone have any insight on the transmission/clutch setup to these machines? I am starting to lose my clutch and its a damn shame because the engine starts right up every time and she is a big girl. I looked into replacing her and a used machine with high hours starts at about 14k.. yikes. Any info would be greatly appreciated.

Sean

 

[TD24]

Y60 Lift cyl piston leather U cup.

I have a 1953 Clark Yardlift 60 that I use at my shop in Portsmouth, RI. Does anyone know where to get the seal for the lift cylinder? I had a local shop, Moy Works in Newport, replace it twice but it has failed both times. They had to have the seal fabricated at a different shop as it is made out of leather. The replacement, however, was thinner and different looking than the original. Has anyone run into this problem?
Also, does anyone have any insight on the transmission/clutch setup to these machines? I am starting to lose my clutch and its a damn shame because the engine starts right up every time and she is a big girl. I looked into replacing her and a used machine with high hours starts at about 14k.. yikes. Any info would be greatly appreciated.

Sean

Have you tried a Clark dealer?
Also do you have access to a good machine shop? If not available from Clark,
you might have to take the piston head off and have it's cap end
fabricated as a piston with a groove for a poly pak U cup seal.

Don't the poor thing have a drive shaft from trans to drive axle.
If so, pull the drive shaft out, pull the trans off. get the clutch out and
and any good rebuilder can rebuild it.

Scratch around on the frame;or ID plate if still there, for a serial number like: Y60-(3or 4 numbers with possible 2 letters after).

 

[shor2832]

I am just getting to that. The last two times I have used a good hydraulics shop, but the leather seals they had manufactured last only a couple of months. To their credit, they said the adjustment on the hydraulic valves (relief adjustment??) might be turned up and blowing the seal.
I would love to get a factory replacement or do something like you have mentioned.

As far as the transmission goes, I do not know too much about that. I have just ordered the manual for the machine off EBAY and look forward to getting into it. I can turn wrenches and generally figure things out, it just takes me a while.

What is involved with rebuilding the clutch?



Have you tried a Clark dealer?
Also do you have access to a good machine shop? If not available from Clark,
you might have to take the piston head off and have it's cap end
fabricated as a piston with a groove for a poly pak U cup seal.

Don't the poor thing have a drive shaft from trans to drive axle.
If so, pull the drive shaft out, pull the trans off. get the clutch out and
and any good rebuilder can rebuild it.

Scratch around on the frame;or ID plate if still there, for a serial number like: Y60-(3or 4 numbers with possible 2 letters after).[/QUOTE]

 

[Delmer]

The last two times I have used a good hydraulics shop, but the leather seals they had manufactured last only a couple of months.



What is involved with rebuilding the clutch?

Rebuilding a clutch means replacing the friction material on the clutch disk, checking/adjusting the pressure plate, and resurfacing the flywheel and pressure plate. But you might not need any of that, hard to tell from here. The real work it usually getting at the clutch, and finding the parts or a shop that still rebuilds clutches. Can you get a view of the transmission or bellhousing? you might have an access hole to inspect, or adjustment that is all you need.

If the hydraulic shop you use can't/won't modify the cylinder to make it work then find one that will. A one way hydraulic ram isn't rocket science, they should be able to make it last another few decades easily.

 

[TD24]

Please get the serial number for us.
When the cylinder is pulled down again, be sure to look good into the barrel.
If it us pitted and rough neither an original leather nor a reconfigured poly-pak hold.

Look up Laycook Products in Memphis TN for your clutch work. If you can get it out
and to them, they will rebuild it. They can furnish you a new throw out bearing if
you will send your old one in with the clutch.

SN first so we might seek an original leather u-cup for you.

 

[clarkLinde]

hello sean,
I own and use a yardlift 40 made in the early 50's. My clutch was shot also. I did it from the top, which requires quite some dismantling, more easy will be to do it from underneath ( if you have a pit where you can work in. The clutch plate it self was a dimension standard with Ford. It fingers also, but in a short form. Easy to get and affordable priced. To me only the bearing was a "problem" since the original are imperial, but with small rework it was easy to replace with a metric one. For placing the plate in the tiny space you will need to turn a positioning guide, you could use mine, but due to the distance you will be better of with getting something local. Before I bought it the dealer already replaced the leather seal, which is in it for 8 years now and still going strong.
I'm happy with mine, although I need to do the (front) brakes, but cant get access to them, any hint would be most welcome. For now I use the handbrake.
Charles