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1987 Mastercraft Rough terrain forklift

KBpump1

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Joined
Dec 24, 2025
Messages
10
Location
florida
Good morning,
Wondering if someone can lead me in the right direction.
1987 Mastercraft Rough Terrain forklift
Model MC-643-7 Type D
Looking for fluid specs on transmission and hydraulics
Thank you
 

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tractormech

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Feb 19, 2015
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408
Location
florida
Since that's a Ford transmission it probably takes the 134 Ford fluid. I think they might be calling it Aambra something or other fluid now? Check with your New Holland dealer. It's like pulling teeth getting any Mastercraft info.
 

TD24

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Jan 3, 2011
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Typically AW32 hydraulic oil from NAPA in 5 gallon buckets works well in any system. Not sure of mixing with what you do not know you have. If cannot determine present; just dump, flush thru a gallon, and then refill and go with AW32...
If red, it might be Dexron II, which will work fine alone. We used it in machines in a cold storage/freezer use environment.
 

KBpump1

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Joined
Dec 24, 2025
Messages
10
Location
florida
Thank you for the replies. Changed the fluid and filter but progressively getting worse. I have to rev the engine high to get it to move. I guess a rebuild might be in my future if I can find anyone to do it. Thanks
 

TD24

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With out knowing how it is acting, I would suggest you try this to eliminate a weird cause.

With it sitting for an hour, in a cleared location; crank. let warm up, idle. Do not have touched any direction control.

Then move direction control to forward, accelerate a little. See if it moves at that engine speed.. If it does, accelerate some more. Then move direction control to neutral, pause, then to reverse....

This to see if whatever pressure release on trans is cause.
Examine any linkage from any foot control; to pause, to see it is free and allows full movement for each direction desired. They get corroded, bent, jammed with debris you have traveled over...

The typical warehouse forklift had a way to disengage the trans while lifting the forks. Many transmissions have been rebuilt and only improve because in the removal and disassembly this connection/linkage, was freed up and now functions.

Just from pics, it appears the Ford box is a ground speed range. Is the front box by any chance a Funks
power shift?
 

KBpump1

Member
Joined
Dec 24, 2025
Messages
10
Location
florida
Sorry, been super busy. I have attached a picture of the transmission casting and it have Ford stamped in it. If I rev the forklift up, it will jerk and move in forward and reverse and appears to move easily after it starts moving in both forward and reverse.
 

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KBpump1

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Dec 24, 2025
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10
Location
florida
Also I removed the top plate where the torque converter is and tested the pressure from the 2 allen screws in forward and reverse and got 45 psi from both.
 

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TD24

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Hmn...
(I rev the forklift up, it will jerk and move in forward and reverse and appears to move easily after it starts moving in both forward and reverse.)

While of no help here now, this is a trait of low fluid levels, clogged or restricted pickup to pump, or a seriously worn pump.

Is there any way to ID the Ford trans itself to get a drawing of breakdown on it.
 

KBpump1

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Dec 24, 2025
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10
Location
florida
Does anyone know where the oil screen assy on page 7-13 is located? Is it internal to where the transmission needs to be removed to get access? Thanks
 

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crane operator

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Mar 27, 2009
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10,178
Location
sw missouri
You're going to have a lot more luck if you can figure out who actually built the transmission in the first place. Master Craft didn't build it.

The pages you show have Ford on them, so you are going to have to figure out if it's Ford industrial, or Ford agriculture. Which may or may not be the same thing. Ford was in the game for a long while, with different partners. Ford may have built it, it may be a clark or funk or something else.

If you want dealer help, I'm going to guess to start with new Holland construction dealer.

You may find someone on the yesterday tractor website or agtalk that could identify it from pictures or the drawing.

Then , you can start looking for a industrial transmission repair shop. Centranz and palmer johnson are two companies I know of. A phone call to them may point you to what the transmission is, and who to send it to, for repair.

Ain't old stuff fun?
 

Truck Shop

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445A is a tractor transmission--implement, case can have a port for-or without PTO.
Visit a agriculture shop.
 

HATCHEQUIP

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Oct 19, 2011
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1,540
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VILLANOW GEORGIA
Check trans oil running and overfill it some say a gallon we run 30 wt. in ours . All ford running and steering gear on ours but on Mastercraft steering is different. ''neighbors have a couple"
Not all the parts are available any more , we have a wiggins forklift that we rebuilt trans on probably 30 years ago and then had to go thru the reverse clutch pack last year as it busted the seal groove on the piston , couldnt find it anywhere so had to have one made out of steel we tried having it made out of aluminum and that didnt last a farting spell. There was a earlier and later versions of that trans and s/n doesnt always work for the version of trans. Found out later one of the men was pulling a 850 compressor backwards up the hill and wasnt in a low gear might have had something to do with the original failure as thats when reverse was lost .
 

TD24

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Haven't eaten some of the soup my wife makes, farts can lay boiling for weeks on end
causing people to dash about yelling with hands in the air.
How often your wife make this soup? Does she have a way to ship. Asking for a friend......:cool::cool::cool:
 
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