I wouldn't buy the G-85 on ebay- if there's something wrong with it you could be screwed ( I've not had the best luck with parts these days) plus it sounds to cheap- the last one I bought was 228.00 in Dec '08.

Any forklift dealer in your area should be able to supply this part- no matter what brand they sell. If you have a issue e-mail me & I'll point you in the right direction.

As far as the primer button- even if the one you buy doesn't have one you can swap over the one on yours- no big deal.

As far as mounting- make sure you hard mount it- don't let it hang by wires or hosing, lpg is EXTREMELY flammable- it's around 110 octane & ready to light up. Propane can even self ignite from static electricity- I learned this one the hard way. Keep all hosing as far away from heat sources as possible. Do not mount the regulator to the exhaust- maybe close to it, but not touching.

My lift doesn't have a water pump and my current reg isn't ported for water. It is hanging by wire against the exhaust manifold (I believe because the former owner had freezing problems). This baby is a sweet rig! Parts vender - ha, I'm one my own here. Found a new finned G-85 online for $100, I think I'm going to try it unless someone here tells me different. The one I have has some wires on it near the "prime button". The new one does not.

I'm not familiar with the #'s after the G-85 you reference. If you tell your parts vendor you need a air warmed G-85 w/fins, he should be able to supply you what you need.

I don't believe you can purchase just the finned housing- you'll have to buy the whole unit.

As far as yours freezing up, it's a symptom of not having warm coolant running through it while it's dropping the lpg pressure. As propane drops in pressure, it begins to "boil"- although when it boils it becomes extremely cold.

At below -40 degrees, propane is liquid. At-39 it begins to "boil"- to keep propane in a liquid state at room temperature we keep it pressurized. As the regulator begins to depressurize the propane it begins to boil. To keep this boiling at bay, external warmth is needed. The only air warmed vaporizer/regulator I know of is the Century G-85.

The key to your success with this process is mounting the regulator in a warm air stream.

Will a Century G-85 2379 work for this application? I believe the one I have is a G-85 2335.

I'm starting to think that an air cooled regulator is the correct solution. Can the finned part of the regulator be purchased alone so I can use my current G-85? Is the freezing a sign that mine maybe in need of a rebuild? He is some of the info I should have started with. Clark CL451619, Carb 1A?35 ??, Reg Century G-85, Motor Continental F4124. I will post some pics if I figure out how.

The air warmed G-85 Century regulator is exactly the same internally as the water warmed version. I believe it's rated for 85 HP engines. If the unit is already fitted with the century system, I'd just replace the regulator. Place the regulator where it will receive a stream of warm air & you should be fine.

here's an idea....
can you take some pictures of this thing?
get any info off of the converter?
i've seen these systems before years ago but did not work on too many of them but i think you'll find the converter probably needs a kit which may be hard to find. You may have to do a conversion to a newer system. But some pictures so we can see what this actually is might be a great help :o)

jim r;
You have more then likely a M6 Century Carburation system which started on vapor and ran on vapor LPG until engine reached it's normal operating temperature and then change to liquid LPG. You can get good help if you contact Alternate Fuel Technologies.Inc at 877-425-8383. They just be able to supply with what you need to restore what you have.

I'd contact Manny at M&M forklifts in Phoenix AZ. I think he may be able to help you put that machine back so it works correctly. Just goggle M&M forklift salvage.

I would say that it never did run right. There were many things wrong with it when I purchased it. An example would be that the main seal was out and instead of changing the seal they painted "check oil daily" on it! Nothing else was changed. The engine ran great after the electrical tune up but the run time to freeze up just keeps getting shorter. I can only get a few minutes out of it now and the plugs are fouling out quickly.

I think the first thing I have to ask after reading and watching this post is......did this truck EVER run right with this converted LP Regulator system on it....and if it did I have to ask what was changed/ done that made it start freezing up.....couldn't of been just a distributor change that made the freezing start????

I have installed the air heated century regulator on a 4 cyl air cooled wisconsin manlift. Unit worked well- no issues.

I have seen the lift you have with convection cooling. Not sure if any type of liquid regulator will receive the volume of coolant needed to satisfy the heat transfer - keep us posted on the model J conversion if that's the route you take.

this sounds like an old Y20 & I thought carloaders were electirc?

Jim;
If my memory serves me you have an old Clark flat back and the style of Century was still being used in the Clark product lines as late as 1976.

I want to add that placing the J-model vaporizer near the lower end of the ascending radiator hose will cause a convection loop to form passing through the regulator as first choice (instead of climbing higher to fall down through the radiator) if the coolant return hose from the regulator begins to descend immediately toward the engine block.
Because the new J-model circuit in the plumbing provides a sort of "bypass the radiator" condition..........you will want to keep an eye on the coolant/engine temperature to make sure that adding the vaporizer heat loop does not decrease flow volume through the radiator enough to cause engine overheat.
Ways of compensating and "fine tuning" the vaporizer heat loop could include adding a restriction orifice fitting into the vaporizer coolant plumbing.
But the easiest way to handle this would be to use an extra long length of 3/8" heater hose for the returning coolant line (going to the bottom of the engine block) and simply raise that hose to a higher elevation if it seems that the radiator is not receiving sufficient flow volume to affect adequate cooling.
Liquids will seek out the path of least resistance if given unequal elevation routes to flow through, so the return hose from the regulator would be the path the convection loop would want to use if it is lower than the loop path through the radiator.
You might want to set up your return hose out of the vaporizer so it rises to the same, or maybe 1 inch lower than the normal level of coolant in the radiator top tank.
I don't know from experience how much the flow rate of a convection driven cooling system is, but I'll bet it can't be all that much. Or in other words, adding a 3/8" alternative loop might "reroute" enough flow volume of coolant to decrease cooling in the radiator (despite the fact that the vaporizing propane will provide some cooling itself) so you really want to route that return hose strategically in regard to WHERE it changes from ascending.......to descending.......in the scheme of plumbing.

Yes, intake manifold. There should be some kind of threaded hole somewhere in the intake. It will likely be plugged and may require some effort and heat to loosen it. I can't say about back when this engine mas made but most engines have had at least some drillable and tapable extra metal areas in the casting that can be opened up, even if they were not originally drilled and tapped.
If you would rather not mess with adding the VFF 30 you can always resort to adding an oil pressure switch to control the solenoid that is in use now.

Sorry, I understand now that they are two separate parts. The VFF 30 has a 1/8" NPT vacuum port. Where or what does this get connected to? The intake manifold?

The current solenoid is wired to the on/off switch. Do all the model J regulators come with the VFF 30 lock off or is that an option? I'm going to order a new regulator, I just want to make sure I get the correct one. How does the vacuum hook up? What is used for the source of the vacuum?

Yes, replacing the present electric solenoid valve with a direct vacuum lock off is practical.
If the electric solenoid valve on there now is activated by a vacuum or oil pressure sensing switch, it is legal and as practical as a direct vacuum lock off.
I just wanted to caution against simply wiring in a solenoid valve to a circuit that is hot with the key on.........as that does not satisfy the requirement that fuel flow be automatically interrupted if the engine dies while the key is on.

With respect to the lock off valve, I don't have one and know I shoud have one. If I add one will this allow me to eliminate the current 12 volt solenoid that is in line between the tank and the regulator?