36v forklift battery reconfigured to 12v?

[Roadhse2]

I am about to go pick up a fork lift battery i purchased some time ago used...all i remember is it a 36v battery and i want to change it to a 12v system since that is what we have now, inverters, etc. I assumed i could just reconfigure the battery cell interties and end up with 12v from the 2v cells, but wish to know if that is all there is to it. I would appreciate any advice on problems i may encounter doing this. I know it may have a bad cell and so would be cutting that cell and others out to retain 12v multiples.

Thanks, Glen

Newbie (but learning with 165 watts solar and an Air X flying)

[ViperTX]

Unless you can see the cell interconnections on the surface of the battery, well you are in a guessing game.  I haven't seen a 36 volt battery, but have seen the 12 volt batteries when the cell interconnects (lead) were visible on the surface of the battery.

[joestue]

Every battery that i have cut open has had structural damage to the plates at the last positive terminal, due to normal torque & stress on the cable

Unless you have done this before, or have a good idea how the lead is connected inside the battery, you may shorten the life of the battery in the process of sawing through a few inches of plastic and lead.

I would go ahead and do it, I'm imagining the internal lead interconnects are fairly large.

[Roadhse2]

I should have said that this battery has buss bars on top of each cell from each post to the next cell...i ASSUME these will pry off and that i can then reattach in a 12v configuration...

Thanks, Glen

[thyristor]

This is fairly easy: Your forklift battery bank will consist of 18 x 2V cells connected in series. Usually it will have three rows of six cells/row. Each row is a 12V battery. You will have to disconnect the links after every six cells which will leave you with three separate 12V banks. It is simply a matter of connecting the three 12V banks in parallel for a high capacity 12V battery, i.e. connect the three positive poles together then the three negative poles. (For the interconnections between the different 12V battery banks, you might find that you'll have to use longer jumpers; just make sure the cables are thick enough!)

Good luck and I hope all the cells are still usable, otherwise you'll have to sort them out and put 2 banks of 12V in parallel.

[Flux]

Agreed.  If there is a dud cell then you will only be able to configure for 2 banks in parallel.

Physical construction differs with age and manufacturer so you will need to use your initiative on how to break and reconnect the links. As someone else mentioned, with older batteries the positive plate connections may be weak internally use as little force as possible and if you have to cut link bars, try to support as much as you can.

Flux