Forklift Engines
Forklifts are classified as small-engine vehicles. The engines of the forklift all follow the principles of internal combustion, though the numerous makes and models of lift truck will have a different design and layout. Forklifts are made more toward generating high torque than for speed. They usually are geared to low speeds. The engine runs the drive wheels of the forklift. The engine is also required to lift and lower the forks through a series of chain pulleys. The majority of forklift engines that are modern are powered by propane as they will be utilized for indoor applications, where diesel and gasoline engines would be inappropriate because of the exhaust they generate.
Normally, the lift truck is a four-cylinder engine-block. The engines of the forklift are like automobile engines because they contain pistons connecting to a camshaft. The head of every cylinder consists of a spark plug, an intake hatch and an exhaust hatch, each of them one-way and spring-loaded.
Engine Function
Propane passes through the opened throttle-plate in a fine spray, once the operator starts up the forklift engine. This fine spray mixes together with air coming from the mass air intake before moving into the head intake hatches of the cylinder. Each one of the four pistons is staggered to rise in an exact sequence, compressing the air and propane mixture as every piston rises to the top of the head. With really exact timing, the battery and alternator of the engine produce an electrical current that passes through the spark plug. The fuel ignites causing an explosion which drives the piston back down to the bottom of the cylinder, causing a continuous turning of the camshaft. An air pressure imbalance in the cylinder causes the the exhaust hatch to draw out exhaust when more fuel passes into the cylinder. Propane burns cleaner compared to gasoline and diesel and the exhaust is not as harmful.