Forklift Engines
Forklifts are classified as vehicles with small engines, the same category in which lawnmowers are categorized. The engines of the forklifts all follow the principles of internal combustion. Various lift truck brand names and models would have varying engine layout and design. Forklifts are designed more toward generating high torque rather than for speed. They generally are geared to low speeds. The engine powers the forklift's drive wheels. The engine is also required to lower and lift the forks through a series of chain pulleys. Nearly all forklift engines which are modern are powered by propane since they will be utilized for indoor applications, where diesel and gasoline engines would be unsuitable due to the exhaust they produce.
A four-cylinder engine-block is usually found in a lift truck. A lot like the engine in small cars, forklift engines have cylinders which contain pistons connecting to a camshaft. Each and every cylinder head consists of an exhaust hatch, a spark plug 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 a precise sequence, compressing the mixture of air and propane as each piston rises to the top of the head. With really precise timing, the engine's battery and alternator generate 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, resulting in a continuous turning of the camshaft. In the cylinder, an air pressure imbalance causes the the exhaust hatch to draw out exhaust when more fuel passes into the cylinder. Propane burns a lot cleaner than gasoline and diesel and the exhaust is not as harmful.