Forklift Engines
Forklifts are classified as small-engine vehicles. The engines of the forklift all follow the principles of internal combustion, though the many models and makes of lift truck would have a different layout and design. Forklifts are designed more toward producing high torque than for speed. They usually are geared to low speeds. The engine powers the drive wheels of the forklift. The engine is also needed to lift and lower the forks through a series of chain pulleys. The majority of modern forklift engines are powered by propane as they would be utilized for indoor applications, where gasoline and diesel engines will be inappropriate because of the exhaust they produce.
Normally, the lift truck is a four-cylinder engine-block. The engines of the forklift are like car engines since they contain pistons connecting to a camshaft. Every cylinder head consists of an intake hatch, an exhaust hatch and a spark plug, each of them spring-loaded and one-way.
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 with air coming from the mass air intake before moving into the cylinder's head intake hatches. Each one of the four pistons is staggered to rise in an exact sequence, compressing the mixture of air and propane as every piston rises to the top of the head. With timing which is very precise, the alternator and battery 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, resulting in a continuous turning of the camshaft. In the cylinder, an air pressure imbalance causes the the exhaust hatch to draw out exhaust as more fuel passes into the cylinder. Propane burns much cleaner compared to gasoline and diesel and the exhaust is not as harmful.