Forklift Engines
Forklifts are classified as vehicles with small engines. 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 designed more toward generating high torque than for speed. They normally are geared to low speeds. The engine powers the forklift's drive wheels. The engine is also needed to lift and lower the forks through a series of chain pulleys. The majority of modern lift truck engines are powered by propane because they would be used for indoor applications, where diesel and gasoline engines would be inappropriate because of the exhaust they produce.
A four-cylinder engine-block is normally found in a forklift. Much similar to the engine in small cars, forklift engines have cylinders containing pistons connecting to a camshaft. Each and every cylinder head has an intake hatch, an exhaust hatch and a spark plug, each of them one-way and spring-loaded.
Engine Function
Once the driver starts up the engine of the forklift, propane passes through the opened throttle-plate in a fine spray and mixes with air which comes from the mass air intake before moving into the cylinder head intake hatches. Every one of the four pistons is staggered to rise in an exact sequence, that compresses the air and propane mixture as every piston rises to the top of the head. With really exact timing, the alternator and battery of the engine create an electrical current that passes through the spark plug. The fuel ignites leading to an explosion that 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 exhaust to be drawn out through the exhaust hatch when more fuel passes into the cylinder. Propane burns cleaner compared to diesel and gasoline and the exhaust is not as harmful.