Forklift Engines
Forklifts are classified as vehicles with small engines. The engines of the forklift all follow the principles of internal combustion, while the numerous makes and models of lift truck will have a different 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 drive wheels of the forklift. The engine is also needed to lower and raise the forks via a series of chain pulleys. Most forklift engines that are modern are fueled by propane since they would be used indoors, where gasoline and diesel engines will be unsuitable due to the exhaust they make.
Normally, the forklift is a four-cylinder engine-block. The engines of the forklift are similar to car engines as they hold pistons connecting to a camshaft. Every cylinder head 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 with air which comes 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 a precise sequence, compressing the mixture of propane and air as every piston rises to the top of the head. With really exact timing, the battery and alternator of the engine create an electrical current which passes through the spark plug. The fuel ignites causing an explosion which drives the piston back down to the bottom of the cylinder, leading to 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 much cleaner than diesel and gasoline and the exhaust is not as harmful.