Lift truck Engines
Forklifts are classified as small-engine vehicles, the same class wherein lawnmowers are classed. The engines of the forklifts all follow the principles of internal combustion. Various forklift brand names and models will have varying engine layout and design. Forklifts are designed more toward producing high torque than for speed. They normally are geared to low speeds. The engine powers the drive wheels of the forklift. The engine is also required to lower and lift the forks through a series of chain pulleys. Most forklift engines which are modern are fueled by propane because they will be used indoors, where gasoline and diesel engines would be unsuitable because of the exhaust they produce.
Normally, the forklift is a four-cylinder engine-block. Forklift engines are like car engines as they hold pistons connecting to a camshaft. The head of each and every cylinder has an intake hatch, an exhaust hatch and a spark plug, each of them one-way and spring-loaded.
Engine Function
When the driver starts up the forklift engine, propane passes through the opened throttle-plate in a fine spray and mixes together with air which comes from the mass air intake before moving into the head intake hatches of the cylinder. Each and every one of the four pistons is staggered to rise in an exact sequence, compressing the air and propane mixture as each piston rises to the top of the head. With really precise timing, the battery and alternator of the engine create an electrical current that passes through the spark plug. The fuel ignites leading to an explosion which drives the piston back down to the bottom of the cylinder, leading to 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 than gasoline and diesel and the exhaust is not as harmful.