Forklift Engines
Forklifts are classified as small-engine vehicles, the same category in which lawnmowers are classed. Forklift engines all follow the principles of internal combustion. Various lift truck brand names and models will have varying engine layout and design. Forklifts are designed more toward producing high torque rather than for speed. They usually are geared to low speeds. The engine powers the drive wheels of the forklift. The engine is also required to raise and lower the forks through a series of chain pulleys. The majority of forklift engines that are modern are powered by propane since they would be utilized for indoor applications, where gasoline and diesel engines would be unsuitable due to the exhaust they create.
Normally, the forklift is a four-cylinder engine-block. Forklift engines are like automobile engines because they hold pistons connecting to a camshaft. Each and every cylinder head has 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 driver starts up the forklift engine. This fine spray mixes 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 a precise sequence, compressing the propane and air mixture as each piston rises to the top of the head. With very precise timing, the battery and alternator of the engine create an electrical current which 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 as more fuel passes into the cylinder. Propane burns a lot cleaner compared to gasoline and diesel and the exhaust is not as harmful.