Forklift Engines
Forklifts are classed as vehicles with small engines. The engines of the forklift all follow the principles of internal combustion, while the many models and makes of lift truck will have a different design and layout. Forklifts are designed more toward producing high torque rather than for speed. They normally are geared to low speeds. The engine runs the drive wheels of the forklift. The engine is also needed to raise and lower the forks through a series of chain pulleys. Nearly all modern forklift engines are fueled by propane as they would be used for indoor applications, where diesel and gasoline engines will be unsuitable due to the exhaust they create.
A four-cylinder engine-block is typically found in a forklift. A lot similar to the engine in small cars, the engines of the forklift have cylinders containing pistons connecting to a camshaft. The head of every cylinder has an intake hatch, an exhaust hatch and a spark plug, each of them one-way and spring-loaded.
Engine Function
Once the operator starts up the engine of the forklift, propane passes through the opened throttle-plate in a fine spray and mixes together with air that comes from the mass air intake prior to moving into the cylinder head intake hatches. Each one of the four pistons is staggered to rise in a precise sequence, compressing the air and propane mixture as every piston rises to the top of the head. With timing that is very precise, the engine's alternator and battery create 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. 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 than diesel and gasoline and the exhaust is not as harmful.