Replacing pallet jack hydraulic units

Replacing the hydraulic unit on your pallet jack truck is a great way to extend the life of your pallet truck.  The hydraulic unit needs to be regular checked and serviced.  One of the most common failures in hydraulic pallet jacks involves oil leaks. 

Rebuilding your hydraulic unit can be done with simple hand tools.  You can purchase pallet jack parts over the Internet, if you do not live near a local dealer.  You can also check with suppliers such as Grainger to see if they may have parts available.  Keep in mind however that Grainger may not offer the best pricing compared to online shopping.  Certain aftermarket companies will also allow you to purchase a used/rebuilt hydraulic unit, as long as you are willing to return your current hydraulic core unit.  In order to replace your seal, you will need your model number and serial number for your hand pallet truck.  This information is needed in order to locate the correct hydraulic lift assembly.

Here are some of the common failures seen in hydraulic lift units:

Hydraulic lift unit does not lower down.  This is usually caused by debris, or bent parts such as the lift link and push rod.  You will need to replace these parts.  Do not attempt to bend back parts, as they will be weakened by the additional torsion.

Pallet jack does not rise.  This may be caused by low hydraulic fluid.  If the fluid is full, you may want to check and verify that the hand control is adjusted properly.  The pump piston may have been physically nicked, which can also cause failure. 

Sometimes seal failure can cause issues such as slow leaks.  In this case the unit will slowly come down under load, within 20-30 minutes.  Pallet jacks with bad seals can be extremely dangerous.  Faulty hydraulic units can cause inventory and property damage. 

Unfortunately, sometimes damage occurs when people attempt to rebuild their own hydraulic lift.   It is also important that you only use hydraulic oil in your pallet jack.  Do not use automotive oil or brake fluid to fill your pallet jack hydraulic unit. 

Be sure to obtain a proper service manual before you attempt to remove and rebuild your hydraulic unit.  You can contact Toyota Material Handling USA, Crown, Yale, Global Industrial for more information on obtain the proper repair diagrams.  It should take approximately 1-2 hours to remove and install a new hydraulic unit on your pallet jack truck.