What's new
What's new

Pallet jack...how much labor and/or PITA factor is there in installing new seals ?

Milacron

Administrator
Staff member
Joined
Dec 15, 2000
Location
SC, USA
Multiton TM55... manual pallet jack... after 15 years of use without leaking a drop, I install all new wheels and the next day it starts leaking like crazy :angry:

New seal kit about 45 bucks, but I'm in no mood to install them if it takes more than an hour or two....temped just to chuck it and buy a new jack...except after paying money for new wheels that thought gives me pause. What say ye ?
 
It would take more than an hour because the best way to install new seals is to compress them with a ring compressor or strip of metal plus hose clamps and then place it in a freezer. Then when you take it out you quickly remove the band(s) and slide it into the lubricated cylinder. The rest would probably take up to an hour but well worth doing, especially after springing for new wheels.
 
WTF?

A Multiton / Jungheinrich PJ is a simple critter. It don' need no cryogenic-fu.

Multiton Pallet Jack Parts | TM,M,J & S | Helmar Parts

Read the text. Braking issues symptom. "Quick repairs".

Not as if it was a cat-shot launching bombers off a carrier deck.

How many lift cylinders have you actually done?

Some have built-in tapers that make assembling with new seals easy but others can be a real bitch to reassemble unless the seals are compressed. I've done both types, and am perpetually grateful to the old timer who taught me that freezer trick.
 
HUH...I've rebuilt a bazillion hydraulic and pneumatic cylinders of all sizes and shapes and have never needed the assistance of my Whirlpool reefer.:crazy:

To me, it's too coincidental that the pallet jack started leaking immediately after working on the wheels. Before I went further, I would park it somewhere for a few days to see if the mysterious leaking 'self healed'.

Stuart
 
To me, it's too coincidental that the pallet jack started leaking immediately after working on the wheels. Before I went further, I would park it somewhere for a few days to see if the mysterious leaking 'self healed'.
There's no way the new wheel install directly resulted in the leak (wheel replacement involved lifting the jack ends perhaps 1/4" with toe jack...no seized parts, no hammering..easy peasy)

But thinking back on it, the new wheels allowed me to actually use the jack later that day and I vaguely remember maxing it out capacity wise....although I didn't notice anything amiss at the time, I suspect I blew a seal during the lifting...

In this case the leak does not go away... at least not until the fluid runs out...quite a puddle.
 
Not being a pallet jack technician, this is all assumption, but even the lowest tech hydraulic lifting device would have an internal pressure bypass to prevent killing said device when overloaded. Just like a hydraulic jack has. The relief valve should be internal and show no external leakage when overloaded...maybe this pallet jack vents its overload to the outside to notify the user he has exceeded the limit. Not likely, but it is a thought none the less.

Stuart
 
Ours never puked any oil- just simply stopped lifting. Changing the seal was amazingly easy and quick.
I recall its a 5K Crown. A buddy took theirs to a hydraulic shop and paid $125.00 to have the seal changed.
 
... have no advice, just a little heads up to our frugal members: even inoperative manual pallet jacks are good for storing heavy items on to ease moving them around the shop. I had bought an 50's era N.O.S. Pexto sheet metal slip roll at an auction. The kind that's built on a steel cabinet of sorts. I mounted it on a junk pallet jack. That allows me to roll it out in the open to roll things, then roll it back under the pallet rack where it lives... easily maneuvered mounted like it is. I've bought 3 inop pallet jacks at auctions just for that purpose.
 
Keerful.

One lad got into a spot of trouble with a wife over such accumulated discards.

Seems she was cross because the house was always littered with empty whisky bottles.

He was puzzled as to why she was pissed at HIM?.

Said he was absolutely CERTAIN he had never brought home an empty whiskey bottle in his entire life.

:(

She shouldn't be worried about the empty bottles . At that point he's on the downhill slide and maybe she needs to work on how to empty the house of him.


Back to the pallet jack , it's former dependability world steer me toward repair.

Joe's suggestion of repurposing is not bad if it fits a need.
 
... have no advice, just a little heads up to our frugal members: even inoperative manual pallet jacks are good for storing heavy items on to ease moving them around the shop. I had bought an 50's era N.O.S. Pexto sheet metal slip roll at an auction. The kind that's built on a steel cabinet of sorts. I mounted it on a junk pallet jack. That allows me to roll it out in the open to roll things, then roll it back under the pallet rack where it lives... easily maneuvered mounted like it is. I've bought 3 inop pallet jacks at auctions just for that purpose.
FWIW, it works fine and will still raise an inch or so then runs out of oil. This is the "narrow" version with 20 inch width, 48" forks, 5000 capacity. Except for seals, in great condition, forks not spread or bent, decent paint....Someone give me 75 bucks for it. :fight:

02FE4574-0DC2-4B1D-9BFE-0E9BAB2744AA.jpg
 
It would take more than an hour because the best way to install new seals is to compress them with a ring compressor or strip of metal plus hose clamps and then place it in a freezer. Then when you take it out you quickly remove the band(s) and slide it into the lubricated cylinder. The rest would probably take up to an hour but well worth doing, especially after springing for new wheels.

I guess you are not aware that rubber expands when it cools. Cooling it make sit bigger and harder to force into a bore. Warming it up will shrink it a little and make it easier to insert into a bore.
Bill D
 
I'm not familiar with that particular jack, but we've rebuilt several. If you have the kit and tools, they come together without too much trouble.

The most trouble I ever had rebuilding pallet jacks was years ago when we had a couple to do and I delegated them to someone else. One was a no-name import that I wasn't able to find a kit for so I told him his scrapper brother could take it away. The other was an old foot pedal Multiton. I gave him the kit and went to do something else. I came back later and tried to use it and it still was creeping down under load. It was obvious that it had been taken apart and I looked at the kit on the table, half the parts in the torn bag looked new. I asked him about it and he got quiet scratching his head and said he couldn't remember if he changed the parts.... Later that week after his scrapper brother had taken a load of junk away, I see the POS import pallet jack sitting there and the Multiton gone. Once again, he's quiet, scratching his head.... He doesn't work here anymore.
 
An update that I was finally inspired to change the seals in my pallet jack. Was a bit of a PITA to change the pump seals due to dissemble and reassemble quirks of the things needed to get to the seals but the main piston was easy. Did not change the relief valve seals but so far jack works like a champ with no leaks.
 








 
Back
Top