DeWalt drill chuck

[Roadking16]

I am looking for the best method to change the drill chuck on my 20 V DeWalt cordless drill. I tried the method from the Dewalt website and also looked at YouTube. I clamped in a hex key and smacked it with my heavy mallet. But to no avail it did not come loose. I certainly do not want to break it.

I want to put on a better drill chuck with a key.

I believe this is the “torqued” on chuck. It has no set screw. Anyone have any advice?

 

[branimal]

I am looking for the best method to change the drill chuck on my 20 V DeWalt cordless drill. I tried the method from the Dewalt website and also looked at YouTube. I clamped in a hex key and smacked it with my heavy mallet. But to no avail it did not come loose. I certainly do not want to break it.

I want to put on a better drill chuck with a key.

I believe this is the “torqued” on chuck. It has no set screw. Anyone have any advice?

I had to do something similar with an old milwaukee right angle drill. Wrench on one side, hex key in the chuck. And then cheater bars on everything. She came right out. (I tried smacking with a hammer. No luck. )

 

[WillyBoy]

One way to determine that there's no center screw holding the chuck in place is to open it all the way and look down the middle with a good light. Every reversible drill that I've had that needed the chuck replaced, had a screw through the bottom of the chuck into the shaft it was threaded onto.

 

[The Cobbler]

Dean Doherty on You Tube has several videos on Dewalt Chuck replacement. sometimes he has to disassemble the gear housing to grip the arbor in a vise in order to change them. sometimes he cuts them off ...

 

[Daedalus]

One way to determine that there's no center screw holding the chuck in place is to open it all the way and look down the middle with a good light. Every reversible drill that I've had that needed the chuck replaced, had a screw through the bottom of the chuck into the shaft it was threaded onto.

+1. My Dewalt cordless drill that I replaced the chuck on had a Torx head screw dead center at the bottom. I don't recall for sure, but it might have been LH threaded. I think I ended up having to cut off part of the old chuck to get some vicegrips on the head after the socket stripped out. Not a straightforward job for me that time, but that drill has seen some use!

 

[jsaw]

Last one I did, removed the center screw, then clamped a 3/8" drive hex bit socket in the chuck. A quick blip with the 3/8 impact and the chuck was off.

 

[rodder98]

I have a DeWalt 20V drill/driver, model DCD771 that is about 18 months old. I put a small drill driven water pump in the chuck and tightened it by hand. I did it many times to pump some water out of a small boat. But today, I cannot get the chuck to turn loose. I tried putting it in reverse with a big channel lock pliers on the chuck. I heard the torque lock click but the chuck will not loosen. I tried tapping the chuck all around it, (not loosening.) Any ideas as to how I can get the chuck to loosen up?

 

[GeoBruin]

I have a DeWalt 20V drill/driver, model DCD771 that is about 18 months old. I put a small drill driven water pump in the chuck and tightened it by hand. I did it many times to pump some water out of a small boat. But today, I cannot get the chuck to turn loose. I tried putting it in reverse with a big channel lock pliers on the chuck. I heard the torque lock click but the chuck will not loosen. I tried tapping the chuck all around it, (not loosening.) Any ideas as to how I can get the chuck to loosen up?

Do you have a strap wrench?

 

[neophyte]

Most keyless chicks do use a center locking screw, as has been mentioned.
The screws vary, with some requiring hex keys, others torx, and I think I’ve even seen slotted versions of the locking screws.
If the center screw is there, it would need to be removed first.
Other drills, or even drills with a locking screw, may also use threadlocker.
Some drills also have the chuck too heavily torqued onto the drill arbor.
With an older Milwaukee corded drill, I first had to remove the locking screw, and then had to tighten the chuck onto a large allen key, before locking the other end of the key in a vise, and quickly pressing and releasing the trigger while the drill was in reverse.
This broke the overly torqued on chuck free, but probably could have screwed up my wrist if things had gone wrong.
In the case of that drill, there were hex flats on the threaded arbor allowing the use of a thin very thin wrench, if I needed to do similar again.
The suggestion of an impact wrench made above is probably safer.
I tried the “whack the hex key method” that is routinely suggested, and did not find it to work.

 

[sz0k30]

Dean Doherty on You Tube has several videos on Dewalt Chuck replacement. sometimes he has to disassemble the gear housing to grip the arbor in a vise in order to change them. sometimes he cuts them off ...

I think I found the same video, cause I have one of those without a screw. Real screwed up design.

 

[rodder98]

I understand about removing the chuck screw.
BUT, in the chuck RIGHT NOW is a HF plastic water pump that has a steel shaft. The chuck is now stuck tight on the 5/16 pump shaft. I cannot loosen the chuck. That is what I am asking about. NOT about how to remove a chuck from the drill motor. And, I cannot even see that center chuck screw because the steel shaft is clamped down by the chuck jaws. I tightened it by hand and just an hour later tried to loosen it.
I have let penetrating oil sit in the chuck for a few days, have tried hitting lightly the metal chuck all around it. I have tried using a channel lock pliers on the chuck and hitting reverse. All of that will not loosen the chuck grip on the steel shaft. I hear the torque lock click when I do that. I thought of cutting the pump body off and seeing if I could turn the pump shaft to get it out. But first I wanted to ask for your ideas. Do you know what the DeWalt warranty is?

 

[rodder98]

Well guys, after working for a few hours over a 3 day period to get the DeWalt drill jaws to loosen it, It FINALLY came loose.
I put a small strap wrench over the chuck and tried both tightening and loosening with the trigger many many times. The chuck looks and works like new. So, I don't see any defects at all and see no reason why it would not loosen.

 

[RTM]

I understand about removing the chuck screw.
BUT, in the chuck RIGHT NOW is a HF plastic water pump that has a steel shaft. The chuck is now stuck tight on the 5/16 pump shaft. I cannot loosen the chuck. That is what I am asking about. NOT about how to remove a chuck from the drill motor.

Come on, you’ve been here since 2011, you should know the drill (no pun intended)

You wake up a zombie Thread, and everybody reads the first 15 (or so til they get tired) posts, not realizing they are weeks, or decades old, offers answers on what they read, and never make it to your wake up post. Occasionally they will try to contact the OP, who hasn’t been here since the week they posted it, to buy or solve his problem.

But, back to your problem. I haven’t had time to fish out my keyless Dewalt chucks, but have vague memories about them having a locking function. Sitting in a work furnished hotel room with 100° heat outside, I decide to aid in abusing the outside temp by asking google AI about this. The answer below follows that lead, maybe try locking it down on something easy to work around, like a big drill bit, see if any of this help.



DeWalt keyless chucks are designed with ratcheting mechanisms that lock securely to prevent bits from slipping. Tighten the chuck by rotating the sleeve clockwise until you hear the ratcheting clicks, then give it a firm final twist or reverse it one notch until it clicks, locking the jaws into place. [1, 2, 3]



How the Locking Mechanism Works
Most modern DeWalt drills feature a single-sleeve keyless chuck with an automatic spindle lock. Here are the steps to operate and troubleshoot it:

• Tightening: With your drill’s forward/reverse switch in the forward position, hold the back ring of the chuck and rotate the front sleeve clockwise (when looking at the front of the drill) until the jaws grip the bit tightly.
• The "Lock" Click: As you tighten, you will hear a ratcheting sound. Many users experience better security by turning it until the ratcheting slows, and then giving it a firm, hard twist until you hear a definitive, heavier click.
• Loosening: To release the bit, hold the back ring and turn the sleeve counterclockwise.
• Spindle Lock: If you are trying to loosen or tighten the chuck but the entire internal mechanism spins, your drill's automatic spindle lock may have engaged. Set the forward/reverse selector firmly to the center (locked) position to lock the internal gear, allowing you to easily loosen or tighten the chuck by hand. [3, 7]

Troubleshooting a Stuck Chuck
If your DeWalt chuck is stuck open, jammed, or refusing to turn properly:

• Clear Debris: Use compressed air or a brush to remove dust or drywall mud from inside the jaws.
• Use the Right Tools: If the chuck is seized, gently tap the chuck key or an allen wrench secured inside the chuck with a mallet to break free any jammed debris, then try rotating it with the battery removed.
• Consult the Manual: If the issue persists, review your specific drill model's manual to verify maintenance guidelines or look up replacement parts (such as the DeWalt OEM Keyless Chucks ) if the ratcheting teeth are stripped.

If you want, let me know:

• The exact model number of your DeWalt drill
• Whether the chuck is currently stuck open or stuck gripping a bit

I can help you narrow down exactly how to release it or provide a guide for replacing the chuck if it's broken.

AI responses may include mistakes.
[1] https://www.reddit.com/r/diynz/comments/xsix10 [2]

[3] https://www.protoolreviews.com/how-to-use-a-keyless-drill-chuck/
[4] https://www.acmetools.com/dewalt-10-amp-1-2-in-mid-handle-keyless-drill-dwd215g/885911109437.html
[5] https://www.woolworths.com.au/shop/productdetails/1127441697/dewalt-18v-xr-right-angle-drill-skin-only-keyless-chuck-variable-speed-dcd740n-xe
[6] https://www.instructables.com/How-To-Remove-a-Stuck-Drill-Chuck/
[7] https://www.reddit.com/r/Dewalt/comments/1ldo06r/dcd85m_805_possible_issue/
[8] https://www.ifixit.com/Guide/DeWalt+DW997+Drill+Chuck+Replacement/74069