Anyone else lube their ratchet with 5w20
- Thread starter HotelMike
- Start date
I let it it soak a good 20 min while I got the filter out.AS556
Well-known member
I use lithium grease.
Motor oil is a good general purpose lubricant IMO.
Motor oil is a good general purpose lubricant IMO.
Legion Prime
Well-known member
3in1 blue bottle here which is 20wt so yeah, basically.
ken w.
Well-known member
I use synthetic grease in all my ratchets. Maybe a squirt of Kroil once in a while.
This... I don't think I have any hand tools that haven't taken a bath in hydraulic oil. Some of them get bathed in motor oil from time to time, but hydraulic oil is the real deal around the farm.
Bretny
Well-known member
Grease can clog up the ratchet mech. Use oil, any light oil will work. Atf, hydraulic, engine oil, its all the same for this purpose.
KnurledNut
Well-known member
Sweat and elbow grease seem to be my go-to lately...
ganymede
Well-known member
I was thinking synthetic oil "sticks" to metal parts, and that's one of the reasons why it offers superior lubrication. (Like in motors - The oil doesn't drip off the bearings and leaving them to start dry). Plus 5w is pretty thin, so shouldn't clog up some ratchets like grease would.
Ton ton
Well-known member
Bump.
Like asking in an online forum which motor oil you should use. Chicken/egg? Egg/chicken? Clean them occasionally and lube them lightly with SOMETHING. Unless you're obsessed with noise and attaining the absolute lowest level of backdrag.
CGarage
Well-known member
Synthetic ATF. Much better choice.
fsae0607
Well-known member
On a related note, used motor oil is a cheap alternative for chainsaw bar oil. Works great on my chainsaw-on-a-stick.
Wamsutta
Well-known member
I use Permatex 81950 on non sealed ratchets. The old fashion MAC 30 tooth ratchets do especially well with it.
On sealed ratchets I use Superlube synthetic grease because it will not swell up the seals.
On sealed ratchets I use Superlube synthetic grease because it will not swell up the seals.
CGarage
Well-known member
Clean, fresh oil can be had for less than $2/Qt on sale. We don’t need to reuse everything.
2ndGearRubber
Well-known member
Might wanna check out the bearings in the motor if used oil from it is full of abrasive.
For totally non-sealed ratchets, I simply blast with PB blaster, then spin them around with my M12 drill.
Honest Bob
Well-known member
I oil mine with whatever I drop them in. It seems as if my drain pan has a large magnet in the bottom of it.
ganymede
Well-known member
Might wanna check out the bearings in the motor if used oil from it is full of abrasive.
For totally non-sealed ratchets, I simply blast with PB blaster, then spin them around with my M12 drill.
Or you could change the filter when you change the oil.
davethorik
Well-known member
Modern Wright ratchets have OIL ONLY stamped into them to help you remember. I've used Shell Rotella in them with success. And that is clean, new oil, not used.
budmur
Well-known member
Ratchets, door hinges, Glocks, just about everthing.
Jazz1
Well-known member
Pack mine once with lithium grease.
isb cornbinder
Well-known member
I have never used any lube in any of my ratchets. One of the ratchets is nearly 70 years old and functions really well.
joe_pinehill1
Well-known member
I used to use motor oil I drained from the cars for years. I switched to Canola oil. When I'm done with the saw I pour out the left over canola oil on the ground, and saves the mess from small leaks when I store in the garage and its cheap.
joe_pinehill1
Well-known member
Same, I took apart one of my Father's SK 42470 ratchet circa 1939 a few weeks ago, more out of curiosity how the teeth looked. No sign of wear and it works fine. For years this was the only ratchet we had and was used on a farm and the house. I thought about not oiling, but it did have some kind of film of oil, either from spill or original I dont know. But I think over oiling can be a dirt magnet.
48RON54
Well-known member
Was this accidental or on purpose? Just curios.
I've dropped many a ratchet into the oil drain pan on accident. I usually wait awhile to pull it out since the oil is usually hot AF lol
I've dropped many a ratchet into the oil drain pan on accident. I usually wait awhile to pull it out since the oil is usually hot AF lol
isb cornbinder
Well-known member
I agree with the dirt magnet thing. If my ratchets were in continuous rotation, I would consider lubrication and a scheduled service. A ratchet does about a 1/4 turn then locks in the other direction. This is not high wear due to heavy loading. My Dad bought my oldest SK 1/2"ratchet in 1940.
I took a SnapOn garage sale torque wrench in for service and calibration. The ratchet would skip without warning. I got the torque wrench back in a week. The attached note said, no parts replaced. ratchet mechanism cleaned. Wrench certified, no charge.
chipper
Well-known member
I use superlube or engine slick (rll)....white lithium for me seems to lock ratchets up. I just did all my torque wrenches tonight with the red lube of love
Sent from my SM-A205U using The Garage Journal mobile app
Sent from my SM-A205U using The Garage Journal mobile app
ken w.
Well-known member
SK rebuild kits come with a small bit of synthetic grease and an instruction sheet showing where to apply the grease. To me it looks like Superlube.
Yeah, kinda what I do. When I get a new ratchet I usually try to get it douched up with Quantum Hot Sauce fishing reel lube. But older rats generally rely on the used motor oil or ATF bath.
KBigg
Well-known member
Depends on the ratchet. when I restored my Wright 3/4dr 18 tooth ratchet I packed it with red grease and it sounds/functions smooth as can be. The rest of them I usually use whatever I have laying around, motor oil, ATF, 3in1, air tool oil, pretty much anything and never had an issue. Seems the lower tooth ratchets like heavier lube.
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bpjr
Well-known member
I used 30w motor oil and then Super Lube for yrs but a couple yrs ago started using the synthetic Penn fishing reel oil...cause I ran out of Super Lube and the Penn oil was handy. Use it on my guns too.
kctyphoon
Banned
Anything is better than nothing imo. I think the more important thing is keeping the rust away, but the added smoothness from something like lithium grease is just a bonus.
Guy i work with just had an old Stanley Professional ratchet (thats what it says on the thing, i have no idea if theres any real difference) that i just fixed for him. It would jam and I’d actually have to bang the selector down on the truck to force it to switch directions. I like the selector switch on it. Its just one big rocker style that when working, you can easily swap directions with the same hand your holding the ratchet with. Let it soak in wd-40 with some bar and chain oil (cause thats all that was on the truck) for like 2 hours. Took it out and coated it with some white lithium grease. Works like new. Its so used the chrome is wearing off the selector. The same socket has been on that thing for years, maybe even a decade or longer.
Guy i work with just had an old Stanley Professional ratchet (thats what it says on the thing, i have no idea if theres any real difference) that i just fixed for him. It would jam and I’d actually have to bang the selector down on the truck to force it to switch directions. I like the selector switch on it. Its just one big rocker style that when working, you can easily swap directions with the same hand your holding the ratchet with. Let it soak in wd-40 with some bar and chain oil (cause thats all that was on the truck) for like 2 hours. Took it out and coated it with some white lithium grease. Works like new. Its so used the chrome is wearing off the selector. The same socket has been on that thing for years, maybe even a decade or longer.
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