Craftsman breaker bar - missing parts?

[nh_yota]

Apparently sometime in the past year my 1/2" Craftsman breaker bar fell apart and lost some of its parts. It's not broken, just missing the spring and whatever else goes inside the handle to keep the flex head from flopping around and the main pin from falling out. Can anyone help me out with a picture or a parts breakdown of the little bits that disappeared? Sears doesn't have a repair kit and I don't want to do a warranty swap since the new ones are made in China.

I've read that some of the Matco/Armstrong repair kits will fit but they don't seem to have all the parts I need like the spring. Maybe I can come up with the parts I need from a hardware store, I just need to know what parts are missing.

 

[Negen]

I have never seen a breaker bar with springs in them. Can you post a part number maybe so we can help you research. Sounds like maybe you mean torque wrench?

 

[nh_yota]

This is the best I can do since I'm not home right now to take a picture.



The red arrow shows where the missing parts go inside the handle. The black flex head has grooves in it and the spring and parts inside the handle put pressure on the grooves to keep the head from moving around.

 

[Murphy4570]

Tighten up on the screw to provide a drag on the link. Bam same result.

I've never seen a detent style breaker bar like you describe either.

 

[jakemac]

Try a spring out of a cheap pen that fits the hole, and stick a ball bearing from the hardware store on top of it.

 

[Karl_B]

Most good hardware stores have a selection of springs. I would remove the head and find one that slips in and sticks out of the hole may 1/8" to 1/4" and get a ball bearing that fits as tightly as possible. If you can't get a rebuild kit, you might even drill out the hole to accept larger diameter parts if you need to.

Most of my various flex handles have detents, although many only for the straight out position, I assume for using like a driver after breaking the bolt loose. Some also have detents at 45 or 90 degrees. All can be handy.

 

[Ponchoguy]

Apparently sometime in the past year my 1/2" Craftsman breaker bar fell apart and lost some of its parts. It's not broken, just missing the spring and whatever else goes inside the handle to keep the flex head from flopping around and the main pin from falling out. Can anyone help me out with a picture or a parts breakdown of the little bits that disappeared? Sears doesn't have a repair kit and I don't want to do a warranty swap since the new ones are made in China.

I've read that some of the Matco/Armstrong repair kits will fit but they don't seem to have all the parts I need like the spring. Maybe I can come up with the parts I need from a hardware store, I just need to know what parts are missing.

Try a smaller Sears store or a Sears Hometown/Hardware store. Their stock tends to move slower and you might find an NOS unit to swap out.

 

[Fugio]

It's a ball bearing and a spring in there.

The ball is just pressed in there. Go to a REAL hardware store (not HD or Lowe's) or a bicycle shop and find a ball bearing that is just very slightly too big to drop in. Then get a spring from a pen or something.

Put in the spring (cut to length first) and beat the ball in the hole. Fixed!

You might have to remove the roll pin to gain access. But really it's not very important. At my age I'm used to things being floppy.

 

[Wakefield]

I take it that spring loaded ball in the base of the fork is not the same as the detant spring loaded ball in a square drive that holds a socket on? (If not quick release)

Could some other breaker bar head that uses a spring or lock washer besides the head crammed alongside the fork ear be substituted? (And its pin)
Does a Matco or Armstrong bar use similar heads?
Cram a good old grade 8 bolt and nut through there and tighten it right up-leaving the bar stuck at 90 degree angle?

 

[jakemac]

It's essentially the same as the spring and ball that is used to provide tension on the pawl, inside a ratchet.

 

[defektes]

But really it's not very important. At my age I'm used to things being floppy.

Good one.

 

[WILD-BILL]

The spring and ball for the flex head are larger then the ones that retain the socket.

The Craftsman long handle flex head 1/2" drive ratchet has the same handle just a different head. Uses the same parts for the flex.

 

[nh_yota]

The spring and ball for the flex head are larger then the ones that retain the socket.

The Craftsman long handle flex head 1/2" drive ratchet has the same handle just a different head. Uses the same parts for the flex.

Interesting - I have the 1/2" flex head ratchet too and I didn't even think to look at it. I think I'll just end up getting a ball bearing and a spring. Most of the local Sears franchises near me have closed and the mall-based Sears stores are useless.

The pivot pin slides out easily, which is why the thing fell apart in the first place. There is no screw or clip holding it in - unless I'm missing it. I think it's held in just from the sideways pressure of the spring.

 

[Wakefield]

I believe that pin is supposed to be press fit in the middle (hole through the base of the square drive piece) and shouldn't come out by itself. I think is supposed to have been pressed straight in,if twisted while being pushed in that might have made it fit too loose.Perhaps the hole through the square drive piece is oversize or the pin is undersize. Perhaps poor quality control from the get-go.
A big 3/4" drive S*K breaker bar had a main pin that is pinned with a small pin through it. Some of the newer ones are made with a bolt that threads into the hole in one of the ears.
KoKen has a breaker bar design with a pin that has sort of a spring loaded thing that might be like a pin and tumbler combination as found in a lock,the main pin might be hourglass shaped in the middle to catch the small pin that holds it,goes in through a dimple on the rear of the square drive piece. But I think the dimensions on the KoKen are dirrerent than on the Craftsman.
If the pin style bar is really made well the pin should be a tight but movable fit in the ears with no obvious wobble space.
Offhand does anyone know if the Wright pins are the same diameter as the Craftsman? (Probably not)

 

[Wakefield]

Interesting -

The pivot pin slides out easily, which is why the thing fell apart in the first place.

Superglue comes to mind but that would be Primitive Pete!

 

[royesses]

The pin is supposed to be a press fit in the drive end and a slip fit in the yoke. Yours is defective. You should get it replaced under the lifetime warranty from Sears.
Roy

 

[Karl_B]

I love the Primitive Pete reference!

My go to is never my Craftsman handles, so maybe it's time to upgrade?