Facom ratchet apart

[Tool Pants]

Have very little Facom, and no ratchets. Saw Rickster was selling a S151. I bought a S143 at the flea market. Looks the same as a S151, but mine is a flex head.

Never took one like the apart, but it turned out there is not much to it. Whatver grease in there was more like a glue.

Cound not find it on the net but I saw something like it has 72 teeth. I believe it. Saw lots of little teeth in there.

 

[pjcforpres2020]

Yup, 72 teeth, same design and what not as the SK Palm Control series. Very simple design. Loves the RLL, just over fill the sucker, tighten the set screw all the way down, then back off about a 1/4 turn. You will have a bunch ooze out, and it will bleed for a little bit.

You can also use something thicker, of course, like lubriplate.

 

[Fedwrench]

I don't think you need thicker lube. If anything use breakfree clp or 3 in one oil. Your results may vary but, fine tooth ratchets don't like the red lube of love. When you put the ratchet back together, ensure the reversing peg goes into the heart shaped spring. put a drop of loctite on the screw threads. When tightening the screw, there is a sweet spot where there is no head play but, the ratchet rotates freely, too tight and it will bind.

 

[pjcforpres2020]

I don't think you need thicker lube. If anything use breakfree clp or 3 in one oil. Your results may vary but, fine tooth ratchets don't like the red lube of love. When you put the ratchet back together, ensure the reversing peg goes into the heart shaped spring. put a drop of loctite on the screw threads. When tightening the screw, there is a sweet spot where there is no head play but, the ratchet rotates freely, too tight and it will bind.

Personal experience on these is that they love the RLL, but it bleeds all over, so a thicker lube that doesn't bleed is nice. I have used the lubriplate with great success... granted I have the SK Palm Control, and not the Facom, but they are the exact same...

Now if we are talking pear head fine tooth, like the c-man thin, or a snap on, etc that is a totally different story. RLL will work if you are careful, but other options are better, such as the ones you mentioned.

As for the sweet spot, very true, I found that what seems to get you that sweet spot the easiest is to tighten the screw all the way down, don't torque it, then back off a 1/4 turn... might need to adjust a hair from there, but it should be in the ballpark.

 

[Fedwrench]

Not a RLL fan. It's just too messy and I don't see an improvement with it in any ratchet over 45 teeth but, that's just me. Although the SK palm control is a copy of the Facom version, they are vastly different performance wise. For some reason the Facom ratchet head is smaller and thinner, it's lighter, its action crisper, and I have found it to be more durable than the SK version. It's too bad the Facom ratchets dried up here with Stanley's acqusition of Facom.

 

[pjcforpres2020]

Not a RLL fan. It's just too messy and I don't see an improvement with it in any ratchet over 45 teeth but, that's just me. Although the SK palm control is a copy of the Facom version, they are vastly different performance wise. For some reason the Facom ratchet head is smaller and thinner, it's lighter, its action crisper, and I have found it to be more durable than the SK version. It's too bad the Facom ratchets dried up here with Stanley's acqusition of Facom.

I am not a big fan of RLL anymore either since I started trying other lubes. I noticed a big difference from before and after, but I got some older stock that the lube was getting dried up, so new lube would make a huge difference in that case. I actually have been using the lubriplate as of late, not as smooth as some other lubes I have tried, but no leaks, and after seeing a the crank of a compresor that was 10 years old opened up and the stuff still intact, I was sold on it being durable and protective.

I haven't had a chance to compare side by side the Facom and SK... I know in my '04 catalog the rebuild kit for the two was the same, but the Facom look like they have moved on to a newer design since the companies split. I have been tempted to order up a couple Facom versions to see how different they are, and they also have the rubber comfort grips.

 

[Tool Pants]

I should have asked before I took it apart. Took many ratchets apart, but not that style.

After I removed the screw I very carefully removed the knurled round plate, just in case parts came flying out. I noticed the screw had blue loctite on it.

When it came time to put the plate back on I tried a few different ways and it did not work. Then I figured the pin on the back of the plate had to be inside the harped-shaped spring for the pawl.

Tightened up the screw all the way the the plate would not turn. So I backed it off a bit.

When I searched for "Facom S143" I came up with nothing except a rebuild kit. So is this old enough to be pre the S-K days?

 

[Joe Mamma]

I should have asked before I took it apart. Took many ratchets apart, but not that style.

After I removed the screw I very carefully removed the knurled round plate, just in case parts came flying out. I noticed the screw had blue loctite on it.

When it came time to put the plate back on I tried a few different ways and it did not work. Then I figured the pin on the back of the plate had to be inside the harped-shaped spring for the pawl.

Tightened up the screw all the way the the plate would not turn. So I backed it off a bit.

When I searched for "Facom S143" I came up with nothing except a rebuild kit. So is this old enough to be pre the S-K days?

Tool Pants, I have an S-K/Facom catalog and it has your ratchet listed. It's listed as "S.143 Flex-Head Ratchet" and gives some specifications, spare parts numbers, etc.

Unfortunately, the catalog doesn't have a date (publication, copyright or anything else like that) on it.

What the others said about tightening the screw until snug, then backing it out 1/4 turn is the factory recommended way to do it.

It's funny that you noticed the lube being hardened up. I think a lot of people reported problems with their ratchets thinking they were broken. But it was just S-K/Facom's poor choice of lubricant. My Facom ratchets also came with something that was like old hardened white lithium grease in it. I cleaned it out and relubed them, and they work great.

I have some Facom 72 tooth ratchets. I hate to admit it (because they are French), but the 3/8" drive is probably one of the ratchets I use most.

I don't really get the palm control feature. I've never used it.

Joe Mamma

 

[fourjeepin]

My 3/8 started acting up recently. I remembered this thread and took it apart. Wiped out the old and rather stiff grease and reassembled. Works better than when new!

The picture from Tool Pants was very helpful.

 

[Xavier from France]

I have some Facom 72 tooth ratchets. I hate to admit it (because they are French), but the 3/8" drive is probably one of the ratchets I use most.

Joe Mamma

At least you recognize that French can do good tools, it's a first step !

And do you know that the name FACOM is an acronym for "Franco-Américaine de Construction d'Outillage à Main" (French American hand tool building company) ?

 

[bonneyman]

Yeah, that's the infamous "sliding pawl" from Facom. The S-K TUFF 1 rats use it. (At least they did when Facom owned S-K. Don't know if that is the case now). And the latest Craftsman Tri-Lobe rat uses a similar system.
I only had one of those, and sold it ratchet quickly as it was a fine action. So, I didn't do much experimentation with lube. But I'd tend to agree with the consensus, and say thinner (oil) rather than thicker (grease).

 

[CoyoteKyle]

(At least they did when Facom owned S-K. Don't know if that is the case now).

Ideal Industries now owns SK Hand Tool. They also own Western Forge, and Pratt Read screwdrivers. They make 80% of the made in USA screwdrivers and adjustable wrenches out there. That Facom deal went away back in '08 or '09 and now I believe Stanley / Black and Decker owns Facom.

 

[bonneyman]

Ideal Industries now owns SK Hand Tool. They also own Western Forge, and Pratt Read screwdrivers. They make 80% of the made in USA screwdrivers and adjustable wrenches out there. That Facom deal went away back in '08 or '09 and now I believe Stanley / Black and Decker owns Facom.

I don't know for certain, but I think that S-K stopped offering the TUFF 1 ratchets when they left FACOM in 2005. Since the design was FACOM, they let S-K use it while they owned them. But after S-K went independent again, I think that "license" was revoked.
And I'm glad Ideal bought Western-Forge when Sears dumped them.

I just can't keep up with all the mergers and splits.

 

[TJJP77]

And I'm glad Ideal bought Western-Forge when Sears dumped them.

Sears didn't own Western Forge - they were just a supplier like Danaher, Apex and Moore Drop Forge. Also, the Craftsman screwdrivers (both pro and non-pro) and the black handled pliers are still made by Western Forge near as I can tell. Only US made stuff in the store, for the most part.