Help save a Husky USA 1/2" ratchet

[jjjrmx5]

Picked this up as part of a box of other tools a few weeks ago at the flea.

When selector is placed in the center position, square drive rotates in both directions and paws and teeth click so paw spring is OK and teeth OK.

Husky USA 1/2 " ratchet.
CS 43
36 tooth
PAT No. 2554990 and 2981389

http://home.comcast.net/~alloy-artifacts/newbritain-nonebetter-p2.html

AA says it was made by New Britain and shares S-K componets.
50-60's vintage.
I really like the small head on it.
Teeth on ratchet and paws are undamaged.

ATF soak netted no results, so pulled spring ring and guts.

Seems sub-assembly is clean but paws are acting funky and there is some kind of two prong wire fingers sticking out on the back side. The recesed portion of the selecor fits over the raised portion on one side and the wires on teh other, but it looks "hokey",

I really don't want to delve into pulling the cir-clip on teh assembly and guts, but I have no idea if this is a factory set-up or if someone went in and did a quick fix.

Unless an S-K kit fits, I doubt founding a NB or Husly kit is not an option.

So where to go from here?

TIA and pics below.

 

[byoungblood]

I've got a 3/8" drive NB ratchet at home I'll pop apart and look and see if yours is correct. From a casual glance, I'd say its OK, may just need to work the reverse mechanism back and forth a bit to free things up.

 

[larryq]

I have a few NB ratchets like that and none with the wires sticking out. I'm not sure from your description, is the ratchet working ok, other than the hokeyness?

Ebay would be your best bet for a replacement head. I don't have it in front of me but I picked up a rebuild kit for a Blackhawk of the same vintage, and it looks darn near the same as that ratcheting head-- as you found, a lot of the ratchets of that time were cross pollinated.

That, or if it really bugs you a donor ratchet from ebay won't be terribly difficult to locate. They are nice ratchets and don't blame you for wanting to keep it.

 

[ganymede]

Those rats (when bought used) are often missing the little steel ball that sits between the pawl and spring . It'll work without it but the ball helps give more pressure .

 

[Westly]

The link TheCopilot gave looks like a good guide to taking what you have apart. Before that you might try spraying it good with PB Blaster and trying to work the parts until they move freely. The two funky wires, according to the link they may be right, which surprizes me! If PB and trying to flip it doesn't work, it's remotely possible somebody tried to fix it with the wrong size ball or coil spring which gives too much friction.

 

[Mechanical Noise]

If you can, work on it in clear plastic bag. There's a few little parts which are capable of flying off into another dimension.

First, try to free it up with penetrating oil or solvent before trying to disassemble it.

I don't think anything from a SK ratchet will work inside that one.

 

[Mechanical Noise]

First, try to free it up with penetrating oil or solvent before trying to disassemble it.

Sorry, I was unclear. Try to free it up with penetrating oil or solvent and you may not have to disassemble it.

 

[PowderKeg]

Picked this up as part of a box of other tools a few weeks ago at the flea.

When selector is placed in the center position, square drive rotates in both directions and paws and teeth click so paw spring is OK and teeth OK.

Husky USA 1/2 " ratchet.
CS 43
36 tooth
PAT No. 2554990 and 2981389

http://home.comcast.net/~alloy-artifacts/newbritain-nonebetter-p2.html

AA says it was made by New Britain and shares S-K componets.
50-60's vintage.
I really like the small head on it.
Teeth on ratchet and paws are undamaged.

ATF soak netted no results, so pulled spring ring and guts.

Seems sub-assembly is clean but paws are acting funky and there is some kind of two prong wire fingers sticking out on the back side. The recesed portion of the selecor fits over the raised portion on one side and the wires on teh other, but it looks "hokey",

I really don't want to delve into pulling the cir-clip on teh assembly and guts, but I have no idea if this is a factory set-up or if someone went in and did a quick fix.

Unless an S-K kit fits, I doubt founding a NB or Husly kit is not an option.

So where to go from here?

TIA and pics below.

A properly operating NB sourced Kilness patent ratchet doesn't have a "center position" - the pawl will snap smartly to one side or the other when switched. It takes extra effort to start to turn, then snaps over. A center pivoting pawl design like S-K or so many others takes a relatively constant pressure to switch and can be relatively easy to hold "centered" to spin the drive either direction without engaging any teeth. If that Husky is easy to do that with, then it's screwed up.

Looks to me that somebody has already had the circlip off and fouled up the innards before slapping it back together - it certainly looks "hokey" to me too. Those wires are supposed to be the straight and cleanly clipped ends of a spring, but yours look much larger than normal and heavily mangled. I'm gonna guess that somebody previous popped the circlip, lost that spring (and possibly the wound spring and/or ball bearing under the pawl), and tried to rube up a quick - and failed - fix before jamming it all back together.

Fortunately, NB sourced a bazillion of these ratchets under umpteen different brandings - like in the neighborhood of 21 different brands - so finding a parts donor really cheap for the springs/ball shouldn't be any problem. Or if you find a 60 tooth version (at least my CS 43 is a 60 T) with good working guts but a crapped out finish, just pop and clean up the guts and drop them in your handle. I've never intentionally pulled this style completely apart, just pulled the guts, soaked well in cleaner/degreaser, lightly scrubbed and left to dry, then finally lubed. The one that fell apart on me when cleaning it up is still sitting in pieces....

AFAIK, there is absolutely no connection or relation to S-K, completely different companies for their entire histories, with completely different patented ratchet designs.

 

[jjjrmx5]

PowderKeg, I think you nailed it spot-on.

When the selector is "centered," most ratchets freewwheel and do not engage any teeth.

This one engages in the center but will not switch to either direction rendering it pretty much useless as is.

I do think soneone tried to fix it only to ****** it worse or loose some parts along the way.

I'll keep an eye out at the fleas and browse ebay to see what my options are.

It's a nice ratchet and I;d hate to scrap it. Heck, if it sits around too long here I'm sure omeone on GJ can put it back in service.

It's not like I don't have another dozen 1/2" driver ratchets to use, I just hate to see good US stuff get tossed aside.

I'll do a tooth count (although the handle is stamed CS 43 adn then 36 so I assme 36 teeth.

I wanna try and see if a SK kit will drop in but I;m not gonna hold my breath.

It will live on one way or another. LOLZ.

If anyone comes across a repair kit or trashed Husky LMK.