Herbrand Ratchet

[B.S.A. (ret.)]

Hello all. Was cruising my local pawnshop and picked up this old Herbrand S-7 1/2" drive ratchet today for $10. First Herbrand ratchet I've come across. Cleaned it up a bit and it seems to work fine, but has some slop in the selector switch that causes it to skip a tooth or two every now and then. I think that the fix would be a stronger spring behind the selector ball, but it looks like the switch is semi-permanently installed a la Snap On. I don't think that rebuild kits are available any longer as Alloy Artifacts dates this design from the sixties so it's damn near as old as I am. The gear and anvil are MASSIVE on this thing!

 

[ganymede]

I've got the 3/8 Bonney brand version. If no one answers I'll take mine apart and see how to remove the lever.

 

[JohnDeere1]

Seems like every time I find a ratchet its 1/2 standard handle everytime, I got so many that's a nice rat you got there at a decent price it should out last us all.

 

[B.S.A. (ret.)]

Thanks guys. I'm sure this thing has the potential to outlast the human race the way that it's built!

 

[ganymede]

Okay
All you do is 1. Remove the circlip on the underside of the head.
2. Pull off the cover plate and gear.
3. With a tiny screwdriver or whatever is available compress the spring and ball that moves the pawl.
3. Flip the selector switch so far around that the pawl is facing backwards.
4 . Pull the pawl out with a pair of thin nose pliers. You may have to juggle it a bit.
This is all best done with the ratchet clamped in your vise ( with jaws padded of course).
Edit: forgot to mention the lever is held to the ratchet body by a teeny metal clip .
I didn't bother removing mine because it looks like a pain to get back together.
View media item 74399

 

[B.S.A. (ret.)]

Thank you Ganymede, I just took a look at your post this morning and will take another look at my ratchet when I get the time. I seem to recall the pawl not looking like yours, but as you can see in the second photo in my previous post, the lever shaft appears to be die-cast white metal or zinc with a visible parting line on the face that shows through the cover plate. If your photo shows the pawl "upside down", then what I'm assuming is the lever shaft might actually be the bottom of the pawl. Again, I'll have to take a closer look, but thanks again for the photo and procedure.

 

[B.S.A. (ret.)]

Hello again Ganymede. I got the pawl out according to your great instructions and found a severely worn ball. Not having a replacement .150" diameter ball available, I stretched out the spring a bit and re-installed the original. Everything seems to be working fine and when I come across a replacement ball, I'll put it in. Thanks again for your help!

 

[ganymede]

You're welcome.
I'm glad you were able to get it apart.