How do Non-Reversible Ratcheting Wrenches Get Stuck?

[oldschoolcraft]

I'm not a pro and I never used ratcheting wrenches. I've been reading every thread I can find on them, the most universally loved ones are the XL Kabo-made double-ended flex non-reversible. The main concerns people express are that you can get stuck on a fastener, and then can't back it up. Some have said you could disassemble the wrench end if it gets stuck. And most say it's a mistake you will only make once.

I dont want to make the mistake once, but I can't visualize how it gets stuck, and couldn't find any videos on it. Can someone please explain how and why the wrench gets stuck, how to avoid it, and how likely is it to happen once you know about it?

I don't understand why you wouldn't be able to just remove the wrench straight off. Can't you always back the wrench up, because it's ratcheting, so you can't tighten it any more, but you can always back the wrench up even though the fastener won't move backwards, can't you?

 

[Fedwrench]

Situational awareness

If removing a fastener like a bolt, you want to make sure you have enough clearance for the bolt to come out and to also remove the wrench from said bolt. There are tales of people removing bolts and backing the wrench and bolt against another part or something and getting stuck. However, the question I have is unless the wrench has a capstop feature, why couldn't you slide the wrench past the bolt head towards the threads, run the bolt in a bit to gain clearance to remove your wrench with your fingers then, unscrew the bolt the rest of the way with your fingers once your wrench is out of the way. I suppose you might not be able to get to the bolt with your fingers.

 

[larry_g]

BIL was backing out a fan bolt and jammed into the radiator. Could not change the ratcheting and ended up removing the radiator to get things free. This was a regular ratchet and socket but something similar could happen to the wrench.

 

[FigN⋅m]

99% of the time it will be under a car or in the engine bay backing out a bolt that may start to interfere with
another component/frame/whatever. I think it's far more common with a thicker ratchet/socket combo, but it's
usually possible to switch a ratchet and go back in and re-evaluate the situation. Can't switch some ratchet wrenches.

ETA: the Kabo style are the type that do reverse, hence the adoration.

 

[oldschoolcraft]

Thanks guys, I was visualizing the wrench getting stuck during the bolt being tightened, which I couldn't visualize how that would occur, since you could always just pull the wrench back, it's not reversible, but it's ratcheting so it ratchets back.

It sounds like it's only an issue when you're loosening a bolt. And it sounds like the issue arises if there's not enough clearance for either the bolt or the wrench to be fully removed. The wrench itself can't go past the bolt to lift out due to not enough room. And the bolt itself can't lift out because there's just barely enough clearance for the bolt, and the wrench is locking the bottom part of the bolt in.

I can visualize that scenario. Though as mentioned above, not sure why you couldn't just slide the wrench down to the bolt base and use your fingers to re-tighten the bolt enough to remove the wrench, and then use your fingers or a different tool to finish removing the bolt?

And if I understand this right, the solution is not to use a wrench like this if there's not going to be enough clearance for the wrench to come off after. Maybe you dont know how long the bolt is before you start taking it out, but if it winds up being really long, and you can see the clearance getting smaller and smaller, then stop, and remove the wrench before it gets locked in.

I made a rough sketch. The wrench is blue. The bolt is red. The engine compartment is black. Green is how much clearance there is that remains in front of the bolt head and the engine compartment.

As you're loosening the bolt, keep an eye on the green space. You might have no idea how much (red) bolt remains, but you can see whether or not there will be space left to remove the wrench. And if the green space starts getting smaller and smaller to the point where your blue wrench can't fit out, then it's time to remove the wrench. Is that right?

 

[FigN⋅m]

Though as mentioned above, not sure why you couldn't just slide the wrench down to the bolt base and use your fingers to re-tighten the bolt enough to remove the wrench, and then use your fingers or a different tool to finish removing the bolt?

Flanges

 

[Hakeem]

it happened to me one of my first times using a cordless ratchet … I was so enthralled by my new “pull the trigger -> fastener comes loose” toy that I wasn’t paying attention and the bolt jammed the ratchet right up against the frame. I sacrificed a cheap pick and bent it into just the right shape to change the direction of the ratchet but it was a nerve wracking ordeal.

I could definitely see it happening w a ratchet wrench, especially if you’re several hours into the task and fatigued.

 

[unslow1]

It's not hard to do but can be very hard to undo.

 

[KnurledNut]

Some have said you could disassemble the wrench end if it gets stuck.

By “some”, I guess you mean me in this recent thread.
In the many, many threads where people mention the risk of getting a non-reversible stuck, I have never seen anyone mention getting Kabos to have this option.

 

[Wamsutta]

Fastener is being loosened and the wrench has no place to go.

 

[oldschoolcraft]

Fastener is being loosened and the wrench has no place to go.

Seems easy enough if you understand the potential risk (which I did not until this thread, but now I do), and are paying attention as you're wrenching.

 

[Wamsutta]

Seems easy enough if you understand the potential risk (which I did not until this thread, but now I do), and are paying attention as you're wrenching.

The safest thing to do is don't buy the damn things.

 

[Leaflessshadetree]

It can happen tightening a bolt (or nut). Ratchet back and get the wrench in a position where you can't get enough strength to tighten it anymore.

 

[oldschoolcraft]

It can happen tightening a bolt (or nut). Ratchet back and get the wrench in a position where you can't get enough strength to tighten it anymore.

Oh! And now you've ratcheted the wrench back so it's stuck behind an obstruction! That makes sense as well, thank you!

The solution to this would be if you are wrenching and ratcheting it behind an obstruction, then as you get closer to finishing, either change tools, or ratchet backwards only very slightly, to the point where the wrench is unobstructed. Right?

 

[Walkers]

Flanges

Yep, flanged bolts and nuts. When you have to pull the wrench hard every pull, then all the sudden you can no longer get the wrench off the head, can’t reverse it, etc.
when it happened to me it required a lot more work to remove the wrench and finish the job. I gave the set away and bought a reversing set.

 

[dscheidt]

Oh! And now you've ratcheted the wrench back so it's stuck behind an obstruction! That makes sense as well, thank you!

The solution to this would be if you are wrenching and ratcheting it behind an obstruction, then as you get closer to finishing, either change tools, or ratchet backwards only very slightly, to the point where the wrench is unobstructed. Right?

here
yes, paying attention prevents these situations. However, **** happens. the one time I did it, I was working on tractor on a manifold. some of the bolts had an obstruction that meant you could unscrew them from the block, but not get them out of the hole until after it was all the way out. I couldn't turn the bolt in by hand, and had to use vise grips on it. And broke it. it was something weird, and took two days to get delivered. oops. fortunately there were other things wrong with it, so it didn't cost the farm missing a tractor longer, but it could have.

 

[oldschoolcraft]

Yep, flanged bolts and nuts. When you have to pull the wrench hard every pull, then all the sudden you can no longer get the wrench off the head, can’t reverse it, etc.
when it happened to me it required a lot more work to remove the wrench and finish the job. sing set.

Can you please explain a little more? I think you mean a bolt like this. I can't visualize why the wrench would get caught or hung up on that.

 

[Walkers]

Can you please explain a little more? I think you mean a bolt like this. I can't visualize why the wrench would get caught or hung up on that.

If you have that bolt in a cramped space, such as another component above the bolt. You are removing the bolt and discover that you cannot fully remove the bolt because it is longer than the space allotted, then you are stuck. You can’t turn the bolt back in because the wrench prevents it. If I recall, I then had to remove an exhaust manifold and engine mount to be able to finish turning the bolt out. If it was a reversible wrench I could have flipped the switch and turned it in. In my instance you could remove the bolt, but the additional thickness of the wrench on top made it impossible to remove.

Another instance is that you have enough clearance to get the wrench over a stud and onto a flanged nut, you get tothe top but do not have enough clearance to get the nut and the wrench off the stud. You are stuck, you can’t turn the wrench up because of the obstacles, and you can’t turn it down because of the ratchet.

 

[oldschoolcraft]

If I recall, I then had to remove an exhaust manifold and engine mount to be able to finish turning the bolt out.

As a home gamer, I changed a few engine mounts and this hurts my soul.

 

[Belanice]

https://www.reddit.com/r/MechanicAdvice/comments/jy5hmx

 

[oldschoolcraft]

Oh I think I see. If the bolt was not flanged, then the wrench could slide back down, over the bolt shaft, give some clearance to use your fingers or another tool to tighten the bolt a bit, enough to make way to slide the wrench back up and over and out. So it's that the flange is compounding the problem. Right?

 

[Wamsutta]

Oh I think I see. If the bolt was not flanged, then the wrench could slide back down, over the bolt shaft, give some clearance to use your fingers or another tool to tighten the bolt a bit, enough to make way to slide the wrench back up and over and out. So it's that the flange is compounding the problem. Right?

Ding ding ding, we have a winner! My dear Francis, I believe the boy has got! Light bulbs and fireworks going off everywhere!

 

[oldschoolcraft]

It seems like this is a relatively new potential problem, because it seems limited to non-reversible ratcheting wrenches. Back in the day, that kind of fastener that the Reddit poster got stuck on would likely have been turned with an open end wrench, and a cheater pipe added if needed, and a prayer to your favorite deity to not spread the wrench ends.