Kilness patent ratchet work

[ganymede]

Got this little 1/4 drive Husky and it felt like it was used to build an aircraft carrier. When I opened it up the pawl and teeth were hardly worn. What was wrong? I took it all he way apart and it was missing the steel ball in front of the spring. Put a new one in and big improvement but not perfect.
The drive plug assembly jiggled in the body a little too much so I took the stupid spiral spring out and replaced it with a hardware store snap ring. Of course they didnt have the right size but not a problem . I just filed the outside of the new ring till it fit. Had to take a bit off of each end too so I could squeeze it together far enough to get it in.
The new ring is 12 thousandths thicker than the original springy thing. Doesn't sound like a lot but it just feels better....

 

[bonneyman]

Hmmm. Glad that worked for ya.
I tried that once with a 3/8" ratchet I was making, and the thing would not even click once with a snap ring installed. Put the old flat coil spring back in - clicks fine, just has lots of wiggle to it. I was thinking the design needed that wiggle to permit enough movement in and out so the mechanism would function. Holding it fairly tight in place screwed all that up.

 

[ganymede]

There needs to be and is some free space ,yes. I just think it was a little too much.