Need help with Snap-On interchangeable head torque wrench

[Matt Rain]

Hi guys,

I bought a used QC2I75 torque wrench that has a 1/2" drive ratchet head (QJD16A) attached to it.

According to illustrations I've seen there should be a locking pin on the ratchet head, which one would push to take the head off the wrench. Thing is, I see no such pin, and if I insert a small allen key or other pointy object in the hole on the wrench's receptacle, it goes right through. As a result, I can't take the ratchet head off.

Either I'm missing something, or the previous owner broke/lost the locking pin and somehow found a way to permanently secure the ratchet head to the wrench.

Any QC2I75/QC1I200 owners out there with some insight?

 

[Matt Rain]

Pics might help.

Here's the head, with the locking pin clearly visible:

And here's the wrench - you can see the hole on the receptacle:

I assume that when the head is inserted, the locking pin lines up with the hole on the receptacle. But as I mentioned in my original post, I can't feel a pin there, and anything I insert in the hole goes right through and butts against the other end of the receptacle.

 

[country83]

I'm a bit confused. Is there a locking pin in the ratchet head? It may be missing. Your post is confusing me.

As for the wrench body, no, there is no locking pin in that. You simply push in the lock pin on the head and insert it, then use a pick or something similar through the hole in the wrench body to depress the pin on the head to remove it.

 

[Matt Rain]

That's what I mean - I can't depress anything. There appears to be no locking pin on the head, but I can't know for sure because I've never been able to take the head off...

 

[country83]

If the head is loose in the wrench body (when assembled there's an awful lot of play), that means it wasn't welded fast. Put a pick or something similar in the hole of the wrench body and push in, you should feel the locking pin move if it's not rusted fast or something. Once it's pushed in, you should be able to pull the ratchet head out.

You should be able to shine a flashlight in and see the end of the lock pin.

 

[Matt Rain]

Like I said, if I put a pick (or else) in the hole, I don't encounter a pin. There is nothing in the hole. I've flashed a light in the hole to confirm.

I tried inserting different picks and allen wrenches at different angles and I get nothing.

 

[franzdom]

Does it wiggle at all or does it feel welded?

 

[Matt Rain]

There is no wiggle between the head and holder. I've pulled on the head with some amount of force and it didn't move one bit.

 

[PBCampbell]

Glued or JB Weld perhaps?

 

[Matt Rain]

Makes no sense for someone to do that, but I guess it's the most likely explanation at this point.

 

[SMKS]

Pics needed.

 

[Matt Rain]

Yeah I'll post pics later today. This is baffling me.

 

[Matt Rain]

Pics below. The first time I inserted a small allen wrench, it went right through the thin "wall" at the other end of the holder, hence the light that shines through.

 

[franzdom]

Hmm, not sure but it looks like there is a split pin, perhaps the head has been drilled through and a pin pressed in. I would try to remove it with a parallel punch.

 

[just a noob]

Looks like a roll pin that you should be able to just hammer out with a punch?

 

[SuzukiGS750EZ]

Looks like a roll pin... You can clearly see it lol. Punch it out carefully of you can.

 

[SMKS]

Do you need to pull it out? can it go all the way through?

As noted, it sure looks like a roll pin.

 

[Matt Rain]

Thanks guys. There's no way to punch that out I'm afraid, I'll have to pry it out somehow.

 

[SuzukiGS750EZ]

Try twisting it out with a small screwdriver maybe. Or drill it

 

[Jswain]

Thats going to be fun to try to get out....curious as to why you want it out? Do you have other heads for it? If that hole in the backside is lined up well enough you may be able to get a small pick in there and tap it out. Drilling through the roll pin would be super tough. Sometimes you can get an easy out or a tap wedged in them good enough to turn and pull it out but more times then not on something that small it will break and then your left with the awesome task of removing those as well.

Honestly unless you have a need to take it out I would leave it be and use it as is.

 

[country83]

Well, it's not SUPPOSED to look like that...lol. Definitely a roll pin somebody stuck in there after the lock pin popped out of the ratchet head. I'd drill it if it was me and I really wanted to swap out the head. It's also not supposed to be drilled all the way through, either.

 

[Matt Rain]

I do have a pair of box heads for it, that was the whole point of getting an interchangeable head TW.

Although, the wrench I originally meant to buy was its low-torque brother, the QC1I200. I work on motorcycles and most of my torque requirements are below 25ft/lbs.

I may end up leaving this one as is and getting a new QC1I200 for my box heads.

 

[country83]

This is what it SHOULD look like...lol. Sorry for the poor quality...

 

[Matt Rain]

Thanks a bunch for these country83.

Still debating whether I should try to extract that pin, it's wedged in there pretty good. Tried inserting a drill bit then pulling on that, but the pin didn't come out at all and I probably came close to breaking the bit.

 

[country83]

Might be a good idea just to do like you were thinking and get the smaller interchangeable head wrench and not mess with this one. Since most of your stuff is lower than 25 ft-lbs, you'd be at the lowest end of the range of the bigger wrench. They're only calibrated from 20% of full scale up to full scale, which means it's only accurate down to 15 ft-lbs.

Good luck with whatever you decide.