Oops… lost a spring

[matthew]

Rather a very GJ thread…. my Armstrong 1/4” ratchet (60 tooth) was feeling a little rough, so I took it apart to clean. I was carefully holding things over the bench on a piece of cardboard to make sure I didn’t lose anything when of course I fumbled and dropped it on the floor. And lost the little spring from the pawl pusher. I managed to find the pusher itself on the floor, but even a magnet hasn’t turned up the spring. So I’m wondering…

1. Up here in the great white north I’m not seeing a good option for a Gearwrench rebuild kit. And my stash of small springs doesn’t go that small. Except for one, but it’s an extension spring…. Anywhere else I can borrow one from?

2. Does the Gearwrench 84 kit fit in place of the Armstrong 60? Or something else?

 

[BrandonV]

You should be able to use an 84 or 88 kit in a 60.

 

[seber]

Take a ball point pen spring and wrap the wire around a very small core. You will need to experiment with the diameter until it comes out right.

 

[Steve_P]

I'm not familiar with the Armstrong 60T internals, but can you measure the diameter of the hole that the spring fits in? I have a rebuild kit for the 1/4 Gearwrench 90 and can measure the springs in it if that would help. This is what the 90T looks like, so it may be totally different

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08KHS1JMB/?tag=atomicindus08-20

 

[Pig_Pen]

Not 100% sure but I think this kit will work in those ratchets.

undefined undefined | Matco Tools

www.matcotools.com

 

[charbar]

I lost the exact same spring when I took apart my (72T??) Gearwrench 1/4" ratchet a few months ago. I contacted Gearwrench through the warranty page on their website to see if I could purchase the spring or a rebuild kit and they ended up sending me a whole new 90T ratchet for free. Might be worth seeing what they say.

Having said that, I do have the parts from my old ratchet, I still have the spring that pushes up on the detent for the selector lever.....it may be the same spring????

 

[Mick56]

I save the springs out of Bic lighters. There has been a couple of times I have had a use for them.

 

[matthew]

I'm not familiar with the Armstrong 60T internals, but can you measure the diameter of the hole that the spring fits in? I have a rebuild kit for the 1/4 Gearwrench 90 and can measure the springs in it if that would help. This is what the 90T looks like, so it may be totally different

That would actually be quite helpful. Modifying a spring would be a lot easier with an estimated length and diameter.

Out of curiousity, what is the size of the gear? Mine is .67” diameter and .20” deep.

The pusher is pretty darned small. I’m going to give making the spring a shot, but maybe .06” diameter is fiddly at best. I should probably get a kit next time i’m down south..

 

[plinker]

Matco kits will fit the Armstrongs, if that is an available option.

The spring under the pawl is the same one for the pawl based on what I've seen, though only a couple of my ratchets have had them.