Proto ratchet

[KEH]

I have a 1/2 drive Proto ratchet, bought used. Sockets are hard to get off. I have cleaned and oiled the ratchet, and compressed the ball detent and put oil in the cavity where the spring is. It is better now, but still stiff, or maybe I'm getting weaker with age. I blame the ball detent spring with being stiff. I have a couple of 3/8 drive Protos and they don't have that problem.

I found 2 Proto ratchets in a pawn shop, one fairly old and neglected and the other in like new condition. I tried sockets on them in the shop and the older one held the socket so tight it was difficult for a screwriver to get it off. The newer one was tight but not that bad, probably some lubrication would quickly help it. I haven't had that problem with other ratchets. Anybody have any ideas? Same experience with Protos?

I'm not interested in buying the last 2 mentioned. Just for information, the better one was listed at $25, the neglected one maybe $12-15.

KEH

 

[flathead74]

I've got a lot of Proto stuff and have not had any problem with the detent ball. I have had a few that were a little tight though. What I did was find a socket that was particularly hard to get off and on and used it to find the high spots where it was pretty much metal to metal. Then I used sandpaper or a file to dress down the area causing the problem. On some of my really old ratchets the corners on the drive seem a little sharp and are usually the source of the problem.

 

[KEH]

Thanks. I don't have the ratchet in front of me but I think I remember the corners being sharp.

KEH