Ratchet maintenance and good deeds.

[duneslider]

Just a little PSA for ratchet maintenance. I had a ratchet that has become one of my favorite to use. (This is it hate away) I picked it up years ago when doing an engine swap with some difficult to reach bolts on the transmission and it was a life saver. You can hate on it all you want but its not been a terrible ratchet.

Anyway, my daughter's friend has a ratty old 4runner that was in serious need of new ball joints. He bought it with what little money he had and his parents are divorced and his dad seems pretty worthless from what I hear so I offered to "help" him do the ball joints.

My trusty ratchet was acting up a little, so after the ball joint job I figured I should open the ratchet up and see if it was toast or just needed some TLC. Sure enough, it was dry and crusty. Cleaned it and lubed it and it is better than new. Since I was doing it I pulled all my ratchets out (just 5 others) and did them all. They were all a bit dry and crusty. It really only took me about 30 minutes to clean and lube all of them. If you haven't done it in a bit just go and do it, I couldn't believe how nice they all felt after the clean and lube. It was like they were all better than new.

 

[joel_400]

In the last 5 years I've cleaned and lubed over 150 ratchets. Most of them reside in the wife's collection now! I've also done most of my own as well. It's amazing what some of them start out as and what they become. It does help with cost when you pick one up and it feels like rocks in a meat grinder, usually get them cheap! And seriously over the 5 years I've been picking then up that way I haven't found too many that aren't repairable by just cleaning and lubing them.
Joel

 

[ecotec]

I won’t put a ratchet in my “good” ratchet drawer until I open it up and lube it.

 

[JMLangford]

I am always amazed at the lack of maintenance of the many ratchets I find....but just like joel_400 and ecotec I always open up everyone and clean and lube them....
....Some look like they have NEVER seen ANY care!









.

 

[woody 73]

Fun story, but I don't recommend it to anyone.

My Father, rest his soul, used to change his oil every two weeks or so (traveling 3000 miles that fast for his line of work). Anyhow he would say Woody I dropped my ratchet; in that darn oil pan can you fetch it for me. I think he must have enjoyed the look on my face, but those darn ratchets never gave him any trouble in his lifetime.

 

[joel_400]

It's OK though! When others don't take care of their tools, folks like us get better deals...I mean the way this world is, unless something is absolutely broken it doesn't get any attention. And when it doesn't work it gets thrown away instead of fixed. Or sold really cheap...either way works for me and saves me some money. I've bought just as many nonworking ratchets as working ones over the years, but even the working ones get cleaned and lubed. The nonworking ones I usually try to bundle with working ones to try to get a better overall price...you know "This one doesn't work but I'll take in with the one that does for a couple extra bucks" haha sometimes it works even better and they become free!
Joel

 

[Citation]

Just popping in to say I have the same ratchet as the OP. It was a Walmart special and is very handy. It's not my go to but when I need more leverage I pick that one. It's one of the ratchets I recommend to any shade tree who is looking to expand beyond the ratchet starter set yet is on a budget. I think I lubed my when I first got it since I realized how much nicer just a bit of grease would make a ratchet feel.

 

[thr3squared]

I am always amazed at the lack of maintenance of the many ratchets I find....but just like joel_400 and ecotec I always open up everyone and clean and lube them....
....Some look like they have NEVER seen ANY care!









.

What do you use to clean the ratchets in this condition before lubing? Solvent or Evaporust?

 

[four.cycle]

^ I did one once with just white vinegar. Turns all the bare metal black, though, so it's ugly. Cleaned it up, doped it up good with some MMO and white lithium grease and got it functioning again.
I need to get some Evaporust and try it out - just never remember to do it.

 

[Vwpower]

Always nice to just clean a “broken” ratchet and have it work

 

[cgrutt]

What do you guys use to lube internals? I recently repaired this TM830 (selector lever was stuck to one side). Just opened it up hit it with some brake cleaner and put some red Mobil1 synthetic grease on the gear and pawls seems to run fine.

 

[joel_400]

Normally I take them to work for something to do at breaktime. I've actually got a drawer in my toolbox with everything I need as far as tools. I even talked the Snap on man out of the tool they use to hold down the detent ball. It used to be available to purchase, but last I checked it wasn't. I use brake clean to clean them usually and have a couple little wire brushes. I've not had too many too bad that doesn't work. Every now and then I'll use a wire wheel on a drill to clean out the inside of the head. As far as lube, the Snap on man uses SuperLube so that's what I've been using. It seems to work good. I've gotten a few little tubes of it over the years from him so it's cheap too. He usually just gives it to me off his bench, along with some spare parts periodically. I recently cleaned up one using Ballistol. It seems to work very good to clean and lube. It's used to clean guns and such. It's kinda pricey, but it doesn't take much to go long way. I also cleaned up a little jewelers vise with it recently with great results. It broke down the gummed up grease really good and made the quick lock mechanism work like new again!
Joel

 

[dscheidt]

What do you guys use to lube internals? I recently repaired this TM830 (selector lever was stuck to one side). Just opened it up hit it with some brake cleaner and put some red Mobil1 synthetic grease on the gear and pawls seems to run fine.

I'm a big fan of whatever is handy. Ratchets aren't high speed, and the load is small. Anything that's suitable for the temperature range you're working in will do just fine. Just don't use so much the pawl can't move. modern fine tooth stuff is more prone to that sort of problem, and might do well with oil, if they're sealed well enough.

 

[cgrutt]

@joel_400 im familiar with Ballistol probably have some somewhere lol. The Superlube oil or grease?

 

[joel_400]

The SuperLube I've always used is grease. The Snap on man uses way more in them than I do. He usually packs them full then wipes off the excess. I just smear a little on the gear, at the contact points with the body and faceplate and a little squeeze into the pawls and call it good. The little tunes he's given to me will last for many ratchets that way! The Ballistol really surprised me how well it cleans and lubes though. I guess time will tell how well it holds up, should be ok as the ratchet I used it on was a sealed head, so it should stay put.
Joel

 

[JMLangford]

What do you use to clean the ratchets in this condition before lubing? Solvent or Evaporust?

I usally clean small handtools (wrenches, ratchets, etc.) with a dremel and some 3M Scotch-Brite Radial Bristle Disc.
I can have a ratchet cleaned, lubed, and reassembled before waiting on EvapoRust to do it's thing (I use EvapoRust for large items like cast iron pans, etc.)
Here is a couple of pics showing using the 3M disc from my BEFORE & AFTER....A Tool Polisher's Haven thread:

BEFORE & AFTER....A Tool Polisher's Haven

Hello Folks....My name is Mike and I'm a tool polisher :rocker: I'm starting this thread so I (and any other tool polishers) can post pics of items I've found in need of some TLC ...... Armed with paint, wire brushes, vinegar, grinders, degreaser, scrapers, etc....whatever it takes to...

www.garagejournal.com

Manualy cleaning these ratchets is more labor intensive but I find it relaxing and therapeutic




I finish them off with a light coating of Super Lube!




.

 

[dvblanch]

Left my ratchets soaking in 1/2 full cardboard ATF can Friday nites till Monday morning. Old SKs still work fine.

 

[Komet]

I've had mixed results lubing my ratchets. The newer ones that came pre-lubed I haven't messed with. My ancient trio of Craftsman raised panel units all had a bunch of junk in them. The 1/2 has old school internals from a rebuild kit and it got chainsaw lube, works really nice with super low backdrag. The 3/8 didn't get better once clean and lubed with the chainsaw lube or heavier red grease. Ended up wiping the red grease out and used regular 10w-30. I reckon its as good as it was from the factory, but the backdrag is still the worst out of all my 3/8 so it doesn't see a lot of action anymore. The 1/4 got a little better with cleaning and chainsaw lube, but it didn't fix the skip it has and an Icon fine tooth unit was a better investment than a rebuild kit for me so that one got parked with the 3/8.

Nothing got worse after a cleaning and relube though, so it is worthwhile.