Ratchet repair: Crescent LT70

[bonneyman]

I received a ratchet in the mail today from a member who has the socket set from his grandfather. It broke during use, and being it has sentimental value I offered to try my hand at fixing it. If we can. So, this thread will be a photo tutorial of my attempt to restore this tool to operation.

Here's handle and parts, with the selector knob which split and caused the malfunction. It appears to be cast, which - with the cam cutout on the inside - leaves the selector weak due to the thinness of the metal.
We'll get everything cleaned up and get to it.

Stay tuned!

 

[mikebaker1129]

I did see one of those at a Pawn this past weekend.
It might still be there. I think it was $8 or $5.

 

[bonneyman]

I did see one of those at a Pawn this past weekend.
It might still be there.

If it's not too much trouble, could you see if it's still available?

 

[Sam'sAutoParts]

The kindness and willingness to help each other shown on this forum never ceases to amaze me.

 

[bonneyman]

The kindness and willingness to help each other shown on this forum never ceases to amaze me.

Yes, it's very much appreciated. I'm sure the owner will be very happy to get this ole girl back in working order.

 

[mikebaker1129]

I will try to run by there on Sat and see (other side of town).
I was thinking of the thread about the owner looking for the crescent ratchet ,but I was not sure the one at the pawn was the same as the one in the thread. Seeing this thread , reminded me and I am sure they are the same .
I will see what I can do to get grandpas kit back up and running.

 

[bonneyman]

I will try to run by there on Sat and see (other side of town).
I was thinking of the thread about the owner looking for the crescent ratchet ,but I was not sure the one at the pawn was the same as the one in the thread. Seeing this thread , reminded me and I am sure they are the same .
I will see what I can do to get grandpas kit back up and running.

That'd be great!

 

[bonneyman]

OK, first off we have to clean and inspect everything.
Gear teeth in the head and those on the pawl look good. They have excellent interface. 48 tooth design makes this a middle of the road for action, comparable to the SK roundhead which has45 teeth.

Don't see excessive wear - just going to attribute the failure to the cast selector knob splitting in half.

 

[bonneyman]

The selector knob break was fairly clean, so, I epoxied it back together. If this doesn't prove strong enough to last, I can at least use the full selector for measurements with a mic and calipers to determine the dimensions for a hand-made selector.

Initial testing showed that typical steel washer dimensions would closely approximate the sizes needed. Though I'll need something at least 1/4" thick to retain sufficient strength when the cam cutout is performed. Hmmm.

 

[bonneyman]

I was able to secure a donor ratchet, and so swapped out the gear assemblies. Mr. Mike was gracious enough to let me keep the old parts.
So, he'll get a ratchet back that works to complete his set, I've still got a ratchet to fix, and the thread will continue as I do the repair.

 

[Sam'sAutoParts]

Happy ending to that chapter[emoji106]

Looking forward to the rest of the story

 

[bonneyman]

Happy ending to that chapter[emoji106]

Looking forward to the rest of the story

Thanks!

It'll probably go on the back burner for a bit, as I just finished an EASCO rat repair and have a Williams S-52 that needs a kit. NLA. So, I'm having to save the old rusty gears.

 

[bonneyman]

While digging thru the parts bins at Ace Hardware I stumbled upon some clevis bolts. Had the raw shape and dimensions I was looking for for the crescent ratchet.

Brought the handle in to check - sure nuff, it might just work. The 3/4" x 2" was about the closest to my needs, so - for $2.49 - I snagged it.

 

[morgaj1]

Very interesting. Love to see something revived!

 

[michael murder]

Thank you very much Bonneyman for rehabbing this ratchet for me.

You did a great job! Feels very solid, I'll be happy to put it to some use.

Also thank you to members who helped in finding parts. I appreciate everyone's help!

 

[bonneyman]

OK, finally got the time and initiative to brave the heat in the shop and start the selector knob.

First I had to grind the end down, as it had a chamfer which would probably interfere with the camout procedure later on. And it had to be flat. Adjusted the bench grinder, and used a 3/4" thrust collar to give me a reference point and better grip.

Looks pretty good.

 

[bonneyman]

Next I had to grind down the lip so it would slide into the head with enough give so that it would rotate freely - but still have enough overhang to form a thrust surface against the back of the head. Lots of dremel tool, hand filing, and sanding with sand cloth gave me a smooth surface of just the right dimension.

The lip will need to be ground down to the right diameter and thickness, but, a test fit with the gear set in there showed I'm on the right track.

 

[bonneyman]

Rigged up the dremel tool to undercut the lip. Got things to where the selector assembly will spin freely, and the gear assembly sits at the right depth.
Looking good!

 

[raiderhillbilly]

I bought a 1/4" ratchet like this today at a pawn shop for a dollar. It feels very solid.

 

[bonneyman]

I bought a 1/4" ratchet like this today at a pawn shop for a dollar. It feels very solid.

Ooooh, lets see some pics!

 

[raiderhillbilly]

View media item 53173View media item 53172

 

[bonneyman]

I've never seen a 1/4" version.

 

[bonneyman]

Now for the tough job - excavating the little camout section. I'm sure that this would be a 2 minute job with a milling machine. With hand tools and DIYer stuff, it's a royal pain to get smooth and nice. But here goes.
The initial excavating done with a dremel tool and half used up cutting wheel.