Rebuilding a Challenger 1260 ratchet?

[saigashooter]

So I have an older Challenger 1260 ratchet, and when reversing the direction of the ratchet, the selector is very mushy, and gives no positive feedback that the direction has been changed.

I am wondering if any of you know if it is possible to get a rebuild kit that will fit these old ratchets. I'd be particularly happy if it was a double prawl with speed wheel like my Challenger 1060D.

Thanks for your help.

 

[bonneyman]

My local Proto dealer has been pretty good at having/getting rebuild kits. I've not asked him for one as old as yours, but, I'd give your local dealer a try.

Does it look like this?

 

[saigashooter]

Here is the head of the ratchet, and a couple pics of the guts, seems pretty rough inside.

The one you have in your image is identical to the Fleet 1260-2 that my dad has, with the exception of the different markings. Mine has a much larger switch on it.

Sorry about the page width, I expected it to make thumbnails.

 

[redwrench60]

I have an S-K 1/2" drive ratchet with the same round head design as your ratchet that spent years in a nasty ammo can in the mud rig. It was always put back wet or muddy/greasy and turned out like yours with the mushy operation. A weeklong soak in ATF followed by a tear down and hose out with brake cleaner then lube made it new again. It's still ugly but works perfectly.

 

[M_George]

I have a Challenger 1260A that did the same thing. A good soaking in WD40 and it works good as new.

 

[cowboy73]

The teeth in the handle look pretty worn out where the pawl engages. That one maybe done for.

 

[mikebaker1129]

Here is the head of the ratchet, and a couple pics of the guts, seems pretty rough inside.

The one you have in your image is identical to the Fleet 1260-2 that my dad has, with the exception of the different markings. Mine has a much larger switch on it.

https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-NXzZEKyo2rU/UeMoiOowryI/AAAAAAAADMs/nM1bk0M5NWo/w1153-h865-no/IMG_20130711_182330%255B1%255D.jpg

[IMG]https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-xRqPiolY984/UeMopffVunI/AAAAAAAADM0/2rNCHbbocYs/w1153-h865-no/IMG_20130711_182238%255B1%255D.jpg

Sorry about the page width, I expected it to make thumbnails.

Anyone know where the spring goes?
Mine is missing, I need to find a spring and install it.

 

[Mgdoug3]

On mines there's two springs. One goes in the big, center hole and the other goes behind the pin on the selector.

 

[jgromada]

so how does this thing come apart? I have one


Mine doesn't have any screws holding the back on

 

[M6erfan]

There's a snap ring on the anvil side. You need to pry it out with a small screwdriver or pick.

 

[jgromada]

There's a snap ring on the anvil side. You need to pry it out with a small screwdriver or pick.

Thanks for your help

 

[jgromada]

OK using your instructions M6er i got the ratchet apart. Step 1 GOOD

Everything has a light coat of rust but all grooves both on body and pawls are well defined.

My big problem is NO Spring! Where does that spring go?

I did find a rebuild kit on ebay and here are the instructions from that :
Don't see a reference to a spring

 

[jgromada]

My only question is why is there no spring in the repair kit above. I saw another diagram for Proto, Mac, FACOM for a round ratchet and they show this heart shaped spring that goes on the selector. See diagram i included. I recognize this Proto design is a little bit different than the Challenger design as there is no center screw to hold on the back.

 

[M6erfan]

That Facom is a completely different design, forget it.

I'm not too familiar with that style but AFAIK those Challenger guts weren't meant to be taken apart.

 

[Indexmill]

Anything can be taken apart; we are Garage Journal.

 

[paulsomlo]

My only question is why is there no spring in the repair kit above. I saw another diagram for Proto, Mac, FACOM for a round ratchet and they show this heart shaped spring that goes on the selector. See diagram i included. I recognize this Proto design is a little bit different than the Challenger design as there is no center screw to hold on the back.

The spring is there, it's just not visible. The repair kit for that Challenger assumes that you'll remove the retaining ring and replace the internals as a complete assembly. You can, of course, take those internals apart. You'll find the spring embedded in the stem of the selector. To take that style apart, you insert a small object into the area on the backside of the pawl, depressing the ball/bullet. Pull the selector out, and listen carefully, so that you know towards which corner of the room the spring made it's escape. Remove the pin that holds the pawl, then the pawl. Either a magnet, or wacking it on a table helps liberate that pin.

 

[M6erfan]

Anything can be taken apart; we are Garage Journal.

Lol, true.

 

[twertsy]

You could try Bonneyman's thread over on Tool Talk. http://www.papawswrench.com/vboard/index.php?topic=128.0

 

[jgromada]

No obviously i recognize the significant differences between the FACOM design and the old Challenger design. I was looking at the different ways the spring actuates the pawl. It also seems like there are a number of ways to lock the ratchet mechanism into the body (screws, retaining ring like this one, or snap ring like a lot of Craftsman rats) . In general this shows that a pawl can be put inside the ratchet mechanism (round head ratchet) or outside the ratchet mechanism (pear head ratchet)

Now that i got this thing apart I am determined see it work again. I see on ebay i could buy another old Challenger ratchet for $7 if i wanted and that whole ratchet assembly is available there for like $10 as a drop in capsule (pictured above). And i have a whole slew of other 1/4 ratchets so my wife would say this is pointless but I want to make this work just by finding the right hardware bits to make it work again.

I see the slot on the other side of the selector knob, I'm just trying to figure out how a long cylindrical spring in that slots actuates the pawl mechanism. It's like I'm trying to visualize this in 3-d. The spring almost looks like a spring inside a ball point pen, I'm going to see if i can find something comparable and try that. No I don't think the spring went shooting across the room, i did this disassembly inside a shallow box to prevent that and from the feel of the ratchet there was no spring pushing the pawl against the teeth on the inside circumference of the body.

Can't get to that link on papa's wrench, blocked at work. Thanks everyone.

 

[BarryWells]

The teeth in the handle look pretty worn out where the pawl engages. That one maybe done for.

He's talking here. Same opinion for me. They let it go too long without installing a kit

 

[jgromada]

He's talking here. Same opinion for me. They let it go too long without installing a kit

But this is not the case for me. Once i cleaned out the light layer of rust the surfaces look pretty good inside the ratchet mechanism. I am missing the spring and don't know where it is supposed to go.

 

[Gregg33]

I realize this is a very old post but I was wondering is there a ball bearing That goes on the end of the spring. I took one of these apart to clean it and I’m worried I might’ve lost the bearing even though I didn’t see one fall out.