American Locomotive
Well-known member
So I know SK is good and gone, and with it the LP90 (and related ratchets), but I figured I post a follow up if anyone is interested. I bought an LP-90 when they first dropped back in 2017(16?), a sweet green selector unit. My particular unit was great, and I've used it quite a bit. However I noticed the past 6 months or so it was getting progressively less smooth, and the selector was getting harder to switch and would get stuck frequently.
Finally today the selector was just completely stuck, and I couldn't get it to move at all. I finally caved and took the ratchet apart, and was horrified to find it filled with rust. I never dropped the ratchet in water, but have used it outside in the rain (but I've ever let it sit outside in the rain). I suspect the rust mainly came from condensation since it lives in my toolbox in an unheated area. But besides the rust, I found it alarming there was not a spec of oil or grease anywhere. I can't imagine the ratchet was assembled completely dry, but I doubt it would have rusted the way it did if it was adequately lubed.
Anyways spent a few minutes cleaning up the rust (just light surface rust really). The selector pin and detent ball seemed to be the worst with pitting, everything else the rust wiped off. I then put it back together and liberally lubed it up with Zoom-Spout oil. The ratchet action is now silky smooth again, and the selector is significantly improved (not perfect, but it seems to be wearing in).
It's one of my favorite ratchets - just too bad SK couldn't get the quality control sorted. Probably one of the reasons that led to their demise. So anyone with an LP90, I recommend you pop it open and oil it if you haven't done so already.
Finally today the selector was just completely stuck, and I couldn't get it to move at all. I finally caved and took the ratchet apart, and was horrified to find it filled with rust. I never dropped the ratchet in water, but have used it outside in the rain (but I've ever let it sit outside in the rain). I suspect the rust mainly came from condensation since it lives in my toolbox in an unheated area. But besides the rust, I found it alarming there was not a spec of oil or grease anywhere. I can't imagine the ratchet was assembled completely dry, but I doubt it would have rusted the way it did if it was adequately lubed.
Anyways spent a few minutes cleaning up the rust (just light surface rust really). The selector pin and detent ball seemed to be the worst with pitting, everything else the rust wiped off. I then put it back together and liberally lubed it up with Zoom-Spout oil. The ratchet action is now silky smooth again, and the selector is significantly improved (not perfect, but it seems to be wearing in).
It's one of my favorite ratchets - just too bad SK couldn't get the quality control sorted. Probably one of the reasons that led to their demise. So anyone with an LP90, I recommend you pop it open and oil it if you haven't done so already.
