SK Ratchet Disassembly

[HFlashman]

I have been unable to compress the snap ring on a 1/2 inch SK ratchet in order to repair or replace the mechanism. You Tube videos including that from the factory show the use of needle nose or snap ring pliers where the ends of the snap ring are pinched together and the assembly popped out. However, I am having two problems:
1. great difficulty getting purchase on the ends of the ring;
2. the times where there is a firm grip, the ring refuses to compress together.

All of the dirt and girt between the ends are clean.

Any suggestions on how to compress the ring?

Thanks.

 

[vssjim]

try to scrap any dirt from the groove in the head were the ring is open and rotate it so any dirt gets cut out and the ring can compress, then pry the ring back and forth to get it moving before pliers

 

[plinker]

Thin needle nose with sharp teeth work best, sometimes a pick can be used to pry a tab over to get the pliers in there. Could be built up with crud. Try a bit of oil in the ring groove & spin it.

I have an older diamond logo 42470 where the ring tabs are more enclosed from the bottom then others, so it's a bit trickier to take apart.

I have also had it where a new retaining ring was too thick/wide to fit, so I reused the original. But that is a reassembly thing.

 

[mikebaker1129]

try to scrap any dirt from the groove in the head were the ring is open and rotate it so any dirt gets cut out and the ring can compress, then pry the ring back and forth to get it moving before pliers

I have had to do this^ before a couple times on a grimed up head!
Excellent advice!

 

[jumbojak]

Hit it with brake cleaner. Crud works into the whole groove, not just around the tabs.

 

[HFlashman]

Hey, thanks for the replies. After probing with a toothpick, it became evident it wasn't clean. In fact decades worth of grime very slowly spewed from the mechanism. Although started moving a little by midnight, the ends of the snap ring would not come together. A couple more drops of solvent were put in to softened up that which wasn't visible overnight. Cleaned it again this morning and the ends of the snap ring came together on the first try (like the videos) and was able to pop off the ratchet mechanism.

Again, thanks.