Vintage Snao on ratchets

[M_George]

Vintage Snap on ratchets

I picked up an old vintage Snap On L-67 ratchet at a flea market this weekend. Looks like it dates to around 1941. It's in good condition but I would like to clean and lube it. Has anyone ever taken one of these apart? Looks like I will need a spanner wrench for it but don't want to damage it trying.

 

[bonneyman]

I've taken apart and cleaned my share of ratchets, but never have done a Snap-On like that.

 

[Private Lugnutz]

That ratchet is a very rare bird, M_George. As far as I know, it doesn't appear in any Snap-on catalogs. Per the 'Collecting Snap-on' site, the guts are the same (or very similar) guts used only on LR-42 (1953-55) and SR-84 (1948). The patent info for the mechanism is not provided by the 'Collecting Snap-on' site, but it's Gagne, 2,020,883, 12 Nov 1935, link to patent on USPTO site, here.

I'm curious how you are dating it to "around 1941". The "around" in that statement leads me to believe you have not found a date code. The only other L-67 I've seen had a "G" (1945) date code on the **** end. That's an atypical location for Snap-on date codes, so you may have missed it.

I would post it in the GJ Snap-on thread. You might get more info.
EDIT: Link here.

 

[3baygarage]

Excellent find. Snapmom had some good info on that piece. I have one but never opened it up. If you do, I would maybe get a little penetrating oil in there and definitely a correct fitting spanner to not wreck the holes.

 

[snapmom]

The Snap on museum has one, with the org, drawings from 1942. I would not take it apart unless you had to. they are hard to put back together. Just clean it an let some oil soak into it. Very hard to find. Sometimes you just get lucky

 

[M_George]

That ratchet is a very rare bird, M_George. As far as I know, it doesn't appear in any Snap-on catalogs. Per the 'Collecting Snap-on' site, the guts are the same (or very similar) guts used only on LR-42 (1953-55) and SR-84 (1948). The patent info for the mechanism is not provided by the 'Collecting Snap-on' site, but it's Gagne, 2,020,883, 12 Nov 1935, link to patent on USPTO site, here.

I'm curious how you are dating it to "around 1941". The "around" in that statement leads me to believe you have not found a date code. The only other L-67 I've seen had a "G" (1945) date code on the **** end. That's an atypical location for Snap-on date codes, so you may have missed it.

I would post it in the GJ Snap-on thread. You might get more info.
EDIT: Link here.

Thanks PV Lugnutz, I put it in the post as you suggested. I checked it carefully for the date code and there is no sign of it. I can still see the texture from the mold so it wasn't worn off. I expect that this one might be an early production model.

 

[M_George]

The Snap on museum has one, with the org, drawings from 1942. I would not take it apart unless you had to. they are hard to put back together. Just clean it an let some oil soak into it. Very hard to find. Sometimes you just get lucky

Snapmom, I'm taking your advice for not taking it apart. A little WD40 and it is working smooth as silk. I plan to get a good printout of the patent drawing and store in in a shadow box.

 

[Private Lugnutz]

Thanks PV Lugnutz, I put it in the post as you suggested. I checked it carefully for the date code and there is no sign of it. I can still see the texture from the mold so it wasn't worn off. I expect that this one might be an early production model.

Cool!

I plan to get a good printout of the patent drawing and store in in a shadow box.

Great idea. Documentation always enhances a display.