I'm a DIY car guy but have done all my own work on my own and family cars for almost 60 years. I still have my original 60s Sidchrome ratchet, and have never abused it but have also never opened it up. I just give it a bit of engine oil now and again and it still works as good as new.
This is basically the maintenance I do for the ratchet at my work. I work at a Biogas. And I found filling up the inside with anti seize paste, avoids me having to clean it inside out, every single time it has been in contact with water or slurry. Kept it alive for four years so far, vs the old one that only lasted a year. Sometimes a little maintenance once in a while, really do wonders.
My Aussie made Sid Ratchet, disassembly: take out circlip, push out centre, the pawl comes out by rotating the pawl 180 degrees, do that by pushing inside the ratchet head on one side of the pawl with a very small flat head screwdriver or other tool, there is a spring and ballbearing behind the pawl which will pop out when you rotate the pawl through 180, I guess grease the spring and ball on the back of the pawl but these are not sealed heads so grease not oil, being unsealed I guess regularly perform maintenance because they do fill up with crap, literally only 4 moving parts inside these heads.
possibly although the handle makes it look like after Stanley bought them out. the Aussie made Sidchrome spanners are tough, if you ever have a chance of buying old ones at markets etc snaffle them up. once tried breaking a 16mm ring spanner and it took a 3 metre pipe on the end with two of us bouncing at one end to snap it. all turned to $hite when Stanley bought them out
What was ratchet is now perfectly fine. Nice work 👍
Thanks mate, I enjoy this stuff.
I'm a DIY car guy but have done all my own work on my own and family cars for almost 60 years. I still have my original 60s Sidchrome ratchet, and have never abused it but have also never opened it up. I just give it a bit of engine oil now and again and it still works as good as new.
That's great, I love to see old tools still in use. How do you oil it if you don't open it up?
This is basically the maintenance I do for the ratchet at my work. I work at a Biogas. And I found filling up the inside with anti seize paste, avoids me having to clean it inside out, every single time it has been in contact with water or slurry. Kept it alive for four years so far, vs the old one that only lasted a year. Sometimes a little maintenance once in a while, really do wonders.
Filling it with anti seize paste sounds like a good idea.
My Aussie made Sid Ratchet, disassembly: take out circlip, push out centre, the pawl comes out by rotating the pawl 180 degrees, do that by pushing inside the ratchet head on one side of the pawl with a very small flat head screwdriver or other tool, there is a spring and ballbearing behind the pawl which will pop out when you rotate the pawl through 180, I guess grease the spring and ball on the back of the pawl but these are not sealed heads so grease not oil, being unsealed I guess regularly perform maintenance because they do fill up with crap, literally only 4 moving parts inside these heads.
Thanks mate, I didn't know that.
Australian made Sidchrome ?
possibly although the handle makes it look like after Stanley bought them out. the Aussie made Sidchrome spanners are tough, if you ever have a chance of buying old ones at markets etc snaffle them up. once tried breaking a 16mm ring spanner and it took a 3 metre pipe on the end with two of us bouncing at one end to snap it. all turned to $hite when Stanley bought them out
Correct these are after Stanley bought them (1991) Red handle was early/mid 2000's not Aussie made but made in Taiwan, still a good ratchet though.
Hard to say. There is some information around but it's not conclusive. Given it's over 30yrs since they were Aussie made I think it is unlikely.