Ever diassembled a Yankee screwdriver?

[Australopithecus scobis]

Greetings, Anybody ever disassembled (and successfully reassembled) one of these? Google groups showed nothing apropos.

Just got a pre-Stanley North Bros 30A Yankee screwdriver off ebay. Not surprisingly the right-hand ratchet pawl is worn. Works ok as is, just have to hold the tip of the chuck on the return stroke. The guts appear to be held together by a split-slot nut which surrounds the shaft. There is a third notch on the outer circumference of the nut. I figure there's a special tool to wring it off. I tapped a bit with a tiny cold chisel, but it didn't budge. (Metal innards have been soaked, brushed and/or wiped with carburetor cleaner, penetrating oil, WD-40, and 3-in-1.) I left the wood handle and the exterior finish alone, BTW.

I successfully rebuilt the ratchet on my Defiance brace, so this shouldn't be too much of a challenge. Stanley even carries parts, in case I drop something in the sawdust. Just wanted to garner advice before I reach for a bigger hammer.

[Bob Swan]

I haven't yet, but as mine has just given up the ghost after 10 years with me, and an unknown number with a grandparent, I shall follow this trail with interest.

As I try it I'll try and post some results.

[Wood Butcher]

I'm not sure about the pre-Stanley models but I'll describe the Stanley #30A and if it looks like yours - go for it.

On the shaft is a screw. It's at the handle end of the large collar which has the direction switch in it. Remove this screw. Push the selector button into the shaft and rotate the collar CCW (viewing from the handle end). Secure a rag around the shaft to catch any flying parts then slide the collar toward the handle. This will expose the ratchet mechanism.

Art

[Wood Butcher]

I just looked at the Stanley parts diagram

21; and added the part #'s to my previous msg.

Art

[Australopithecus scobis]

Many thanks, friend. That did the trick. Here's what I learned, for others who might try this. Pay special attention to the part about wrapping a rag around the works. Things don't go flying, but they do fall out. Keep an eye on that little screw. It likes to play hide-n-seek.

Push the button to the reverse position. Work the sleeve back, off the stop. The stop is on the opposite side of the sleeve from the button, adjacent to the knurled lock ring. This helps a little later, as you try to keep the button depressed. Be careful to keep the button depressed fully until the sleeve is turned enough to keep the button down. This takes three hands... A couple the lands of the detentes for the selector, part of the sleeve, were bent on mine. I gently levered them back into place before starting the rest.

Watch the button and its slider as the sleeve comes back. Don't let the slider get carried under the sleeve as you pull the sleeve back. The button can, however, be gently worked back into shape, and its tabs re-peened onto the spring if the slider gets crushed under the sleeve. damhikt.

There they are, those pesky pawls. Even after flushing the tube with carb cleaner, there was still gunk in there. Note that the pawls are handed--I tried to do a Scot's staircase, but it didn't work. I did swap the pawls fore and aft. That was enough to make the ratchet happy.

I put a wee bit of extra curve in the copper-colored spring. I added lithium grease to the outside of the shaft so the sleeve would go back down more easily. The pawls look easy to make, if one had a dremel.

I hope this additional reporting helps many more old yankees return to youthful vigor.

[Roy Smith]

What is a "Scot's staircase"?

[Australopithecus scobis]

You heard him, folks. He asked for it.

Generations-old Scots law firm. Pop kicks off, son wants to put his own mark on the place. Finds price of replacing worn, cupped, shabby marble steps out front is very expensive. Tells the foreman, "Just turn them over." Few minutes later, foreman comes back, tugs his forelock and says, "Sorry, guvner, but your granddad had the same idea."

So, pawl is worn on one side, flip it over. But the handedness, inherent in the structure, was grandfathered...