Cool looking older Proto Ratchets the 1/2 drive was in real good shape just a simple clean up and some lube and you are good to go for another 50 plus years .. For the 1/4 drive sad to say it's DOA if the ball detent fell in and it's not popping out don't bother fixing it there is no way of fixing that just buy a rebuild kit .. LOL when you said you fixed the selector switch with a piece of metal from a tin can are you sure it was not a piece of metal from a Black Label Beer Can 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣.. All kidding aside a great video as always take care and enjoy your week 👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍
Yep PROTO still makes them, and the parts are interchangeable going all the way back to the PLOMB days. As far as I know they're the longest continually produced ratchet design. They were PLOMB, and the other company was PLUMB who were predominantly an axe manufacturer going back to their origins in the 1860's. Fayette R Plumb had partnered with a small tool works owned by a man named J Yerkes to form Yerkes & Plumb until he eventually bought Yerkes out and created his own extremely successful world renowned tool works. They made hammers and some other things like cold chisels and punches, but mostly focused on Axes.
With a stuck ball detent, I let it sit in a 50/50 mixture of atf and acetone for a while. If that doesn’t work you can go the old snap on route and drill a fine hole on the opposite side of the ball in the anvil, get a pin punch and drive out the stuck ball detent and spring. Get another slightly oversized ball and another spring and stake them in. The only issue is if you’re a purist it won’t be original.
My guess is the spring in the ball detent is rusted into a few pieces or even into dust snd no longer functions as a spring. To test my theory you could try to use solvent to remove any oil from the ball detent compartment, then soak in evapo rust or vinger to disolve any rust in there. Now use an ultrasonic cleaner so it can clean inside the ball detent compartment and then see if it dtarts to function again.
These are oldies but goodies. Really robust, but also supremely smooth with virtually no back drag at 24 teeth. Throw some super lube in them and they're like butter.
