Reel Repair by Alan Tani

General Maintenance Tips => Tools and Lubricants => Topic started by: Bill B on May 29, 2025, 03:05:21 AM

Title: Impact Wrench Repair
Post by: Bill B on May 29, 2025, 03:05:21 AM
My old well abused pneumatic impact driver needed some TLC.  The plastic trigger broke.  With a punch I drove out the roll pin that holds the trigger in.  Glueing the two plastic pieces of the trigger together I drew a rough template on a suitable piece of aluminum. Using a jigsaw cut out the rough shape and with a bench grinder and files profiled the aluminum to shape.  A good dose of TSI321 and it's back in service.  I just couldn't see tossing this 40 year old tool for a lousy broken piece of plastic.

Bill
Title: Re: Impact Wrench Repair
Post by: oldmanjoe on May 29, 2025, 03:15:25 AM
 :) Good save ,Possible cold trigger finger after a while !!
Title: Re: Impact Wrench Repair
Post by: MarkT on May 29, 2025, 03:26:49 AM
Nice save!
Title: Re: Impact Wrench Repair
Post by: Brewcrafter on May 29, 2025, 04:48:40 AM
Sweet!!!!! -john
Title: Re: Impact Wrench Repair
Post by: MACflyer on May 29, 2025, 11:09:12 AM
Very nice: good for another 40!
Title: Re: Impact Wrench Repair
Post by: boon on May 30, 2025, 05:51:39 AM
Nice one. Looking at the construction of the rest of it I'm surprised it had a plastic trigger in the first place.
Title: Re: Impact Wrench Repair
Post by: Rancanfish on May 30, 2025, 12:41:49 PM
Your last name BcGyver?
Title: Re: Impact Wrench Repair
Post by: foakes on May 30, 2025, 07:02:10 PM
Good & clever, Bill!

Isn't it amazing that when something fails first —- it is 9 times out of 10 —- a piece made of plastic.

It is the same with our fishing reels!

Great job!

Best, Fred
Title: Re: Impact Wrench Repair
Post by: Gfish on May 31, 2025, 02:19:12 AM
Fabricating parts like that is a unique and valuable skill. Think of the cost of new one, and a new one might have more plastic stuff than your old one.
Title: Re: Impact Wrench Repair
Post by: Bill B on May 31, 2025, 02:39:25 PM
It would have been a shame to toss that driver for such a small piece that was so easily replicated.  Glad to have it back in service. 
Title: Re: Impact Wrench Repair
Post by: Crow on June 01, 2025, 11:34:02 AM
Good job!
Title: Re: Impact Wrench Repair
Post by: Dominick on June 02, 2025, 09:56:29 PM
Quote from: boon on May 30, 2025, 05:51:39 AMNice one. Looking at the construction of the rest of it I'm surprised it had a plastic trigger in the first place.
Do you think, maybe, possibly, the trigger was non-metal to prevent electric shock?  I would not have changed material.  Dominick
Title: Re: Impact Wrench Repair
Post by: JasonGotaProblem on June 02, 2025, 10:01:44 PM
On an air tool? More likely it was designed to be the weak link so other harder to replace parts wouldn't take the wear.
Title: Re: Impact Wrench Repair
Post by: boon on June 02, 2025, 11:04:18 PM
Quote from: Dominick on June 02, 2025, 09:56:29 PM
Quote from: boon on May 30, 2025, 05:51:39 AMNice one. Looking at the construction of the rest of it I'm surprised it had a plastic trigger in the first place.
Do you think, maybe, possibly, the trigger was non-metal to prevent electric shock?  I would not have changed material.  Dominick

Nope. It's a pneumatic tool. The body that you're holding is metal so if the tool comes into contact with something energised you're copping it through the grip anyway.
Title: Re: Impact Wrench Repair
Post by: Dominick on July 19, 2025, 09:14:14 PM
Quote from: boon on June 02, 2025, 11:04:18 PMNope. It's a pneumatic tool. The body that you're holding is metal so if the tool comes into contact with something energised you're copping it through the grip anyway.

DUH!  :-[  :-[  :-[  Dominick
Title: Re: Impact Wrench Repair
Post by: Donnyboat on July 19, 2025, 11:55:24 PM
Nice save Bill, thanks for showing us, cheers Don.