Windless Maintenance


AllDodge

AllDodge

Well-known member
Who will admit to NOT doing maintenance on their windless.

I admit it, I'm not

Decided to have a look at my 1994 Maxwell 500. Have not done the first thing to it ever, and it has never failed me, so maybe on borrowed time. The manual says to take it apart to grease at least once a year. Mine like about everyone else's is in the chain locker. Figure if it needs to be greased often then it needs grease fittings
 
Me . . . it's been a few years since I installed the windlass and no maintenance. I probably should grease it this year . . . it seem to bind up a lot.
 
Never knew it needed maintenance. Agree, should have grease fittings if service required.

I do rinse the windlass and anchor locker with salt away after each use.
 
I was into mine the other day, and its going to be a bear to get out. I'm thinking maybe next year :cool:
 
I wonder if inserting a WD-40 spray nozzle into surrounding openings and saturating the windlass interior would be just as effective?

Would be a lot easier and quicker than removing/disassembling the windlass. Will not be a fun job.
 
I would say WD wouldn't be good, its not a lubricant its a Water Displacement fluid. I wouldn't even use oil were grease is required, it will dilute the grease.

Might be worth the email or call to Maxwell (or other manufacture) to ask one of the techs
 
I finally did the windlass maintenance yesterday. I have a Maxwell RC6-8 windlass. Maintenance was not too bad . . . just a bit awkward getting at stuff.

I took the motor off the gearbox, then removed the gearbox, and also pulled the gypsy/shaft assembly out. The gearbox had its original oil, but was down a bit. I changed the oil, buttered everything up with marine grease and put it all back together.

Before doing that, I fixed an alignment problem that I had from the initial installation, by remounting the housing with some shims. (the foredeck of my 33-SS slopes downward slightly and the anchor roller makes the rode pitch upward slightly when retrieving . . . causing a misalignment and some excess wear on the gypsy.

IMG_4370.jpg IMG_4373.jpg

The gearbox is pretty simple . . . just a opinion and a single gear. I was thinking there may have been a broken gear tooth, since my windlass jambs often, but that was not the case.

I also had to fix the line/chain splice of the rode, since it is too fat and does not go through the gypsy housing very well. I have a 12 strand rode line, so I had to make some modifications to the splice area and reduce it down to 6 strands so the splice would be 12 strands. . . . Hopefully it will all work out. . . . still plenty strong.

Here are a couple of pics of the new & old splice.

IMG_4375.jpg IMG_4378.jpg

I just got to put the rode back in through the windlass and test it all out. Hopefully, that will be one anchoring headache relieved.
 
Nice work, and you said an area that is floating in oil, this would concern me because how would is it checked with removal.

I would love to have the room you have (your design) all I have is 2 six inch holes
 
AllDodge said:
Nice work, and you said an area that is floating in oil, this would concern me because how would is it checked with removal.
Click to expand...

AD - there is a clear plastic threaded cap on the gearbox that acts as an oil level view and a filler cap. It does seem that you would have to remove the gearbox to fill the oil.

I put the rode back in this morning and came to realize that the jamming is due to the rode not feeding down through the deck properly. So, I'll have to look into that further.
 
AllDodge said:
Rode needs more room to fall then chain, that might be your issue
Click to expand...

That could be . . . there is not much depth to the anchor/rode locker. so the free-fall of the rode is towards the minimum spec. I was thinking of enhancing the deck opening area where the rode drops through to to make sure the rode does not get hung up at all.
 
That could work, but could also go to all chain :rolleyes:
Then you could be like me and have a couple hundred pounds of chain in the nose
 
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