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06-18-2017, 02:09 AM
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#1
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Guru
City: Queensland
Vessel Model: Milkraft 60 converted timber prawn trawler
Join Date: Jul 2016
Posts: 5,482
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URGENT help with electric windlass.
Can anyone please help with my issue.
We have a Maxwell windlass and found the problem as to why it will go down, but not up.
150lb + chain is out.
Is there a workaround besides manual pull.
Pic is obvious, one of the posts has sheered off clean internally, no idea why.
Not melted. Just a clean break.
I pulled the silver end off but wasn't quite prepared to bust it apart further.
Thanks in advance.
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06-18-2017, 03:54 AM
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#2
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Guru
City: Adelaide
Vessel Name: Kokanee
Vessel Model: Cuddles 30 Pilot House Motor Sailer
Join Date: Jul 2012
Posts: 3,218
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Simi,
Copper posts on windlasses and starter motors often break due to over tightening as they are quite soft. The bottom locknut maybe wasn't locked when the top nut was tightened at some stage.
Are you in a position to get the windlass motor to an auto electrician who could replace the stud?
Another thought - It may be a stupid idea. I've had a couple red wines. Get a 2nd opinion on this.
Will it run backwards with the positive & negative cables reversed? So it will go up but not down??
No - forget I said that. Too bad it's not 3-phase AC.
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06-18-2017, 04:59 AM
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#3
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Guru
City: Carefree, Arizona
Vessel Name: sunchaser V
Vessel Model: DeFever 48 (sold)
Join Date: Apr 2008
Posts: 10,179
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Simi
Do you have a hand or powered winch elsewhere on vessel you can use to lift rode? If not -
Do you have a sizeable dinghy davit? If so you can power up to the vertical chain and get the davit over it and snag the chain and start lifting it in roughly 10 foot increments onto the side deck. Eventually the anchor will break and you can lift it out of water and like wise sling it onto side deck or secure to side (with padding protection). Now you're good to go somewhere.
Do you have a lighter anchor and rope rode you can manhandle?
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06-18-2017, 05:51 AM
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#4
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Guru
City: Ft Pierce
Vessel Name: Sold
Vessel Model: Was an Albin/PSN 40
Join Date: Oct 2011
Posts: 28,119
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Same itching happened to my motor.
Took it to my alterator/starter shop who rebuilt it for $100 buckc.
If not an option, on my motor, if I left off the covers, I might have been able to hold the cable in the hole long enough to get the anchor up. Just would have to be careful to not ground the cable out to the frame (if it would even do that).
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06-18-2017, 03:53 PM
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#5
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Guru
City: Queensland
Vessel Model: Milkraft 60 converted timber prawn trawler
Join Date: Jul 2016
Posts: 5,482
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Quote:
Originally Posted by sunchaser
Simi
Do you have a hand or powered winch elsewhere on vessel you can use to lift rode? If not -
Do you have a sizeable dinghy davit? If so you can power up to the vertical chain and get the davit over it and snag the chain and start lifting it in roughly 10 foot increments onto the side deck. Eventually the anchor will break and you can lift it out of water and like wise sling it onto side deck or secure to side (with padding protection). Now you're good to go somewhere.
Do you have a lighter anchor and rope rode you can manhandle?
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Or I could just use the emergency handle and pull it manually.
Sounds a hell of a lot easier and safer.
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06-18-2017, 03:55 PM
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#6
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Guru
City: Queensland
Vessel Model: Milkraft 60 converted timber prawn trawler
Join Date: Jul 2016
Posts: 5,482
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Quote:
Originally Posted by AusCan
Simi,
Copper posts on windlasses and starter motors often break due to over tightening as they are quite soft. The bottom locknut maybe wasn't locked when the top nut was tightened at some stage.
Are you in a position to get the windlass motor to an auto electrician who could replace the stud?
Another thought - It may be a stupid idea. I've had a couple red wines. Get a 2nd opinion on this.
Will it run backwards with the positive & negative cables reversed? So it will go up but not down??
No - forget I said that. Too bad it's not 3-phase AC.
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I reckon that's exactly what happened and is what we will try after speaking to Maxwell in a couple of hours time.
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06-18-2017, 03:59 PM
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#7
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Guru
City: Queensland
Vessel Model: Milkraft 60 converted timber prawn trawler
Join Date: Jul 2016
Posts: 5,482
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Quote:
Originally Posted by psneeld
Same itching happened to my motor.
Took it to my alterator/starter shop who rebuilt it for $100 buck
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And this will be what we try as well, sure as hell don't want to get reamed on a new motor , be near $1000 here, when this one is essentially new.
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06-18-2017, 04:17 PM
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#8
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Senior Member
City: Wherever the boat is
Vessel Name: Kismet
Join Date: Sep 2016
Posts: 458
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if you are in a pinch most dc motors will reverse if you reverse the polarity.
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06-18-2017, 04:21 PM
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#9
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Guru
City: Vermont
Join Date: Jan 2013
Posts: 10,076
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I think AusCan's suggestion may well work, and is easy to bench test. But I would be a bit worried about the wire end that's inside he motor case and unsecured. If that makes contact with ground, it could get ugly.
If you are up for it, take apart the motor end and see what's going on in there. You might even spot an easy way to reattach the wire and stud, or at a minimum insulate the wire end, then try the AusCan reverse wire trick.
__________________
MVTanglewood.com
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06-18-2017, 04:58 PM
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#10
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Guru
City: Between Oregon and Alaska
Vessel Name: Charlie Harper
Vessel Model: Wheeler Shipyard 83'
Join Date: Jun 2016
Posts: 3,021
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If you do open the motor, temporally the stud can be any bolt you have on board. Use the insulating washers, etc., on the broken one.
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06-18-2017, 05:02 PM
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#11
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Guru
City: Longboat Key, FL
Vessel Name: Bucky
Vessel Model: Krogen Manatee 36 North Sea
Join Date: Oct 2009
Posts: 5,196
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Like Scott, same thing happened on my old original. Fortunately, I had a couple of these in my stock. The screw end grabbed enough of something in there to get me home, but I rebuilt the motor before using it again. To test it initially, I used an independent battery set.
__________________
Larry
"When life gets hard, eat marshmallows”.
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06-18-2017, 07:32 PM
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#12
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Guru
City: Queensland
Vessel Model: Milkraft 60 converted timber prawn trawler
Join Date: Jul 2016
Posts: 5,482
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Those coach bolts would work in this case, but non on hand and after pulling the end off the bolt can't simply be replaced without a solder job to big for what I have.
Unfortunately, all other suggestions failed.
Swapped cables, + to - as suggested and spun the same way
Tried every other combo and it spun the same way.
The only way we get a reverse in direction is to put the post back in and hold it in, then the motor reverses.
Unfortunately, there is no way of accessing the motor when its all assembled, a clear advantage of a vertical windlass with under deck motor vs a horizontal where the motor is enclosed in a big cast alloy housing.
So on this afternoons ferry it goes and hopefully the auto lecy will perform his magic and we get it back in a couple of days
Thanks all.
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06-18-2017, 08:17 PM
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#13
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Guru
City: Fort Myers, FL... Summers in the Great Lakes
Vessel Name: Slow Hand
Vessel Model: Cherubini Independence 45
Join Date: Dec 2010
Posts: 12,817
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Hope everything works out. Might want to try the manual crank handle to see if it's a realistic option should you have another failure in a remote location. Plan B is only worth having if it works.
Ted
__________________
Blog: mvslowhand.com
I'm tired of fast moves, I've got a slow groove, on my mind.....
I want to spend some time, Not come and go in a heated rush.....
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06-22-2017, 05:42 AM
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#14
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Guru
Join Date: Oct 2007
Posts: 22,553
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And this will be what we try as well, sure as hell don't want to get reamed on a new motor , be near $1000 here, when this one is essentially new.
For folks contemplating a windlass purchase , remember to check Ideal Windlass , US made and used to fit auto style starter motors .
NAPA spare for $40?
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06-22-2017, 06:13 AM
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#15
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Guru
City: Full Time Cruising East Coast
Vessel Name: Meridian
Vessel Model: Krogen-42
Join Date: Aug 2011
Posts: 1,014
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Ideal Windless may be auto style starter motors but are actually special heavy duty units.
__________________
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Terry
Meridian
KK-42097
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06-22-2017, 07:21 AM
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#16
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Guru
City: gulf coast
Join Date: Jun 2014
Posts: 3,440
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Try putting the single ground/return wire on the outside terminal and the hot wire from the down switch on the center terminal. hit the down switch and I think it will go up.
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06-23-2017, 04:32 PM
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#17
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Guru
City: Queensland
Vessel Model: Milkraft 60 converted timber prawn trawler
Join Date: Jul 2016
Posts: 5,482
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Quote:
Originally Posted by bayview
Try putting the single ground/return wire on the outside terminal and the hot wire from the down switch on the center terminal. hit the down switch and I think it will go up.
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Read post 12.
The only thing that worked was getting the lug silver soldered back on.
Working faster than it ever has so obviously a failing connection since install.
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06-23-2017, 05:04 PM
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#18
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Guru
City: Adelaide
Vessel Name: Kokanee
Vessel Model: Cuddles 30 Pilot House Motor Sailer
Join Date: Jul 2012
Posts: 3,218
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Good news, Simi.
it certainly sounds like the lock nut wasn't locked during the install.
A good reminder to check high amp electrical connections with a little IR temp gun once in a while.
( I know - its on my list of things to do as well)
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06-24-2017, 05:34 AM
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#19
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Guru
Join Date: Oct 2007
Posts: 22,553
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Sounds to me that the copper lug was damaged sometime by over tightening .
Copper is the perfect boat conductor material , the flaws are usually the workmanship.
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