windlass

[Whale Tale]

I have a 2001 Pacific trawler with what appears to be a Lofran royal windlass. It goes down but not up. I removed the up cover and the connections were corroded so I took it apart and machined a little off to clean them up but it still doesn't go up. Even if I jump the contacts with a wire.
Any thoughts before I take the windlass out?
Thanks, Jim

 

[SteveK]

when you say it goes down, do you mean powered to go down, as in the windlass is controlling descent?
If yes, then then pos/neg are not being connected in reverse order to run the windlass in the other rotation. There is a relay(s) to do this. You are not getting both pos/neg or just one of them is not connecting. Maybe more corrosion.

 

[Whale Tale]

Yes
It goes down with power
Where is the relay ?
It looks like the wires run from the deck switches right to the motor?

 

[SteveK]

On my current boat they are in the anchor locker which I can access. You need to look under the windlass and those deck switches, they will be close by.
The foot switches activate either the up or down solenoid that runs the motor up or down.

 

[Whale Tale]

Ok I’ll look
Thanks for your help
Jim

 

[Whale Tale]

I don’t see anything but the up and down switches and the windlass motor
There are heavy duty wires running inside the hull towards the stern but they disappear under the motor
Any other place it could be
I’ve looked all over and I can’t find anything that looks like it could be the solenoid
Thanks
Jim

 

[SteveK]

If there is no access to the underside of the foot switches and windlass, then follow the heavy duty wire route to aft and look into any access to them along the way.

 

[SteveK]

Do you not have an opening to the chain locker where you can see the cables to the winch?

 

[bobandmilly]

Can you hear the solenoids click?

 

[HeadedToTexas]

I had exactly the same symptom and my Lofrans motor finally stopped turning either direction. My solenoids were fine and supplied 12 VDC to both poles. Before you buy a new motor, you need to confirm whether it’s a motor problem or an electrical problem.

If you get 12 VDC between the red and black poles on the motor contacts when the up and down buttons are pushed (or stepped on), then your motor has probably lost the soldered junction between the pole for the direction it won’t turn and the brush terminal inside the motor.

An electric motor shop should be able fix that, but if your 2001 motor looks anything like my 2007 motor, it’s probably time to buy a new motor from Lofrans/Imtra.

 

[ACT09]

I have a Lewmar 700 on my 24' SeaRay. Adequate, but finicky.

 

[koliver]

My Lofrans Tigres has 3 fat (#4 or fatter) wires to the windlass. Your Lofrans is likely similar.
One is ground, one is up, one is down. The wires come from solenoids in the chain locker, just below the windlass. If you can trace the wires to the solenoids, you will likely find a corroded or broken connector from the foot switches or from the toggle switch at your helm. In the 30 years I have had this boat, I have rewired or replaced the wiring and solenoids a few times. That locker is wet, so death to electrical connectors.
If you find all of that is good and it is your windlass, any starter rebuilder can re-wind the windlass for far less than a replacement.

 

[BruceK]

So true. The footswitches are near impossible to keep sealed dry and clean. However, if you have one which is not producing any activity, before digging it out of the sealant and replacing it, try deluging it with WD40 or other water displacer/cleaner/lube product, it got mine functioning again twice on my previous boat.

 

[Iggy]

I have the same boat and year. Good luck with it all.

Imtra | Boating, Transportation, Energy & Marine Products This is a link to the U.S. distributor. If needed I would call them. They are very helpful!