Anchor winches have a hard time. Their exposed position means that they get the odd seawater shower when sailing or are completely submerged. Even if the winch is not submerged, the chain brings up water, seaweed and mud with every anchor manoeuvre. The raised sediments are particularly problematic with vertical winches. With these, the shaft that drives the chain sprocket stands vertically in the deck. Gravity causes the dirt to slide downwards - right to the deck passage and storage.
Further instructions:
The basic design of the winches is similar for all manufacturers. The deck unit consists of a base plate, chain sprocket with coupling, the chain inlet and the bearing for the main shaft. This runs through a hole in the deck to the drive. Even if the shaft seal fails and water gets into the ship, the gearbox is rarely damaged as it is protected by another seal. However, drops of water on the main shaft below deck are an alarm signal.
The chain sprocket is not firmly connected to the drive shaft so that the anchor can also be lowered manually. Instead, there are two conical discs, one below and one above the sprocket. The discs are pressed together by the top cover and hold the chain sprocket firmly in place. This mechanism must be greased. If the grease washes out and salt and sand penetrate, the brake mechanism corrodes and seizes up.
This area is therefore one of the basic maintenance points for all manufacturers and should be dismantled, rinsed and regreased at least once a year.
Not all manufacturers specify other maintenance work. Lofrans specifies that the cover unit should be dismantled every three months during intensive use or in charter operation. The electrical connections should be checked once a year. If it is only used occasionally, all seals should be replaced after two years, which also includes the gearbox.
Lewmar and Quick handle this differently: their gearboxes are not mentioned in the maintenance instructions. Lofrans recommends removing the winch from the deck every three years to remove salt deposits in the bottom plate. We carried out the maintenance shown here on a 20-year-old Lofrans Project 1000, which is largely identical to the current X2 model. The manufacturer's specific instructions should be followed for all models.
Which material is required for maintenance
Service set
The manufacturers usually offer a maintenance kit that contains the necessary wear parts. However, replacements for defective bearings must be procured separately. In this case, it is worth going to a specialised dealer for industry and trade, as standard parts are usually installed.
Special tools
In addition to a large vice, pliers suitable for the Seeger rings should be available. A large nut helps when pressing out bearings and shaft seals; a simple piece of drain pipe can also be helpful for the latter.
Chain sprocket, brake and main shaft: How to maintain the cover unit
1. Fasten the chain or remove it from the winchUnscrew the inlet and remove the ejector and finger.
2. the Release brake and the Unscrew the top cover completelyso that the chain sprocket can be removed upwards ...
3. ... leaves. In our case, it was so tight that a Puller was necessary to separate them from the shaft.
4. chain nut and upper brake cone are off. Only Resinous residues remains, but seaweed becomes visible.
5 The lower cone is also firmly seated. To grip it with the puller, it must be removed with a Wooden wedge levered become.
6. also under the cone Seaweedwhich is tightly wrapped around the main shaft.
7. the Shaft seal should be replaced. In order to be able to pull it upwards, the Snap ring out of the way.
8. a screw forcibly turned into the sealing ring serves as a handle to hold the sealing ring in place. Remove the old seal from the seat.
9. the Worn shaft seal from below. Dirt and even seaweed has penetrated. This should also ...
10. ... the Main bearing be due. We decide to completely dismantle the winch. To do this Electrics ...
11. ... from the motor and disconnect the Four screws on the deck flange. Be careful, the drive is heavy, you ...
12. ... should first be Filing and, unlike us before, also prepare the Disconnect control cable.
13. the main shaft is in the gearbox and is supported by a Feather key taken along. The trace of rust reveals the leak.
14 Since it is to be removed regularly for maintenance, the Base not glued on. With a wooden wedge you can ...
15. ... they can be levered off. Our winch has an aluminium cover. It shows clear Traces of corrosion.
16. under the aluminium plate Salt deposits accumulated. They can be easily removed with water.
17. the Shaft is stuck in the rusted main bearing. It is supported by a Seeger-Ring held in the base plate.
18 After the Bearing-shaft unit is pressed out of the base, it is separatewooden inserts protect the shaft.
19. still usable? The shaft seal runs over the centre groove. The Shaft must not be severely damaged be.
20. the New main bearings is pressed into the base plate with a little grease and secured with the Seeger ring.
21. the polished Insert shaft and the upper Circlip then mount the Grease new seal ...
22 ... and careful string and press into the base plate. Then remove the shaft including the thread Grease again.
23. the Chain nut and the Brake cone were also cleaned and polished. Grease their contact surfaces.
24. after Cover, ejector and the Chain infeed again mounted the deck unit is ready.
Seals and oil change: What to do on the gearbox
The gearboxes are oil-filled and robustly constructed. They do not appear in the maintenance instructions for many winches. Only Lofrans specifies a replacement interval for the shaft seals. To replace the upper seal, the gearbox must be opened and a bearing pressed out and back in again. This should be done in a workshop on land. An oil change is a good idea. Viscosity and filling quantity can be found on the website of Lofrans read more.
1. Gearbox and motor can be easily separateThis makes the work easier. There are also seals there.
2. the gearbox housing is opened from above. When it kept straight no oil escapes.
3. the Oil is very viscous and only runs slowly out of the housing. The colour suggests that it has never been replaced.
4. to minimise the Overload clutch a strong spring must be tensioned and a large Seeger ring ...
5. ... be removed. Everything is OK here, the clutch has already released, but the teeth show Hardly any abrasion on.
6. to minimise the Upper shaft seal the bearing has to be out of the way. In our case, a 32 mm nut fitted as a sleeve.
7. the Gasket is connected to a 50 mm drain pipe squeezed out. The slot prevents the pipe from getting stuck.
8. so that the New shaft seal slips well into the housing, it will be Lightly greased.
9. a matching wooden disc can be used to Press the sealing ring straight into the housingfollowed by the Warehouse.
10. the Lower shaft seal and those on the engine side can be replaced from the outside, see step 8 in the instructions above.
11 All seals have been replaced and the slipping clutch fitted. Fill with fresh oilClose the housing and you're done.
Short and sweet: checklist to tick off
- ☐ Disconnect power (fuse/switch)
- ☐ Fasten/remove chain
- ☐ Unscrew chain inlet, remove ejector + finger
- ☐ Release the brake, completely unscrew the top cover
- Remove chain nut + upper brake cone (puller if necessary)
- ☐ Pull off/lift the lower cone, remove seaweed/dirt around the main shaft
- ☐Clean/polish chain sprocket + brake cone, grease contact surfaces
- ☐ Check shaft seal → Remove snap ring, pull/replace seal ring
- ☐ (In case of complete disassembly) Disconnect electrical system, disconnect motor, loosen 4 deck flange screws, remove drive unit
- ☐ Lift off base/cover, clean/check salt/corrosion
- ☐ Main bearing: Seeger ring out, press out bearing-shaft unit, separate
- ☐ Check/polish shaft
- Grease/press in new main bearing, secure with Seeger ring
- ☐ Lightly grease new seal, thread/insert; grease shaft + thread again
- ☐ Fitting the cover/ejector/chain infeed
- ☐ (Optional gearbox) Open housing, drain/change oil, check clutch/seals, put in fresh oil, close
- ☐ Connect everything, function test (freewheel/brake/load) + check for leaks
Hauke Schmidt
Test & Technology editor
