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Powerewinch Windlass 36' Class faulty free-fall clutch

ongst

New member
I have a Powerwinch Windlass 36' Class whcih I bought new and installed it on my 26 footer fishing boat. I fitted a 17 lb anchor with 1/4 inch ACCO chain and rope. After I used the windlass for the 5th time the windlass refused to release the gypsy to allow the anchor to free fall. Since I don't live in the USA, I could not use the warranty from Powerwinch.
I dismantled the windlass and opened the case of the windlass. I noticed that the small gear which should have been attached to the motor spindle had unscrewed itself off the spindle. I also noticed a piece of washer made of some kind of material like leather had also broken off and was in the windlass casing. I am not sure where that came from. I re-screwed the small gear to the motor spindle and reassembled the windlass. I reconnected it back to the boat. The windlass could spin to retrieve but it could not disengage the gear when I tried to activate the freefall function (which is done by pressing the down switch). I split the case of the windlass again and tried to figure out how the free fall gear works. There is a Locking Gear mechanism which I noticed can spin only one way (ie to retireve anchor) but it refuses to spin the other way even if the down switch is pressed. I was wondering if the Locking Gear mechanism (part no. R001437) is faulty and that it should spin freely when the down switch is pressed and the Spinoff Gear (part no. R001436) which is connected to the Locking Gear, turns in the other direction. I am not sure whether it is the Locking Gear or the Spinoff Gear that should spin freely when the down switch is activitated as only by spinning freely can the Gear Kit (which connects the movement of the Spinoff Gear to the Gypsy) allow for free fall (without being prevented from doing so by the Locking Gear which stops the Spinoff Gear from turning in the anchor down direction.). If I could just know which one (Locking Gear or Spinoff Gear) is supposed to spin freely when the down switch is activated then I know which part to change. Anyone out there with some experience with how the free fall release mechanism works? Thanks
 

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Not familiar with that model of Powerwinch. But from what you described, it sounds like your problem is with the spinoff gear. It is not kicking out to allow a free fall.
 
Not familiar with that model of Powerwinch. But from what you described, it sounds like your problem is with the spinoff gear. It is not kicking out to allow a free fall.

You are absolutely correct. Actually I had also asked Avpentco in Richmond, Illinois who is Powerwinch's International distributor. Their response was prompt (within the day) and they answered my questions and told me what was the problem. (Even if they did not tell me the solution I was going to explore your suggestion). The Spinoff Gear turns on the shaft which is reverse treaded. This was not obvious to me when I had first taken out the shaft. Apparently my Spinoff Gear which turns the gear connected to the Gypsy, had spun so tight around the treaded shaft that it got stuck. The broken leather washer that I had mentioned in my first post was meant to prevent the Spinoff Gear from spinning too tightly into the treads on the shaft. Thus when I tried to activate the free fall, the Spinoff Gear which was meant to spin on the tread in the opposite direction and so disengaging from the Locking Gear, could not do so. It was jammed because it had spun so tight on the shaft without the leather washer to prevent it from being overtightened during anchor retrieval. The small gear on the motor under the stress of not being able to turn the stucked Spinoff Gear, came off the motor shaft. Having understood the mechanism I removed the Spinoff Gear and fitted a leather washer and reassembled the windlass and it is working fine now.
Thanks.
 
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