[UK-CONTEST] Winches expert advice

[G3RAU at aol.com]

In a message dated 29/05/2012 16:32:07 GMT Daylight Time, g0orh at sky.com  
writes:

I think  the automatic brake which holds the load when lufting over has  
broken.
  There are 2 different breaking mechanisms.

On pay  out there is no automatic pay out break other than friction pads. 
They  should visibly move inwards and grip the friction disc as you change 
from  wind out to wind in.  Only a half a mm but its visible. If you  have 
oiled/greased them you have wrecked them and they won't give any breaking  
action. To repeat; grip disc to wind in, but rub against the disc with  friction 
during pay out
 If they don't move in/out, try half a turn clockwise and then half  anti 
clock on the winch handle (pretty vigorously and fast) it may shake the  
spring mechanism inside loose and then they will grip/un grip.  It  shouldn't 
have seized up on a year old winch, but if you never touch the winch  from one 
year to the next you can expect things to seize up.
 
Now, the other break, used on wind in, is the ratchet and pawl, (later  
models 2 of them) that should make a loud clicking noise, and be visible to the 
 eye to check operation.
 
There is a 3rd, rather nasty possibility. If the factory have failed to  
properly lubricate the inside of the cable drum during assembly then it could  
seize either onto the big bolt or on to the internal shaft liner, or both
If the winch is paying out under load with such a seizure, something has to 
 give, and it is the side of the winch that twists.  It twists so far that  
the pawl can no longer grip the ratchet and you are left holding the weight 
on  the handle.  If you are wise buy a new winch, if you are like me, 
dismantle  the drum, knock out the liner, re grease, adjust with a sledge hammer  
and crowbar, and rebuild.  Moral; assume any new winch hasn't been greased  
properly in the factory and grease it yourself. 
 
There is a 4th self inflicted possibility and that is you  have tampered 
with the 2 lock nuts on the handle shaft and upset the  pre-tensioned spring 
mechanism inside which could wreck the breaking  action. That would be 
obvious because the friction pads then wouldn't  grip/ungrip.
 
73 Derek G3RAU