[C320-list] Windlass Troubleshooting

[islgirl3 at aol.com]

Thank you for your insight.
Rich 

Sent from AOL on Android 
 
  On Mon, Sep 16, 2024 at 2:38 PM, mmellon via C320-list<c320-list at lists.catalina320.com> wrote:   Really excellent and thorough description,  Scott.  Thanks from all of us for taking the time to do this.Sent from my GalaxyMike Mellon Mmellon at cruzio.com
-------- Original message --------From: "surprise thompson87.com via C320-list" <c320-list at lists.catalina320.com> Date: 9/15/24  5:55 PM  (GMT-08:00) To: C320-List at Catalina320.com, C320 Blog <c320-list at lists.catalina320.com> Cc: "surprise thompson87.com" <surprise at thompson87.com> Subject: Re: [C320-list] Windlass Troubleshooting What is the problem you are experiencing?Here are a few notes from my past experiences servicing the Maxwell 500 windlass, on my boat. I have a 1999 boat, and yours might be different. I've only done this service twice in 21 years of ownership. I suspect most owners never do it.You may be able to change the gear oil without removing the windlass through the clear and removable sight glass on the gear box, which can be accessed by removing the deck plate next to the foot switch. But it's very difficult to remove the old oil this way (you will need to suck it out somehow) or to judge whether the right amount of oil is there. That's because the Maxwell 500 was designed to be mounted vertically but is mounted horizontally in the 320. Thus the sight glass always appears to show no oil when the windlass is mounted horizontally, even when the right amount is present. And you don't want to overfill it either. You want just enough to reach and lubricate the shaft.For this reason I removed the windlass from the boat for service. Here are notes on how to do that. It's a lot of work, much of it involving boat yoga.1. To get access to the windlass from inside the boat you need to first remove the shelf and wooden panel at the front of the v-berth. (You may have to remove some trim as well. It's been quite a while since I did this and my memory isn't what it used to be.) You can then access the windlass from below. To make access even easier, with a saw, cut off the upper fiberglass panel blocking the upper part of the opening. It's just a tab connected to the hull liner that may have served some purpose during construction, but is not structural. I did this following guidance from Jeff Hare and there may be more details from his owner's folder in the photos section of the website, or perhaps in the archives of the listserv. Be careful to not cut any of the wiring behind the panel.2. To remove the windlass for service you will need to disconnect the heavy duty wiring. My recollection is that that is fairly straightforward. If you are having trouble with a non-functioning windlass it may be the case that the connections are loose. While you are at it, trace all of the wiring and make sure all connections are good. There are connections to the foot switch and then others at the battery, battery switch, and breaker if I'm remembering correctly.3. To remove the windlass altogether, which is necessary to properly change the gear oil you need to first disassemble and remove the capstan drum and chain gypsy (if you have one) and associated parts. All fairly straightforward once you unscrew the cap from the drum.  If you have a gypsy you will need to also unbolt the chain stripper to get the gypsy off. When done with all of this the only thing left exposed is the shaft and the baseplate.  Now comes the fun part. To unbolt the motor/gearbox/baseplate you need to work the nuts on the back of the bolts that secure the baseplate, through the fiberglass, through the gearbox housing. These nuts are thus inside the boat and there isn't much room to turn a wrench. Furthermore the mounting studs are VERY long and much longer than needed. So the first time I did this it took a long time to remove the nuts. I ended up cutting them much shorter, which made reassembly easier.4. Changing / refilling the gear oil is easy once the windlass is removed. Make sure you use the recommended type and amount. There is a service manual on the C320 website last time I checked.5. When reassembling make sure that you mount the baseplate with the correct orientation if you have a chain gypsy. When I first bought our boat I couldn't figure out how to use the gypsy until I realized that the baseplate had been installed 180 degrees off by previous owner or perhaps at the factory, which put the chain stripper on top of the gypsy instead of below it. If you don't have a gypsy then I believe that the orientation is not critical. There is a threaded hole where the stripper bolts on to the baseplate.6. Also be sure to make sure the electrical connections are clean and solid when you reassemble. Low voltage due to poor connections is your enemy, and potentially dangerous as well.BTW, while all is disassembled is a good time to install a hose bib inside the anchor locker, through the aft side, for a washdown pump. That is a separate project beyond what I'm willing to type tonight. But I installed a thruhull in the port side locker below the v-berth and mounted a washdown pump in that same locker connected to a hose bib high on the aft side of the locker, close to the port side. One of my favorite upgrades.Scott ThompsonSurprise, #653 (1999)-----Original Message-----From: C320-list <c320-list-bounces at lists.catalina320.com> On Behalf Of islgirl3--- via C320-listSent: Sunday, September 15, 2024 7:04 PMTo: 320 <c320-list at catalina320.com>; C320 Blog <c320-list at lists.catalina320.com>Cc: islgirl3 at aol.comSubject: [C320-list] Windlass TroubleshootingLooking for ideas/process for windlass troubleshooting and access.30 amp breaker is not tripped.Any help?RichBarbara Rita 897Sent from AOL on Android