STUCK GEAR SPINDLE (Lewmar)

sailordave · #1 (**permalink**) 05-10-2009

So I was stripping my buddy's old Lewmar 52ST over the weekend and one of the gear spindles would NOT budge. The other three were not easy to get out but this one just would not even think of breaking free.

Tried putting penetrating oil on it. Tapped on it (with a brass drift of course), Beat on it a little harder to try and break it fee. It will NOT move. So that means that we can't get the ratchet gear and associated pawl gear out to clean. See schematic HERE: It's part #8, 20, 22 that are the issue.
http://www.pyacht.com/graphics/Lew_WG_5256st.gif

Even tried to hit the edge of the spindle to get it to rotate the tiniest bit thinking that would free it. Nope.

So... any suggestions for getting this out?

CalebD · #2 (**permalink**) 05-10-2009

Soak that sucker in Marvel Myster Oil, PB Blaster, kerosene or the magic potion of your choice for a week and come back to it.
Pics might help.
Good luck.

sailingdog · #3 (**permalink**) 05-10-2009

Take the winch off the deck, and you should be able to tap the pin out from underneath.

sailordave · #4 (**permalink**) 05-10-2009

Quote:

Originally Posted by sailingdog

Take the winch off the deck, and you should be able to tap the pin out from underneath.

Thought about this but the three bolts that secure the winch assembly to the through bolted base are also not able to move. They have an allen wrench head on them and while we had the winch apart I suggested to my buddy that he hit them all (and the spindle) w/ some penetrating stuff. (he had PB) So we'll see. What I need to do is rig up some kind of lever to try and pop the spindle up from beneath w/ a small pin.

sailingdog · #5 (**permalink**) 05-11-2009

Most modern winches use five or six bolts... not three. If the bolts that secure the winch to the base are frozen, that's a good reason to undo them and replace them IMHO.

Quote:

Originally Posted by sailordave

Thought about this but the three bolts that secure the winch assembly to the through bolted base are also not able to move. They have an allen wrench head on them and while we had the winch apart I suggested to my buddy that he hit them all (and the spindle) w/ some penetrating stuff. (he had PB) So we'll see. What I need to do is rig up some kind of lever to try and pop the spindle up from beneath w/ a small pin.

sailordave · #6 (**permalink**) 05-11-2009

The base is through bolted to the hull w/ 6 machine screws. The winch platform (for lack of a better name; it's the ONLY thing on the schematic that isn't named!) is bolted to the base w/ 3 machine screws w/ an ALLEN head. They ain't budging! I did suggest that we hit em all w/ a squirt of PB Blaster so that we can try again at some point.
Check out the link to the schematic if this doesn't make sense.

I've stripped countless winches and have never had this happen. Could probably do the newer Lewmars w/ my eye's closed. But like most things in life I'll learn something from this!