"..insert two screwdrivers and pry apart..."

[NAM VET]

OK, so I decided to rebuild my LU 4 winch. It would power in and out, but not free wheel, so I removed the cable, and took the winch off this AM, like I did several months ago. Have it on a work bench, removed the worm gear, which looks perfect, and likewise the brass gear looks mew. My clutch arm has broken the set screws that secure it to the clutch and turns without moving the clutch arm. I am unable to pry the clutch half off the drum. I thought I could push the clutch shaft out from below, so removed the split ring, but rapping on it from below with a brass rod and hammer doesn't budge the shifter rod up at all. I can pull the clutch housing off about a half inch, and look in via the fill tubes, and I don't see really any rust.

I think the clutch dog is frozen on the drum shaft, hence my inability to separate the clutch side from the drum/shaft. I have in soaking in Kroil and another penetrating oil. I have tried the two big pry bar as the TM suggests, and cannot further separate the housing from the drum. My drum will spin freely both directions.

Any suggestions how to get it apart would be greatly appreciated. I have looked at all the posts and pictures of others' rebuilds, but cannot go further now.

Thanks, HC

[just me]

Drive the clutch shaft out. (Remove lever, snap ring and losses grub screw on fingers. Drive it out.)

[NAM VET]

Well, it is mostly apart..... I found that tapping and prying did not hardly budge the frozen dog on the main shaft, even with some heat down in the fill hole. So used two hydraulic jacks and went around and around, and finally pulled the clutch end off the main shaft. I had tried to drive out the shift rod, thinking that the set screw was broken because I could turn it some, without moving the clutch arms. I found that the set screw had backed out a little, so it was still holding the shaft but it was not secure in the shaft's recess. But no way it was going to be driven out. With the set screw out, it was easy to tap out the clutch shaft. Need some seals and bushings, new dog clutch and clutch arm.

Then tapped on one of the long main shaft keys, and the opposite one fell out, but it has spit, so most of the key is still in the slot. Will have to find some machine shop to remove it and one left in. The bushing in the clutch end, where the main shaft fits, is damaged. The TM says it requires replacement of the whole end. But looks like the brass bushing can be removed if I can find a replacement. Need to have a transmission shop pull off the shift arm, and the brake wheel on the worm shaft. My steel worm looks unused, and the brass round gear also looks fine. I am worn out, my knee is swollen from all the lifting, so going to take it easy for a few days.

thanks for the suggestions. But if the set screw is still partly in the shaft, I don't see how one can drive out the shaft from below. HC

[milstencil]

Hal,
For Braden winch parts try Sam Weiner in Akron, OH or here is a link to his ebay sales:

https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_from=R ... aden+winch

He used to be a Braden winch dealer and has a lot of the small parts, keys, bearings etc.

Rick

[NAM VET]

Rick, thanks for the link, just what I need. By the way, the stencil and decal sets bought from you worked perfectly. Plus, the ones for my 30 cal Ammo cans were the finishing touch for my gun. Stay safe, Hal

[sturmtyger380]

So, you say – ‘But if the set screw is still partly in the shaft’ – So the clutch dog is off? If the set screw is still in the shaft I would think you might could grind it down flush with the shaft. Then drive it out. I really had to pound on mine to get it out. I also ground on the bottom of the shaft were it was rusty to reduce the OD of that shaft so it would not mess up the aluminum housing coming out of the top. I got kinda confused with your post and maybe you got the shaft out.

Vintage Power Wagons has a lot of the parts for the winch. Since your big bronze gear is good that’s a wonderful thing as these are getting – spensive.

I tried and tried to get the clutch shifter shaft driven out of the arm I had. I finally had to cut the shaft off at the bottom of the arm and drill out what was left of the shaft. I could reuse my arm. VPW had a new shaft. My shaft was all rusted anyway. If you are getting a new arm you could get the shaft at the same time and not mess with getting the shaft out of the arm.



To drive the brake wheel off that shaft I had to heat it up over and over until I could drive the shaft out. That shaft was a wreck where the seals ride so I got that shaft from VPW as well. But I was able to reuse the brake wheel and set screw.

I bought the bronze sleeve to use in the clutch housing but couldn’t figure a way to get the old one out. When I checked the old one it was within specs so I left it. I still have the bushings.

[NAM VET]

I was able to separate the clutch end from the drum, by using two jacks little by little to force them apart. But it pulled out the bushing in the clutch end, so that will need to be replaced and honed to fit the shaft. There was no way my shaft was going to come out the top, because the set screw was still partly in the clutch and the shaft. I slightly bent the clutch shaft, not much. I was able to then use a gear puller to pull the "dog" off the main shaft. It Was a bear to remove the two long "keys" in the main shaft, I finally restored to chilling the key with some dry ice, and with a vice grip and an upward tap, it came out. The other key fell out, leaving half the key deeply imbedded in the shaft. My winch's innards are only slightly rusty, just some minor surface rust on steel parts. Went to pull the drum off, and there is a slight edge to where the keys came out, so I will find a way to burnish that down, then the shaft should slide off. We are going up to the mountains for a break, so I am going to give all this a rest for now. Charles T has given me advice on all this. He knows more about these winches than I could ever know. I haven't sourced any parts yet, doing some thinking on all this. His post long ago suggested some red Loctite ton the clutch set screw, because, sure enoogh, mine backed out enough to make a sloppy shift. Kinda tired of working on this beast right now. HC