So, the guy I bought the truck from said the winch (which is in the bed of the truck) needed the "brass gear" replaced. I assume he's talking about the worm gear (not the worm, but the gear itself). So, I looked around for these and they are extremely expensive. Then, I got to looking at the gear that's in there and here's what I found.
The gear is not missing any teeth and looks otherwise functional. However, each tooth in the gear has a "saddle" worn in the middle of it. Is this a normal wear pattern for this gear? If so, how bad does it have to be before it needs replaced? He said the winch ran in and out when it was on the truck, so I'm not sure why he took it apart to begin with.
The concave teeth on the "wheel" gear are designed that way to allow more surface contact with the helical "worm" gear. As long as it fits securely on its shaft with no free play, I doubt that it needs replacing.
Lifer wrote:The concave teeth on the "wheel" gear are designed that way to allow more surface contact with the helical "worm" gear. As long as it fits securely on its shaft with no free play, I doubt that it needs replacing.
That's good to know. I did not look forward to trying to replace that thing as it has to be pressed off of the shaft and it's very expensive. I think a seal kit, a good cleanup and some new bearings and I'll be on my way.
Lifer wrote:The concave teeth on the "wheel" gear are designed that way to allow more surface contact with the helical "worm" gear. As long as it fits securely on its shaft with no free play, I doubt that it needs replacing.
That's good to know. I did not look forward to trying to replace that thing as it has to be pressed off of the shaft and it's very expensive. I think a seal kit, a good cleanup and some new bearings and I'll be on my way.
Many folks don't understand this winch. Anything made of brass is expensive these days. Most of the time when tooth damage is an issue, they wear thin due to lack of lubrication. This is caused by those all knowing corn head grease promoters, water being in the oil, or low or no oil usually. The teeth will jump the worm under a load once wear reaches a given point, you'll need to assemble & check for good fit between worm & brass gear. Its also common to see a crack in the brass gear at the key way extending across to the tooth section, this is sometimes not visible until pressure is applied to open it up, check that closely. Upon reassembly, the 2 end housings must be in perfect alignment with each other or oil will leak. Pay close attention to all surfaces that are seal mating areas, if these areas are badly grooved or rust pitted, new seals will not stop the leaks. Repair of these areas must be done completely & correctly or all your effort is virtually wasted.
Okay, I got the entire winch apart and have had a better look at the brass gear. It is not worn thin, at all, but at some point in it's life, the worm has slipped and jumped a tooth (or two or three) on the brass gear. Several things point to this, a) gouges in the middle of the teeth on the brass gear, b) one of the bearing retainers was completely wallowed out, and c) the cable clamp that attaches the lead chain had been completely torn apart by the cable.
Somebody did something stupid with this thing. The PTO appears to be fine and the shear pin was not broken, but this thing was abused badly at some point.
At this point, I've got the whole thing apart so I'm just going to do a complete rebuild. It looks pretty easy (according to this: http://imageevent.com/moosecreekmaple/lu4winch) and will be worth it in the long run.
Last question, does anyone know where to get that brass gear for a reasonable price? VPW wants $355. Thanks!
chicklin wrote:Okay, I got the entire winch apart and have had a better look at the brass gear. It is not worn thin, at all, but at some point in it's life, the worm has slipped and jumped a tooth (or two or three) on the brass gear. Several things point to this, a) gouges in the middle of the teeth on the brass gear, b) one of the bearing retainers was completely wallowed out, and c) the cable clamp that attaches the lead chain had been completely torn apart by the cable.
Somebody did something stupid with this thing. The PTO appears to be fine and the shear pin was not broken, but this thing was abused badly at some point.
At this point, I've got the whole thing apart so I'm just going to do a complete rebuild. It looks pretty easy (according to this: http://imageevent.com/moosecreekmaple/lu4winch) and will be worth it in the long run.
Last question, does anyone know where to get that brass gear for a reasonable price? VPW wants $355. Thanks!
Many folks abuse wiches to the hilt. The wallowed bearing retainer is the reason for the tooth jumping. This allows the worm to drop down out of a true running position & operate on the edge of the gear teeth. Ignorance has ruined many a winch. Sounds like a real brain surgeon had a hold of yours.
Truer words have never been spoken, Charles! The sad thing is that there are a whole lot of "brain surgeons" out there. Not just a few "rocket scientists," too. Makes ya just shake your head, doesn't it?
YUP MINE WILL ALSO NEED A TEARDOWN PROBLY THE SAME THING, we got our winch from a guy that said he "rebuilt it with nos parts" looks great clean and painted probly got sand blasted but the thing leaks oil and the spool rubs on the pass side so we won't use it till fixed also when I was spooling on the cable it would let loose then catch over and over again
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