I'm having a problem with my 1983 V3000
windlass. See attached video. We rebuilt it last year and it was working great this year from May thru July, but a few weeks ago it suddenly began acting sluggish when first started. The first time it happened, I thought the
batteries were low, so I started the
engine to give a boost without effect.
I thought it might need greasing, so I removed the topside
hardware and pumped grease into the shaft, but it had no effect.
The sluggishness occurs with or without a load and is the same even with the capstan, chain
wheel, and clutches removed.
Once the sluggish part is past, then the
windlass operates normally, as you can see in the video, until it sits for a bit. After not being used for a while, the sluggishness starts up again.
Without taking the whole unit back out and disassembling it, it doesn't seem like
water could have gotten in via the shaft. There is no
water leaking from the hole in the
gearbox adapter flange.
Grease isn't leaking from the
gearbox. I don't know why it would function normally and then just start doing this.
Anybody run across this?