Windlass not releasing

[solmaniac]

I have an old Simpson Lawrence electric windlass (Dorado I believe) that does not release how it says it should according to the manual. I tried to taking it apart thinking it was likely jammed up by years of neglect...but after taking it all apart above deck with just the shaft left...it still would not turn anti-clockwise. I still haven't managed to get it any further apart after working on it all day...and beats me how whoever managed to install it the way it is. I finally managed to get to bolts below deck...but the connecting sleeve of course remains seized to the gear case. Anybody had similar experience with this problem? I still don't know why it won't release...or even how it would by turning the nut anticlockwise. The plan was to take it all apart to see how it works...but that has turned out to be a major task.

[Cruisingscotts]

If it is anythign like the Anchorman power
Instruction Manuals PDF Downloads | Simpson Lawrence Yacht Parts & Spares

The drive shaft is a coming out of a worm gear and will not freewheel as it is drect coupled to the electric motor. The free wheeling of the wildcat and gypsy head are accomplished by loosening the clutch nut relaseing tension on the clutch cone. Some windlasses use a spring or belvel washer to assist in the clutch cones separating but it does not look like SL does. If either the clutch cone or mating surface on the wildcat are corroded or worn it will not freewheel. The entire drum assembly per dwg will ratchet in the hoist direct on the shaft per the pals in the upper assembly.

[Blue Stocking]

hope this helps. If it's a Dorado, it's a Lofrans horizontal type with a worm type drive from a vertical motor. The parts exploded parts manual is online as the device title description.

[Cruisingscotts]

If ....its a horizontal lofrans as above or Vetus knock off, you can take it apart with the housing intact. I just rebuilt ours last summer, everything to do with free wheeling happens outside of the gear box. The shaft has pals inside the gearbox allowing it to ratch up in hoist. They are not that bad to rebuild and you don't really need any specialty tools. You can buy a complete rebuild kit for it from Imtra.
Anchoring - Marine Systems - Imtra Marine Products

Ours had severe corrosion on the underside as it had been bolted to a SS plate. Highly recommend takign the whole thing apart and cleaning and re-coating then instaling on a insulator piece like Delrin or UHMW

This is ours

[exMaggieDrum]

When you redo it, make sure you only lubricate or grease where it says to and don't grease where it says "don't grease". I know on our Lofrans Tigres you weren't supposed to grease the clutch cones even though it looks like it might help. But the grease gets hot or corroded and actually gums up the works so that it doesn't freewheel well.