Lofrans Royal windlass

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I have a Lofrans Royal manual windlass, about 8 years old. It has been getting more and more stiff this season and has now seized up completely – its impossible to move the handle one way or the other. It’s not the gypsy, that’s well lubricated and turns easily.

A search of these forums suggests that nobody has found a manual for these, but has anyone taken one apart? Any hints or advice would be appreciated.
 
Lofrans Royal Windlass

I have overhauled mine, which was totally seized up when I got it.

There is a manual, by Lofrans, but it does not deal with overhaul - just installation and use.

I also have an exploded parts diagram which is very useful.

I can email copies to you if you send me a message with your email address.

The big problem is the use of aluminium near sea water. I don't know the chemistry [VicS will] but, in the presence of salt water, the aluminium produces some kind of white oxide which causes it to expand and grip tightly any part passing through it.

To get it apart you have to remove the chain gypsy and cone clutch and pull off the rope drum and the drum into which the handle fits. Then remove the screws holding the two parts of the main casting together [I had to drill these out].

At the top and bottom of the casting are two hex headed bolts that look as if they might be oil filler and drain - they are not! They are stub axles on which two bevel gears rotate.

When you re-assemble, anoint disimilar metal mating surfaces and screws with Duralac. This will make it easier to get the windlass apart next time.

This windlass is lubricated with general purpose grease only, not oil.

Spare part are available from ECs Ltd but are expensive. I bought new screws and circlips from local engineering firms at a fraction of the cost from ECS.

Hope this helps.
 
A search of these forums suggests that nobody has found a manual for these, but has anyone taken one apart? Any hints or advice would be appreciated.[/QUOTE]

I also e-mailed them in Italy for help and found them very helpfull

UFFICIO TECNICO [ufficio.tecnico@lofrans.it]
Regards
Mike
 
Thanks for all the advice. I have emailed Lofrans and got a prompt reply - 'Probably you have to open the windlass and grease again the internal parts with gear grease' which is as I suspected. I have copies of the exploded diagram and parts list, etc so it looks like I shall have to get the tools out.
 
Seized Lofrans Royal

Yes, the manual's maintenance goes only that far and is not adequate to keep he Royal happy. In my case, the other side (the emergency wheel, part #506, the one with the hole for the handle) is stuck because of neglect caused by the above mentioned maintenance instructions. I have it all open now but the em.wheel and associated bevel gear won't budge. Been soaking in penetrant, hot water, PB Blaster etc. so far no luck. I've noticed salt deposits on the lower bevel gear and I suspect the corrosion has set in on the main bevel gear (vertical bevel gear, on the side of the handle, part#499), along with some electrolysis I am afraid. I believe Lofrans has a design flow that allows salt water to leak into the area via the shaft opening on that end. Periodic cleaning and regreasing would prevent seizing from happening but they do not mention it in their maintenance procedure.
If there is anyone out there with the idea how to free the gears mentioned above I'll be very grateful.
 
I expect yours is fixed by now.

Here is my experience for the benefit of others.

If your Lofrans Royal is seized don't apply too much force on the handle otherwise you will bend 501, damage the slot in the shaft and jamb the ratchet gears.

You don't need to remove the big hex nuts on the top and bottom to get the shaft out. My 6 hex nuts on the end plate came out without a blow torch or boiling water but I had to use the lever with the very best quality high tensile steel 4mm hex key.

Aluminium oxide under nylon sleeve 493 had swelled it and seized vertical gear 491 to the end plate 490. Attempting to free it with a hammer and masonry chisel cracked the aluminum tube protruding from the gear. The rough edge was hammered into the end plate which shifted the gypsy gear further along the shaft requiring extra washers added behind 335. I was lucky with the chisel and it works fine now but hammering a steel tube of the right diameter is probably a better technique.

I put copper grease on all the stainless steel bolts when re-assembling.

It is inevitable that oxide under the other nylon sleeves will seize more gears. I wish I knew how to prevent it.

Some links : http://www.atomvoyages.com/articles/improvement-projects/247-lofransrepair-1.html and http://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/f116/help-siezed-lofrans-royal-windlass-9715.html
 
Caer Urfa said:
A search of these forums suggests that nobody has found a manual for these, but has anyone taken one apart? Any hints or advice would be appreciated.
Click to expand...

I also e-mailed them in Italy for help and found them very helpfull

UFFICIO TECNICO [ufficio.tecnico@lofrans.it]
Regards
Mike[/QUOTE]
I emailed the Italians, cleverly writing the enquiry in English then using 'Google translate' to convert to Italian. My subterfuge was so good that I received a very helpful reply in Italian congratulating me on my language skills. I had to use Google again to receive the praise.
P.S. It's recommended that an annual strip down is carried out. It's a great piece of kit apart from the use of incompatible materials.
 
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I had to strip my Royal which had also seized. What I found was that the aluminium casing had corroded around the plastic sleeves, expanding and constricting them.
The Cruiser & Sailing thread contributor stopped short of removing the rope-drum side assembly which was exactly where I had the main problem. The crank wheel had to come off:
DSC_0083.jpg


I had the casing cleaned off and powder coated before re-assembly. It is important all components go back in the same order, particularly the bronze ratchet crowns. It will lock otherwise. As mentioned, the top and bottom hex bolts are stub-axles for the horizontal crown wheels. If you are unlucky someone will have removed the top one thinking it an oil filler and then proceeded to strip the threads in trying to replace it. I had to have the casing helicoiled.
My Royal is back in service, but for how long....?
 
From this thread it seems corrosion under the nylon sleeves is the main issue. Perhaps salt water gets under and makes a battery between the aluminum and brass shaft. Would copper grease prevent this? It will stop steel from corroding aluminum so you would put it on the casing bolts and, for example, the bolts that attach your alternator. But, would it work under the nylon?

It is revealing that nobody has reported this swelling problem on the horisontal gears. There is no brass near.
 
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