Lofrans Tigre anchor winch rebuild - South Coast UK

[mhember]

Hi,

We have a Lofrans Tigre that is internally fine and works ok however the main casing is very badly corroded. The chain stripper has just broken away from the casing and I suspect it is not worth attempting a weld repair based on the rest of it.

Anyone know an engineer / fitter in the Southampton / Hamble area who might rebuild / service with a new casting? They are available and not badly priced but I'm short of time and facilities to attempt myself.

Thanks in advance.

Marcus

 

[vas]

can be welded, have done so almost 10yrs ago, still works fine. Have a look at this thread:
gipsy gone..

sorry cannot help as to who can do it in the UK but thread gives you an idea of what's involved. Stripper fails on many of them due to electrolysis (ss stripper/bolts on alloy casing)

V.

 

[Neeves]

can be welded, have done so almost 10yrs ago, still works fine. Have a look at this thread:
gipsy gone..

sorry cannot help as to who can do it in the UK but thread gives you an idea of what's involved. Stripper fails on many of them due to electrolysis (ss stripper/bolts on alloy casing)

V.

It is truly bizarre that, for windlass particularly, they mix alloy and stainless components. To compound the issue - when the manufacturer (or sometimes those installing and commissioning) never have any Duralac (or equivalent).

When I go to follow up a query that involves a windlass - I always take an angle grinder.

Jonathan

 

[vas]

yep, added duralac on the offending bolts, fingers crossed it survives the abuse... Will have again a look at the bushes this season as it struggles when getting above the anchor and it's well dug. The motor fwd a bit does the trick for the time.

 

[dankilb]

I'm doubtful that it would make economic sense to have this done professionally. It's quite an involved and unpredictable job (depending on what's seized and how badly - inside and out). The parts aren't cheap either, once you add them up.

Full disclosure! I sold ours for beer tokens to someone with a professional machine shop and a contact who could cast them a new motor casing. This was after I costed the most basic of DIY repairs at around 50% of the new price. But the motor was shot...
Lofrans Tigres windlass: repair or replace? ('Black Friday' beckons!)

 

[Neeves]

yep, added duralac on the offending bolts, fingers crossed it survives the abuse... Will have again a look at the bushes this season as it struggles when getting above the anchor and it's well dug. The motor fwd a bit does the trick for the time.

Just adding

The casing on the motors (of all (?) windlass appears to be mild steel and is subject to some (or a lot) of seawater sprayedsplashed from the retrieved chain. Sometimes the windlass is installed such that the chain rubs on the motor casing. In the worst cases it is really unsurprising that people have issues.

If you have new windlass or new yacht it is worth looking at the windlass installation the motor can usually be swung away from the chain retrieval, Duralac is easy to add - and a good move is to coat the motor casing with the coating used to rustproof the underside of UK cars (being in Oz - don't recall what it is called).

I agree with dankilb - once corrosion sets in you are near the top of the slippery slope and its down hill all the way, other components will be suspect. It might be much cheaper to simply buy a new windlass. On the positive side - windlass are surprisingly robust - considering the abuse they enjoy:

Who services their windlass annually?

Jonathan

 

[dankilb]

a good move is to coat the motor casing with the coating used to rustproof the underside of UK cars

I’m planning to try exactly this!

I’ve got some Bilt Hamber ‘Dynax’ leftover from a vehicle restoration that I’m going to try, before fitting the new windlass.

Unlike traditional wax oil that remains - well… waxy and oily! - the Dynax dries like an aerosol lacquer. It’s hard to the touch and doesn’t come off with washing or light abrasion. It does come off with degreaser or solvent.

Don’t know if it’ll ‘work’ - but I suspect at least it won’t be a complete mess and that way I can live with it for a year or two and see…

A light car wax or ‘machinery’ wax might also work? That could become part of any annual boat clean/polish, perhaps?

 

[Neeves]

I’m planning to try exactly this!

I’ve got some Bilt Hamber ‘Dynax’ leftover from a vehicle restoration that I’m going to try, before fitting the new windlass.

Unlike traditional wax oil that remains - well… waxy and oily! - the Dynax dries like an aerosol lacquer. It’s hard to the touch and doesn’t come off with washing or light abrasion. It does come off with degreaser or solvent.

Don’t know if it’ll ‘work’ - but I suspect at least it won’t be a complete mess and that way I can live with it for a year or two and see…

A light car wax or ‘machinery’ wax might also work? That could become part of any annual boat clean/polish, perhaps?

I suspect most owners don't think of windlass until something goes wrong, its there, it works, if its not broken don't touch it. By the time they get around to servicing the windlass it is all too late and rusting of the motor casing is well developed and by that time unstoppable.

You are installing a new windlass, perfect timing. Many new windlass allow you to dismantle. As part of my fetish I look at windlass installations and most are installed at the convenience of the installer, not necessarily convenient to service and often with the motor aligned in a position where all the water carried by the chain is dumped straight on to the motor. I've seen a few installations where the chain fall actually rubbed on the motor casing. It all raises questions in my mind as to what else has been done at the convenience of commissioning not on longevity. Though windlass motors can be moved to almost any position sometimes the cable run is too short to allow it to be swung to somewhere more sensible and having to run new cables will not be high on a new owners priority - if its not broken, don't touch it!

I cannot advise what you should use to paint but you do see to have a decent plan.

The other thing to consider is a baffle that might keep some of the water off the motor, just a simple bit of fibreglass.

Good luck,

Jonathan

 

[Oscarjune]

I'm doubtful that it would make economic sense to have this done professionally. It's quite an involved and unpredictable job (depending on what's seized and how badly - inside and out). The parts aren't cheap either, once you add them up.

Full disclosure! I sold ours for beer tokens to someone with a professional machine shop and a contact who could cast them a new motor casing. This was after I costed the most basic of DIY repairs at around 50% of the new price. But the motor was shot...
Lofrans Tigres windlass: repair or replace? ('Black Friday' beckons!)

Has anyone got a photo of tigres aluminium drum especially from inside. I try to understand how the gussets inside work along with springs on the clutch. Unfortunately, mine was heavly corroded and crumbled during dismantling process. Thanks,

 

[vas]

some pics on my link on #2 above