Quick windless

[sailaboutvic]

Excused the long winded posting but I want to give you as much info as I can .
Quick 1000w windless 10mm chain .
It been working for five years now without any problem , and we use it nearly most day .
Last few days , when trying to left the anchor it runs very slow , then all the sudden it start to run at normal speed .

to day it started to do the same just taken chain from the locked , in other words it not because there too much strain on it . The motor seen to run normally with out any load , there no jamming of the chain and once it start to run fast it will contain to do so even if I stop it to push the chain down , the motor feels warm but after saying that I not sure if it always had , never bothered to feel it before .
Just to refir the problem isn't because the chain is tied or we trying to pull the boat forwards on the windless or we not using enough rev , or the battery's low

As I said it now doing it when we just letting the chain down .

Any ideas .

Thanks guys


www.bluewatersailorcroatia.webs.com

 

[pelissima]

I would take the motor to the nearest electrician shop for a good check up. But that is me of course.

 

[RichardS]

I have a Quick Hector windlass 1000W and the manual which I downloaded from the Quick website says it should be owner serviced every year like winches. It shows what needs to be greased. Just wondering whether it might needs a general clean and Re-grease?

Richard

 

[Adamastor]

Check the carbon brushes on the motor. That is a probable cause.

 

[SimonP85]

We've had odd performance on our Quick Hector because the pawl was jammed with crud and preventing the gypsy from moving freely. Dismantling and a thorough clean solved the issue

 

[crisjones]

As adamastor says it sounds very much like the brushes need cleaning / rebedding.

We have a Quick 1400W windlass, now 11yrs old and also used almost daily, last year we had exactly the same symptons and I stripped and cleaned the motor and it has worked perfectly ever since. If you are a competent engineer it is a fairly strightforward job, the motor is pretty easy and obvious to dismantle. I found lots of carbon dust in the motor but the brushes themselves still had plenty of life in them so no new parts needed, just clean everything out, clean the copper segments the brushes contact, clean and lightly lubricate the brushes and holders and put it all back together. Compressed air makes the job much easier, but a toothbrush and dinghy pump will be more than adequate. Be careful where you do the job because the carbon dust will get everywhere and it is a bugger to clean up afterwards.

Obviously it makes sense to clean and service the rest of the windlass at the same time, you should then be good for at least 2 or 3 years before it needs doing again.

 

[sailaboutvic]

The gypsie is strip down Greased and service every year , can't find any where to put greased in side the gearbox and the bearing have a seal over them , bushes on the motor was one of my thought , but it seen to work find and as lots of power . Turning it Back and fro and every time it works well , just now and then it struggles to get going , turn. Ery slow then all the sudden it works fine , as I said this as happen with out any tension on the chain .

I did try to remove the gear box the other day but after removing the four nuts that goes though the boat it still won't move I have a feeling there some thing under the seal with is located under the gypsie on top of the bearing that it stopping it , maybe some kind of clip but if I damage the seal removing it , then I have another problem .
Has anyone totally removed the windless ?

www.bluewatersailorcoratia.wbs.com

 

[knuterikt]

The gypsie is strip down Greased and service every year , can't find any where to put greased in side the gearbox and the bearing have a seal over them , bushes on the motor was one of my thought , but it seen to work find and as lots of power . Turning it Back and fro and every time it works well , just now and then it struggles to get going , turn. Ery slow then all the sudden it works fine , as I said this as happen with out any tension on the chain .

I did try to remove the gear box the other day but after removing the four nuts that goes though the boat it still won't move I have a feeling there some thing under the seal with is located under the gypsie on top of the bearing that it stopping it , maybe some kind of clip but if I damage the seal removing it , then I have another problem .
Has anyone totally removed the windless ?

www.bluewatersailorcoratia.wbs.com

Don't sound like a mechanical fault.
The power supply and relay box is full of electrical connections.
If you have large intermittent voltage drop on one of these it can explain the behavior.
Clean all the electrical connections and make sure they are tightened properly.

Next step would be to check the relays.

 

[sailaboutvic]

Don't sound like a mechanical fault.
The power supply and relay box is full of electrical connections.
If you have large intermittent voltage drop on one of these it can explain the behavior.
Clean all the electrical connections and make sure they are tightened properly.

Next step would be to check the relays.

checked all the connextion they are all clean and tight .
it has lost me a bit . because if it was a power drop I would expect it to not work or only work for a second or two ,or even trip , but this will turn and pull 15 mtes of chain at half speed then all the sudden it goes into full speed . another time it will only work slowly for 20 second or so before working full speed again . which makes me think some thing is restricting it like a flat worn brearing and as soom as it get warm it start to move easyer .
if one of the bushes wanting making good contact with the armature then it would 'nt work at all
i did manage to remove the motor the other day and manage to get a small spanner in the key way in the gear box it seen to around without any problem . the motor again take off when it not on the gear box so again i get the feeling it not the motor .

sailing where we are at the moment I dont really want to strip it unless I have too , I cant imagin part could be hard to get hold off here , but on the other hand I know the day it stop worling wll be the day it is blowing old boots and we need the hook up quickie .

www.bluewatersailorcroatia.webs.com

 

[sailaboutvic]

Up date guys .
The windless seen to have good days and bad days , I have strip it down and flatten the bushes and cleaned them also cleaned the armature , put it all back to gather and still the same , week late , two days ago it hardly when down , I removed it from the gearbox and tried it , would only go one way and very slowly , few seconds then stop and blow the trip , tired it again did the same ,

Lucky a France yachtsmen who we met some weeks back who is based in Croatia has his car here and taken it away so we now just waiting for the out come .

Any guess what the problem may be , my guess it the winding
AlThought I am hoping not .

www.bluewatersailorcroatia.webs.com

 

[sailaboutvic]

Reporting back . Windless returned thanks to our new French friend , turn out to be Break in the windings in the armature , new windings at Croatia prices , 400 kn , 60 euros , good price I think , so thank you Alain , hope to help you out one day.

www.bluewatersailorcroatia.webs.com

 

[Medskipper]

Do you use a snubber? I.e. A rope with a hook which hooks on the chain when at anchor and ropes off on the windlass thus taking the strain off the clutch. You clearly use the windlass quite a lot. It should go without saying I hope that you never ever should pull the boat forward with the electric windlass!
It may be that if you don't use a snubber the clutch is worn out?

 

[charles_reed]

Check the carbon brushes on the motor. That is a probable cause.

Probably brushes - but if you haven't stripped and greased it annually, it could be as simple as seizing due to lack of lubrication.

 

[sailaboutvic]

Do you use a snubber? I.e. A rope with a hook which hooks on the chain when at anchor and ropes off on the windlass thus taking the strain off the clutch. You clearly use the windlass quite a lot. It should go without saying I hope that you never ever should pull the boat forward with the electric windlass!
It may be that if you don't use a snubber the clutch is worn out?

Hi yes we use a snubber , and no we don't pull the boat forward with the windless , I thnk it just the amount of time we use the windless , we live on the anchor so we use it a lot . Prob one year anchoring would be what the aveages person would Nchor in mYbe 10 year you have to remember .

www.bluewatersailorcroatia.webs.com

 

[sailaboutvic]

Probably brushes - but if you haven't stripped and greased it annually, it could be as simple as seizing due to lack of lubrication.

Hi Charles
It one job that get done every year ,strip it right down , we relie on it so much , at time drop 60 or 70 mts of chain it nothing for us to drop in 20 plus mts at times I just think it just wear and tear .
Maybe it will be ok for another five years now .

www.bluewatersailorcroatia.webs.com

 

[sailaboutvic]

Ok here we go again , after getting it repaired in Croatia last year the problem have come back ,some times it run fine other time it start to run slow for what it seen a few mins and after working it up and down a few time it start to work ok .
Tested the V at the motor 14.1 same as at the cut trip switch , under load with out the chain connected on the gypsies it showing at the motor 11.5 at the switch a little higher ,
Also I getting a different reading up to down is that normal , would had thought with out a load the reading should be the same .
Do any one know what volts should read under load and how much of a drop there should be . Any other ideas will be great or any other test to fine the problem

Thanks

 

[Ian_Edwards]

Hi, since no one else has replied, here's my take on the problem:
If the symptoms are the same as last time, why don't you think it's the same problem?
If the electric motor is working/part working intermittently, then it's most likely to be a poor or failing connection.
The voltage dropping to 11.5 on load doesn't seem unreasonable and indicates that a 1000 watt motor is drawing about 87amps. But you don't say how big the battery bank is, it's state of charge, or the type of battery (AGM, wet cell, gel or whatever) and whether they are nearly knackered or not, all these will affect the internal resistance of the battery and thus the voltage drop under load.
If you are using the Quick T105 reversing solenoid it powers two different input to the motor, so the fault could be in the wiring between the relay and the motor, one side of the solenoid or the windings on that side of the motor. Any of these would cause a difference in the current flowing and the associated voltage drop.
My best guess is to take the motor off and get it to a electrical motor specialist and have them check it out.

 

[sailaboutvic]

Thanks for that Ian , it must be the wrong time to ask question , spring weekend , everyone out sorting out their own problem ,
I not ruling out it the same problem except last time the just got slower and slowly until it totally stop working , and this time the problem comes and goes .

The battery bank is 400 and their are only two years old not so I guess I can rule them out , although I stil not worked out if the windless works of the house bank or engine battery ,as it only work once the engine is running I am guessing it the engine battery which in that case is six years old but it has no problem turning the engine over , I had the solenoid check and that's fine . Which just leave the motor or cables , the cables are factory fittered and are about 9 mm and they run from the back to the motor on the front but if they done the job for the last six year I can't see why they would play up now and then ,
I did a few more check and this is what I found .
When the motor is working as it should , with no load at the motor I am getting 14.1 v with a load ie motor working without the chain it show 11.5 some time up to 11.9
When the motor plays up , at the motor without load still the same volts 14.1 but under load it drops to near 10v and at times lower . What I am trying to work out is could he motor couse this drop ie brushes or is it a bad conection although I cleaned all the conections ,or am I still missing something ?

 

[Ian_Edwards]

It doesn't sound like the batteries are the problem.
If the voltage drops to 10 volts, when problem occurs, then, assuming the motor is working at full load, then it's drawing 100 amps.
This points to either some mechanical problem which is loading the motor up, or some form of short circuit in the motor.

The easiest thing to check the mechanical side of the windlass, make sure that gypsy is clean and clear obstructions, especially under the gypsy between the gypsy and the baseplate, that the chain isn't jamming and that the bearings are free and well lubricated.
The problem could be in the gearbox, but this is harder to check, if you can get the motor off, you should be able to turn the gypsy, from the motor input side, quite easily and there should be very little backlash when you reverse the direction.
It could also be the bearings in the motor, but this should be easy to check if you get the motor out.

If you can't find a problem on the mechanical side, then get the motor to a good workshop which specialises in electric motors, they will have the test gear to check the motor out.

Hope this helps, but remote diagnosis is never easy.

 

[SimonJ]

Excused the long winded posting but I want to give you as much info as I can .
Quick 1000w windless 10mm chain .
It been working for five years now without any problem , and we use it nearly most day .
Last few days , when trying to left the anchor it runs very slow , then all the sudden it start to run at normal speed .

to day it started to do the same just taken chain from the locked , in other words it not because there too much strain on it

. The motor seen to run normally with out any load , there no jamming of the chain and once it start to run fast it will contain to do so even if I stop it to push the chain down , the motor feels warm but after saying that I not sure if it always had , never bothered to feel it before .
Just to refir the problem isn't because the chain is tied or we trying to pull the boat forwards on the windless or we not using enough rev , or the battery's low

As I said it now doing it when we just letting the chain down .

Any ideas .

Thanks guys


www.bluewatersailorcroatia.webs.com

I have a Quick vertical windlass, a Crystal 1000watts and have experienced very similar symptoms. My windlass is two years old (or was installed 2 years ago when I purchased it but it turns out was manufactured several years before.
Basically, it slowed down for a while then stopped completely and then later worked almost normally for a number of weeks (I use it regularly for daily anchoring for 5 months of the year, always use a snubber and so on.)
Eventually a few weeks ago it would not work at all. I thought the motor had burned out and so with difficulty separated the motor from the gearbox. Finally I discovered the top bearing and completely corroded and disintegrated due a failure of the top seal which appeared to have been installed on build incorrectly. It was not evenly bedded in. As a temporary expedient I cleaned out the bearing remnants, cage, ball bearings etc regressed it and used it lightly on two more occasions. It then worked well despite a missing bearing!
At this point I was in contact with Quick Italy who responded immediately to my emails. The unit was under warranty - 3 years - although the item was in my boat in the Caribbean. The outcome has been that I have returned with it to UK and have now dispatched it to Quick for repair. They say they will repair and return to me without further charge - we will see!
Your windlass is clearly older (in installation terms) however I suggest you see advice from Quick. The contact there in the technical advice department who has handled my issue is Mauro Brera and his email is mbrera@quickitaly.com.
I would suspect your problem is the gearbox/driven end rather than the motor - the latter can be replaced completely by a spare it seems anyway. Sealing between motor and drive box is said (by Quick) to be difficult.
I hope you will advise how you get on.
Good luck