Lewmar Windlass Service

[SkookumR29]

I have a Lewmar Pro Series 1000 (2nd Generation) on my 2011 RT29 and have been intending to perform preventive maintenance on it for the past several months - finally got around to it and thought I would share a little info I learned along the way.

I started out thinking I would be addressing both the clutch/gypsy side and the motor/gearbox side. I read through the manual, watched a few YouTube videos and then started working on sourcing potential parts I would need. What I learned in that process is that Lewmar was purchased by Taylor Made, who is a division of Lippert. I called Lippert (432-5477378) and in a stroke of luck was put in touch with a guy named Mike P. This guy must have actually been a service tech because he was a wealth of information. He clearly explained how to service the clutch/gypsy side and gave me advise on specific replacement parts I might need if anything was damaged. He also told me very clearly that unless the windlass was not working, or if I was hearing bad noises, NOT to get into the gearbox side of the unit!

I went to the boat, did the very simple clutch/gypsy inspection, cleaning, and greasing (just a light coat of grease) and all is good. He cautioned me not to apply grease on the beveled edge of the clutch plate, as this would cause it to slip. Bottom line, read the service instructions in your manual and you'll be ready to drop your hook confidently this coming season.

If you do end up needing parts, Lippert, Fisheries Supply, Amazon, Defender, and many other online outlets can help.

This should be done once a year.

 

[CaspersCruiser]

Lots of good information there, Jerry. Here's my experience with windlass "bad noises."

Like you, I watched some YouTube videos before tackling service on the Lewmar Pro 1000, but I didn't have the intel to not get into the gearbox side. However, I'm glad I did get in there. The source of the "bad noise" was a seized bearing in the gearbox cover. I wasn't surprised by the seized bearing given the noise I was hearing, but I was SHOCKED at the amount of corrosion on the electric motor case.

The windlass was original to my boat so it was 12 years old. The gap between the gear case cover and the body of the windlass was sealed by a thin paper-like gasket. Clearly, that did not keep water from getting in the gear case. After pricing out a new motor (the old still worked, but for how long?), a new bearing and the attached gear, and a couple other items, I decided to replace the entire windlass. When that device is needed, it needs to work.

Replacing the windlass was relatively easy. All fasteners came loose easily. The most challenging issue was wiring in the new windlass. The existing wiring did not have any slack and I could not find a service loop stashed away anywhere. This time, I made my own service loop for the next person who needs to remove it.

When the new windlass came and I saw the new gypsy, I was doubly glad I bought a new windlass. My Ranger Tug is the first boat I have owned with a windlass and I just didn't realize how worn out the old gypsy was. See the pictures.

The new windlass has a thick foam gasket between the gear case cover and the windlass body. There's also a guard on the opposite side of the windlass from the gear case cover that may keep water out of the body. The old windlass did not have that guard. See the pictures.