Windlass service is easy, and I found a leak

[Bob MacWright]

For those of you who have put off servicing your Maxwell VW800 windlass, don't! It's really, really easy. I was intimidated by parts flying all over, but there are really not that many parts. And keeping the clutch cones greased will keep them from freezing up.

The main reason I opened mine was when I tested out my new anchor washdown pump, I went down below and saw water dripping off the windlass motor! I had the v-berth access panel off when I installed the pump and quick-release hose fitting, and hadn't put it back yet.

It turns out there is a rubber shaft seal, kind of a washer/o-ring type thing, that sits below the bottom clutch cone. My boat is only a year old, but that ring had disintegrated! So, when I hosed off the windlass, water went along the shaft, through the deck, and dripped out of a weep hole in the shaft casing under the deck.

Maxwell doesn't sell direct anymore, but Dave at go2marine.com put the shaft seal part up on their website, so we can buy some. The part number is SP708, and they are only a few bucks. You might want to order some spares!

[william vanwagoner]

The windlass manual calls for SAE 90 gear oil. I have only been able to find multiweight oils. Has anyone found a source for straight 90w or tried a multiweight?

Thanks
Bill Van Wagoner #229

[KenKrawford]

Bill I used outboard lower unit gear lube when I changed my windlass oil. A quick search showed this product at West - http://www.westmarine.com/webapp/wcs/st ... &langId=-1
As I understand it, any oil used in lower gear boxes of outboards is 90w oil.

[william vanwagoner]

Thank you. I also called Maxwell and they told me a mutigrade gear oil is fine to use. It appears that it is not that critical and I am sure lower end oil is fine too.

[william vanwagoner]

I would be interested in the steps anyone took to change the gear oil. As I am looking at this project, it seems there are several ways to remove the gear box. It looks like the motor must be removed first in any case. However, there are four screws (labeled #15 in the manual) which go from the top down into a "spacer tube". There are also four screws that go from below upward accessable from inside the cut out in the forward berth, labeled #40 in the manual. Also, when the gear box is lowered, is it sealed, or must it remain horizontal to keep from spilling oil. If sealed, did you drain it and refill it from the sight glass? Any insight you can provide would be great.

thanks,
Bill Van Wagoner #229

[KenKrawford]

Bill, it's been quite a while since I removed my windlass so the details are a bit fuzzy but there's a couple of things I'm sure about:
1. Don't separate the motor from the gear box until you've unbolted the unit from the boat. If you're just changing oil, there is no need to remove the motor from the box.

2. You only need to remove the 4 bolts that you remove from the top of the unit.

3. The gearbox is sealed. No need to keep it horizonal.

If you're just changing the oil, remove the clear site glass on the end of the gear box and dump out the old and add the new.

A bit involved for just an "oil change", isn't it?

[william vanwagoner]

Ken

Thank you very much for the info. It is exactly what I was looking for. One more question though, when you dropped the motor gearbox assembly do you remember if the shaft come out with it or did it stay in the deck/drum? Also, per your note I was able to pick up some 90w gear oil at west marine. Now heres hoping for some good weather next weekend to do the job (it hasn't been all that great in southern California this year). Thanks again for your help

Bill

[KenKrawford]

Bill - forgive my crappy memory. As I re-think this, I believe there is a screw in the center of the drum underneath the black cover (arrow). Once this screw is removed, the drum slides up and off revealing the 4 screws that attach the base. Once these are removed, the windlass will drop down.
If this doesn't make sense, could you email me the page of the manual that shows the exploded parts?

[Ray Edwards]

Ken, you are right on as to removing unit -------- might add if you don't have a leak don't remove electric motor from gear box as this is where most leaks are a problem with aligning shaft with gear box and problem arises from rubber O-ring going out of round and leaking (I had this happen twice, once with orginal installment from factory then again when I did it trying to bolt motor on after gear box and drum was in place.
The motor is heavy but still best to align and attach (if you have taken it off) before reinstalling the entire windlass unit.

Ray Edwards
C350 -- #293
"Maria"

[william vanwagoner]

On my boat the motor and gearbox assembly will not drop straight down and out but would need to move horizontally to port about four inches or so first. My concern is that after removing the drum and parts above deck, along with the four screws holding the gearbox in place, it seems that the motor and gearbox with the shaft that goes through the deck into the drum attached would all start to come down. If this is the case, does it drop far enough for the shaft to clear the deck hole to move horizontally to where it can drop through the panel?

[william vanwagoner]

A quick update; the access panel was positioned correctly so that the windlass assembly, shaft, motor, gearbox, and all came down without a hitch. Replacing the seal stopped the leak, and while I was at it, I emptied and replaced the gear oil through the sight glass, which took forever. A fairly easy task.

[TBOT422]

When servicing the VM800 windlass, our seal SP708 was damaged and I ordered a new one. What's not clear is whether this seal should be installed with the 'cone side' up or the flat side up on the shaft. The instructions are not clear, but it appears the conical surface seems to be pointed down with the flat side upward toward the winch cones. Does anyone know for certain which way the seal goes in?

Thanks

[TBOT422]

Our Maxwell windlass is also leaking. I can see rust developing on the bottom end of the shaft and dripping into the forward cabin. The original poster mentioned a 'weep hole in the shaft casing'. I am not sure I see this hole, but was concerned that in order for water leaking at the shaft seal under the cone to run all the way down the shaft into the cabin, that every seal along the way down the shaft would also have to be leaking and there might be water in the oil. Can anyone provide more information about this 'weep hole'?

Maxwell Windlass.JPG (44.18 KiB) Viewed 7537 times

Also can anyone provide any clarity on which direction the shaft seal under the cone is installed? Cone side up or flat side up?

Thanks

[william vanwagoner]

The leak is most likely coming from the ring seal under the drum and clutch components. Remove the drum, clutches, (basically all the moving parts you can remove from above deck) and you will find the ring seal which goes around the shaft under everything else. I have found that every year or two this seal begins cracking and eventually splits letting an alarming amount of water into the boat over a prolonged rain event. You should be pulling the drum and all parts above deck annually to clean and grease anyway and replacing the seal is no big deal. This seal does allow water to work it's way down and seep through the bottom of the windlass but as long as you don't see oil leaking my bet is that it is the ring seal. As I recall you can order this seal from Defender for less than $10, and I keep several spares on hand. I believe the part number is SP708 but I would check in your manual to be sure.

[william vanwagoner]

I installed it with the cone facing upward

[william vanwagoner]

I looked at the manual and it shows the widest part of the seal on the bottom, which I recall is sort of a flap that presses down on the area around where the shaft disappears under the deck.

[Triumph]

My Maxwell VM 800 windlass has sprung another leak. It did this about 7 years ago. The "O" ring that fits on the shaft that keeps water out of the parts below deck, and out of your Vee Berth is part "SP708" which has been changed to SPO708. The manufacturer had to add another digit they told me. These wear out I guess.

I did find this on Defender but the minimum order was $25 and the shipping was $23 ! What?
So I found this on EBAY .....---- MAXWELL PARTS SP0708 MAXWELL V-RING (V28A).

I'm not sure what the V28A means but the guy at the company office said it might be a measurement. Said it would work.


Bill on TRIUMPH

[KenKrawford]

Sometimes I think Defender is as bad as Amazon when it comes to constantly changing prices. Today it shows the price for the seal as $4.99 however they have a minimum order of $25.