Winch rebuild problem...help

[m16ty]

I've torn down a couple of winches lately. The keys all came out fairly easy.

Your shaft and gear should slide out. Sometimes the shaft will be rusty and cause problems but yours looks nice and clean. Give the end of the shaft a couple of taps with a rubber hammer or a regular hammer with a block of wood on the shaft end.

 

[Crazyguypa]

alright I'll give that a try. By the looks of the drawing there should be nothing holding it back, and it should have slide out fairly easy...... or so I thought.

 

[Crazyguypa]

Ok couldn't get the shaft out. So that means I can not replace the bearings on the worm gear. Water was in the brake band housing and over time from seeped into the gear casing. There was still oil in the casing and the worm gear and the bearing rings has slight surface rust on them. I cleaned out all the gunk from the casing and the worm gear turns effortlessly and there is little to no noise from the bearings while I turn the shaft.

So the million dollar question is.......should I continue to try and get the shaft and the spur gear out and replace the bearings since I got everything apart. I looked at the balls on both bearings as they spun along with the inner and outer races. There is hardly any discoloration on the metal, no pitting and no rust.

The shaft somehow does not want to come out, it moves very slightly along the axis and stops.

Ultimately I guess the decision is mine, but I'd rather not break anything just to change out bearings that may not need to be. I don't plan on using the winch often and based on what I have done to it so far I am 99.99% sure when needed, the winch will perform.

Pics of the worm gear and bearings...

 

[Armada]

Aren't they fun to rebuild? I feel your pain brother! Add some rust to the mix and the goods times really roll!
You are doing it right though. Might not seem like you're making any progress, but keep at it, it will get finished. When you're done you will have a new winch that will be safe to operate and you won't have to worry about it.
Here is proof those miserable jobs do get completed. I never spent more time heating and beating on anything else! This was a brandy new, never used, drmo wrecker winch. Too bad it had water instead of gear oil in it...

 

[Armada]

So the million dollar question is.......should I continue to try and get the shaft and the spur gear out and replace the bearings since I got everything apart. I looked at the balls on both bearings as they spun along with the inner and outer races. There is hardly any discoloration on the metal, no pitting and no rust.

I would say it is ok based on your description. And it is not a high speed shaft/bearing.

 

[Crazyguypa]

Thanks for the info. The one you had was 100x's worse than this one. It was full of gear oil on both sides and only a little bit of water on the gear casing side. It had a little bit of sludge on the bottom of both sides, not much only a little film, but that's expected.

I guess I will call it done, and work on reassembly. Need to take it into work now and get new keys made. Can you buy them stock? Probably be better to have custom fit ones, ones that will be easier to remove in the future if necessary. Need to order a new brake band now, as the water destroyed the one inside.

Then it will be time to put it on the truck. Bumper and extensions are on. My brother brought the winch in from Nj and helped out with the whole process. Made it easier with another set of hands and a lift that I borrowed from work....Why does everything have to be so damn heavy....

 

[Armada]

Get the NSN for the keys and brake band from the manual on the TM section. And the seals too, unless you already have them. White Owl or Memphis will stock them. Try WO first, as they are somewhat cheaper. Good luck. The assembly will be a breeze after going through the teardown!

 

[OLDCHEV4X4]

I get keystock in 12" length's and cut it to the length needed. Then file to where i like the fit. No machining needed.

 

[Jake0147]

I get keystock in 12" length's and cut it to the length needed. Then file to where i like the fit. No machining needed.

I would agree with that, but I'd qualify it. The bearing shops around here carry key stock that will bend, and key stock that will break if you try to bend it. I don't know what "grade" any of it is... Use the center punch test to make sure you're putting back a comparable material. I've seen both in use and firmly believe in putting back what belongs.

As for removal, I am a bit late, but I have had success with manufacturered keys of this type by drilling a straight hole for a "drive in" type grease fitting, and pumping grease into them. It usually doesn't remove them because as soon as it moves the grease leaks out, but it will dislodge them so that the standard tricks (dykes, filed groove for a prybar, etc) will work. The grease does not (typically) work for a hand filed key as the fit at the radiused end is as good as you make it, but not typically tight enough to make a seal to the surrounding metal.

 

[m16ty]

Ok couldn't get the shaft out. So that means I can not replace the bearings on the worm gear. Water was in the brake band housing and over time from seeped into the gear casing. There was still oil in the casing and the worm gear and the bearing rings has slight surface rust on them. I cleaned out all the gunk from the casing and the worm gear turns effortlessly and there is little to no noise from the bearings while I turn the shaft.

So the million dollar question is.......should I continue to try and get the shaft and the spur gear out and replace the bearings since I got everything apart. I looked at the balls on both bearings as they spun along with the inner and outer races. There is hardly any discoloration on the metal, no pitting and no rust.

The shaft somehow does not want to come out, it moves very slightly along the axis and stops.

Ultimately I guess the decision is mine, but I'd rather not break anything just to change out bearings that may not need to be. I don't plan on using the winch often and based on what I have done to it so far I am 99.99% sure when needed, the winch will perform.

Pics of the worm gear and bearings...

I thought you already had the worm out. You must first remove the worm before the gear will come out. If the worm is still in place that's what is holding you back. After the brake housing is removed and the cover on the drive end removed the worm should drive out from either end. Just tap on the end and it should screw out of the gear.

 

[Crazyguypa]

So what you are saying if I got it correct. I should have to tap the worm gear on one side or the other to remove one of the bearings, while the spur gear and drum shaft are still in the gear casing? I am following the TM (http://old.steelsoldiers.com/index.php?module=pagesetter&type=file&func=get&tid=1&fid=file&pid=161) and it has you remove the drum shaft (step 10) prior to removing the worm gear and bearings (step 14 and on). If this is true, it would be nice if the TM were corrected, or perhaps I am just looking at an out of date version.

 

[m16ty]

I didn't go by the TM but I've been told by members on here and by my experience the gear will not come out with the worm in place. The gear face is concave where the worm contacts it. You can't get the worm to come by the "lip" on the edge of the gear with the worm in place. It works like you say, it will move a little until it binds on the worm.