How does this come apart?

[EV21]

Hoping someone here has seen one of these winches and knows the trick to disassemble them. I only want to take it apart to remove it as am replacing it with a unit that can use a standard handle. I removed the single large common screw that anchors what I think is the pivot for the handle but cannot figure out how to get the top cap and/or drum off so I can remove the screws holding the base to the deck.
Tried prying under the cap and drum to no avail. Left the sledge in the toolbox for now. Don't want to bash the thing to the point it might damage the deck beneath. Hoping some knowledge may be available here to help get this apart/removed without damaging anything else. Pix attached

. Thanks

 

[Roland5048]

Can you get to the bolts under the coaming? You should be able to just back the nuts off and the whole thing will lift up. I'm not sure taking the drum off will accomplish anything.

 

[justsomeguy]

Just a WAG, have you tried turning that large centrally-located slotted-head screw so prominent in your photos?

 

[EV21]

Roland - Yes, can get to the bolts (nuts actually) under the coaming. My concern is that as they are stop nuts, if they loosen some but not such that I can run them all the way off, I may just end up with the bolts spinning in the winch base without being able to get them completely out. Your post does give me an idea, though that I may be able to clamp the end of the bolts with vise-grips and run the nuts down far enough to allow me to cut the bolts with a small cutoff wheel. Thanks

Someguy - Yeah, that screw comes out easily but still can't get either what I'm calling the cap OR the drum to let go. With that screw out, there's about 3" of emptiness below that I can stick a slim screwdriver in and don't encounter any thing in the way of a fastener that might be removable to release anything.

As mentioned, I don't care if the winch gets damaged as its going but don't want to damage deck/coaming ...

Was knocking around the idea of taking a sawzall to the aluminum drum about halfway up. Pretty sure I could get something to let go but really nervous about what an errant sawzall blade can do. Thanks

 

[DayDreamer41]

Possibly

 

[rgranger]

I have those same exact winches on a Rhodes 22 that I'm fixing up. So I'll be watching this thread with interest. Have you tried spraying some liquid wrench or other loosening agent ... maybe after taking out the cap screw and getting that 3" of play... spray inside the guts and let it sit a bit. ??????

 

[justsomeguy]

Someguy - Yeah, that screw comes out easily but still can't get either what I'm calling the cap OR the drum to let go.

Well, I'm out of ideas. You shouldn't need to destroy the winch.
Hopefully rgranger's suggestion will help.

 

[Apex]

impact screwdriver. Could it be a LH thread?

 

[Chief RA]

Gear puller! With the drum lips and large center unit it should work well, plus no strain on the hull! Chief

 

[EV21]

Before I left the boat today I spritzed the innards with some PB blaster. Maybe tomorrow something will give.
Not a left-handed screw. Comes out easily with CCW rotation. Cap is female 3/8-24 threaded.
My smallest gear puller is too big to get its jack screw through the 3/8-24 opening but am thinking I might be able to slip a 3" long piece of 5/16 rod through to act as a ram and then use a 3/8-24 bolt in the winch collar threads to drive the ram and hopefully develop enough force to make something give.
Stay tuned Rob, will post results as available. Am hoping I can get it apart without too much destruction so I can post some useful pix.

 

[justsomeguy]

My smallest gear puller is too big to get its jack screw through the 3/8-24 opening

You also might be able to set a hard surface (e.g. a wrench socket) onto the partially screwed-in screw's head to push against and pop the drum loose.
Hope the penetrant helps.

 

[twalker H260]

Any chance the cap piece screws into place rather than being a press fit? Maybe a couple of taps counter clockwise (or clockwise) on the raised arc pieces would allow it to loosen off?

 

[rgranger]

Stay tuned Rob, will post results as available. Am hoping I can get it apart without too much destruction so I can post some useful pix.

 

[Roland5048]

I may be able to clamp the end of the bolts with vise-grips and run the nuts down far enough to allow me to cut the bolts with a small cutoff wheel.

If you can clamp the ends of the bolts with vise grips without damaging the threads, is there enough bolt length so you have room to clamp - maybe use a different tool that will fit - above the nut after some unscrewing and continue unscrewing the nut without having to cut? Just a thought.

 

[EV21]

Thanks for all the ideas. Got both winches off today -- removed them from the boat too. For Rob: I don't recommend my ram idea. It did generate enough force to separate the drum from the base BUT in the process, as it turns out the winch base center is not solid, also punched a (nicely centered) hole in the fiberglass underneath. In the end, was able to clamp the tails of the bolts with vise grips and use a flex headed ratcheting box wrench to back off the nuts -- tedious but effective.
Even after I got one of the units apart, I still couldn't figure out how/whether these things were ever intended to be taken apart. Looking at the bottom of the stem I think it was fitted together and staked in place. Never did find any hardware that looked like it was meant for disassembly. Also didn't find anything to ID manufacturer, model etc.

 

[Ron20324]

...- maybe use a different tool that will fit - above the nut after some unscrewing and continue unscrewing the nut without having to cut? Just a thought.

Maybe us a Dremel tool to cut a screwdriver slot in the bolt?

 

[rgranger]

Thanks for taking the pics @EV21

I saved them in my Rhodes 22 folder for future reference