Lofrans Progress 1 - Removing top part (the part that sits on the deck)

Soul Mate II

Soul Mate II

Member
Jun 28, 2015
193
New York
Boat Info
99 340 Sundancer
Engines
7.4 Mercruiser w V drives
I am rebidding the bow of the boat (spot light, scuff plate, cleat, anchor rode holder). I got everything off but the windlass. I see 4 nuts that I am sure I have to remove. All I want is access on the bow to rebed the windlass.

If I remove those 4 nuts can I simply pull up the top part that sits on the deck? I read something about a key - do I need to get involved in that?

Any help is appreciated!!!

Thanks much!
 
This is great - have you taken yours off? The picture doesn't show if all the load is on those 4 bolts. I think if I remove those 4 nuts I can get the top off and give me access to rebed? My concern is the motor comes crashing down when I remove those 4 nuts. Have you removed yours? Any ideas?

Anyone else remove theirs recently?????
 
Steve, in all seriousness, you should really check in on the other posts you made about this subject as someone has already given you the answer you want. It's also good to keep everything in one thread for simplicity sake.
 
Windlass motor won't release -I was hoping someone could give me a little help here....I took off the 4 nuts on the windlass and disconnected all the wires. The windlass won't release and come down. I would assume the motor would release when the 4 nuts were off. I can get a scraper underneath everything on the top.

Is it possible the shaft of the motor is holding everything together? How do I get it to come apart?

Thanks...so close and yet so far!!!
 
Hi- trying to find the post on how to get a Progress1 off the deck. I have to drill a new bolt in for the finger. Where is the post please?
 
NJL59 said:
Hi- trying to find the post on how to get a Progress1 off the deck. I have to drill a new bolt in for the finger. Where is the post please?
Click to expand...
Not sure why you are drilling a new bolt hole, but those bolts get bent all the time. I keep a couple M8x40mm stainless bolts on the boat just in case. If yours is broken or bent, just use a simple stainless bolt and make sure your spring has good tension.
 
Cocktail Time said:
Not sure why you are drilling a new bolt hole, but those bolts get bent all the time. I keep a couple M8x40mm stainless bolts on the boat just in case. If yours is broken or bent, just use a simple stainless bolt and make sure your spring has good tension.
Click to expand...
And use blue locktight on the bolt to keep it from backing off and loosening and to provide a degree of protection from dissimilar metal corrosion.
 
When the bolt snapped I have tried to remove what was left and I tried a few different screw extractors and penetrating oil and nothing - like it is one big chuck of Metal. I am going to use a Time-Sert as someone here suggested. I will get one shot at drilling the hole for it and at a 90 degree straight. I may have to remove the top and use a drill press of some sort.
The boat is 20 years old and I have it for a few years- never had an issue and wish I knew to replace the M8 bolt. I now need to figure out the right time-seer size. This is so nerve racking.
 
NJL59 said:
When the bolt snapped I have tried to remove what was left and I tried a few different screw extractors and penetrating oil and nothing - like it is one big chuck of Metal. I am going to use a Time-Sert as someone here suggested. I will get one shot at drilling the hole for it and at a 90 degree straight. I may have to remove the top and use a drill press of some sort.
The boat is 20 years old and I have it for a few years- never had an issue and wish I knew to replace the M8 bolt. I now need to figure out the right time-seer size. This is so nerve racking.
Click to expand...

Try to use a Dremel grinding stone to grind the bolt flat or maybe with an indent to try to keep the bit in the bolt and not slipping out to the aluminum housing. I agree its a tricky task, and doing it on a drill press, with the base clamped tight is the best bet.
 
NJL59 said:
When the bolt snapped I have tried to remove what was left and I tried a few different screw extractors and penetrating oil and nothing - like it is one big chuck of Metal. I am going to use a Time-Sert as someone here suggested. I will get one shot at drilling the hole for it and at a 90 degree straight. I may have to remove the top and use a drill press of some sort.
The boat is 20 years old and I have it for a few years- never had an issue and wish I knew to replace the M8 bolt. I now need to figure out the right time-seer size. This is so nerve racking.
Click to expand...
I hear you. A bunch of people have decided that the whole pressure finger mess is not worth dealing with and have moved to an all chain rode. This setup negates the need to have the pressure finger and bolt, if that is an option for you.
 
manual attached with pictures...
 

Attachments

  • Installation And User’s Manual ~ Progress 1 [RETIRED PRODUCT].pdf
    206.8 KB · Views: 183
I know this is a very old post that started back in 2016, but I did want to share my experience (last winter) with the removal of the windlass top plate from the deck (the original topic of the post). In theory after removing the four nuts from under the deck in the chain locker, the motor/gearbox assembly should slide off the shaft that drives the gypsy/top assembly. However, due to the 20 years or so since it was fitted some corrosion had set up between the shaft and the drive gear in the gearbox. The shaft is a clearance fit into the drive gear, but the smallest amount of dirt, sand, corrosion will lock the shaft into the gear.

After a certain amount of levering, hammering, I could not get the shaft to budge. I ended up using a gear puller from above the deck to separate the two assemblies. With the gypsy removed I refitted the top nut/gypsy cap (item 285 in parts diagram) to the top of the shaft. I created a bridge with a steel bar and wooden blocks over the top of the gypsy cap for the pullers shaft to push against. The pullers arms hooked under the gypsy cap. See my very crude drawing!! (I had taken pictures of the whole process but lost my phone in Queenstown Creek a few weeks ago and had not backed up my photos…..arrrgh) As I reached the end of the thread on the puller I had to keep adding more blocks under the steel bar to raise the bridge. Of course, it fought me the whole way with the shaft hanging on to the last couple of millimeters. Make sure you are supporting the motor/gearbox assembly as it is heavy, and you do not want it to fall to the bottom of the locker.

I was removing the top plate so I could re-bed it to the deck, however as you know one thing leads to another. After removing the gearbox/motor assembly I noticed the top seal (item 296) looked like it had failed. I opened up the gearbox and confirmed my suspicion, the gear oil was heavily contaminated with fine silt/sand. And the top bearing (item 297) was seized.

The windlass was working before I started this re-bedding project, but every time I used it, I would get a low voltage warning message on my chart plotter, even with the engines running. As this had happened from day one of me owning the boat, I just thought this was expected with the extra load the windlass was putting on the batteries. Little did I realise at the time this seized top bearing was adding an extra load making the motor work harder to turn the gypsy. As the shaft is a clearance fit in the bearing, the fact that the bearing was not spinning did not stop the shaft from spinning.

I rebuilt the entire windlass with new seals/bearings, cleaned out gearbox, and refilled with fresh oil. A very light cleaning of the shaft/key and mating gear restored the clearance fit so the two pieces would slide together with minimal effort.

Since the rebuild I no longer get any low voltage warning on the chart plotter when using the windlass now that both bearings in the gearbox are operational!
windlass drawing.jpg
 
britandy said:
I know this is a very old post that started back in 2016, but I did want to share my experience (last winter) with the removal of the windlass top plate from the deck (the original topic of the post). In theory after removing the four nuts from under the deck in the chain locker, the motor/gearbox assembly should slide off the shaft that drives the gypsy/top assembly. However, due to the 20 years or so since it was fitted some corrosion had set up between the shaft and the drive gear in the gearbox. The shaft is a clearance fit into the drive gear, but the smallest amount of dirt, sand, corrosion will lock the shaft into the gear.

After a certain amount of levering, hammering, I could not get the shaft to budge. I ended up using a gear puller from above the deck to separate the two assemblies. With the gypsy removed I refitted the top nut/gypsy cap (item 285 in parts diagram) to the top of the shaft. I created a bridge with a steel bar and wooden blocks over the top of the gypsy cap for the pullers shaft to push against. The pullers arms hooked under the gypsy cap. See my very crude drawing!! (I had taken pictures of the whole process but lost my phone in Queenstown Creek a few weeks ago and had not backed up my photos…..arrrgh) As I reached the end of the thread on the puller I had to keep adding more blocks under the steel bar to raise the bridge. Of course, it fought me the whole way with the shaft hanging on to the last couple of millimeters. Make sure you are supporting the motor/gearbox assembly as it is heavy, and you do not want it to fall to the bottom of the locker.

I was removing the top plate so I could re-bed it to the deck, however as you know one thing leads to another. After removing the gearbox/motor assembly I noticed the top seal (item 296) looked like it had failed. I opened up the gearbox and confirmed my suspicion, the gear oil was heavily contaminated with fine silt/sand. And the top bearing (item 297) was seized.

The windlass was working before I started this re-bedding project, but every time I used it, I would get a low voltage warning message on my chart plotter, even with the engines running. As this had happened from day one of me owning the boat, I just thought this was expected with the extra load the windlass was putting on the batteries. Little did I realise at the time this seized top bearing was adding an extra load making the motor work harder to turn the gypsy. As the shaft is a clearance fit in the bearing, the fact that the bearing was not spinning did not stop the shaft from spinning.

I rebuilt the entire windlass with new seals/bearings, cleaned out gearbox, and refilled with fresh oil. A very light cleaning of the shaft/key and mating gear restored the clearance fit so the two pieces would slide together with minimal effort.

Since the rebuild I no longer get any low voltage warning on the chart plotter when using the windlass now that both bearings in the gearbox are operational!
View attachment 114012
Click to expand...
Nice job! Mine works well, but it might not be a bad idea to do a little maintenance on it.
I'm one of the guys that went all chain even after putting a new finger on. Now I can raise and lower from the helm without any issues.


IMG_20200826_110250.jpg
 
I might go all chain as well, as I have zero luck with the finger, spring, etc, always bends the bolt, I even re-spliced the chain to rode with a nice long taper to the splice, no luck. The Admiral has to assist the rode into the lock by putting a little tension on it in the locker, once on the chain all good.
 
britandy said:
I might go all chain as well, as I have zero luck with the finger, spring, etc, always bends the bolt, I even re-spliced the chain to rode with a nice long taper to the splice, no luck. The Admiral has to assist the rode into the lock by putting a little tension on it in the locker, once on the chain all good.
Click to expand...
Once I read about all the trouble people were having with the finger and the fact I need a new rode anyway, the decision was easy. I can't recommend it enough.
 
Just ordered the finger and spring kit for my Progress 1 on my 98 290... if I end up going with all chain instead.. what size chain links are working well with the windlass?
 
Starting Over said:
Just ordered the finger and spring kit for my Progress 1 on my 98 290... if I end up going with all chain instead.. what size chain links are working well with the windlass?
Click to expand...
Look at yours. It should be embossed with the size. My 97 is 5/16" HT.

IMG_20200826_145121.jpg
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Forum statistics

Threads
113,117
Messages
1,426,438
Members
61,031
Latest member
ratatat1975
Back
Top