Winch repair can't get spares, Ok adapt and overcome the problem.

[Geoff Cooper]

I use my Boat quite a lot and in saltwater, Ok i hose everything down and clean well after each time i use it but this last time my winch locking lever spring not only broken but vanished somewhere on the slipway, I got the usual answer from the local chandlers " No spares available you will have to buy a new winch" That gave me more of an incentive to overcome the problem as apart from the spring missing the winch was great and working no problem, I gave it a bit of thought and not having to go to Bangkok for a few weeks i came upon the idea of going to a good Hardware store and having an hour or so looking at anything that had a spring i could use or adapt to get around the problem, I found some sort of furniture bracket with a spring that looked useful and for $1 it was worth a risk, Only 1 bolt to undo and the assembly comes out with ease, Here's the process and the result.

This is what i used and i ground the end off to gain access to the spring.


With the end ground off it made life easy and i could get the spring out.


This is what i was after just needed to modify it a little to work in the winch.


It fits inside the lever lovely so just a case of working out the length and the best way to mount it and cut it to size.


I found the easiest way to get the shape etc was to fit a drill inside the spring and that allowed me to use a small pair of curved pliers to bend the spring into the shape you need without getting the spring out of shape.


You get the idea, A little patience and a bit of thought and it all fits into place


It fits nice and snug and ready for a refit and give it a try.


All back together and works well, New Winch my Arse adapt and overcome for the sake of $1 and 20 minutes work and a bit of thought no way Jose!!

 

[Speedling]

Nice ingenuity there!

 

[Geoff Cooper]

Nice ingenuity there!

Thanks for that.

 

[Cobra Jet Steering LLC]

In salt water add a couple of zinc anodes in the back of the trailer near the tail lights, there is a ton of 12 volt D C amps connected to the trailer while it is sitting in the water, loading and unloading the boat.

 

[Julian]

In salt water add a couple of zinc anodes in the back of the trailer near the tail lights, there is a ton of 12 volt D C amps connected to the trailer while it is sitting in the water, loading and unloading the boat.

Not a bad idea for most of us, but I wonder how much voltage those tractors Geoff has pulling the boat in and out have....

And very creative of you @Geoff Cooper !

 

[Geoff Cooper]

In salt water add a couple of zinc anodes in the back of the trailer near the tail lights, there is a ton of 12 volt D C amps connected to the trailer while it is sitting in the water, loading and unloading the boat.

Ok thanks for that.

 

[rkluck]

Very nicely done! Necessity is the mother of invention!

 

[Geoff Cooper]

Very nicely done! Necessity is the mother of invention!

I just can't stand throwing thing's away that just needs a bit of work, It annoys me that we seem to live in a throw away world and manufacturers aren't prepared to supply spares but prefer to offer a complete new part instead of supplying a good service.

 

[rkluck]

I agree but to me it seems generally (yes younger) people don't even try to fix or maintain anything anymore. That is true even my own boys. One does more but neither really have an interest. It is almost impossible to find parts to fix something and usually it is a complete assembly or module. I worked in electronics and repaired aircraft avionics and TV,s radios etc. for years then the parts went to cards and now it simply replace the TV. I think the manufactures drove this for speed to repair and cost reductions. Glad there are a few of us old dinosaurs left around here. HA!

 

[Geoff Cooper]

I agree but to me it seems generally (yes younger) people don't even try to fix or maintain anything anymore. That is true even my own boys. One does more but neither really have an interest. It is almost impossible to find parts to fix something and usually it is a complete assembly or module. I worked in electronics and repaired aircraft avionics and TV,s radios etc. for years then the parts went to cards and now it simply replace the TV. I think the manufactures drove this for speed to repair and cost reductions. Glad there are a few of us old dinosaurs left around here. HA!

Yes your right but i think a lot is down to there parents not teaching them to maintain and repair thing's where possible, I also feel that when the car industry went down the road of using computers in cars and also to analyze problems the end was insight for many small business's who had been around for years, This is progress i suppose and also a way of forcing customers to have to go to main agents to have work done, The same for the electronic industry as you already mentioned regarding going to cards, My Sons have even from a young age been shown how to repair things and sauce parts when and wherever they can the same way as my father taught me you have to regard it as a challenge and you know in your own mind if the repair was satisfactory or not.

 

[Geoff Cooper]

Yes your right but i think a lot is down to there parents not teaching them to maintain and repair thing's where possible, I also feel that when the car industry went down the road of using computers in cars and also to analyze problems the end was insight for many small business's who had been around for years, This is progress i suppose and also a way of forcing customers to have to go to main agents to have work done, The same for the electronic industry as you already mentioned regarding going to cards, My Sons have even from a young age been shown how to repair things and sauce parts when and wherever they can the same way as my father taught me you have to regard it as a challenge and you know in your own mind if the repair was satisfactory or not.

Yes your right but i think a lot is down to there parents not teaching them to maintain and repair thing's where possible, I also feel that when the car industry went down the road of using computers in cars and also to analyze problems the end was insight for many small business's who had been around for years, This is progress i suppose and also a way of forcing customers to have to go to main agents to have work done, The same for the electronic industry as you already mentioned regarding going to cards, My Sons have even from a young age been shown how to repair things and sauce parts when and wherever they can the same way as my father taught me you have to regard it as a challenge and you know in your own mind if the repair was satisfactory or not.

I agree but to me it seems generally (yes younger) people don't even try to fix or maintain anything anymore. That is true even my own boys. One does more but neither really have an interest. It is almost impossible to find parts to fix something and usually it is a complete assembly or module. I worked in electronics and repaired aircraft avionics and TV,s radios etc. for years then the parts went to cards and now it simply replace the TV. I think the manufactures drove this for speed to repair and cost reductions. Glad there are a few of us old dinosaurs left around here. HA!

Very nicely done! Necessity is the mother of invention!

I have just been doing a bit of shopping and reflecting on your comments while getting a few bits and pieces, Over here nothing and i mean nothing is thrown away even empty plastic water bottles are collected and they pay you for them along with any other plastic scrap/ metal/ newspapers/ Timber you name it and it has alternative uses, You have to remember the basic wage here is around $5 a day for a Thai national and $3 if your a Cambodian so they can't afford new TVs and expensive thing's like that so everything has to be repaired, It's like England 50 years ago when we repaired 90% of thing's and all parts were available from the manufacturers, here many spares are available for most thing's as you can see in my other post ( Trips to Bangkok ) Talking about Dinosaurs thought i would show you a Photo of my latest Digital Voltmeter come Oscilloscope come Spectrum Analyzer, You would be amazed how many electrical problems in Boats Cars motorcycles etc that has sorted out quickly and for the cost of maybe $1 to make no internal batteries and just a new bulb every now and then when you break it, I've always had one for years and it's been a godsend, You don't even have to take your eyes off the job to get a reading i don't think there available from Radio Shack but Jurassic Electronics still stock them i believe Ha Ha.