Posted by Jerry in Idaho [172.68.174.19] on Wednesday, February 14, 2018 at 00:50:15 :
In Reply to: Bronze winch Gear posted by Dan [172.69.62.169] on Wednesday, February 14, 2018 at 00:18:20 :
I had that gear split in two on an MU2 winch about 40 years ago. When I took the winch apart to replace with a new gear, It was obvious the winch had been abused and that caused the damage. As you know there is a worm on a shaft that turns the bronze gear. As the load increases, so increases the need for solid contact between the teeth on the gear and the worm. Heavier loads exert more strain on the parts. Excessive slack will eventually cause failure. If you plan to use it for pulling logs, vehicle recovery or other heavy loads, I would personally recommend replacing it. The worm is steel, so probably not damaged, but check it for discoloration from excess heat.