GM Capstan and Gypsy removal

[Buccaneer]

OK, the diagram says that the capstan *should* pull straight up, by removing the top plate from the Gypsy. Except THIS gypsy dfoesn't have a top plate.

I'm doing a direct replacement of the whole assembly, so:
How do I get the bugger off?

 

[Starman]

Good luck,

On Boss lady we had a similar winch ( in fact from what I can see, it was the same )

Anyway, the gear box was totally rusted out and in effect, the unit was shot.

We pry-ed, sawzalled bolts etc.......and the darn thing was so frozen, I could not get it apart.

Got the sawzall out and cut the whole deck ( close to the base, but large enough for the gear box ) and pulled the whole thing out.

 

[SKYCHENEY]

It looks just like mine before I removed it and upgraded to chain. I just spun off the top nut and then pryed the capstan up with a pry bar. It should come loose.

 

[Bob Bradley]

That one looks about right. Mine was at least as bad, both above and below decks. I would not give up on her. I filled the void around the center shaft with AeroKroil and let it soak for a couple days. Then I tapped screw drivers in underneath as wedges to get it moving. I believe I also applied heat by using a turbo torch on the shaft. It will come off eventually, with some persistance. Do not remove the 6 mounting bolts first, as you want the body held firmly in place while you wrestle with the top half.

As far as the plate underneath is concerned, mine was at least as bad as yours. Still, there was enough meat toward the center to allow me to clean it up enough for a weld to take.

I had a piece of 1/2" steel fabricated and welded to the top of what was left of the rotted out mounting plate, and then fabricated a spacer by laminating some marine ply wood to replace the wooden block that goes between the plate and the deck. I made it thinner by 1/2" to allow for the new steel plate.

The gearbox was a mess of rusty goo, which made the shaft turn laboriously, even with the motor removed. At first, I thought it was supposed to be that way. I filled the gearbox with gasoline, and let it soak for a couple days, occasionally turning the shaft. Once all that crap in there broke down, and I flushed it with gas a couple times, I was able to take the shaft and spin it like a top.

For good measure, I had the motor rebuilt by a local auto electric shop. That cost me about $125, and they told me that a new one was still available for around $175 if my memory serves me.

One other thing I did before reinstalling the unit was to drill and tap a drain plug in the bottom so I could change the lubricant regularly.

Oh, and while I hate to be the bearer of bad news, prepare yourself to do some repairs of the deck core once you get the unit out. They don't get in that shape by themselves, they take the core along with them. The problem is that they were not bedded properly when they were first installed. Mine had no caulk whatsoever. It does now.
Bob