MAXWELL VW 800

[canuck]

We have the above windlass on our 2004. I am about to service the windlass and have been reviewing the manual. One question I have. In the "operating the windlass section....lowering the anchor" it says to insert the lever into the clutch nut and check that the clutches are tightened down firmly. Does this mean that these clutches are always to have pressure on them or in other words, always be tightened?
I thought once the anchor is up and secured by a pin in the roller or a chain grabber in the locker, you could back off the clutches and relieve pressure on them.
In the section of "raising the anchor under power" it does not say anything about relieving the pressure once the anchor is up.
Appreciate your comments.
Thanks

[jmnpe]

My personal experience is that you always leave the clutch at the working level of tightness. The only reason to loosen it in my experience is to manually deploy it if you have a problem, or in the case of a dual output horizontal unit, to only drive one gypsy at a time.

The other reason to keep it tight all the time is to keep the crud from gathering between the clutch surfaces when not in use. Tightening the clutch plates together with a load of salt/sand on the clutch surfaces can make a mess of the clutch material.

John

[canuck]

Maxwell customer service advised me to maintain pressure on clutches.
When servicing the windlass, be sure to pull off the bottom clutch cone to ensure integrity of rubber seal, part SP0708.
They are quite fragile and will split over time.
If you need one, chances are they will have to be ordered as dealers do not stock them. Order a bunch as they are only two bucks each! Your cruising buddies will love you!