Sprint 600 dying -- rebuild-replace options?

sjhantzis

My 4-year old Simpson Lawrence 600 is dying. It'll retrieve maybe 30 feet of rode then peter out triggering my low battery alarm. Is there a rebuild option, if this truly is the problem? Is there a bolt on replacement that doesn't require further deck demolition?

Captains Cat · Posted: Mon Mar 09, 2009 9:26 am Post subject:

I recently replaced mine with the newer V700. A perfect fit, had to redrill one hole which was not quite a match. All the wiring, switches etc remained. I used the old ones and just spliced it in. Took about an hour.

I had the same problem that you described.

Charlie

Pat Anderson · Posted: Mon Mar 09, 2009 1:18 pm Post subject:

Patty here. We had the same problem, too. While we were told the new 700 motor fits in the old 600 casing, we opted for an entire new unit. Even "unhandy" us were able to install it in the original hole with the one new hole to drill. We shopped on the internet and got it for $646 plus $10 S&H.

starcrafttom · Posted: Mon Mar 09, 2009 4:37 pm Post subject:

I'm rebuilding two right now and I hope to have both running but we will see. These motors are not sealed very well and I have found a lot of salt and corrosion in them. I think with a lot of cleaning and some sealing I can get these to work again. I will have to build a test bench for them before i go putting them in the boat. look in my photo album for pic's of the tear down.

thataway · Posted: Mon Mar 09, 2009 7:55 pm Post subject:

I would at least trying to do what Tom is doing. With corrosion, it will give some of the symptoms. You may want to make a better seal on the case when you put it back together. I had suggested Permatex formagasket sofl.

sjhantzis · Posted: Tue Mar 10, 2009 7:22 am Post subject:

I want to thank everybody for "weighing" in. So, I guess the 600 suffers from a bit of a design flaw? And, the 700 is an improved unit? Rebuilding might work and might be cheaper but replacement is less time consuming and you get a better unit.

Does that about sum things up?

Thanks again, all.

Steve Hantzis, Alexandria, VA

Pat Anderson · Posted: Wed Apr 08, 2009 10:26 am Post subject:

Well, Tom will soon have a third Sprint 600 rebuilt, I'm sure. I handed our old one off yesterday. He tells me I probably could have R&R'd it myself...but not likely. If it can be returned to a serviceable state for anybody to use, I won't have any problem with that, have already bought and installed our V700!

20dauntless · Posted: Wed Apr 08, 2009 10:42 am Post subject:

Tom, PM me if you are rebuilding extra units and don't want to keep them for when the next one breaks. Thanks.

sjhantzis · Posted: Wed Apr 08, 2009 4:20 pm Post subject: Rebuild 600 someday, maybe

Installed the new V700 and a chain counter (Lewmar model 68000600) and everything seems to be dory again.

May bust into the old 600 and attempt a rebuild after replacing power steering hoses on XJ-S V-12 Jaguar and finishing a hutch on the side of the garage.

Thanks for everyone's input on the windlass replacement.

starcrafttom · Posted: Wed Apr 08, 2009 5:23 pm Post subject:

My brother has a jag like that. do your self a favor and leave it unlocked in bad neighbor hood with the keys in it. Pats a great wrench but that this is nickel and dine repairs for ever. just unload it.

Socrateur · Posted: Mon Oct 05, 2009 3:22 pm Post subject:

starcrafttom · Posted: Mon Oct 05, 2009 6:50 pm Post subject:

Well the two I rebuilt had a lot of corrosion in them. I used electro clean to get all the grease and crap out of them and them hot water to clean out the rest. Then a lot of wd-40 to get the water out and let dry for a few days. One unit is on my boat and works ok but not great. it binds up and i have to back off a second then I get another 20 ft out of it then repeat. I may rebuild again my just repeat. I really like having it. between it and the 30 ft of chain i added it has made anchoring and boating more enjoyable. The other unit is being installed on another boat and has not been used yet. I think it was the better of the two units and thats why I let it go to another. did not want a half ass unit go to a friend so i kept the lesser of the two.

Sea Wolf · Posted: Tue Oct 06, 2009 3:22 am Post subject:

Windlasses are wonderfully convenient, and, having had a couple, I'd never go back to pulling an anchor manually on a boat of any size.

I had a problem with my Aires 500 on my CD-22; it had trouble passing the enlarged union between the chain and rope through the pressure finger, and I had to develop a smaller, better tapered splice to make it work properly.

When I got the larger Sea Ray 26.5 Sedan Bridge, I went a step further and bought a used Simpson-Lawrence Horizon 1500 Express windlass, which is a 43 pound brute, three times as strong as the ones we typically use on our CD 22's and 25's.

It handles a 22 pound plow anchor, 30 feet of 5/16" chain, and the rest of the rode with ease.

My point is that since windlasses can be problematic, going up a size or two in scale helps eliminate problems because the windlass is so much less stressed and is easily capable of the job we're asking it to do.

And if you do some research on brands,models, and all the rest, you can often buy a bigger, better one for less. I paid $305 on ebay for the one I bought for the Sea Ray, mentioned above, which retailed at the time for over $1500, and was virtually unused. Similar savings can be had on all the components if you're careful and enjoy bargain hunting.

Joe. Teeth

Pat Anderson · Posted: Tue Oct 06, 2009 8:28 am Post subject:

Another tip, I'm sure everyone else knew this but we didn't. We were told by the former Offshore Store folks that the number one cause of windlass failure is not cleating off the anchor rode when on the hook. The tension causes the seals to fail so water gets into the gears or motor, and the resulting corrosion is what Tom has detailed when he has pulled these units apart (including our old Sprint 600).

Now we use a bunge to hold the anchor in the roller when the boat is on the trailer and always cleat off when we are on the hook. Plus the V700, we are told, is a better constructed and sealed unit. After a bit of messing with tightening the clutch, so far so good...