winch problems, should it hold the weight of the vehicle

[kitacooch]

Hi there people, i fitted a warne 10000lb low mount to my rover, the winch was 2nd hand and had a dammaged moter so i got a new motor and fitted it and is all up and running now. But when i tested in the paddock today it has no probs winching in or out but it won't hold the vehicle once i stop winching, it isn't free spooling but the motor on the winch just turns under the weight, i'm sure this isn't supposed to happen.
Any ideas on what the problem is???

Also on the day before, (yesterdsay) we hit the tracks and ended up in for a swim at bonnet height, now the winch motor has a breather hose but i found at the end of the outing that it had been pulled off, (maybe when we hit the water or whent through the long grass), could water have got in and caused theis problem???

[joeblow]

your brake will need a service. they are designed to spread and put the brake 'pads' on the drum when loaded, if the mechanism is rusted it won't spread and carry the load.

[MightyMouse]

Do winch brakes work equally well either way - or are they directional ?

I've not seen one apart so don't understand exactly how they operate.

And so I suppose this also means is ther a specific "in" and "out" rotation direction specified by the manufacturer....... ?

[joeblow]

yes they are directional. when you look at a warn for example there is a sticker saying 'drum rotates this way to spool in'.

[kitacooch]

was a big job fitting this as winch will not come out, have to remove the whole bar, with little use do you think will come good or am i dreaming.

The winch was sitting on the front of a wreck for 12 months and then benched for another 12 months before i got to it with a new motor, was little rusty inside.

What about water inside winch, would this effect braking.

[ausoops]

it wont come good with age, it needs to be taken out and serviced, is the cable spooled on the correct orientation? as joeblow said they are directional

[bogged]

what ever happens your going to have to remove it from the car.
get the brake serviced, and by the sound of it, get the whole thing checked out if its rusty inside, and got water in it.. no point having it on there if it wont work properly.

YMMV

[kitacooch]

should have more faith in myself, when i fitted the winch and wired it up i tested it with the hand controller but was working back to front so i assumed was my wiring work and so re-wired it to remedy the problem. Turns out that i had infact wired it correctly but the previouse owner had spooled the drum up backwards. So i re-wired, de-spooled and re-spooled and now all works a treat, can't budge the break at all.
Cheers to smithy jnr for the suggestion.

[kitacooch]

Do winch brakes work equally well either way - or are they directional ?

I've not seen one apart so don't understand exactly how they operate.

And so I suppose this also means is ther a specific "in" and "out" rotation direction specified by the manufacturer....... ?

I guess they ARE directional, thay work fine either way but the break does not.