Another gearmatic 19 question

[rick f]

something strange happened this morning with my winch. It was about zero when I started the skidder. The skidder was stuck from yesterday afternoon, I needed to hook to a tree to winch myself out, the winch would not free spool at all with the engine at an idel. My partner reved it up and it would free spool easyer. What is up with that? Could the gear oil be to think and reving it up loosens it up? First time it has done that but I have never reved it up when free spooling cable.

[ga jones]

Is it a hydraulic control? The 119 on my 380 is controlled with the hydraulics from the machine. Mabe your hydraulics were to cold.

[ga jones]

If it doesn't have the long handle and master cylinder that gearmatic made in the cab. it's most likely hydraulic from the machine.thats about the only way engine speed would affect freespool.

[treeslayer2003]

i'v had the clark winch do that, it was the charge pump getting week. that won't be the case if yers is the gearmatic tho. could just been frozen moisture?

[rick f]

Thanks guys, I have the master controller in the cab.  I'm going to try reving the engine again after I have used it for a while and see if it will still be the same.

[John Woodworth]

More than likely due to condensation since it's that cold the boands are probable stuck with ice, try when you park at night leaving 10 or so fee of iine out so in morn hit the drum it;
's enough to free up stuck brk. band.

[rick f]

Thanks John. I checked the fluid level in the winch and the oil ran out for seems like 5 minutes from the oil hole. after it was down I plugged the hole , tried it and it worked great. It was warmer out and now it will freespool like it is suppose to. Well see what happens.

[DDDfarmer]

First thing I do is wind the cable in some.  Loosens up any frost that could be on the cable also.