Using a starter motor for a winch

Yes, I have a few friends that have done this for a boat trailer winch.

Boats being trailer sailors etc, usually about 1 to 2 tonnes.

Need to get the gear ration down though, often using two pulleys and a V belt like a fanbelt. Look for a 5:1 or 10:1 or larger ratio before the cable spool.

But I have my doubts about using this for a winch for the front of a 4wd.

They are pulling a boat out of the water using rollers at a 5 or 10 degree angle.

Add some mud, and a steeper angle and I am not sure if the starter motor would be strong enough, or geared low enough. Trying to find a compact gearing system, it may be cheaper to buy a dedicated 4wd winch :-).

But I bet some one on this forum has done it!

Ummmmmmmm.... not a chance.

buy a proper winch motor

They pull hard but not for long, theyre built for short bursts of power, not prolonged like in a winching application

there are heaps of little motors available with switches and all the rest to go with them. I used to work at a place which sold around 20 types of small electric motors from weak to strong. most will go all day. anyway at the risk of promoting a business I used to work at I wont name them but if you want to know just give me your email.

Ultimateshrub.
Yes you can, but you have to bring out the connection to the brushes and the field on seperate terminals so you can reverse it and you have to machine a spline for a gear on the shaft, a lot of work when you can pick up a winch for a few hundred $.
Eric.

I agree with Truckster. Starter motors are not designed for prolonged use as is a winch motor.

You may get away with pulling a relatively light load such as a small boat back onto a trailer, but for winching a 2 to 3.5 tonnes 4WD out of a bog, forget it. It'll prolly blow up in a "big blue flash bang" the first time you use it.

Bilbo

Hi,
The motor that comes standard with your Ramsey and the electric winches I'm familiar with are a series wound DC unit, not clear on their hp rating.
Starter motors are series wound DC motors too, off say a 2 litre 4 cylinder car they'll be typically in the realm of 2hp.
Now for the diffrerences, the Ramsey motor will not have an external solenoid nor will it be cast to attach to a bell housing. The armature and field lead ends on the Ramsey will be exposed externally to allow for reversing, starter motors are built to rotate in one direction only.
The starter motor will have its shaft end machined for the throwout gear to move back and forward engaging the ring gear on the flywheel. The Ramsey winch motor will be cast and machined to match the Ramsey gearbox (shaft and housing)

Whilst the use of starter motors on your Ramsey winch is certainly electrically feasible if the horsepower ratings match. It would be quite an adventure getting the shaft to match your gearbox, removing the external solenoid and exposing the armature and field fly leads to allow you to reverse it.

As some have said, plenty of people have made boat winches from old starter motors with success. My uncle made one years ago, used two starter motors. One to pay out the cable and the other to retrieve it.
These home winch builders had or have the advantage of matching the whole winch to the motor they buy rather than having the winch and then making something designed for another application fit.

Geoff.

I am led to believe that the Bamford winch supplied to the Army used a modified Chev v8 starter motor.
Regards