Ramsey Winch 400, Operating, Service And Maintenance Manual, Page: 5 / 30

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The best way to get acquainted with how your winch operates is to make test runs before you
actually use it. Plan your test in advance. Remember, you hear your winch, as
well as see it operate. Set to recognize the sounds of a light steady pull, a heavy pull, and
sounds caused by load jerking or shifting. Gain confi dence in operating your winch and its use
will become second nature with you.
The uneven spooling of cable, while pulling a load, is not a problem, unless there is a cable
pileup on one end of drum. If this happens,reverse the winch to relieve the load and move your
anchor point further to the center of the vehicle. After the job is done you can unspool and rewind
for a neat lay of the cable.
The winch clutch allows rapid unspooling of the cable, from cable drum, for hooking onto a load.
The clutch is operated by the handle located on the clutch housing of winch.
1. TO DISENGAGE CLUTCH, run winch in the reverse (reel out) direction until the load is off the
cable. Grasp the clutch handle and move it toward the cable drum to the "OUT" position. The
cable may now be pulled from the cable drum by hand.
2. TO ENGAGE CLUTCH, move the clutch handle away from the cable drum to the "IN" position,
while slowly running the winch in the forward (reel in) direction, until the clutch jaws move into
engagement with the drum jaws. When the cable drum starts rotating, stop and make sure
that the clutch is engaged and that the clutch handle is fully at the "IN" position. CLUTCH
MUST BE TOTALLY ENGAGED DURING WINCHING OPERATIONS. The winch is now
ready for pulling in the load.
SAFEGUARDS-WARNINGS:
CLUTCH MUST BE TOTALLY ENGAGED BEFORE STARTING THE WINCH.
DO NOT DISENGAGE CLUTCH UNDER LOAD.
DO NOT LEAVE CLUTCH ENGAGED WHEN WINCH IS NOT IN USE. STAY OUT FROM UN-
DER AND AWAY FROM RAISED LOADS.
STAND CLEAR OF CABLE WHILE PULLING. DO NOT TRY TO GUIDE CABLE.
DO NOT EXCEED MAXIMUM LINE PULL RATINGS SHOWN IN TABLE.
DO NOT USE WINCH TO LIFT, SUPPORT, OR OTHERWISE TRANSPORT PERSONNEL.
A MINIMUM OF 5 WRAPS OF CABLE AROUND THE DRUM BARREL IS NECESSARY TO
HOLD THE LOAD. CABLE CLAMP IS NOT DESIGNED TO HOLD LOAD.
TECHNIQUES OF OPERATION