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How To Assemble The Tim McCann Winch

or How To Avoid Tom's Folly

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I purchased a winch from Tim so that I could design a wiring package. I received the winch and proceeded to assemble it without reading Tim’s instruction sheet...as my wife would say, "real men don’t read instructions...they know how to do everything." Yeh, right! As a result of my "knowing everything" I ended up having to remove the disconnect switch three times before I finally read the directions and got it right. So here are a few tips that I hope save you some time and grief. These instructions are to supplement Tim’s so that you can understand how to deal with my wiring package.

The first thing to do is mount the Anderson connectors...the red and gray as shown in the picture. Tighten the screws, because after you install the disconnect switch, there ain’t no room for the Allen wrench.

There are two possible ways to proceed...1) install the motor and then the solenoids or 2) install the solenoids and then the motor. I prefer to install the motor first because you have better access to the motor for a couple of the tasks required.....so that is what I will describe.

In the wiring package, you received two brass strips with a hole in each end. You will need the long one, the motor, and a 3/8" hex bolt. Insert the bolt through the hole in the motor face plate and install the long brass strip on the bolt before threading it into the stand...do not fully tighten the bolt but just snug it up to the base of the motor by hand. (See picture) You should still be able to move the brass strip around, so move the exposed hole over to the first mounting hole for the solenoid. Bending the strip is a little funky but whatever works is OK. The purpose of these brass strips are to provide an electrical ground to the solenoids and other components.

Next, comes the most difficult part of assembling the winch...installing the 5/16" bolt under the motor. With only the one 3/8" bolt in the motor face plate, you should be able to rotate the motor a little so that the 5/16" bolt can be freely started with out cross threading it. If your fingers fit, you can start the bolt that way or you may need to use a 1/2" socket with an extension. Once you get it started, you can tighten it down to about the same tightness as the other bolt in the face plate.

This is a good time to install the carrying handle per Tim’s instruction. (See Picture)

Next, you can install the long black 1/0 ga. wire from the installed red Anderson connector to the remaining 3/8" hole in the face plate of the motor. You may have to wrestle with bending the end of the wire a little. Once you have the bolt in place, you can fully tighten all three of the motor mounting bolts. You can also install the two wire ties to hold the black wire in place. (See Picture)

This is the best time to position the short red 1/0 ga. wire that will connect the motor to the solenoids. Remove the nut and lock washer from the motor stud and position the wire on the stud and install the washer and nut only finger tight.

Now to the solenoids. First, install the "U" shaped copper piece, supplied by Tim, between the two solenoids. Start the nuts and washers but leave loose for now. Place the short brass strip over the two holes in the base of the winch so that the bases of the two solenoids will be electrically connected when they are assembled to the winch base. Place the solenoids over the short brass strip and the long brass strip coming from the motor base. You can install the three 1/4" bolts in the holes where the brass strips are located to mount the solenoids...do not fully tighten. You can now connect the red 1/0 ga. wire from the motor to the left most solenoid terminal (as you face the solenoids).

Installing a voltmeter is described here...if you are not installing a voltmeter, skip to the next paragraph. Remove the voltmeter from the mounting plate...just unscrew the retaining collar. Use the mounting plate as a template to drill two 3/16" holes in the disconnect switch bracket as shown in the picture. Mount the face plate to the disconnect switch bracket using the two 10-32 screws, lock washer and nut. If the wires are not installed, install the red wire to the "+" terminal and the brown wire to the "-" terminal. Now install the voltmeter to the face plate using the retaining collar.

If you have the voltmeter, take the brown wire from the voltmeter and slip the eyelet between the winch base and the solenoid base and install the last 1/4" bolt through the eyelet...if there is no voltmeter, install the 1/4" bolt now. Do not tighten all of the solenoid mounting bolts yet.

You can now install the disconnect switch. Remove the screw that retains the switch handle and remove the handle. Remove the big top nut from the threaded shaft and leave the lock washer on the switch. Next, remove the nuts and lock washers from the disconnect switch terminals. Insert the threaded shaft in the mounting hole, place the face plate on the shaft and finger tighten the big nut. You may need to adjust the nut under the bracket to have the right amount of threaded shaft exposed for the top nut. Place the handle on the switch so you can orientate the face plate with the handle pointer. Leave everything loose for now.

Place the eyelet(s), for the red wire from the voltmeter (if there is one) and the red wire from the gray Anderson connector, to the right most solenoid stud. Place the "L" copper piece supplied by Tim over the eyelet(s) on the solenoid stud and at the same time rotate the disconnect switch so that the copper piece can be installed on the switch. Install the nuts and lock washers and now you can tighten all of the solenoid nuts and solenoid mounting fasteners. REMEMBER, THE SOLENOID AND MOTOR STUDS ARE COPPER, you can not tighten them to the same torque as a steel bolt. Too much torque and you can strip the threads...believe me, when you do that it ruins your day! Be sure to tighten the nut on the motor stud and make any needed adjustments to the disconnect switch plate before tightening the big nut. Don’t forget to install the retaining screw in the handle on the disconnect switch.

One last step...connect the short red 1/0 ga. wire from the red Anderson connector to the remaining terminal on the disconnect switch. Connect the brown wire from the gray Anderson connector to the small terminal on the right solenoid and connect the two solenoids together using the short piece of wire with the #10 eyelets on both ends. Install the nut and lock washer to both solenoids to retain the wires.

GOOD JOB!!...NOW YOU'RE A "REAL MAN."

Install the drum and the brake assembly using Tim’s instructions and you’re ready to go flying! Note: all suggestions for improving these instructions, are welcome.

Back to Sailplane Winch Page

Back to Sailplane Winch Page

How To Assemble The Tim McCann Winch

or How To Avoid Tom's Folly

The first thing to do is mount the Anderson connectors...the red and gray as shown in the picture. Tighten the screws, because after you install the disconnect switch, there ain’t no room for the Allen wrench.

There are two possible ways to proceed...1) install the motor and then the solenoids or 2) install the solenoids and then the motor. I prefer to install the motor first because you have better access to the motor for a couple of the tasks required.....so that is what I will describe.

This is a good time to install the carrying handle per Tim’s instruction. (See Picture)

This is the best time to position the short red 1/0 ga. wire that will connect the motor to the solenoids. Remove the nut and lock washer from the motor stud and position the wire on the stud and install the washer and nut only finger tight.

If you have the voltmeter, take the brown wire from the voltmeter and slip the eyelet between the winch base and the solenoid base and install the last 1/4" bolt through the eyelet...if there is no voltmeter, install the 1/4" bolt now. Do not tighten all of the solenoid mounting bolts yet.

GOOD JOB!!...NOW YOU'RE A "REAL MAN."

Install the drum and the brake assembly using Tim’s instructions and you’re ready to go flying! Note: all suggestions for improving these instructions, are welcome.

Back to Sailplane Winch Page

To order or ask questions about Injoy equipment. Date Modified: 05/15/08

To order or ask questions about Injoy equipment.
Date Modified: 05/15/08