Braden J2 winch install

Started it tonight...

I got the radiator out, got the "upside down" bellcrank on, and the pulley off.

More pics as the project progresses...

Very cool! More!

More pics. Almost all back together!

I have to say I've never seen a vertical capstan winch application on a vehicle before. Wow that thing looks handy!

Thanks for the pics.

"got rope" now that fills in the gaps, in a lost of WWII movies the trucks would have rope rapped around the frount bumper

Very very cool. Agreed on the vertical capstan comment above...unique indeed. Looks like a winch you'd find on a sail boat.

How does the engage mechanism work? Is it a splined shaft of some kind? I see the grease fitting...so something must move to engage the winch drive shaft.

The fan pulley has holes that have corresponding prongs on the clutch plate. The clutch plate slides on the splined shaft that is part of the driveshaft so it can be engaged/disengaged. Hope that makes sense.

I found a good picture over at www.capstanwinch.com for how it works. Lots of more tech info there...

FYI, many of the parts sold at that site ARENT for the Braden winch. They are for the later model Link Belt capstan winch. (The site tells you exactly which parts will and wont work on the Braden).

The clutch assy, fan pulley, the 3 spacers, and the bump stop spacers are correct for use with the Braden winch, the rest of the parts are for the Link Belt winch and dont work on the Braden. Took me a few days of research to figure that out. Maybe that info will save someone some time...

Also, David Doyles Capstan Winch article in MV mag issue #100 was very helpful to this whole process.

Hopefully this weekend it will be all done.. Not bad to have a working winch on a MV, especially one all original.

Someone asked where I store the 100 feet of rope... I carry the winch rope with the tackle blocks and anther 1/2 inch rope (100 feet) on my bustle basket.

cool

Nice job on the winch installation.

I also have a webpage dedicated to the Braden winches that are on military jeeps and other vehicles.

My website is 1942willys.com or go directly to the Braden winch page http://1942willys.com/winch.html

have you used it yet? what do you use for cable? 1 inch rope? more info?

I use the 100 foot of 3/4 inch rope for it. I have tested it, and used for seeing what I can go. I have yet to use it for "real", nor do I really want to, but it's nice knowing it's there.

Looks like you have to start/stop the motor for operation? Or do you engage it with the motor running?

I would imagine that you can engage it while the engine is running, and there is a clutch in it. If it required the engine stop before engaging, I would think the winch would be very erratic and under lots of stress upon startup. The starter is under enough stress while it's trying to turn over the engine, I can only imagine the stress it would be under if it had to try and pull a stuck jeep out of it's hole as well.

I should add: GREAT JOB, MARK!

However, something should be said for the fact that 99.99999% of the jeeps out there were sold new without a winch - if you get a jeep stuck, you probably shouldn't be offroading where you are.

You engage and disengage the winch with the engine running. You just engage the clutch, and the pins in the clutch fit into holes on the pulley.


I havent tried to start it up that way, nor will I.

its cool and looks great. I would love to have a restored one, buuuut I would scratch it somehow.

I'm installing a J2 in a GPW, What length and hex size are the 3 spacers for the drive bracket assembly (part # WO-A-9194) [in your photo # 6]. I believe they are 3/8 unf thread. I am in Australia and am having to make some of the parts.
Cheers
Dick Whitaker