Greetings one and all. Been too long since I was here last. Got a Model 54 winch on the back end of a '77 D4 with glow plug start. Powershift trans and seems to work fairly well. The winch control cable broke and come to find out was buggered up when I got the machine. Replaced the cable and I cannot get the winch to free spool to release the cable. Pushing the control handle is all the way forward winds the cable in very slowly when it should be released.
The control handle is not at the mechanical stop but is at the end of the cable travel.
Pull the handle back and it winds it in just fine.
It just ain't coming back out.
Currently the fuel tank is blocked up above the machine and I can get to the cable above and below.
Pulling the control handle back it also reaches the end of the cable travel >>just<< before reaching the mechanical stop.
Call me lost in the weeds on this one.
Trans in Neutral during all this fun.
Brake not set, if that matters.

Please consider me clueless.
Thank you in advance!

Hi,
from memory these are not really free spool winches--too much clutch/brake drag--you need to tether one end of the cable and drive off or tow it out-- and if I recall correctly was one of the early complaints regarding these winches.

Cat later came out with a free spool winch with a dog clutch--not a retrofit--connection to allow free spool--with these there was very little drag and so the cable could spin the drum and allow the cable to get tangled into a right old birds nest due to no drag--went from one extreme to the other.
At The Dealer I did overhaul several Cat winches of all sizes back when they first came out until they got the bugs out of them then they became a good implement.

I stand to be corrected.

Cheers,
Eddie B.

Thank you for the fast reply. As I was writing the above and the nickel finally dropped.
I went out and tweaked the cable adjustment a bit and then forced the handle forward into another detent (free spool) setting.
Cable spooled out with no problem. Did you say bird nest?
I initially got the "T" tension adjustment on the side of the winch loosened and removed and could not get the tension "slug" out. It has all appearances of either being frozen or flat worn out. The drum has ZERO tension on "free Spool" and no 'cable power out' option on this model.

So, what would you suggest on the tension "slug"? Smack it with a BFH to loosen it?
Drill it, tap it and use a puller to remove it?
Or stuff a washer/spacer into the opening under the spring tensioner and crank it down?

Take the drum end plate off to get access to the slug and the disc it rides against.

Hi, brucew
Bird's nest?????????

You will sometimes get the same effect with overrun on some free-spooling fishing reels - otherwise known as 'a bad day's fishing'. Then mum owns the reel until the next fishing trip.

Just my 0.02.

Okay, where can I get the parts for that winch, namely the tension slug?

I was figuring to replace the current 45 feet of cable with three chokers and put on about 100' of 3/4 inch cable with a single hook on the end.

However the winch being rated for 52,000 pounds, gives rise of the question of a hook on the end.
Along with no fairlead on the winch and being just a large open drum.
Currently the chokers can just go round and round on the drum. Much more than that might get jammed on the back of the drum.

That most likely will be a Cat item plug 6P9546. There is one shown on Machinery Trader in Alberta somewhere.

Thank you for the info. I dropped them an email and being as this is the wife's D4, I expect she will approve funding.