Hood 915 LD Swap Out for SL

[Jim Price]

I am looking for a little one-on-one chat with someone who has actually completed the replacement of the continious line furling drum for the new single line Hood 915 series drum.  I will be happy to later provide info / experiences for site with photos, etc.  I plan to replace later this summer when I schedule a bottom job but would like to go thru every thing in detail berfore.  Just respond here or send me your email address direct to jprice1645@mindspring.com.  :rolleyes:

[saltydog]

Jim,
Did upgrade about 5 years ago. Much better functionally - no slippage under load. Seems like about $600 then. There is a trick to removal. Must remove nylon screw and then position internals to lift up so that can get to turn buckle on forestay. I don't remember details - perhaps others can chime in.
Jeff

[agbenoit]

This is a timely topic for me; I just received my upgrade kit from Hood.  I think the cost was $770 with shipping.  I have two months to send back the old unit or pay an extra $200.

The instructions that came with the kit don't clearly say how to remove the old drive.  Included was a xerox of the 900 SL manual with installation instructions, as if for a new installation, with one extra sheet.  The extra page is labeled as special instructions for upgrade, but it only describes how to expose the headstay turnbuckle.  I assume that if I disconnect the headstay from the stem head, I will be able to slip the old unit off and the new unit on.  I will, of course, support the mast with a temporary line before disconnecting the stay!

Thanks,

Tony Benoit
Helen C
#903 '89

[Jim Price]

Thanks for the info, especially the part about the two month window to send in the old unit.  I would have possibly done something on purchase earlier and then been in trouble.  I will review my haul out plans first.

Definiate wish to hear back from Tony B on what you find as you do the job.  Any additional info will be helpful.

[durscheler]

Jim: I upgraded last year and higly recommend it. However, it did not goe as smoothly as planned. The directions provided are sketchy at best. If you have the original installation instructions (I didn't)it would certainly help. Couple things to mention: I used the spinnaker halyard as a temporary forestay while loosening the turnbuckle. It definitely helps to have a second set of hands to lift the airfoil while removing the old drum and sliding on the new one. The pressure pin on mine was jammed and required substantial coaxing with hammer and screw drver before i could remove the two split collars. All in all it took about three hours but would have taken much less with more explicit instructions and no jammed pin!

Dave U./Sea Dancer #1116, 1991

[agbenoit]

I swapped a 900 SL drum for the old 915 LD unit yesterday afternoon.  The job went smoothly even with just one person doing it.  It took about an hour and a half.  I used one forward halyard as a temporary headstay.  I used the other to support the halyard swivel and, when necessary, the drive or drum unit. I used a good 3/16" allen wrench, a large pair of vise grips, a pair of channel locks, a pair of needle nose pliers, and a screwdriver.  I kept a can of WD 40 at the ready.

Once the split bushing (aka Forward and Aft Tack Socket) is taken out, the extrusion slides down onto the turnbuckle.  The old drive can be slid up exposing the turnbuckle.  The Centering Clamp (the rubber ring the supports the bottom of the drive unit) can be taken off.  I supported the extrusion by clamping a pair if vice grips to the upper turnbuckle screw.  The grips also allowed me to immobilize the screw while I loosened the turnbuckle.  (This is a good opportunity to lube the 'buckle.)

Once I had the turnbuckle loose, I pulled the clevis pin, disconnected the old drive from the halyard and slid it off.  I slid the drum unit on, refastened the stay, and tightened the turnbuckle.  Note that the turnbuckle kept the extrusion from sliding off the stay even though the drum/drive unit slid easily over it.

When I went to reinstall the bushing, I had a moment of panic.  The Aft Tack Socket clearly was not going to fit into the exposed groove in the extrusion.  When I calmed down, I just slid the extrusion up the stay by hand exposing the larger groove with a notch for the ATS.  The bushing dropped back in easily.  The manual gives a spec for the location of the Centering Clamp, but on my boat the position turned out to be as low on the lower turnbuckle screw as it would go.

I haven't rigged the furler line yet.  I think someone mentioned 70 feet of 5/16" braided line.

Thanks,

Tony

[Steve Michel]

We converted our 1987 Hull 460 Wing keel /tall rig after the original unit let go with 20kt of wind going across Delaware Bay in short 6-7 ft. seas. Pretty exciting!  I would heartily recommend it!

[Mark Wey]

I just did the swap. Not a big deal and this thread helped to make up for the lack of instructioins from Hood. Haven't tried it under sailing conditions yet. But the first time I used it to re-install the sail I was convinced that it was a valuable upgrade. Can't add much to this thread as far as advice. Other than Hood did recomend a 3/8 furling line and that 1/3 of the 80 ft be cored. This allows for more turns on the drum. They didn't tell me about the trade in value. But I will check into it this week.

Next job a rigid vang, instead of the traveller upgrade.  Truly a hole in the water............

Mark :cool:

[ross99]

It was great to see this thread pop up.  I recently bought c34 #594, which had had the furler retrofit back in the mid 90's.  The PO  hadn't paid much attention to tuning the rig, however, and I could NOT figure out how to gewt to the headstay turnbuckle.  Once I learned it was those two little half-sleeve collars that needed to be femoved, sliding up the foil and tightening the headstay was a snap.   maybe now I can tack inside 120 degrees!   :)

[Craig Illman]

I just replaced my unit this morning with the assistance of my father-in-law using the notes detailed in this tread. It took about two hours, including the quick trip to West Marine to get a new screw to replace the broken plastic one that holds the forward tack socket. Our only challenge was getting the clevis pin back in. The turnbuckle didn't have a lot of adjustment to loosen it. The rig appears to be tuned to have the mast head swept back above the spreaders. It's probably all out of whack from POs!

Anyway, after a short test sail, it works considerably better than the continous setup and will give us more positive control when deploying the jib in stronger winds.

Another instance of C34I membership reaping large rewards!!

- Craig

[Ron Hill]

Guys : The C34s with the Hood 915 line drive units have reached or are approaching 15 years of age.  It's time to change or at least inspect the head stay.  You also need to check the bearings inside the "tubes" of the roller furler.

I changed to out the lower unit from the 915 to the drum drive back in 1995/96 as well as the top bearings.  I know that I have a small crack in the bottom tube that one of the split pieces fit into.  I also suspect there's a crack in the upper race of the double swiveling unit that the head of the sail attach's to.  I also plan on changing out the head stay.  I don't believe that the unit can be easily disassembled with out (possibly) bending a tube. Also I don't think that the bottom swedged head stay  fitting may not fit thru the bearings that connect the tubes together.  The system is built out of an aluminum alloy so what have the elements/salt done over the years?

I've just passed on some of my rambling thoughts, as I don't know what that Hood system furler is going to look like when I get it down/apart!!!  

I'm considering going to the Schaefer roller furler rather than trying to spend more $$ on my OLD Hood system.  I believe that if you are thinking about going from the Hood 915 line drive to a drum drive you might consider spending that $700 toward a new Schaefer unit ($3000) - like the new C34s have.    A BIG thought.  

[Stu Jackson]

OR, you could begin to consider other brands of furlers.

We're very happy with our ProFurl LCI32.  Zero maintenance except that you ALWAYS have to recognize that dissimilar metals wil ALWAYS be an issue.  In the case of the ProFurl, it's the nuts that hold the base of the unit to the forestay.  A little bit of TefGel regularly makes it maintenance free.

That's not to say that any other furling system is, or isn't, better or worse.

It's just that now so many companies are making such good proudcts, that it's hard to go wrong.

The sense I get of this thread is that Hood has had its day.  Maybe so, maybe not.

Another 'Your boat, your choice.'

[Jim Price]

I am happy with my decision to swap out for the new Hood 915 last summer.  I checked all the various components based on the feedback from this board and felt OK.  I think a lot depends on where your boat has lived over the years and how it has been used.  The West coast / Chesapeake Bay winds place a lot more stress on systems over the long haul.  Also salt versus fresh water makes a big difference.

I agree with both Stu and Ron for their particular environments.  Since the Lady Di has spent most all of her live in fresh water in the Southeast, she has probably experienced far less "environmental" wear.

I think you have to look at where your boat has been and where are you going and how are you using in the future to make a smart decision.

I will be interested in the results of how all that stuff comes out of those tubes....

[Ron Hill]

Jim : I'm glad that you're happy with the decision you made last year.

My message wasn't for you or the people that have already changed it out; it's for the people that are thinking about it!!  I'm sure you're awhere that your boat is approaching age 15 !

BTW, my boat has lived/berthed in fresh water except for 12 weeks out of each year.  The Chesapeake Bay is not as brackish as the oceans.

Stu's got a good point, there are other fruling systems out there beside Schaefer, that are maybe equal or better than Schaefer.  Only picked them as an example.

My point is that you need to really look/inspect an item on your boat that can wear, especially the rigging at 15 years and later.  To do that you need to take that item apart.  Do you know the status of the stay under your furling tubes??  

[Jim Price]

Ron, when I did the change over, I pushed the tubes up as far as they would go.  That gave me about 3 feet above the fitting and the fore stay was very clean / shiny where exposed.  I looked at the upper end (only about a foot + exposed ) last fall on a mast ascent and that was looking good.  Not to say there are not problems lurking between the ends but all looked good at that time.

It has always been a curiosity to me on how you can ever know the condition of a fore stay inside furling tubes without taking all down.  It is tough when you have a boat that never needs to have the mast down unless you are doing major maintenance for some other reason.  I have been judging based on condition of the back stay / shrouds.  

Seriously, I would be interested in what others do to keep a check on the fore stay.

Sorry about the geography screwup.  That is the way it is with us "land bounders"