SERVICING WINCHES

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JIM BRENER 1987 #504 "WI

I don't know when, if at all, the winches were serviced on my '87.  I am thinking of removing them from the boat, cleaning and lubricating them at home.  Does anyone have any thoughts or suggestions on this topic?

Stu Jackson

Jim:  Seems that the best source would be the winch manufcturer.  If you have the OEM Lewmar's, Lewmar makes different "kits" for winch repair, which you should be able to get from catalogs, West Marine or Boat/US.  As I recall they also have a very good maintenance guide with a "Winch Maintenance for Dummies" type of book, specific to their equipment.  It may also be available on their website - http:www.lewmar.com

When in doubt, use your web browser, it's amazing how much is out there.
Stu Jackson, C34 IA Secretary, #224 1986, "Aquavite"  Cowichan Bay, BC  Maple Bay Marina  SR/FK, M25, Rocna 10 (22#) (NZ model)

"There is no problem so great that it can't be solved."

cholder

Some comments on servicing winches based on my own experience with the Lewmar winches on Catalina 34 #617.

First, the winches should be dismantled, cleaned and greased annually.  This job should be easy to do but can be a bit messy.  Dispite very heavy use the only parts I've had to replace are the pawl springs and then only once when I saw slight flat spots had been worn on them and I found one broken.  Use lots of newspaper, paper towels and latex gloves to keep the mess in check.  More or less any sort of petroleum solvent will help remove dried on grease. Use 'winch grease', applied sparingly when reassembling the winches.  Winch grease is a thin water proof grease - don't use ordinary axle grease; it's too thick and often not water proof.

OrdinarilyIt shouldn't be necessary to remove the winches from the boat for normal servicing.   However, I have found that after considerable use the gear teeth on the drive shaft were slightly deformed preventing the shaft from being lifted out of the winch body.  If you have this problem on one of the self tailing winches you can still remove the shaft by removing the winch body from the boat.  The shart can drop through the base of the winch body.  This isn't possible for the port hand sheet winch because of how it's constructed.  I found that I had to very carefully place a metal file against the teeth and then rotate the shaft using a winch handle to 'file' off a small part of the deformed teeth.  What you do about the deformed teeth on the main drive shaft is a matter of judgement.  The safest thing is to buy a new shaft but I found no cracks in the teeth so elected to reuse the deformed shaft and will check the condition of the teeth next season.

dave davis

Jim, I have 6 lewmar winches that I try to clean every two years on my 88 model. It is not my favorate pastime, its messy. I plan on doing two per day. I clean them in a two gallon bucket partialy filled with either with diesel fuel or karosene and scub with a tooth brush. Make sure you use Lewmar whinch lube. But not too much.One year I found that I could not remove two of the deck top halyard ones because the inner shaft was bent. I had to remove them from their mount and take the shaft out from the bottom. Had to buy new shafts from Lewmar. Good luck...
Dave Davis San Francisco, 707, Wind Dragon, 1988, South Beach

Ed Shankle

Ever notice how one project creates another?
A couple of years ago I decided to maintain the primaries. After taking off the housing, I realized I couldn't slide out the gears due to the custom teak "tops" on the coaming (about 3/8's high). So rather than take off the base, I chiseled bevels into the teak and varnished them. Only the teak on one side of the winches needed to be done, but that didn't look very good, so I beveled the pieces on the opposite sides as well. Actually, now the teak pieces look better!
I'm assuming the winches had never been done before due to this problem and the seal between the base and coaming looking original and the remnants of grease being more like beeswax.
Also, I used Ron's idea of the box with the cutout. Works like a charm; saved me a pawl!

Ed
Ed Shankle
Tail Wind #866 1989 m25xp
Salem, MA

JIM BRENER 1987 #504 "WI

Thanks for the comments. I will do my homework on the web before starting this project. Biggest fear is that once apart it will not go back together correctly.

Ron S

If you service them on the boat and do one at a time, you have the other to look at as an example when you put it back together.