Association Forum - Winch Maintenance Help

Assn Members Area · Join

Home.

Association Forum

Ships Store

Cruising

Racing

Technical Tips

Photo Gallery - New

Boat Search - Updated

Manuals & Brochures

Swap Meet

Links

Officer Flag Line & Staff

Bylaws & Constitution

Members Area

Join the Association

Notice:
The advice given on this site is based upon individual or quoted experience, yours may differ.
The Officers, Staff and members of this site only provide information based upon the concept that anyone utilizing this information does so at their own risk and holds harmless all contributors to this site.

Association Forum

Username:	Password:
Save Password
Forgot your Password?

All Forums

Catalina/Capri 25/250 Sailor's Forums

Catalina 25 Specific Forum

Winch Maintenance Help

New Topic

Topic Locked

Printer Friendly

Author

Topic

LeighMarie
Navigator

Member Avatar

USA
188 Posts

Initially Posted - 07/23/2004 : 23:44:44

I guess it's about time to take my winches apart to clean and relube. You all have probably done this before but I have not. I have 2 Lewmar 16-2 speed winches that sound noisy. I also have a Lewmar Winch Maintenance Kit. The question I have is that it says on page 28 to clean the components in a paraffin bath. If that isn't available you can use a cloth soaked in paraffin or white spirit. Does that mean I should melt down some candles and put the components in there? That just doesn't seem right. Or, is white spirit the same as mineral spirits?

Also, the Kit has Racelube in it. It says in the instructions to use a light engine oil on the pawls. Is that the Racelube? The other tube is GearGrease which is what I presume I use on the gears, ratchets, etc.

Lastly, what is the brush in the Kit for? It says it's a Lubricating Brush, but I'm not sure what to do with it.

Thanks for any help you could give me!

Dave & Sharon on "Leigh-Marie"
Hull #5128

Edited by - on

ClamBeach
Master Marine Consultant

Members Avatar

3072 Posts

Response Posted - 07/24/2004 : 00:16:36

Paraffin is the English term for "Kerosene". White spirits... essentially paint thinner.

Edited by - on

Lightnup
Master Marine Consultant

Members Avatar

USA
1016 Posts

Response Posted - 07/24/2004 : 08:56:14

<blockquote id="quote"><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Paraffin is the English term for "Kerosene". White spirits... essentially paint thinner.<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote"></font id="quote">

Glad I got up this morning...I learned something I didn't know yesterday.

Steve

Edited by - on

Gloss
Master Marine Consultant

Members Avatar

USA
1916 Posts

Response Posted - 07/24/2004 : 10:54:03

When I serviced all 4 of my winches earlier this year I used mineral spirits to clean the parts. I blew out the excess with my nozzle on my air compressor, let dry some more in the sun. I lubed the parts with the lube (for the pawls) and grease included in their kit. I figure if it was in their kit, they want you to use it. I only lost one pawl spring, good thing the kit has spares.
Now they work really smooth.

Edited by - on

RichardG
Admiral

Members Avatar

USA
990 Posts

Response Posted - 07/24/2004 : 11:22:58

It's helpful to have an old toothbrush to clean the parts in the kerosene or mineral spirits bath.

The Lewmar rep at this year's Rendezvous recommended 3&1 oil on the pawls and springs -- grease on everything else. If your Racelube is a thinner, clear liquid, it's for the pawls and springs.

The brush is for applying a thin layer of grease to all the internal parts' surfaces (except the pawls and springs). Get a square sheet of aluminum foil and fold it half twice, then squeeze a glob of grease onto it -- this "painter's palette" allows you to put just the right amount of grease on the brush in order to get a consistent, thin layer of grease on all the parts.

I just serviced my winches (without getting a kit) for the first time after getting a quick lesson from the Lewmar guy. It was pretty simple (after getting over the fear of various parts flying into the water) -- only lost one of the pawl springs, but luckily I performed that operation inside the cabin and a 10 minute search recovered the spring.

While I previously had no troubles with the winches, they are a bit quieter now -- probably good for another 12 years.

Edited by - RichardG on 07/24/2004 11:25:58

nate
Navigator

Members Avatar

240 Posts

Response Posted - 07/24/2004 : 11:32:33

To avoid dropping stuff.....I took a shallow box and cut a hole the size of the drum and taped the box to the combing. This creates a shallow "tray" to catch stuff that might come loose while you disassemble the winch. The pawls and their springs are the only things that could take a swim and you should have spares in your rebuild kit anyway.

Edited by - on

LeighMarie
Navigator

Members Avatar

USA
188 Posts

Response Posted - 07/24/2004 : 12:15:25

Thanks for the help! I may get to it next week.

Edited by - on

ronrryan
Admiral

Members Avatar

USA
561 Posts

Response Posted - 07/24/2004 : 18:15:15

If you dont have kerosene or mineral spirits you can use some spare gasoline from your outboard tank, etc. Yes, it is bad for your skin, but its handy and if you take care youll be fine. I just did a couple of Barlows that way, Ron srsk Orion sw fl

Edited by - on

PZell
Admiral

Members Avatar

USA
548 Posts

Response Posted - 07/25/2004 : 11:09:06

Used a box as a catcher. Coleman fuel as a cleaner. 3&1 oils for the
pawls. Put Lewmar grease on drums with my finger. No sweat. After the first one you realize how easy it really is.

Edited by - on

Topic

New Topic

Topic Locked

Printer Friendly

Jump To:

Association Forum

Notice: The advice given on this site is based upon individual or quoted experience, yours may differ.
The Officers, Staff and members of this site only provide information based upon the concept that anyone utilizing this information does so at their own risk and holds harmless all contributors to this site.