Cleaning Winches

[farotherside]

Hey folks,

Ok - so I noticed on my last tip out that one of my mast winches was slipping occasionally, so I realized that it's time to service them. I've had the boat for three years and haven't done it yet (in my defence I haven't stopped working on maintenance since the day I got her), and I have no idea how long it's been since the previous owner serviced them.

So currently, I have two problems:

- the primary sheet winches are old Lewmar Three Speed 48's. I can get them apart just fine, until the step where you pull out the center pin from the lower gears and remove them... but I don't have a manual for these exact winches, and the manual I *do* have shows that you remove the pin with a screwdriver. My winches, the pin is nearly flush with the surroundings, and there's no way to get a screwdriver underneath! What's the trick to getting these gears out?

- the rest of the winches are Lewmar Two Speed 30's, which I do have a manual for. They're currently spread all over my kitchen table, but I think the PO *did* service them at one point, and there's some kind of gummy grease sticking up the pawls. I have a new set of pawl springs to go in, but I'd like to have all the gummy nastiness off first - what's the best way to degrease the gears and pawls and such? I tried 'Simple Green', but it doesn't seem to work. Acetone maybe?

Thanks in advance.

[nigel1]

Cleaning gears and pawls, if they are really gunked, try a soak and scrub in diesel, followed by white spirit, then detergent and fresh water, works for me, even if a bit messy, and dispose of the residues in a proper way (thought I'd better add that last bit). , and maybe not on the kitchen table, that does not work for me if GF about

[DotDun]

Originally Posted by drew23

what's the best way to degrease the gears and pawls and such? I tried 'Simple Green', but it doesn't seem to work. Acetone maybe?

Mineral Spirits

Lewmar manual at:
http://www.lewmar.com/cms/assets/1/l...304%20iss6.pdf

[mike d.]

if you want to soak them then min. spirits. if you want the stuff now use a can of brake parts cleaner out side in a bucket it will blast the crud off as you watch, right down to bone dry metal! and you won't residue to get rid of because it evaporates before you can dispose of it. i know it is not enviro freindly if you think about it but that is how the product works

[PamlicoTraveler]

I use acetone. Mineral Spirits would probably work too. I put everything in a bucket and just clean off the gunk and put it back together.

Get a Lewmar winch spares kit with Pauls and springs etc.

[boris]

I have always used kerosene with a paint brush, works realy well, then grease them with lewmar winch grease

[barnakiel]

Not acetone. Well, try things like turps, kerosene, etc. - some sort of oily solvent will do the trick.

Sometimes it makes good sense to drop the offending part into boiling water and then again into the solvent - I found this efficient with greases that got completely amalgamated with cogwheels.

b.

[Wainui]

Kerosene and a paint brush works great.
Not too much grease on the pawls when you reasemble them.

[bstreep]

Tooth brush, mineral spirits, 5 gallon pickle bucket.

Take photos of the complicated ones - and only work on ONE at a time. That way, in a pinch, you have the other one to figure out how they go back together!

[perchance]

Varsol, a bucket, and a parts cleaning brush. Compressed air if it's handy.

[Jim Cate]

Originally Posted by Wainui

Kerosene and a paint brush works great.
Not too much grease on the pawls when you reasemble them.

WRONG! NO grease on the pawls at all, only oil. Important!

Cheers,

Jim

[savoir]

Wander down to your local hardware and grab whichever is cheaper out of kerosine and turps. Both are good. Soak the parts for 10 mins then any stiff bristle brush will remove the gunk. I use an old toothbrush.

When you reassemble use machine oil on the pawls, not grease. If you don't have any machine oil use auto engine oil. Dip the corner of a rag into the oil and then squeeze a few drops onto each pawl. You should oil them twice a year but that doesn't take long.

I have never owned a 3 speed winch. Can't help there.

[Bash]

Originally Posted by savoir

I have never owned a 3 speed winch. Can't help there.

We should form a club: PBWHNOATSW. Poor Bastards Who Have Never Owned A Three Speed Winch.

[Charlie]

Originally Posted by Wainui

Kerosene and a paint brush works great.
Not too much grease on the pawls when you reasemble them.

NO GREASE IN PAWLS. JUST LIGHT OIL.

Originally Posted by bstreep

Tooth brush, mineral spirits, 5 gallon pickle bucket.

Take photos of the complicated ones - and only work on ONE at a time. That way, in a pinch, you have the other one to figure out how they go back together!

I agree with this 100%

[Down2TheC]

Anyone have a line on pawls and springs in bulk for Lewmar? Those kits are insanely priced and I never really need much beyond the replacement pawls and springs. I only have 2 sizes on board so getting a bag of them would be a huge coup. Google has failed me in my quest.