Using self tailing makes grinding difficult- help

[kayakerChuck]

A friend has a 1984 Catalina 30. The mainsheet winch is a self tailing, old, Lewmar 16. The winch seems to work fine, except when under load and when using the self tailer. Manually tailing the winch works fine. If using the self tailer, MUCH more force is required.

I pulled the winch apart. Mechanically, it looks fine. I cleaned up some excess grease & gave things a quick shot of penetrating oil as a quick fix until the boat comes out for the winter in a couple of weeks. The quick clean & lube didn't change how it works.

I don't know how long it's been like this, or if the main sheet (7/16"??) is too large of a diameter.

What should I check?

[AKA-None]

There is a piece that unwinds the line as it comes back to the line guide

Per chance that isn’t working quite right and the line is binding?

[Jim Cate]

Do you have the drum loaded all the way up to the top when this is happening? some winches react badly to self tailing with only a couple of wraps on the drum because the angle that the line forms with the stripper/guide is too sharp.

Jim

[kayakerChuck]

I tried with various numbers os wraps on the winch- no difference.

The "piece that unwinds the line as it comes back to the line guide"- I wasn't looking carefully (and the mechanics of ST winches are new to me), but I don't remember seeing anything like that. I'll take a careful look the next time I'm there. There is another Lewmar 16 on the boat, so I can compare them.

Over the long, dark, Michigan winter, I'll service all sorts of things on the boat, including all of the winches.

Thanks!

[Searles]

Here it called a peeler and is necessary for a self tailer to work as designed ,down load service pics ⛵️⚓️

[c.K.]

Originally Posted by kayakerChuck

A friend has a 1984 Catalina 30. The mainsheet winch is a self tailing, old, Lewmar 16. The winch seems to work fine, except when under load and when using the self tailer. Manually tailing the winch works fine. If using the self tailer, MUCH more force is required.

I pulled the winch apart. Mechanically, it looks fine. I cleaned up some excess grease & gave things a quick shot of penetrating oil as a quick fix until the boat comes out for the winter in a couple of weeks. The quick clean & lube didn't change how it works.

I don't know how long it's been like this, or if the main sheet (7/16"??) is too large of a diameter.

What should I check?

main sheet could also be to small a diameter and bind in selftailing part

[DEAN2140]

If I am correct, a Lewmar 16 is a relatively small winch and a 7/16 line is pretty thick. You may have a size mismatch. Easy to find out: try a smaller diameter line, say 3/8, and see if that helps.

[kayakerChuck]

Thanks! That's obvious, but I didn't think of it- lol

I'll report back.