What grease and oil to service old winches?

[Hoodsail]

I defaulted to what was on my boat upon purchase. Lewmar, multi-purpose winch grease and Harken synthetic winch grease. Only serviced 1 winch to date so couldn't tell you if one of the 2 brands is better than the other. I foolishly bought Ardent Reel butter, reel oil for the springs, I think 1oz was about $16-20!...it is a very thin oil and would go with earlier recommendations and not pay the $ for Ardent oil.... as noted earlier...just servicing the winches is the key...I still have 5 more to do...
A good tip if servicing when your boat is on the water...get a cardboard box that is a bit larger than your winch so you can work between the side of the box and the winch. Cut out a circle in the bottom so it fits over the winch. This prevents you from losing any small bits overboard.
enjoy.
dave

[Stumble]

Originally Posted by sailcrazy

FWIW.....While diesel or gas can be used to clean the parts, we found that a spray can of brake cleaner really work well. It cleans off the old, then rapidly evaporated to leave the parts clean and dry....worked really well!

Fin you have the time, I just drop everything but the plastic bits into a cooler with just enough diesel to cover the parts for a day or so. It will loosen up all the old grease and dried on junk. Then use brake cleaner for the final polish before reassembling and applying the fresh grease.

I think it was our last boat that had winches that hadn't been serviced in 30 years other than to apply a fresh coat of grease yearly. It took days of soaking to get rid of it all. I could have gone after it with a wire brush and got I think done quicker, but I prefer the lazy way when possible.

[CarinaPDX]

I'm surprised no one has mentioned Superlube yet. I have been using it for decades and strongly recommend it. Superlube is a fully synthetic grease with Teflon, which can be used on water plumbing (safe for humans). It is resistant to washing out, is very slippery, and is stable over time. It is widely available in the U.S.

Traditional greases are colloidal suspensions (like jello), where oil is trapped in a matrix. These tend to separate over time, with the oil flowing away and the structure remaining as an increasingly thick - and eventually solid - residue. The hard, sticky messes that are often found inside winches are the direct result of using traditional grease. Just don't do it. Superlube, and no doubt other synthetics, simply doesn't change with age and remains uniformly slippery (and easy to wipe off).

I use kerosene for cleaning greasy messes. It is a traditional solvent for mechanics. In my case I have it on board for my stove so it is always available.

Greg

[hamburking]

Originally Posted by Vasco

I've always used white lithium grease and 3 in 1 oil for the pawls. When greasing use sparingly. Too much is worse than not enough, at least that's what the Lewmar guy told me.

Agree. White grease is the good stuff.

[hamburking]

Originally Posted by CarinaPDX

I use kerosene for cleaning greasy messes. It is a traditional solvent for mechanics. In my case I have it on board for my stove so it is always available.

I use methyl hydrate for those cleaning purposes...because thats what I burn in my origo. Also good for first aid. At home I use Varsol (mineral spirits).

[michaelratinter]

I soak my old Barient parts in Kerosene, lube with white lithium, and oil with 3-in-1.

[Captain Eliz]

I just rebuilt two Lewmar 30 st winches today. I called FL Rigging & Hydraulics to get their advice re grease and oil. Per their instructions I bought a small 1.5oz tube of white lithium grease, and a small bottle of 3 in 1 oil (or you can use singer sewing machine oil). Both were found at Ace Hardware, along with mineral spirits, a small metal handled paint brush (the kind you use and throw away when you do epoxy work) and a tooth brush and old wash cloth for cleaning up with mineral spirits. Worked like a charm. I attached a photo. Hint: I used a small plastic box to keep the wet messy parts in and to prevent splashing. I used a small plastic tupperware for the mineral spirits to soak the parts and dip the bruskes into. Ribber gloves are a good thing to wear. Good luck with the project.

[lamadriver]

I soak and clean with a small brush in Kero.

I am a big fan of Corrosion Block grease for the gears and then a 3 and 1 oil for the pawls and springs.

Brake cleaner is wonderful stuff


LD

[SVNeko]

Yea, I think Andersen admitted that superlube is the same as the stuff they sell.

[sailah]

I do my winches every year. I forge the grease I use it's in a tube I bought from McMaster Carr. I do know the oil is 3-1 oil.

I would also highly recommend buying ahead of time a couple replacement pawls and especially the springs. I can't tell you how careful I am about the springs and they still fly off at the worst moment. No spring means no worky.

I use diesel as a soak solvent and I'm a big fan of "polishing" the stainless shafts with a superfine scotchbrite pad. I use a scocthbrite wheel on my buffer but the hand pads are available anywhere. Gets it truly clean and won't remove metal other than microscopically.

[Gary Mc]

I also have Lewmar vintage 1984 2 speed 40s and they look just like those. You do not have to take them off the boat to clean them. I just use a plastic wash basin and mineral spirits or varsol and a cheap paint brush to clean them.
You definitely need spare pawls and springs. If they have not been done in a while you might want to replace all of the springs, they get weak and rusty.

I also do not remember needing an allen screw, that must be to take them off the boat?

Have fun.
Gary

[Quadrille in JB]

After reading these replies, there are a lot of options for which grease to use on the winches
I have been using Tef Gel on a lot of things lately. A 2 ounce tub came with my new stainless steel mainsail cars
Has anyone tried this?
It's very thick, it won't wash off, and I don't think it'll separate. My only concern is that it might be too thick for the bearings. I plan on using a light oil for the pawls.