rotrax
Well-known member
The OE Harken Cruiser jib furler on our Island Packet suffered a siezed to the foil top swivel.
The local rigger went up the mast, removed the shackle from the head of the sail, allowing me to drop the sail, he then attached a rope to the shackle which allowed me to attach a block at the deck end and winch it down the foil using the mast winch. It was bloody tight!
Upon close inspection it looked good. When measured the plastic bushes a were smaller internal diameter than the foil. Harken UK at Lymington were very helpful and sympathetic but could not supply bushes, or indeed a new top swivel. They could, however, supply a complete new furling system....................
I wrongly assumed the plastic bushes were made of a hygroscopic material and had swollen through moisture absorbtion during the 16 years of their life. I set to to remove them and make new ones. Getting the spiralox circlips out was the first issue. By drilling a 1.5mm hole just above the circlip grooves I was able to prise them out using a tiny instrument screwdriver. My 50 ton press has long gone-to a forum member, who, I hope, is using it for its intended purpose-so I raided the scrap bin and found a steel top hat with a 20mm hole through the middle that was marginally larger than the I/D of the bushes and the OD of the bushes. A couple of minutes on my lathe and I had my 'bush pusher'. I used my new Lidl angle grinder stand and cut a length of steel scaffold tube long enough to take the pressed out bushes. I then cut a bit of 25mm S/S tube to be my pushing tube. Two heavy plates, a length of 12mm studding and two nuts and I was ready.
The nuts were tightened, the bushes remained firmly in place. A bit more tightening and I heard a 'crack' , and they started to shift. They came out OK, three of them, and I could see the problem. The protective paint finish on the internal bore of the swivel had failed and white powdery corrosion had built up behind them, squeezing the bushes tightly against the foil. I have come across aluminium motorcycle brake calipers where oxidation had built up behind the rubber seals, causing non retracting brakes. Same issue.
By carefully cleaning the white aluminium oxide out with an emery bob until shiny, priming and re-painting the internal bore I found that the bushes pressed in by hand. The new measurement gave a clearance to the foil too. I fitted the retaining circlips, reassembled the swivel's torlon balls and braring track, all looked like new - a real result.
First Mate and I fitted it today, re-tensioned the rig, new cotter pins and hoisted the jib.
Saved about £4K...................
The local rigger went up the mast, removed the shackle from the head of the sail, allowing me to drop the sail, he then attached a rope to the shackle which allowed me to attach a block at the deck end and winch it down the foil using the mast winch. It was bloody tight!
Upon close inspection it looked good. When measured the plastic bushes a were smaller internal diameter than the foil. Harken UK at Lymington were very helpful and sympathetic but could not supply bushes, or indeed a new top swivel. They could, however, supply a complete new furling system....................
I wrongly assumed the plastic bushes were made of a hygroscopic material and had swollen through moisture absorbtion during the 16 years of their life. I set to to remove them and make new ones. Getting the spiralox circlips out was the first issue. By drilling a 1.5mm hole just above the circlip grooves I was able to prise them out using a tiny instrument screwdriver. My 50 ton press has long gone-to a forum member, who, I hope, is using it for its intended purpose-so I raided the scrap bin and found a steel top hat with a 20mm hole through the middle that was marginally larger than the I/D of the bushes and the OD of the bushes. A couple of minutes on my lathe and I had my 'bush pusher'. I used my new Lidl angle grinder stand and cut a length of steel scaffold tube long enough to take the pressed out bushes. I then cut a bit of 25mm S/S tube to be my pushing tube. Two heavy plates, a length of 12mm studding and two nuts and I was ready.
The nuts were tightened, the bushes remained firmly in place. A bit more tightening and I heard a 'crack' , and they started to shift. They came out OK, three of them, and I could see the problem. The protective paint finish on the internal bore of the swivel had failed and white powdery corrosion had built up behind them, squeezing the bushes tightly against the foil. I have come across aluminium motorcycle brake calipers where oxidation had built up behind the rubber seals, causing non retracting brakes. Same issue.
By carefully cleaning the white aluminium oxide out with an emery bob until shiny, priming and re-painting the internal bore I found that the bushes pressed in by hand. The new measurement gave a clearance to the foil too. I fitted the retaining circlips, reassembled the swivel's torlon balls and braring track, all looked like new - a real result.
First Mate and I fitted it today, re-tensioned the rig, new cotter pins and hoisted the jib.
Saved about £4K...................
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