Harken winch servicing

[Steve Clayton]

It's now time to service the winches.

I've serviced winches before but not my Harken 44 and 53 two speed self tailers. I've downloaded the service PDF's (they seem the same for the two winches apart from the physical size) in preparation for this occasion.
I am looking for any practical advice that will ease the inevitable "where the f did that go?" as that all important spring pings itself over the side of the boat into the water.

 

[Rick]

If the "sproing" is your only fear, then get a large cardboard box, and cut a winch base sized hole in the bottom, and then place over winch before servicing - any "sproings" should result in ofending parts remaining inside the bix.

 

[poter]

I serviced my two Harken 44ST a few weeks ago, not a really big problem, but do get some spare pawls & the pawl springs. The rest is relativly easy.

One other point, make sure you get proper winch grease I was told by the local French Jeannau fitter that any thing else tends to harden & will eventualy give you a problem, with even the possibility of the winch free rotataing.

poter

 

[Skyva_2]

Steve,

The cardboard box is mentioned in the MOA Tech Library (Zen and the Art of Winch Maintenance). Never used it myself, but always have a few spare springs available. What I find is that a pawl spring gets lost in the process, you replace it with a new one; after reassembly you find the old one on the cockpit floor. Let me know how you get on, its a job waiting for me! They don't look too different to Lewmars.

 

[Steve Clayton]

I chickened out of starting the servicing this morning. Whilst we have just had a couple of superb weather days this morning was very gusty and the boat was moving quite a bit, so we tidied up down below (and then off we went and had a superb tapas lunch with some really nice red wine /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif).

I'll order spare pawl springs early next week, and in the interim take any further advice offered.