Mast Sheave bearings

[sailor211]

I have the esterly mast off my Westerly at the moment.
I had a look at the sheaves at the top and find that for the main, the bearing is a rattling good fit in that the 1/2" shaft goes through a plastic bearing now 19/32" I guess that the main Genona is the same

I have spent some time on Google looking for a suitable push in plain bearing to replace the worn ones, expecting that a simple bearing 1/2 x 3/4 x 5/8 long would be easy to find and low cost. What I have found appear to be very over spec. for the application and thus expensive. I only need the same as westerly fitted decades ago.

Does anyone know of a source of a suitable replacement?

Would a push in oillite or DU type live happily at the top of the mast unattended for 10 years?

TIA

 

[rogerthebodger]

I replaced the plain bushed in my masthead sheaves with stainless steel doubled sealed ball bearings.

I got the existing sheaves bored out for the ball bearings for fit the existing shaft size.

Similar to these

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/6000-Ser...=2008096910466b68b3fb547a49d19be2fabbf464fc1d

 

[wiggy]

Any machine shop should be able to make a plain bearing for a few quid.

 

[Poignard]

Have you asked Trafalgar Yacht Services, Fareham, if they can help?

They advertise Westerly spares.

 

[sailor211]

Have you asked Trafalgar Yacht Services, Fareham, if they can help?

They advertise Westerly spares.

Trafalgar are slowly closing down i think,i believe due to ill health . Selling existing stock but not opening or sourcing replacement stock

 

[Poignard]

Trafalgar are slowly closing down i think,i believe due to ill health . Selling existing stock but not opening or sourcing replacement stock

I'm sorry to learn that.

I bought my beautiful Twister after seeing her advertised in the window at TYS. They were very helpful and efficient, as I remember.

 

[DinghyMan]

I have the Westerly mast off my Westerly at the moment.
I had a look at the sheaves at the top and find that for the main, the bearing is a rattling good fit in that the 1/2" shaft goes through a plastic bearing now 19/32" I guess that the main Genona is the same

I have spent some time on Google looking for a suitable push in plain bearing to replace the worn ones, expecting that a simple bearing 1/2 x 3/4 x 5/8 long would be easy to find and low cost. What I have found appear to be very over spec. for the application and thus expensive. I only need the same as westerly fitted decades ago.

Does anyone know of a source of a suitable replacement?

Would a push in oillite or DU type live happily at the top of the mast unattended for 10 years?

TIA

Give me a shout if you cant find anything: I can do either a plain bush in Acetal/Delrin or better still PET or, as mentioned above, bore them out to take ball bearings.

 

[sailor211]

Give me a shout if you cant find anything: I can do either a plain bush in Acetal/Delrin or better still PET or, as mentioned above, bore them out to take ball bearings.

Thanks for the offer, I will keep that in mind

 

[Daydream believer]

Oilite is an oil impregnated phosphor bronze bearing material & should last years. relatively cheap & no reason why you cannot use them if the right size is obtainable. What I would say is that you might consider a new outer wheel as well. I got mine from the UK supplier of Z spars parts in the UK ( sorry forget name) This did not need a central bearing as it sat straight on the pin. The supplier offered to re machine it to size, if needed, but I only needed to skim the width .25mm & i did that myself on my lathe.

I have suffered a collapsed wheel & that was a real pain. It is worth changing the whole lot in one go if you can.
To get me through the season, I used the existing halyard to hoist a pulley to the top of the mast. I was able to do this with no load on it.I pulled it tight & secured this to a cleat. I had a spare old halyard through the pulley so I could hoist the mainsail from that.