Pawl oil !

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quimby

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I was told by an old seafarer when servicing winches not to grease the pawls but use a drop of gear oil as the grease can solidify and cause the winches to fail. So why would anyone pay £11.95 for a small bottle of Pawl oil from Force 4? Any comments?
 
That's the same advice as in the Lewmar service manual. Of course, that's based on their recomendation that you service the winches twice a season. In the UK that's every three months! I guess any oil would last long enough on that schedule. Often though the only oil available on my boat would be a choice of WD40, which I was once told was lanoline in parrafin, or engine oil. I'd use the latter, but that's not to be taken as advice, just pragmatism. During winter maintenance, I would probably try 3-in-1.

Rob.
 
Would suggest that you do not use WD40 for anything other than freeing components or cleaning oily crud off them. Good old 3 in 1 will do just fine on the pawls, don't use grease on them for the reason you give
 
rob2 said:
That's the same advice as in the Lewmar service manual. Of course, that's based on their recomendation that you service the winches twice a season. In the UK that's every three months! I guess any oil would last long enough on that schedule. Often though the only oil available on my boat would be a choice of WD40, which I was once told was lanoline in parrafin, or engine oil. I'd use the latter, but that's not to be taken as advice, just pragmatism. During winter maintenance, I would probably try 3-in-1.

Rob.
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Does anybody services their winches twice a year, once a year, or even once every two years?
 
3in1 .. local market or Bike Shop.

Light oil is all that's needed. Anything more and you 'hold' salt / crud in the works causing wear and possible sticking.

As to how often I service winches ... once in 10 yrs !
 
Refueler said:
3in1 .. local market or Bike Shop.

Light oil is all that's needed. Anything more and you 'hold' salt / crud in the works causing wear and possible sticking.

As to how often I service winches ... once in 10 yrs !
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Yes Three in One is the answer. We serviced our winches for the first time in three years this year and it made a BIG difference. Smart tacks are now the order of the day!
 
WD40 is NOT a lanolin/parrafin mix. It's a light, oil distillate with addatives. It is not intended as a lubricant....the WD stands for water dispersant. At a push, if you've nothing else, it'll serve as a penetrating oil, but you're much better off with the real thing.
 
Topcat47 said:
WD40 is NOT a lanolin/parrafin mix. It's a light, oil distillate with addatives. It is not intended as a lubricant....the WD stands for water dispersant. At a push, if you've nothing else, it'll serve as a penetrating oil, but you're much better off with the real thing.
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That's what I always thought WD stood for ... but I also heard a story that WD40 stands for : War Department Specification 40 ............

Anyway - it's **** !
 
Going slightly beyond that, understood it meant Water Dispersant (effective for) 40 (days) - but no authoritative source for that. Some say after then it becomes hygroscopic! I doubt that but it's certainly no use for long term protection.
Works quite well in place of Easy Start (also better avoided.) :eek:
 
Willow3 said:
Going slightly beyond that, understood it meant Water Dispersant (effective for) 40 (days) - but no authoritative source for that. Some say after then it becomes hygroscopic! I doubt that but it's certainly no use for long term protection.
Works quite well in place of Easy Start (also better avoided.) :eek:
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In return for use of garage workshop facilities when I raced a car ... I used to do the electrics on customers cars. A common problem was WD40 sprayed over ignition gear and subsequent bad starting of the car.
Usually a good clean-up of Distributor cap, contacts etc. would get car back to good starting ... I would mention to Customer to not spray WD40 around without care ...

Yep - we would see odd cars back again Customers complaining we hadn't fixed the problem ... guess what ? WD40 again ....

The problem with the stuff is it evaproates away leaving a residue that is **** to ignition systems ... and in extreme is very difficult to remove.
 
Thread drift now: many people essaying a performance of a shanty like 'Paddy Lay Back' will sing 'take a turn around the capstan heave a pull', when of course it should be 'pawl'. Not a lot of people know that.............
 
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