Repair and removal of Furlex swivel

[2copplane]

My mate has a old furlex genoa reefing system on a 34ft sloop which works well except the swivel is very stiff. He's tried umpteen different lubricants and ways of cleaning it out but to no avail. It was previously stood for 10years unused. The unit nor manual give any hint to a model or age.

Furlex have advised the swivel should not be taken apart and self service but I'm hoping one or two forumites have experience (good or bad). My suspicion is the biggest challenge is fitting all the bearing back in, but I'd have thought some thick lubricant could act as a temporary glue.

Also any tips on removal while the mast is up? It looks like the bottom eye is a Norse type fitting that can be seperated and the furling unit then swivel could be slid off the bottom.

 

[wilkinsonsails]

The swivel race can be cleaned out with a degreaser.We use Wurth industry clean .Then lots of hot soapy water until the black goo stops coming out.If you want to take it off of the foil,,you do need to knock the Norseman fitting apart and shorten up the forestay by a few mm.
Watch out for getting the solvent and grease mess on deck .
Nice runny grease works wonders.

 

[muzzaman]

I had a similar problem with my Furlex with the halyard (top) swivel sticking quite badly. No amount of degreasing and regreasing would cure it.

I replaced the bearings in the two bearing races within the swivel last winter and it now rotates beautifully. I think the problem was that the bearings had become oval over the years. It was a pain of a job but we managed to do it without removing the forestay. You basically you remove the lower circlip and the whole assembly will come apart allowing you to remove the old bearings and replace with new bearings.

I initially tried to replace the old 5mm bearings with new 5mm bearings but could not get the assembly to accept the suggested 2mm circlip. I think the channels that the bearings sit it had slightly warped over time. I tried thinning down the 2mm circlip but with no joy. The solution was to go down to 4.5mm bearings which worked well. Fairly thick waterproof grease was used to help position the bearings without them spilling out everywhere.

I have attached a couple of pictures of the swivel in question just in case it is a different design to yours.

I sailed all last season with a genoa that now furls really easily.

View attachment 48035View attachment 48036

 

[wiggy]

Top tip- to temporarily hold hearings in place use shaving foam. Once everything is in place is easily washes out, much cleaner and less slippery than using thick grease.

 

[Ruffles]

I had a similar problem with my Furlex with the halyard (top) swivel sticking quite badly. No amount of degreasing and regreasing would cure it.

I replaced the bearings in the two bearing races within the swivel last winter and it now rotates beautifully. I think the problem was that the bearings had become oval over the years. It was a pain of a job but we managed to do it without removing the forestay. You basically you remove the lower circlip and the whole assembly will come apart allowing you to remove the old bearings and replace with new bearings.

I initially tried to replace the old 5mm bearings with new 5mm bearings but could not get the assembly to accept the suggested 2mm circlip. I think the channels that the bearings sit it had slightly warped over time. I tried thinning down the 2mm circlip but with no joy. The solution was to go down to 4.5mm bearings which worked well. Fairly thick waterproof grease was used to help position the bearings without them spilling out everywhere.

I have attached a couple of pictures of the swivel in question just in case it is a different design to yours.
...

I replaced our lower swivel bearings with the boat on the water! Horrendous job. From memory (now fading thankfully) there's a very thick rubber O ring that seems to harden and expand with age forcing the thing apart leaving bearings all over the deck. I pared away at the rubber until it fitted. Also, the circlip that secures the lower swivel causes a reaction with the alloy which eventually unseats it. Worth checking as it's hard to see under the drum and better to catch before it comes off.

Having said all that, considering it's age, our Furlex is in amazing condition. I'd definitely get another. And they sent me a copy of the original instructions free of charge.

 

[2copplane]

Great tips thanks. We are now trying to take the swivel apart in situ. The muzzaman pictures show the same swivel and we have the circlip off but I think the parts are corroded together. hopefully delicate use of a big hammer may help.........

 

[Ruffles]

Great tips thanks. We are now trying to take the swivel apart in situ. The muzzaman pictures show the same swivel and we have the circlip off but I think the parts are corroded together. hopefully delicate use of a big hammer may help.........

Have you got a head torch? From (thankfully fading) memory I think it was about 9 o'clock at night when I finally got our swivel back together.

Have fun!

 

[2copplane]

Have you got a head torch? From (thankfully fading) memory I think it was about 9 o'clock at night when I finally got our swivel back together.

Have fun!

We still haven't managed to take it apart as the two halves seem to be corroded together and he needs to make up some tooling to help separate.

It is going to start freezing again soon, so back together it is all going and he is going to live with it for bit longer.

We think it is a mk1 furlex would other furlex swivels fit the foil as I think it is 50/50 whether it comes apart without breaking?

 

[muzzaman]

I think the actual furler swivel pieces are metal of some kind (aluminium?) and they slot over a plastic central piece with positioning "teeth". You should see this at the top of the swivel. I would be surprised if it has corroded together thinking back to the design. I would persevere with trying to separate perhaps with some lubrication run in through the top. Maybe leave it a couple of days as well. It may be that the freezing cold weather is contracting the swivel so it is tightly gripping the plastic piece. Maybe some gentle heat?

 

[Ruffles]

Empty a kettle over it!

Oddly enough, though I'm at my desk in London, I have a hard copy of the "Furlex Type B" spare part list and assembly instructions in my hand right now.

Can I scan and send it to you?

I will attach the 'exploded' parts diagram. Might be useful before the actual item 'explodes' over the deck.

By the way, it's nice and warm in the office

 

[Ruffles]

I'm now remembering more about this (we are talking about the lower swivel aren't we?)

I took the forestay off and used the two genoa halyards to avoid embarrassment. Take care to avoid bending the foil. This means that you'll be working quite close to the bow.

The two large bearing sets marked B10 and B16 do not exist on mine. Their function, I believe, is to provide an extra turn at the clew before the foil turns to avoid bagging. These are replaced by very thick rubber O' rings.

The bearings that interface the forestay to the drum and foil are B4 and B20.

The cylinder B22 will not go over the forestay fitting on my boat without undoing the splice which I didn't want/dare to do and herein lies the nightmare. I could only lift the foil a few inches so getting the bearings B20 in was tricky to say the least. Think cocktail stick and grease. But when I eventually did I found the clip B32 would not go on. Because the O'rings had expanded over time. Which was why the clip fell off in the first place. Duh!

 

[Len Ingalls]

Thanks all! I have the same problem to tackle in spring.Luckily,my mast is down.Now I know to do it before putting mast back. / Len

 

[nigelmercier]

This is the bottom swivel on my 300S, I haven't managed to dismantle it enough to get to the screws between the black plastic cone and the swivel part, let alone the bearings.

 

[2copplane]

Empty a kettle over it!

Oddly enough, though I'm at my desk in London, I have a hard copy of the "Furlex Type B" spare part list and assembly instructions in my hand right now.

Can I scan and send it to you?

I will attach the 'exploded' parts diagram. Might be useful before the actual item 'explodes' over the deck.

By the way, it's nice and warm in the office

View attachment 48040

Brilliant, do you have an image of the top swivel as that is the one causing the trouble. The low tack swivel is also seized but I don't think he is too bothered about that one.

 

[Ruffles]

Brilliant, do you have an image of the top swivel as that is the one causing the trouble. The low tack swivel is also seized but I don't think he is too bothered about that one.

Sorry for the delay.

 

[pvb]

Brilliant, do you have an image of the top swivel as that is the one causing the trouble. The low tack swivel is also seized but I don't think he is too bothered about that one.

It's well worth downloading the full spare parts lists, as you can then see from the part numbers which bits are identical (eg bearing rings). Don't know whether you're talking about the Type A or the Type B, but the parts lists are here:-
http://www.seldenmast.com/files/1380900669/595-057-E.pdf
http://www.seldenmast.com/files/1380900718/595-030-E.pdf

 

[theoldsalt]

A useful video of Furlex servicing.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-2jmb7Sk3So

 

[nigelmercier]

A useful video of Furlex servicing. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-2jmb7Sk3So

One thing to remember: never split the drum in half without first wrapping a couple of loose turns around it; they don't float!

 

[2copplane]

It's well worth downloading the full spare parts lists, as you can then see from the part numbers which bits are identical (eg bearing rings). Don't know whether you're talking about the Type A or the Type B, but the parts lists are here:-
http://www.seldenmast.com/files/1380900669/595-057-E.pdf
http://www.seldenmast.com/files/1380900718/595-030-E.pdf

Thanks but It is a mk1 type B and the selden website does not seem to provide a parts list for it. Would a mk2 type B/C top swivel fit an old mk1 foil? And would the swivel slide off then top over the forestry connection. Someone is selling the mk2 swivel on ebay.

 

[pvb]

Thanks but It is a mk1 type B and the selden website does not seem to provide a parts list for it. Would a mk2 type B/C top swivel fit an old mk1 foil? And would the swivel slide off then top over the forestry connection. Someone is selling the mk2 swivel on ebay.

Email Selden and ask the question (and ask for a Mk1 manual too!).