When to replace sheaves?

[wipe_out]

In the process of getting the mast ready and I noticed there is more play on the main halyard sheave than on the topping lift sheave.. Obviously the main get used more..

How much play is too much? When do you replace the sheaves?

 

[Spyro]

Swap the halyards over, simples

 

[vyv_cox]

What do you mean by play? My sheaves are original, 35 years old. I actually drilled the bushes out many years ago because the nylon bearings had swelled. No problems since then.

 

[johnalison]

I had a sheave break on my clew outhaul a year or two ago and fortunately this was more of a nuisance than a liability. I don't think I would want to take any chances at the top of the mast. If the sheave allows the halyard to jump over the rim and jam, it could be nasty, with no means of dropping the main. If there is no chance of this happening you could soldier on but it depends on how things look.

 

[lw395]

Eventually it may wear to the point that the rim of the sheave jams on the housing. Then it will wear quickly and become hard work.
Best to catch it before then and either renew or bore it out and insert a bush.
Swapping the least worn sheave to the most used halyard is good, while it's apart clean the axles and apply a little teflon-loaded grease perhaps?

Correct time to be doing all this is of course 'last November'. HTHBIDI.

 

[Norman_E]

If the mast is down, now is the time to do the job. Either bush the sheaves or replace, whichever is easier.

 

[Daydream believer]

My halyard sheave collapsed last year. 2/3 way through the season.
My solution- & it may help you if you get the same- was to hoist a pulley to the mast head on the halyard. Fortunately I was able to do this with no load on it.
Once the pulley was at the top, I tightened the halyard really hard & locked it off at the base of the mast & coiled up the excess halyard.

I was lucky that i was carrying the old halyard, although it was not dynema like the current one. Before hoisting the pulley I rove the spare halyard through it so I then had a means of hoisting the sail. until the end of the season.

Of course if your halyard were to jam with the sail hoisted, one would be deep in the poo & if one can sort it now then one might be silly not to.
Good luck