Winch Maintenance

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KevinMc
Posts: 85
Joined: Sun Sep 08, 2013 5:36 am

Winch Maintenance

Post by KevinMc »

As a new owner getting ready for the season I just performed annual winch maintenance on the Harken winches and I thought I would pass along a quick overview. First it's pretty simple. Tools needed are screwdrivers, allen wrenches, a plastic bucket, mineral spirits, brushes, rags, grease and some 3-1 oil.

I called this "annual maintenance" and it was the first time for me but looking at the winches once apart it probably hadn't been done for a number of years. Instead of going over the disassembly and reassembly steps - here is a link to the Harken manuals. (http://www.harken.com/article.aspx?id=18795) Catalina 350 winches are under the "Manual Classic" tab.

Instead, here are some "I wish I knew that before I started tips"

Print a copy of the Harken manual (it's only two pages) - having a diagram handy will help.
Take some cellphone photos of the winch before you start to take it apart.
The winches on the cabin top are held on by screws and you need to remove the entire winch to clean it.
On my boat the port cabin top winch was mounted with six screws. The starboard cabin top winch was mounted with four screws and two bolts. Accessing the two bolts is via the galley overhead access panel. No idea if that is standard or not so you may want to check the underside of the starboard winch before you start.
Remove the drum slowly - if the grease is old the plastic case for the bearings may come apart and the bearings will go flying.
Soaking the grease covered parts in mineral spirits does wonders for removing the old grease.
Cheap toothbrushes are the perfect size for cleaning.
I'm not sure if there is a major difference between Harken winch grease and a tube of white lithium grease. I used Harken grease this year - next year it's will be white lithium grease.
DO NOT grease where the paws contact the paw gear. Just oil with classic 3-1 oil. You want the paws to move freely and have metal on metal contact.
The paws can be put in backwards so be careful. When you reassemble the paws you want it to fit solidly in the paw gear. (See the Harken diagram.)
I did not disassemble the paws, just mineral spirits, some WD40 and 3-1 oil at the end.
When you have finished assembling the winches you should get a nice solid "clicking" sound when you turn the winch. If it's quiet it means there is grease by the paws.
Lastly, do one winch at a time. That way you have a working model to review if you start to reassemble the winch the wrong way.

For a maintenance project it's one of the few when you have lots of access, can be outside, doesn't involve water, electricity, diesel fuel, stiff hoses or rusted parts so enjoy!
Kevin
#59
NavSta Norfolk Marina
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