Winch service

[talbot]

After my port winch stopped turning, I figured I should do its first overhaul in 16 years, whether it needed it or not. It seems that winch grease, left on its own for a decade or so, assumes the characteristics of spoiled varnish that has hardened in the can. The manual says to wipe with mineral spirits. I dropped the everything in a jug, then used a flat-head screwdriver to remove the solid waste. I remember once reading an op-ed that made fun of rich people "polishing the brass on their yachts." Well, I must be a rich people now, 'cuz I totally know how to wipe my own brass:
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If anyone has Lewmar Ocean 16 self-tailing winches on their boat and wants some tips on the overhaul, let me know.

[Riggerdood]

Looks good as new talbot. My simple Barient 8P's only require oil on the pawls, and no grease on anything. Too bad I found the manual that told me this *after* I had greased them. THAT was a nasty cleanup ... 

[Brian N.]

Looks like you did an excellent job. BTW did you need to replace springs and clips?

[talbot]

I did not replace anything. Once the gunk came off, the parts seemed to be in good shape.

OK, I suppose you could say I replaced some springs, but that was because it was cold and rainy and I was working on the boat under a tarp. My fingers were numb and I kept losing my grip on the springs when I was reinserting the pawls. They jumped away and were so small I couldn't find them. So I depleted my rebuild kit.

Another thought about temperature... All the YouTube videos show people lightly dabbing the parts with Lewmar grease using an artist's brush. At the temperatures I was experiencing, the grease was the consistency of toothpaste, and there was nothing light or dab-able about it. The procedure obviously is easier in warm weather. I may even open the winches up again on a hot day just to remove what I'm sure is excess grease in the works.