Winch trouble

[SpeakEasy]

I'm talking about the winches used for the jib sheets. I need to remove them to refinish the teak on which they are mounted. There are four machine screws through the deck with nuts under the deck. When I try to remove those nuts, the screws turn. There must be a way to dis-assemble the winches to put a screwdriver on those screws to enable me to remove the nuts.

Any help out there in Com-Pac land?

-Speak

[MacGyver]

At the top of the winch there is a ring that holds the drum onto the main winch body that you cannot see from the outside.
This ring is a split type ring and can be removed with a small flathead screwdriver.  Pry one edge out (you will see where it is.) and then waslk the ring off by going around the top part following its own circumference....

(I hope that makes sense.......)

With the ring removed, the drum slides up, and off, then you are left with access to all 4 bolts from the topside mounted into that winch body.

Mac

[Salty19]

Yep, while I don't have that particular winch, pretty sure Mac is spot on. 
I like to use the split ring pliers instead of a flathead.  No chances of gouging you or the winch, and since these are spring loaded, less likely to fling and get lost, hit something, etc. 

[jgsharpe]

Just did this same chore.  The four slot-head bolts have nuts on the underside of the deck.  Have someone topside hold the screw with a large screwdriver while you lay on your back underneath and remove the nuts.  I used a deep 7/16 socket fitted to a portable drill.  Same for the cleats, remove the nuts from below.  If you want to remove the teak, there is a screw hidden by a teak bung in the middle of the plate.

[jgsharpe]

Mac is right on, that top clip is easily pried up with a small screwdriver. Once you have the drum off you can get to the screws. When you have the winch off you can service it as well.  I posted some pics on this elsewhere, search for Arco winch.  You'll need those snap-ring pliers to remove the clip on the underside of the winch.

[DougN]

You didn't say what brand of winch you have.Mine are the old barlow('83)and theres an allen head machine bolt I remove and the top assembly comes off.I couldn't tell you the number of times I've had them apart,but still had to go out check,comes with age I guess.                                                                             

[SpeakEasy]

They are Barlow. I prolly won't get out to the boat this weekend to try to disassemble them, but I have some pictures I took. In them I don't see evidence of a split ring OR an Allen head machine bolt. Where would that bolt be evident?

-Speak

[Allure2sail]

Saw this somewhere......when taking a winch apart while it is still installed on the boat:
Take a box (shoe box works great) and cut a hole in the bottom of it equal to the diameter of the base of the winch. Slip it over the winch before taking it apart, that way if anything falls out when you slide the drum off it stays in the box and you can retrieve it. One never knows what might have come loose or broken into pieces ready to surprise you.  After you clean it up (on or off the boat) use the proper grease and reassemble. A few years back a fellow at the marina said he was an expert at rebuilding them, so I let him do them for me....what a mistake !!!! The following year they were all messed up again, when I questioned him about the rebuild that he did he slipped up and said he used automobile wheel bearing grease !!! Claimed it was all the same....needless to say no one at the marina lets him touch a winch anymore and he is banned from ever coming near my boat again......what an idiot. I guess every marina has one, I found out the hard way.

Good luck

Bruce
S/V Allure

[Koinonia]

the shoebox is a great idea, a point that I think was left out is that it will much further reduce the risk of small winch parts going overboard!  When possible I like to wait to do winch work when the boat is out of the water. 

[DougN]

Speak,if you have the same winch as me,look down the top(right where the handle fits)and you'll see the allen bolt.I took a picture and put it on photbucket but still can't post them here.Maybe I'll top Bob23's two year record.

[ribbed_rotting_rusting]

http://l-36.com/read_pdf.php?file=winches/BarlowBarientWinchs.pdf&title=Barient%20Barlow%20Winches

This is a web site with a lot of info and actual diagrams but a lot of ads and other assorted garbage also. Barlow has been out of business for over 10 years
and I understand it is hard to find parts. the web site gives actual drawings and shows all steps, but only you can judge whether what you are planning is worth the risk in taking them apart. MJC  Luck! It does take forever to load 1.22MB,

[SpeakEasy]

http://l-36.com/read_pdf.php?file=winches/BarlowBarientWinchs.pdf&title=Barient%20Barlow%20Winches

This is a web site with a lot of info and actual diagrams but a lot of ads and other assorted garbage also. Barlow has been out of business for over 10 years
and I understand it is hard to find parts. the web site gives actual drawings and shows all steps, but only you can judge whether what you are planning is worth the risk in taking them apart. MJC  Luck! It does take forever to load 1.22MB,

Thanks for this. The directions for my winch say to push down on the button in the center of the opening for the winch handle. Today I did just that and the winch popped open as slick and easy as can be!

-Speak