Selden Mainsail furler servicing

[derek]

Many thanks Guy that was very informative
Derek

[RH2]

Hi,

I had a couple of requests for photos so I have added a bit of commentary to hopefully assist.
Also correction, allen keys are required, not hex keys

Regards

Guy

[RH2]

Hi,
I did mine as well. Quite painless. There was one bearing i could not get to, and in reality only the seals had failed so I replaced all the seals, all but one bearing, the spring on the motor shaft and repacked the whole mechanism with grease.

Some big hex keys were about the only tool. Make sure you mark the motor cables. Mine were reversed and doing the service let me put them the right way.

I took a bunch of photos i am happy to share if people need then.

[tday01]

I did this service earlier this year with some help from Jeff. It was relatively straightforward. I also got the casing powder-coated while it was apart.

I would definitely remove the gearbox to replace any bearings or seals. There were was one race that wouldn't come out even after putting it in the oven, and one bearing that wouldn't come off the shaft. I took it to a local machine shop. He removed the race by "tickling" it with an arc welder. He removed the bearing with a cold chisel and hammer(which wouldn't have had the nerve to to). Paid him a six-pack. After that, it was very straightforward. The parts are so inexpensive I replaced all bar one bearing.

DM if you have any questions.

Tony

[jt11791]

Not winch grease, no, I used waterproof axle bearing grease commonly used on boat trailer wheels.  You want a heavy, sticky grease that will stay on the bearings and gears.  The bearings should be packed using a packing tool to completely fill them with grease, again just like a wheel bearing.

-Jeff

[Hermitage]

Thanks JT for your advice.

One more question in preparation, did you regrease it with normal winch grease?

[jt11791]

It might be possible to change the horizontal shaft seal with the gearbox in place, but I don't recommend trying.  The box is not hard to remove (I managed by myself) and working on it will be much easier off the mast.  The seal is inserted from the inside, so you will need to remove the horizontal shaft/worm gear.  While you have the box off, replace the seal on the vertical shaft as well.  It's this seal that lets water in when it fails, so might as well replace it.

Good luck!

Jeff Taylor
S/V Renegade

[Hermitage]

I am looking to do this service as well as we have grease coming out around where the winch handle fitting goes in.

Is it possible and recommended to change the grease seal without removing the gearbox from the mast? Is it a one or two person job?

[Ripple]

Without having the manual in front of me, I recall a recommended service interval of 5 years. When we bought Capers, the boat was 11 years old and the drive did not run smoothly. Upon inspection, the bearings were in corroded pieces and looked like they had been buried in dirt for a century. So I’d say that 11 years is too long to go without servicing.

Jim, h46-53

[svphoenixdawn]

What’s the recommended service frequency? Are there any “usual” symptoms indicating servicing? Less furl power, etc Thx! H-46/58

[RobS]

A little bit of practical advice about that shaft:  When I bought our Hylas 49 I was advised to keep the end of that shaft, where the winch handle fits in, covered all the time with rigger's tape.  You can always peel that off if you need to use the winch handle, but otherwise a bit of tape is very handy to keep the sea water out of the bearings.

[jt11791]

The oil seals fit around the outside of the shaft.  The central part of the shaft with the 8 point star for the winch handle does not have a seal.

Here's a link to the seal that I bought:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07C29YQWD/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o08_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

If you open up your gearbox and find the bearings aren't damaged, I wouldn't replace them, just re-pack with grease.  They'll last forever if the sea doesn't get to them.

The short section of tube (foil) that connects the gearbox to the luff foil looks so substantial to me that I can't imagine it ever breaking.  I suspect that the post here about one breaking was a different furler than what I have.  I'd carry a spare electric motor or another fifth of rum before bothering with a spare for mine.

[Windswept]

Very nice JT.... great detailed write up! Looks by your description...not so difficult which is a good thing. Certainly on my to do list. One thing #5 You mention....(the short section of foil) I am wondering if this is (which I will have to go back and find within this forum) the section, that is the weak link.... and inturn should be carring a spare if circumnavigating?

Your descripton... Brown goo (water? grease? oil?) leaking from where the handle to furl manually attaches. Is exactly what is happening here....but, no bearing issue. Needless to say, once I crack this project (prolly late summer) I will change out the bearings as well.

Q. At the crank handle, insert point.... is this a seal? If so, where did you get it? Thanks Don

[jt11791]

My unit came off the mast easily because whoever installed it used lots of Tef Gel (thank God!).

To remove the gearbox from the mast:
1) Remove the four cap screws from the port side of the gearbox and pull the side cover with the electric motor out being careful not to lose the spring and shaft key that will come out with the drive shaft.
2) Disconnect the DC leads from the motor and set the cover/motor aside.
3) The gearbox is held to the mast with four torx head bolts.  These have captive nuts behind them, so don't worry about dropping the nuts down inside the mast, they will stay put. 
4) With the torx bolts removed, the gearbox will come free from the mast enough to allow you to disconnect the electric cable conduit.  Disconnect the conduit and pull the cables from the gearbox.
5) There is a universal on top of the gearbox which drives the luff foil via a short section of foil.  These pieces all just slide together, so once the  electric cable and conduit are removed, the gearbox should slide free.  The universal will come with the gearbox, along with the short foil section, which is loose so don't drop it.  The luff foil will stay in the mast.

I did check the brushes in my electric motor and found they were fine, nothing needed there.  The furler motor doesn't run for long periods of time, so the brushes are likely to last a very long time.

Symptoms that caused me to open this can of worms:
Brown goo (water? grease? oil?) leaking from where the handle to furl manually attaches.
Stickiness and occasional jams that required manual cranking to clear.
Loud sounds from what I now know to be failed bearings.

When I first tested my rebuilt gearbox I thought it wasn't working because it was so quiet!  From the time I purchased the boat the furler had always been loud.  I thought that was normal, what did I know?  Now it's silent.   

[Windswept]

Nice job and info jt....I see this project in my future. Q. Was removing the unit off the mast difficult? Also, did you install new brushes in the motor? Thanks Don/Windswept 46 #028