Messed up Profurl Unit...Oh Crap

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May 23, 2004
3,319
I'm in the market as were . Colonial Beach
I finally got someone up the mast today only to find out that the unit had some serious issues. We had to take the sail down from uptop to get it off. We then took the halyard off of the unit and brought that down with the poor soul in a bosun's chair. After that we took the unit off of the forestay.

The part of the profurl that slides up and down and has the bearings so that it turns with the sail as it furls around the extrusions is jammed into place. It won't budge.

I figure that I need to replace that part and the upper extrusion. My unit is a LCI 32.

Where do I find the parts?

What will they run me?

How hard will it be to put back up?
 
Feb 26, 2004
22,759
Catalina 34 224 Maple Bay, BC, Canada
Sorry to hear that. Sounds like your upper swivel under the Darth Vader failed.

ProFurl should have a website, I think their US rep is in FL.

BTW, we have the same unit. The real trick is to keep "religiously" checking that the swivel is as high as it can go. Halyard stretch (mine is only Sta-Set, believe me I know stretch!) is the real enemy of the upper portion of these units.

Good luck.
 
May 23, 2004
3,319
I'm in the market as were . Colonial Beach
Yes Stu. Very true. My enemy is that some of the set screws in one of the extrusions came loose and it allowed the unit to move up and rotate. It sucks but it is life. I learned a lot about the profurl after today. It is a simple unit, which is probably a good thing. I am anxious to get the parts and get it back together!!
 
Sep 25, 2008
2,288
C30 Event Horizon Port Aransas
I just installed my profurl 320 two days ago. I have an extra piece of extrusion about 5' long. I had to saw about a foot of it off to complete the extrusion length to the top.
I am not sure if the cross section is the same as your's or not. But if it is you are welcome to it. The extra piece of extrusion for the 290 was $150. I don't know what they are for your's or even my own furler.
 
May 23, 2004
3,319
I'm in the market as were . Colonial Beach
Very interesting update! I just took my top swivel unit off the extrustion. It took a little banging with a mallet. It has some scaring on some parts from the banging but it still swivels and what not.

I found out tha tthe reason it failed was that there is this set screw on the unit and it wore through this plastic piece that goes inside the bottom of the unit. The set screw is to keep the plastic piece tight against the extrustions. Once the set screw wore through the plastic piece the whole unit would rotate and it wore places on the extrusion. It finally fell all the way in and jammed up causing my problem.

I am going to get a quote for a new top swivel and also replace the extrusion. I may not have to replace the swivel but while it is down if the top swivel isn't ridicilous expensive I will replace it for good measure.
 
Nov 24, 2009
36
Catalina C-30 Lake Ray Hubbard
I have also had set screw problems. When you put it back together use lokctight. I think that I used the red stuff
 
May 23, 2004
3,319
I'm in the market as were . Colonial Beach
Ugh!!!!!!! Just ordered the parts. You don't want to know what that cost me!
 
Feb 26, 2004
22,759
Catalina 34 224 Maple Bay, BC, Canada
We had a set screw problem years ago, remember it being on the top swivel, too. We just tapped a slightly bigger hole.

Years earlier when originally installed the original rigger guy was a real jerk and didn't locktight one of the extrusion screws either. A few weeks later the top swivel wouldn't come down, but at least it was low enough that he could stand on the pulpit and fix it. I was "this close" to pushing him off when he said: "The guy who did this shoulda used locktite." He WAS that guy!

One of the reasons I got into DIY.

Good luck with the new parts.
 
Sep 25, 2008
2,288
C30 Event Horizon Port Aransas
Loctite came in the box with mine.
Must be a new thing for them to include it.
 
May 23, 2004
3,319
I'm in the market as were . Colonial Beach
You can bet that I will be using locktite on mine when I re-install it. The damn parts were crazy expensive. The new swivel unit was $560 and the extrusion was close to $350. Ack!! I was so tempted to try to salvage the top swivel unit but I realized that I wouldn't be able to buy the plastic insert that went into it and it had gotten chewed up inside when the set screw fell through the hole. The set screw actually jammed the swivel unit on the upper extrusion.

Well, when I put the new piece of extrusion on the furler, and the new swivel unit it is about a half new roller furling unit. It is interesting that they used the LCI 32 because that unit is designed for a bigger boat.
 
Sep 25, 2008
2,288
C30 Event Horizon Port Aransas
You can bet that I will be using locktite on mine when I re-install it. The damn parts were crazy expensive. The new swivel unit was $560 and the extrusion was close to $350. Ack!! I was so tempted to try to salvage the top swivel unit but I realized that I wouldn't be able to buy the plastic insert that went into it and it had gotten chewed up inside when the set screw fell through the hole. The set screw actually jammed the swivel unit on the upper extrusion.

Well, when I put the new piece of extrusion on the furler, and the new swivel unit it is about a half new roller furling unit. It is interesting that they used the LCI 32 because that unit is designed for a bigger boat.
My furler was less than $700 including shipping. I think the classic cruiser units like you have are more expensive for some reason. Though the parts seem to be similar.
 
Sep 25, 2008
2,288
C30 Event Horizon Port Aransas
Was the extrusion piece a whole piece that was ruined? I installed a C320, you'r is a LCI32. The extrusion pieces are listed on the profurl website as the same.
Your's is a tall rig isn't it? The last piece of extrusion couldn't have been that much longer than mine though. I only used a foot off of a 6' piece.
Edit: The total on my furler was $782 for the C320. The C290 was $690. I kept the C320.
 
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May 23, 2004
3,319
I'm in the market as were . Colonial Beach
Today I spoke with a Profurl Rep. I told them about the problem. They said for me not to replace the top swivel, clean out the burrs and they are sending me the plastic piece and a new set screw to put in the unit. They are also sending me a piece of extrusion cut to the exact length I need. Profurl did this under warranty so this only cost me shipping!!!!!!!

I cancelled the order to pyachts!

I am a very happy profurl customer!
 
Oct 22, 2008
3,502
- Telstar 28 Buzzards Bay
That's the difference between good customer service and bad... a good company will make it right, often even if it isn't their fault, just to keep their customers happy.

Today I spoke with a Profurl Rep. I told them about the problem. They said for me not to replace the top swivel, clean out the burrs and they are sending me the plastic piece and a new set screw to put in the unit. They are also sending me a piece of extrusion cut to the exact length I need. Profurl did this under warranty so this only cost me shipping!!!!!!!

I cancelled the order to pyachts!

I am a very happy profurl customer!
 
May 23, 2004
3,319
I'm in the market as were . Colonial Beach
I do need to add that when I spoke with Kevin at Pyachts he was also very happy so I would use them again. He actually gave me the profurl information. Pyachts also was good to me!
 
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