barlow #23 winches

[bffatcat]

I have a pair of barlow #23 2 speed winches on my boat. They are about 30 years old. They were beginning to get a little noisy so I took them apart cleaned up all the old grease and re greased them with synthetic grease. When putting them back together there is a thick washer
and a set screw that completes the assembly. Unfortunately I dumped the thick washer overboard on one of the winches I had no choice but to put It back together without the washer. End result: both winches work fine and they are now quiet. But on the one where I lost the washer the drum does not stay secured in place.I can lift the drum off with my hands I cannot understand why the missing washer would cause the drum to be loose when the set screw is seated tight. Any Ideas?

 

[fred1diver]

that washer is probably a shim, best bet take both apart to take the other's shim and try to find another one

 

[Chris Patterson]

My guess is the cap screw is bottoming out in the mainshaft assembly. The drum obviously has to be loose, and like said the washer is probably doing double duty as a shim. I'm guessing that the drum only comes up about the thickness of the washer? It should not come completely off regardless. It seems as if the topcap should be snug on the mainshaft assembly, and IF the bolt is bottomed out as I suspect, then that play should be evident..