Barlow winch questions

[Ziradog]

My 23-2 has Barlow #16 sheet winches. One of them has some issues, and I need to either replace it or replace a number of parts. In looking for a replacement, I have have found at least 3 variants of the Barlow 16. Mine have 5 mounting bolts, and no screw in the top center holding the drum on. I have seen some with 4 mounting bolts, and most commonly, 6 bolts. Some have slotted screws in the top holding the drum on, others have allen head screws.

So, what parts are similar between these? Can I buy any of them & steal parts like bearings & pawls? I would prefer not to buy brand new winches because of price. I would also prefer to not drill 4 or 6 new mounting holes or end up with mis-matched winches. Any thoughts?

 

[RichBone]

Unless you can find some old Barlow winches to use or cannibalize you'll need to get new or used winches. Personally I wouldn't trust them anyhow as old as they are. I had them on my boat when I rebuilt mine. No bearings, just a plastic spindle.

 

[Jackdaw]

Look here, you might find the parts you need.

http://www.arco-winches.com/products/spares

 

[Ward H]

When I went to do maintenance on my Barlow 10's I found both plastic spindles had cracked. It was time for replacements. BTW, this was on a 1980 25.

 

[njlarry]

I would not trust a Barlow 16. There is no positive lock on the drum. First time I used it, it spun off, hit me in the chest and almost knocked me overboard.
Replaced it with a used Lewmar (# 6 I think).
I have read of the same thing happening to others. Larger Barlows had a bolt in the center that locked the drum on.
I can tell you it made a great door stop.