Changing lines in roller furling main
- Thread starter henrysri
- Start date
What lines? Which type of mast? Can you be more specific please?
Changing the "furling" line of my sparcraft mast, for example, was easy.
Changing the "furling" line of my sparcraft mast, for example, was easy.
I believe the mast is US spar. The line is the furling line that pulls in the sail.
henrisri,
We did this a couple years ago and it was easy.
Your manual will tell you the length of the 2 lines you need.
We used duct tape to hold the old line to the new line and pulled the new line thru.
On a 321, I think we have US Spar. There is a large set screw on the drum to release that line.
Pull thru gently and take your time.
Good luck!
We did this a couple years ago and it was easy.
Your manual will tell you the length of the 2 lines you need.
We used duct tape to hold the old line to the new line and pulled the new line thru.
On a 321, I think we have US Spar. There is a large set screw on the drum to release that line.
Pull thru gently and take your time.
Good luck!
I didn't take any pictures while I was cleaning the bearings. I have attached 2 additional pics that show each end of the furling drum with the shield removed. You can see they were pretty dirty. I think PO used WD40 as a Lubricant which attracts dirt.
The shield is held in place by 2 screws.
The drum is held in place by 2 hex socket head screws. remove those.
Pull the shaft out.
Now make sure you lay the drum in a large alum baking pan (the throw away type). The reason is, as you remove the drum, the bearings will fall into the pan. You don't want to loose one bearing.
Do the clean up. I used mclube sailkote as a lubricant since it dries and doesn't leave a slick film.
Putting it all together takes a bit of patience since the bearings are loose. Use the pan for assembly also.
The shield is held in place by 2 screws.
The drum is held in place by 2 hex socket head screws. remove those.
Pull the shaft out.
Now make sure you lay the drum in a large alum baking pan (the throw away type). The reason is, as you remove the drum, the bearings will fall into the pan. You don't want to loose one bearing.
Do the clean up. I used mclube sailkote as a lubricant since it dries and doesn't leave a slick film.
Putting it all together takes a bit of patience since the bearings are loose. Use the pan for assembly also.
Attachments
Recently rebuilt mine on a Beneteau 343; appears same as in the photos. I found that disassembly was fairly easy. Word of caution is to tie off the upper & lower backing plates that capture the bolts that attach the furler to the mast. The backing plates are only held in place by adhesive. During disassembly and especially when reinstalling the furler, the backing plates may dislodge & fall down into the mast. After about 3 hours trying to retrieve the backing plate that dislodged, I finally gave up and ordered another.
One other thing to consider, if the furling line is still in good shape but only swelled slightly due to exposure, wash it in your home washing machine & reinstall. Place a small thickness aluminum washer between the aluminum cover plate and the furler housing to give a bit more clearance for the swollen line. The swollen line seems to bind only on the cover plate. The washers will eliminate the chaffing/rubbing that occurs with the cover plate. As others have suggested, definitely use a baking pan lined with a towel when disassembling the bearings. The bearings have a split race/housing that when separated, allows the bearings to fall out unexpectedly. You can order additional ball bearings from US Spars if you need to. Just keep in mind that the bearing assembly is a very loose fit; even after cleaning & lubricating, it is not a smooth action. I replaced both bearing assemblies and the new ones weren't any smoother than the old ones. You can find schematics, instructions, and part diagrams on US Spars website.
Oh yea, removing the mainsail and the furler can be done single handed; however, reinstalling is another matter----definitely a two person job.
One other thing to consider, if the furling line is still in good shape but only swelled slightly due to exposure, wash it in your home washing machine & reinstall. Place a small thickness aluminum washer between the aluminum cover plate and the furler housing to give a bit more clearance for the swollen line. The swollen line seems to bind only on the cover plate. The washers will eliminate the chaffing/rubbing that occurs with the cover plate. As others have suggested, definitely use a baking pan lined with a towel when disassembling the bearings. The bearings have a split race/housing that when separated, allows the bearings to fall out unexpectedly. You can order additional ball bearings from US Spars if you need to. Just keep in mind that the bearing assembly is a very loose fit; even after cleaning & lubricating, it is not a smooth action. I replaced both bearing assemblies and the new ones weren't any smoother than the old ones. You can find schematics, instructions, and part diagrams on US Spars website.
Oh yea, removing the mainsail and the furler can be done single handed; however, reinstalling is another matter----definitely a two person job.
Looks like most have US Spar, our 99 361 has a Charleston spar/Sparcraft and the drum does not assemble the same way, it has to be disassembled before removal.
I wanted to replace the line but the screw holding the end of rope was completely seized up. In order to remove the screw I had to take it to a shop and to do that remove it. I did eventually get this done but only after dropping many bearings down the mast on removal. I had spares from sparcraft. Since I had done this Sparcraft said to use shaving cream, the gel stuff, to hold bearings in place when putting back in, that worked and I've used it for 4-5 years since then and furling is always interesting but functionally the same before and after.
US spar looks like they have a much better design. good luck!
I wanted to replace the line but the screw holding the end of rope was completely seized up. In order to remove the screw I had to take it to a shop and to do that remove it. I did eventually get this done but only after dropping many bearings down the mast on removal. I had spares from sparcraft. Since I had done this Sparcraft said to use shaving cream, the gel stuff, to hold bearings in place when putting back in, that worked and I've used it for 4-5 years since then and furling is always interesting but functionally the same before and after.
US spar looks like they have a much better design. good luck!
Henrysri, I changed the furling line on my 331 last spring. Joker's photos are hugely helpful, but you don't need to entirely remove the drum assembly to change the line. You only have to pull it out far enough out of the mast at the end where the line enters the roller to access the hollow core of the roller where the bitter end of the line is knotted. If you can pull that knot out with pliers, you can feed in a replacement line, tie a new knot, and close it all up. The other line is the outhaul, and there you just need to attach your new line to the end of the old and pull through.
Joker, if I feel compelled to pull the entire unit and regrease the bearings this spring, I will blame you and those excellent photos!
Joker, if I feel compelled to pull the entire unit and regrease the bearings this spring, I will blame you and those excellent photos!
If you have the sail off and the furling drum partially removed to replace the fuling line, may as well take the entire drum assembly out of the mast and clean the bearings. It isn't difficult to take apart and reassemble. Two critical things to remember: (1) tie off the backing plates that fit inside the mast with wire or string so that they don't fall down inside the mast (2) Use a pan to catch the bearings when you disassemble the drum--they will fall out! Clean them with mineral spirits. Mine were really gunked up. Keep in mind that these bearing assemblies are not smooth acting like most bearings. I replaced mine with new bearings; however, the new ones were just as sloppy as the old ones. I found that the most difficult part of the entire procedure was reinstalling the mainsail--- two person job.
Also, while you are working on the furler, check the cotter pin that attaches the boom to the goose neck. Apparently, the cotter pin is subject to mechanical wear and may break. Had this happen on a Beneteau 331 on charter. The pin broke off allowing the boom to break away from the goose neck and mast. Thankfully, we were sailing in light air and was able to manhandle it back together without any damage to the rig or crew.
Also, while you are working on the furler, check the cotter pin that attaches the boom to the goose neck. Apparently, the cotter pin is subject to mechanical wear and may break. Had this happen on a Beneteau 331 on charter. The pin broke off allowing the boom to break away from the goose neck and mast. Thankfully, we were sailing in light air and was able to manhandle it back together without any damage to the rig or crew.