Just a thought
You've probably already done this... but I've got the original Maxwell 23's on my '87 H31, and even though I've been pretty good about routine maintenance and lubrication over the years (well, sometimes not THAT good), I noticed a bit of internal drag, especially when using the winches under heavy loads. Anyway, last time I took one of them apart, I took out the spiral, stainless steel race inside of the drum (which I had never done previously) and, whaddaya know, there was some schmutz (sp?) outside of the race, on the inner surface of the drum, that was making the race 'tighter' on the bearings, if that makes any sense. I removed the schmutz with a wire brush and some emery paper, re-greased and reassembled the winch, and voila! It made a remarkable difference when using the winch under load. I also got a BIG winch handle to replace one that went to Davy Jones' locker, and winching my 150 genoa in heavy air is considerably easier now. I know.... I'm probably the only guy on the planet who hadn't bothered to remove the race while lubricating the winch, but who knows... maybe there's someone else out there as lazy as I am who might read this thread. I had been considering upgrading the winches, but now I can blow that dough on drugs and booze. Just kidding.
