Harken winches are reliable, rugged and extremely efficient. They come in a wide variety of sizes and in manual, or with hydraulic and electric drives. Below are answers to questions that are often asked about our winches.
general
How often should I service my winches?
You should service your winches at least once during the pre-season. However, if your boat lives in a salt
water environment, where the seasons are longer, servicing your winches twice a season is best. If you race
your boat hard, you may want to maintain your winches before every regatta. The more often you service your winches,
the faster you become.
What kind of tools do I need?
You'll need a straight blade screwdriver to remove the drum. Some of the larger winches require a set of metric
Allen wrenches (4 mm, 5 mm, 6 mm, and 8 mm). You'll also need a thin utility knife or small pocketknife to remove
the pawls.
Are there materials beside black aluminum?
Harken winches also come in chromed bronze, polished bronze, stainless steel and carbon fiber.
Oil or Grease
Can I use McLube™ Sailkote™ to grease my winch?
McLube™ Sailkote™ is a great product and you can use this dry lubricant to make sails, hulls and
rigging more efficient and last longer.But for winches, we recommend Harken Winch Grease, a special all-temperature
grease that is very resistant to salt and fresh water.
Can white lithium grease be used on the gears?
Probably, but it will not hold up in a marine environment. Harken grease is best because it is a non-aging,
high-synthetic lubricant that will resist both salt and fresh water.
What parts of a winch get oiled and which get greased?
Clean the winch parts with a mild solvent and then lightly grease the gear teeth and roller bearings.
Don't overdo it. Too much grease can pick up dirt, sand, etc. and damage the gears.
Make sure you use a synthetic type of grease that is resistant to both salt and fresh water.
The pawls (they make the clicking noises as the winch rotates) should be lubricated with a SAE 30 weight oil. Don't use grease. This heavy lubricant may make the pawls stick so the winch
backwinds.
mechanics
How do I remove the drum?
Remove the screw that sits in the bottom of the winch handle socket. Lift the socket out and then the drum.
Remove the drum carefully because sometimes the roller bearing cage sticks in the drum and could drop in the water.
How do I adjust the stripper arm?
To adjust the stipper arm on winches from 16ST to 53.2ST, remove the top screw and the winch handle socket from
the winch. Lift the stripper arm, turn it to the position you want, and put the socket and screw back in place.
For more information, read the appropriate service manual, or call us at Harken (262-691-3320) and we
will walk you through the adjustment process.
Will the self-tailing mechanism work with a variety of line sizes?
Yes. THe upper jaw of the self-tailing device is spring loaded to accommodate different line sizes. For example,
the 40.2 self tailing winch will handle 8 mm to 12 mm line.
Winch Handles
Will a Harken winch handle fit other manufacturers winches?
Yes. As long as it isn't the very old bronze Merriman style that takes a unique side handle.
Should I use an 8" (203 mm) or 10" (254 mm) winch handle?
Published power ratios for most winches are based on a 10" (254 mm) handle length because it is the most comfortable length for most sailors. 8" (203 mm) handles are faster because they swing through a smaller circle. However, power is reduced by 20%. 8" (203 mm) handles are ideal for smaller boats and for light air, where speed is needed and power is not.
Links:
Brion Toss article: www.harken.com/winches/BrionToss_Winchpower.php
Harken article: www.harken.com/Harken_WinchesMagnifyPeoplepower.php
Harken article: www.harken.com/servicingwinchesmikelee.phpr.php
Harken article: www.harken.com/charts/captivereelwinch.php
Copyright© 2008 Harken, Inc. All rights reserved
If you would like to link to or reprint this article please contact Brownie Lewis
