Gibb 28 STA Winch - Disassembly Help!

[captjcook]

I am stumped! I can't figure out how to take apart my Gibb 28 self tailing secondarys to (Finally! Yeah!) paint my deck. The spiral clip just holds the top crown on. No allen screw down the middle like others. Is the arm a nut? I am really hesitant to wack it! I am taking portlight frames and hatches for re-hardcoat anodize...Thought I would throw the winches in as well. I would doubt the re-anodize would affect tolerances. I have had no luck on Google, so I am sure someone in this community will know and thanks in advance! This is a big leap for me to ask...I know everything lol!
Jim

[Pblais]

You might try looking at some of the Lemar docs as far as snap rings go. Many of them use only a snap ring too. Once you get inside a bit all winches start to sort out as far as two speed or single speed winches go.

[captjcook]

A general answer just won't due. I have taken nearly every other brand of winch apart for maintenence. There is a trick or perhaps a special tool and I seriously need help. The winches are held on with 4 screws, loose (spin) on the topside under the drum...I can wreck the screws to get the winches off, which I will do, but I am sure they weren't installed with the drums on.

[GordMay]

Take a look atGeoff Richings Gibb Winch Overhaul:
lena - Invader 22 - sailing Lena - Gibb winch repair

[captjcook]

Thanks for looking Gord, I had already seen this from my Google search. This is a non self tailing winch which has a socket cap screw down the center hole like barlow has, unfortunately not applicable. My winch has a spiral clip retaining ring on the feeder that only holds on the the washers and top crown to the feeder arm. Either the feeder arm is a nut (which I am sure would be irreplaceable if broken because it isn't a nut) or there is some other buried fastening to remove the drum. I will try to remove the last mounting nut (by holding the screw with vicegrips then cutting off the screw) from the lazerette today allowing me to remove the winch. Maybe I will see it better once removed. Some one here must have a self tailing Gibb.

[ettlingstephen]

Hi, did you get anywhere with this? I have just removed teh winch, held on by 4 loose bolts and ther is another retaining spring on hte bottom, like there is at the top but it soesn't allow me to dismantle. Like you, I don't want to force anything for fear of breaking.

[captjcook]

Hi, I put the task on hold, been repairing stress cracks with what little time I can spend. If you figure it out I'd be happy to know! I will pull mine this week and have a look.

[ettlingstephen]

Bad News! We haven't made any progress but the limited access we could get allowed me to wash out with WD40 and apply liberal grease. It is now free running and works well but I have subsequently learned that greasing it is an error and it will soon be filled with sand and salt so no doubt we'll be doing it again soon.
If I can find any guidance on how to dismantle properly I'll post it. As you say it is hel on with free turning screws and must have been fitted when disassembled to be properly tightened up which ours now isn't.
Not very satisfactory.
S

[captjcook]

The stripper is a nut, standard right hand thread. I made a quick wrench, 1-3/4 hole saw, 1/2 round bar. I don't recommend wacking the stripper.

[ettlingstephen]

Thanks for this! It certainly isn't obvious.
I'll have another look at ours over the weekend. The picture is very helpful, I didn't really understand what you meant when I had only seen the text.
Hope your weather for sailing has been better than ours this summer, all wind and horizontal rain!
Regards
Stephen

[ghostlymoron]

Don't know if this is too late to be of any use but I had a similar problem with 28STA winch. I posted a thread on PBO forum which you can search for if you like.
The stripper arm is removed by unscrewing anti clockwise. I used a rubber to gently tap the arm - it might take quite a sharp tap! The stripper then removes from above and all the other parts are revealed. I washed everything in parafin then reassembled using lithium grease sparingly and 3 in 1 for the pawls.
I took some pics of the process which are here

The pin for the bottom cog can only be removed from the bottom which means you have to remove the winch from the boat. But the main bits can be serviced/lubricated in situ.

[ettlingstephen]

Thanks for this. It confirms what CaptCook said but the rubber mallet idea is helpful as I'm not quite so handy in hte toolmaking dept as Capt Cook.
The boat is out at the moment so this is probably the time to take tehm to bits.
Happy sailing next season!
S

[captjcook]

Thanks GM for the post, I've had mine black re-hardcoated (look brand new!). You have confirmed my observation though. Your other photos show that the spacer goes between the bearings. (when I got mine apart the spacer was on the top of the two bearing stack. (as a Mechanical Engineer that made no sense at all to not spread the load). I found that the pawl springs are standard and readily available at my local source. I did have to turn a replacement washer though as one was missing.

[captjcook]

After further consideration a rubber mallet should do the trick...I would just hate to snap that stripper. I would be happy to mail you the wrench Stephen.
Jim

[ghostlymoron]

Here is the description of dismantling I put on the PBO forum last year.

Procedure for dismantling was as follows:
After removing the upper circlip and top, the stripper arm unscrews (normal thread) mine needed a sharp tap with hammer and wood block. The drum can then be removed. To fully dismantle it is necessary to remove the winch from the boat (a real pain) because the pin retaining the bottom drive cog comes out downwards. Mine was a tight fit but combination of WD40, gentle heat on the casting (place on a hot radiator for half hour) and a sharp tap from hammer using a suitable sized punch (old 8mm drill upside down) did the trick.
The inner shaft housing the pawls is removed from underneath also (same circlip arrangement as the top). The pawls can be removed using a small screwdriver to flip up the spring leg out of it's channel.
There is a nylon bush inside the inner shaft which probably doesn't need to be removed but if you want to it can be driven out from below again using a suitable drift - pre-heating the inner shaft again facilitates this. Note that, when re-inserting the bush, there is a chamfer on one end that goes in first.
After cleaning all components with parafin, I greased the sprockets and mating surfaces with waterproof grease (not having any winch grease handy) and just lightly oiled the pawls with 3 in 1. Check the operating of the pawls after re-installing and replace springs if they seem weak.
Assembly is straighforward - even for me.
More photos of the whole process on photobucket if you're interested.
Hope I'm not teaching everone to suck eggs but I would have found the information useful a couple of weeks ago.

I've got several pics in my photobucket album at http://s496.photobucket.com/albums/rr330/ghostlymoron