Dan,
I've got a Selden In Mast
furler on my
Bavaria and in general don't have too many issues with it being difficult to fly or furl due to friction. Certainly not to the extent you seem to be anyway. Only time I sometimes struggle is to bring it out when it can be a bit of a heave.
Have you greased/lubed the
furling mechanism recently? I try to do mine every year with WD40 or other such spray into the bearings on the upper furler and Teflon or similar grease on the lower furler (being more accessible) and the entire furling mechanism. I also lube the boom car and spray the sheave bearings every year. I did have to adjust the tension on the outhaul sheave a couple of years ago as it was not rotating freely which did help.
Sometimes the friction can be tricky to pin down and may be a multiple of factors, such as the 270º angles or a couple of slightly tight sheaves.
Another area to look at is the diameter of the lines and halyards. We are all guilty of wanting a line that we can grip or feel in hand but a 10mm line will give much less friction than 12mm. Something to look at when it comes time to re rig.
Hope that helps you free things up
Keiron