Metal on Metal Wear-N-Tear (aluminum)

[rwells36]

My davit is a hoist type made from Aluminium and the half inch eyes that hoist the tender above the water at the stern have been repaired by a welding shop. I'd like to avoid the same exercise in another 5 years. Is there some sort of lubricant or material that can prevent the steel block and tackle turnbuckle form wearing away the aluminium eye holes? My first thought was graphite or WD40 but I have no clue. Thanks in advance for your help.

[LongRange]

Originally Posted by rwells36

My davit is a hoist type made from Aluminium and the half inch eyes that hoist the tender above the water at the stern have been repaired by a welding shop. I'd like to avoid the same exercise in another 5 years. Is there some sort of lubricant or material that can prevent the steel block and tackle turnbuckle form wearing away the aluminium eye holes? My first thought was graphite or WD40 but I have no clue. Thanks in advance for your help.

Lubricant won't help to any appreciable extent.

That type of elongation and eventual mangling of aluminium eyes by steel hooks can be minimized or even stopped outright by the insertion of a stainless steel eyelet into the aluminium alloy. Then it's steel-on-steel instead of steel-on-alloy.

It's fiddly to do and therefore more expensive than simply making the eyes beefier or replacing the eye tang ever so often.

[UNCIVILIZED]

Ease the edges of the aluminum holes so that they're rounded over (bullnosed), & have no sharp corners or burrs, & then hang the blocks using Spectra lashings. Then just routinely inspect the Spectra for wear, & replace as needed.

[Lepke]

Lube will help, something like waterproof grease so rain doesn't wash it away.
WD-40 is useless as a lube. WD stands for water displacement and got its start after a hurricane in Texas. It's made to dry out breakers/electrical equipment and evaporates quickly leaving very little oil.
Suppliers that cater to machine shops have many bushings of different metals and sizes. Probably available on line. It's not that difficult to drill out the aluminum and insert a bushing of a more durable metal. If you do it right, you freeze the bushing and when it's installed it expands and makes a tight fit.
Or find an aluminum shackle and hook to it. Each will wear, but takes twice as long.

[cfarrar]

What Uncivilized said.

We use nylon climbing straps because the "eyeholes" are "slot" shaped, but if they were round I'd use a dyneema loop or soft shackle.

[rwells36]

In the absence of a store I made due with an old piece of SS stansion, hacksaw and vice grips to fabricate bushings. Will do in a pinch till we are back in the states.