Roller furler lubricant

[n5ama]

I have a CDI roller furler on my Cape Dory 25D that is very stiff to operate. It uses a metal washer/disc at the base and I assume some sort of lubricant would help with it’s stiffness. I’ve contacted CDI but would appreciate some real world advise on a lubricant that might be used to fix this problem.

I have a can of white lithium grease that has a tubular nozzle on it that might aid in getting the grease to the bearing surface without tearing the furler down. I would obviously prefer not having to do this if possible.

Thanks in advance for any help!

[bensolomon]

Definitely NOT grease. It will attract dirt, dust, and all kinds of debris and make it much worse period in addition, as it gets wet you will have a grease stain on your fore deck. Best to use sailkote MC lube, if anything.

Have you checked the swivel at the top of the furler?

[n5ama]

Ok, great advise. Thanks for the quick response! I’ll look for sailkote MC lube.

[tkeithlu]

One problem. You may need to get the old lubricant out of the bearings before you put the new in. If the situation is no lubricant, just add it, if the problem is that old lubricant is jamming the works, you may need to start over.

[Jim Cate]

Originally Posted by tkeithlu

One problem. You may need to get the old lubricant out of the bearings before you put the new in. If the situation is no lubricant, just add it, if the problem is that old lubricant is jamming the works, you may need to start over.

I don't think that these furlers have "real" bearings like Profurl, Harken et al have. IIRC, it incorporates an integral halyard, no top swivel or bottom bearings between foil and wire and is a totally different design from the "standard" types.

I suspect that the disk the OP mentions is between the drum and a stop clamped on to the stay that supports the weight of the foil and sail... a simple thrust bearing. Quite possibly it is made of some slippery plastic like teflon or polyethylene and not meant to be lubricated... but that is a guess, not knowledge.

Jim

[n5ama]

You are correct. A simple disc of metal separates the upper “cup and dust cover from the lower bearing surface. The best I can describe it is two round flat surfaces seperated by a 1/8” thick disc of Polished metal. The lower surface appears to be a white material ( probably not Teflon because it flows under pressure).

I sprayed the thrust disc and area with sailkote and also the jib where it was hanging up on the radar unit.