| Author | Comment | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 steve2937 |
Main Sheet Traveler Upgrade |
Lead | ||
|
Posts: 8 03/20/08 09:53:37 |
The main sheet traveler on our 1997 Catalina 42 works hard. I have lubed it several time with very temporary improvement. I talked to Harken about an upgrade
and they suggested I replace the track and blocks (about $1000 for the parts). Has anyone done this? Does Garhauer make a replacement? Thanks for any
suggestions offered.
Steve Ball Hull 559 Holland Michigan |
|||
|
|
||||
|
peter |
same | #1 | ||
|
Posts: 254 03/20/08 10:39:15 |
Click on the traveler topic at the top of the tech discussion and it should answer all your questions ....
|
|||
|
|
||||
|
garrywillis |
#2 | |||
|
Posts: 278 03/20/08 10:46:50 Moderator |
Steve,
Garhauer certainly does make a replacement and I would say that their travelers are on 99.99% of the over 1,000 Catalina 42's built to date and more than half the price of Harken. http://garhauermarine.com/catalog_process.cfm?cid=34 First, I would call Garhauer (909.985.9993) and talk with either Guido or Mark to determine what the cause is and then follow their remedy. Your hull has a ball bearing traveler and should operate just fine. Many times the traveler lines themselves get old and crusty and don't move around the sheaves like new ones so check them. Also, since there is an upward pull on the car itself, make sure those bearings are lubed too. Another thought is the kind of lubricant you are using. WD 40 should not be used as it collects dirt and dust so only a dry PTFE spray should be used like Harken's McLube or West has a cheaper equivalent. The car should be cleaned with fresh water first and then lubed. The ball bearings can develop flat spots if the car has not been moved in a while so that is another thing to look into. But do call Garhauer and I'm sure you will be treated very well and offered sensible suggestions.
Garry
"Breezn" #502 2-Cabin |
|||
|
|
||||
|
jerrygagerman |
#3 | |||
|
Posts: 74 03/20/08 14:53:04 |
Steve,
This January I purchased the traveler upgrade for my 1994 Mk I at Strictly Sail in Chicago directly from Garhauer. I haven't installed it yet, but there is no need to replace the track. I purchased two new end fittings and a new traveler fitting. All are designed to install over the existing track. The new technology is a great improvement over what originally came with my boat. The cost was far less than the quote from Harken. Jerry Gagerman Mk I C42 #431 Current Sea |
|||
|
|
||||
|
ajchan |
#4 | |||
|
Posts: 157 03/20/08 18:44:57 |
ajchan wrote:
Threepenny Opera
1999 C-42 MK II, 2CP Wing #640 http://the-voyages-of-threepenny-opera.blogspot.com/ |
|||
|
|
||||
|
jerrygagerman |
#5 | |||
|
Posts: 74 04/01/08 09:36:39 |
Addison,
Thanks for the heads up on the spacers. I called Guido at Garhauer, & the parts were sent out to me immediately. The installation was really easy, with the exception of unscrewing the traveler track ends. I had to use a wrench on a large phillips screw driver to remove the bolts. After that, it was a breeze. Garhauer and the members of this list come through again. Jerry Gagerman C-42 #431 Current Sea |
|||
|
|
||||
|
steve2937 |
Main Sheet Traveler Upgrade | #6 | ||
|
Posts: 8 04/03/08 19:44:29 |
Thankyou very much for your excellent comments and suggestions. I contacted Guido at Garhauer and he recommended removing the end cap. If I am unable to
remove the screws he recommended drilling them out and then retaping for a 5/16 machine screw. He will then supply a new end cap sized for the new screws. He
said if I have the 5 inch car I need to replace it with the 8 inch one. If I have the 8 inch he will rebuild it at no charge. I am not sure which car I have.
The boat is currently on the hard. On my next trip to the boat in two weeks I will see if drilling out the end cap is feasible. It sounds like removing the
track is no easy task. Thanks again for your help.
Steve Ball Hull 559 |
|||
|
|
||||
|
jerrygagerman |
#7 | |||
|
Posts: 74 04/07/08 10:59:36 |
Steve,
On my Mk I, the end caps (vertical plates at each end of the traveler track) were really easy to remove. The difficult part was unscrewing several screws holding the ends of the the traveler track to the deck. There are four to six screws at each end of the track, & only the two end screws on each side had to be removed. Then, it's easy to slide out the old blocks & cam cleats and slide in the new Garhauer hardware. There is no need to completely remove the traveler track. I did have the old 5 inch car & replaced it with the new 8 inch piece. Great improvement. Jerry Gagerman C 42 #431 Current Sea |
|||
|
|
||||
|
steve2937 |
Main Sheet Traveler Upgrade | #8 | ||
|
Posts: 8 05/09/08 20:27:44 |
I have received the new Traveler upgrade from Garhaur. It looks great. I plan to take the track off rather than hacksaw off the shieves on each end. I have
two bolts that go from the track through the cabin ceiling. The other six bolts are threaded into nuts that are above the cabin ceiling and are not exposed.
Have others had problems removing and reinstalling the track? Did you use an anti seizing material when you reinserted the bolts? Any comments on removing
the track would be appreciated. I noted the issue on the ball bearings, but am concerned about reinserting the bolts and having them properly thread into the
buried nuts. Thanks,
Steve Ball Hull 559 |
|||
|
|
||||
|
ajchan |
#9 | |||
|
Posts: 157 05/10/08 03:34:41 |
Hi Steve
Lifting the traveller is a real treat. You will need a pry bar, the longer the better and a couple of blocks of wood to use as a fulcrum. I also has a small piece of plywood to protect the traveller track as well. In addition to the pry bar, you will need some bedding compound (I used 4200) and some anti-seizing compound (I used Lanocote). Finally an extra pair of hands is really useful as well. It is possible to do it alone.... but you need long arms and a dodger that allows you to stand in the companionway and reach the traveller. The outboard screws on the traveller are 5/16 machine screws in 316 stainless that go into a threaded blind hole underneath the line organizer. They are a little stiff to take out, but once you start them turning, they come out fairly easily. The inboard screw on each side is 304 stainless and protrudes all the way through the coach roof, and is fastened with a nut on the coach roof. Once the outboard screws are all out, go below and remove the capnut and washer off of the 5/16 machine screws that protrude through the coach roof. You will see them located in front of the aft head and over the corner of the galley at the sink. Once the nuts are off, the prying fun begins. Using your blocks of wood set up a fulcrum point close to one of the inboard machine screws. Pry the bar up gently, just enough to move it, and repeat the procedure on the inboard screw at the other end of the traveler. Work back and forth across the traveller, prying the traveler up about 1/4-1/2 inch at a time. Pay very close attention that you have not losened the cheek plate on the line organizer below the traveler. If you pry to quickly, you run the risk of lifting the cheek plate, which will release hundreds of little torlon ball bearings around the deck. Once you get the traveller uo to about 4-6 inches over the line organizer, you should be able to do the clean and jerk move by grabbing the center of the traveler and manhandling the track straight up. Gloves are handy at this point because the previously seized mainsheet car will suddenly become free and take a chunk out of the side of your hand. The good news is that the scars will heal eventually. Re-installation is essentially a reverse of the previous steps. I coated my screws with lanocote, and I put a dab of 4200 into each of the outboard holes on top of the line organizer, and a slightly larger dab inot the hole that passes through to the coach roof. As I replaced the screws, I applied a small bit of 4200 to the last 1/2 inch of each screw head, before tightening it down completely. As a side note, I replaced the cap nut with a heavy fender washer and a nylock nut on the inside of the coach roof. It might be a little over kill, but I feel much more confident about the holding power of a 5/16 nut than a decorative cap nut. Nobody has noticed anything out of place to date. One final thing, be careful to not bend the long machine screws as you pry the traveler track up. They are impossible to find, so if you bend them as I did, you will have to straighten them as best as you can, and then hammer them home...literraly before attaching the nuts on the coach roof side. Good luck Addison
Threepenny Opera
1999 C-42 MK II, 2CP Wing #640 http://the-voyages-of-threepenny-opera.blogspot.com/ |
|||
|
|
||||
|
steve2937 |
Main Sheet Traveler Upgrade | #10 | ||
|
Posts: 8 05/10/08 05:23:37 |
Addison, thankyou for the quick response and helpful info. I really appreciate it. Based on your experience I plan to cut the shieves off the end of the
track rather than remove the track. A little paint will hide the cuts which are under the new slide on shieves. Thanks again.
Steve Ball |
|||
|
|
||||
