Lewmar Genoa Cars

After weighing the options from Lewmar and Harken, I have decided to refurbish and re use Hatha's original genoa track and cars.

Does anyone know if it is possible to remove the plunger assembly from these cars without destroying the knob or small cap on top?

Thanks

Tonyh

Dear Tonyh,

yes, you have to be very careful, but of course you can dismantle the cars. I did with mine about ten years ago. Not a difficult job at all.

Fair winds

matteo (38/067 Only You)

Thanks Matteo

I am planning on stripping the cars and re-chroming them, so I will need to remove the plungers.

Have you or has anybody else ever removed these, and what is the secret?

Tonyh

Dear Tonyh,

no secret, just be very careful when dismantling and very very patient. i di re-chromed them, will take a picture of them on the week end and will post it.

Fair winds!

matteo (38/067 Only You)

Dear Tonyh,

I have removed my tracks and cars and am also planning to re-chrome so I will anxiously await any advice provided here!

Good Luck.

Chris

Chris

I still do not know how to get the plungers apart. If you look at Matteo's photo you can see there is a pin with a mushroomed head that I believe is holding the knob on which in turn (I guess) captures the spring and plunger. The only way I can see to get these apart is to destroy the small pin and cap on top and remake whatever needs to be made to put them back together again after.

The roller and stirrup assembly appears straight forward

I have come across a company in Washington State called Zephyrwerks that makes sheaves- stock and custom, and am planning to use them for the cars, masthead sheaves, and others that I'll be needing.

Good Luck

Tonyh

Dear Tonyh,

I just examined my Lewmar car and I agree that the spring-loaded pin cannot be removed without damage; from what I can see it is riveted in place.  I will spend some more time later today and see if I can come up with another method.  Once the entire car is apart, an alternative may present itself.

Thank you for the company name that provides sheaves; I need to purchase several for the trim-tab adjustment mechanism.

If I have any additional information, I will post a note.

Good luck with your project.

Fair winds,

Chris

Hi all,

I would also be highly interested in finding the most appropriate solution. I have scrolled down this site and I have found a picture of travellers before and after up-grading. You may want to look. You can find this picture under the maintenance section. Go and see under 431/012 Caid.

Look forward to hearing any suggestion / reaction. May be Professor could help us...

Christophe

Antares (41/11) 

Dear Christophe, Chris, Tony
The refurbished car on Caid does not have a plunger any more, instead there is an attachment point for a towing line, enabling the cars to be controlled from the cockpit.

Chris is right that the pin and knob are riveted together, and when opening this connection one must be careful to retain the possibility of re-riveting.
All is not lost, however, if the re-riveting does not work, a new pin could be made, or a separate stopper installed on the track aft of the car.
Kind regards
Lars

Dear Professor,

Thank you.

If the rivet could not be re-used, I wonder if the pin could be drilled and tapped and screwed in place.  Alternatively, knowing nothing about the chroming process, could the pin be held up and covered?  This second alternative is unlikely, I realize.

With warm regards,

Chris

Dear Chris
The alternatives to be investigated after disassembly.
Does twisting of the knob 1/4 turn lock the plunger in up-position?
Chroming requires complete disassembly.
Kind regards
Lars

Dear All,

the rivets could definetly be re used, I did with my owns, and I am not a keen hand worker, you have just to be very very careful and tender when dismantling, and very firm when you re assembly.

On Monday I will post a pic on the same car I posted above, after more then ten years of my overhaul, I am now onboard and have no possibility to download pics from my camera.

The modified cars on Caid, as far as I remember, do not work under load, so, my opinion, usless to modify them.

Fair winds!

matteo (38/067 Only You)

Ten years (or more) after I overhauled the cars.

Fair winds!

matteo (38/067 Only You)

Dear Professor,

Thank you.

Sorry for the delay.  No, the knobs do not lock with a 1/4 turn.

I can see a possible way to squeeze the rivet at the top and possibly re-use it.  If not, as you say, alternatives can be examined at the time.

Chris

Dear All,

definetly possible, just do it with care and be very firm when re assembly.

Fair winds!

matteo (38/067 Only You)

Dear all

Thank you Matteo, Professor, and Chris, it sounds like we have a plan.

It will probably be a couple of weeks before I get to actually working on the cars, but I will post results when I have them.

I would be interested to know how it goes for Chris if he gets to his before I do.

Tonyh 44 004 Hatha

Dear All,

Thank you!

I will attempt to get to this job over the next two weeks but I have several ahead of it.  The weather here in Delaware has been strange this spring and summer - a lot of rain and then very high temps.  I have been trying to get my engine back together but  can only stay below in the stifling air for brief periods.  Yesterday, Alex, my son, and I successfully applied the new gaskets and seals for the oil sump - that was a much bigger job than I thought.  Today, with luck, I will apply the rear mail oil seal and then reassemble the engine!

After that - fun jobs like this one!

Chris

Dear All,

I spent a little time with the cars this weekend and attempted to carefully reshape the rivet heads up so that I could remove the pin knobs - no luck.  This is a SS pin and is very tough.  It will take a lot of force to crush the head before the knobs may be removed.  I suspect that the Professor's alternative solutions may be investigated before I am finished with this project. 

Next step - brute force.

Chris

Dear All,

I worked on the cars for a little while in between other projects (all for the home) and here are a few pictures.  The results are mixed and I would suggest that this is not an easy task since quite a bit of force was used to reshape the rivets.  In the end, removing the pull knob is just one step of many.  Removing the sheaves is turning out to be a project unto itself!  I will post additional pictures on that when it's finished.

Dear Chris, Christophe, and Matteo

Here is how I finally solved the pin on my genoa cars.

The photo shows the destroyed phenolic cap, but preserving the Lewmar washer on top.

I then simply cut off the rivet, and had a machinist make a new Delrin cap and drill and tap for a screw to replace the rivet.

Simple when it's all said and done, but I did not know what I would find beneath the phenolic cap.

The new bumpers are 10mm polyurethane rod, but I could not fully insert them without first drilling a small hole through the bottom of the car to let the air out.
Thanks Chris for contributing your photos.

Happy Sailing

Tonyh