Genoa car renovation
This winter I plan to renovate some of the deck hardware, including rechroming the genoa cars. Does somebody know how to remove the knob in the photo below? There is a thread discussing the knob on another genoa car model, this knob here seems to be different.

I am also looking for replacement plastic sliders between car and rail. Given the age of the cars I assume they would need to be machined? I will at any rate also approach Lewmar.

Christian 028/411 IF

Hi Christian.
To me this is NOT the original Lewmar piece of equipment which by the way does not have any plastic slider (see photo). It could be coming in fact from Barbarossa.
I would suggest you look at the Harken catalogue. To my knowledge they are the only ones in Europe to provide equipment for our 40x8mm genoa rails.
KInd regards.
Philippe 41/022

Thank you Philippe!

Maybe this is a difference between the 41 and the 411. I have 32mm tracks, the cars are from Lewmar (the name is on the car but not visible on the photo above). I now looked at photos of 411s on classicswan.com; it looks like there are multiple kinds of cars in use. I have also contacted Lewmar.

Christian

Hi Chris,
I can confirm that yours are original Lewmar like mine.
The plastic side sliders are a problem I also have because they are not available any more. Presently some of my cars (there are four) are without them: not a good thing but rather acceptable. I will be interested in knowing if you find a replacement.
Regarding the plungers, I am afraid but I think that the pin is pressed and flared into the knob so that its dismantling will partly spoil it. If you need to dismantle it be ready to rebuild the pin; it will not be a too difficult job.
Daniel, 411/004

Hi Chris,
as an afterthought, the pin might be threaded and screwed into the knob. I do not know but a try with heat is worth doing, especially if you plan to have it re-chromed.
Good luck!
Daniel, 411/004

I replacd the original ones with new Newmar and had to slidely adjust the plastic bearings with a hand-tool, which was only a few hours work

Thank you all for your suggestions! Feeling courageous this sunny morning, I used a hammer to extract the bolt. It is not screwed, it is a press fit. It looks like I can reassemble it in a similar way.

Regarding the sliders, I was wondering if 3D printing is a way to get them fabricated. They should be fairly simple to draw in a CAD tool. I will add progress reports to this thread.

Christian 028/411 IF

Great job Chris, my compliments! Now I am sure that many of us will follow your path, myself included.
Regarding 3D printing my only concern would be the kind of material available for such a job. Printers usually work with a material with low melting temperature which may not be fit for the sliders. I think that either delrin or teflon should be used.
Daniel, 411/004

Dear Chris, now that you have removed the knob, you might think at something more functional for tuning your jib..
Matteo Grampus 47/016

oops, crazy language originated from the smartphone....
I was meaning the following: now that you have disassembled the knob, you might think at something more functional for tuning the sheets, without any need to get out of the cockpit...
Regards, Matteo

Matteo, those wonderful old Lewmar cars already allow what you are suggesting. Putting the knob in the proper position the pin remains up freeing the car.
Moreover two eyes are already built-in, one forward and one aft, for fixing control lines like the ones you show.
Daniel, 411/004

Dear Daniele,
You might observe closer the pictures of these wonderful Lewmar genoa cars and check that the car of Chris is not the same as mine or the other one in the picture of Philippe. It might have been a special make for the 411, or, more simply, a newer model.
My model of car has no built in eyes for pulling ropes, a probably much bigger pulley in tufnol, and, unfortunately,I have never been able to lift the knob and leave it in a higher position so that it may slide freely on the rail. The knob of my car, the same of Philippe, is in Tufnol, the knobs for the 411s in the pictures are in metal.
Regards,
Matteo,Grampus 47/016

Sorry for the misunderstanding, I was indeed explaining how the cars of our 411 are made, not yours.
You indeed performed a very clever job to improve the performance of your cars in order to make them work in a way which is already accounted for in ours.
Daniel, 411/004

I got the parts back from chroming and they look spectacular. I now need to find a solution for the plastic sliders and the bumper rubber. I also wonder if there has been some kind of plastic piece between the axis and the block, to make the block sit tight. On low winds, the up and down of the block creates quite a bit of noise. Would anybody know? I am having the axis that holds the role rebuilt since I needed to drill it out.

Christian 411/028 IF

Dear Christian,

thanks so much for your very helpful information!

I just dismantled mine (with some other parts...) and they are now in process to be re-chromed, will keep you posted and hope they will be as beautiful as yours!

Fair winds!

matteo (47/069 Vanessa)

Hi Matteo,


I think I see some parts there which look like the centreboard lifting winch. Be careful Matteo, these coil-up winches and parts for these are not available anymore!!


Christian
CHINOOK, 431/003

The genoa cars are now finished, back on board and have already seen a few days of sailing.

I used a handcut piece of UV-resistant rubber between the block and the car, so that the block stands up straight again.

I also found sliders - via svb.de I purchased  Pfeiffer Marine Sliders Number 74 4100260 02  124mm. Pfeiffer Marine has an online catalogue where you can easily find them. They are too short for the Lewmar sliders, but otherwise they fit perfectly. With four sliders, cutting off the ends, you can equip one Lewmar car. Press fit using pincers, no need for glue.

The cars now look like back in the Seventies, they glide easily and they are silent, because there is no more metal on metal banging in low winds.

Christian, IF 411/028

Great finding Chris, and thank you for the information!

Daniele, 411/004 Luna Menguante

Dear U.S. Members,

I'm trying to locate the best place to send my parts for re-chroming.  The machine shop I use suggested:  http://www.paulschrome.com/

Any other suggestions?  

Chris Mabel's Casse Tete  43/003 

Hi Chris

I've had very good results from http://classiccomponents.com/

Have used them 3 or 4 times so far. They do polishing too.

Good luck!

Tonyh

Thanks, Tony, I'll try them!