This is my Furler and it has no makers stickers on it. I need to change the bearings and it would be very handy if I knew what Furler it was.
Does anyone recognise it? Is changing the bearing something I can do?

Profurl B29
Bearings are not easily done, are pressed in and out.

Thanks Brett. Looks like I'll have to take it off and get someone to do it.
Any suggestions of likely people in the Pittwater area, anybody.

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samsturdy said..

Thanks Brett. Looks like I'll have to take it off and get someone to do it.
Any suggestions of likely people in the Pittwater area, anybody.

I think I've found a place. Colin Beashel Marine, Elvina Bay.

Another good place to try is Mario Reul at Reul Rigging. www.ruelrigging.com/
He's at Bayview Anchorage Marina 1714 Pittwater Road Bayview, NSW 2104. Mario's mobile: 0412 244 649.

Actually, would be advise to take it to Rigtech at RPAYC, they do the servicing of them for Profurl (Wichard Pacific) in Australia. Is a B29S if they need to be specific.

www.proboat.co.uk/item.asp?cat_id=83&prod_id=925&dep=1
Top PDF on think link sam
It appears to not run bearings only bushes which might do with some lube

P155029 Bushings kit B29

Hey Sam
Why do you think you need to replace the bearings?
Mine is sometimes very hard to operate but it is just overrun on the furling line

and a good wash helps as well

Thanks for the reply guys.

I had my lazyjack saddles and blocks put on by Rigtech. They did a good job so thanks for that suggestion.

HG, I think they have a ball bearing race in them. So it looks like that has broken down.

Time before last when I furled the headsail there was a resistance that I hadn't felt before. It wasn't smooth
and took more effort.
Last time I used it Missus complained that it was hard to pullout. When time came to furl it I thought it wasn't
going to happen, I had to stop/start pulling the furling line the whole way and I knew something was
seriously wrong with the bearings, so I'm having to bite the bullett.

Should I take the drum off and take it somewhere to get the bearing changed and do I need to take sail
off to do this ??. Or is it a job for the professionals ??. Do I need to disconnect the forestay to get the
drum off ??
I don't mind doing the job myself as long as it's 'doable'.

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samsturdy said..

Thanks for the reply guys.

I had my lazyjack saddles and blocks put on by Rigtech. They did a good job so thanks for that suggestion.

HG, I think they have a ball bearing race in them. So it looks like that has broken down.

Time before last when I furled the headsail there was a resistance that I hadn't felt before. It wasn't smooth
and took more effort.
Last time I used it Missus complained that it was hard to pullout. When time came to furl it I thought it wasn't
going to happen, I had to stop/start pulling the furling line the whole way and I knew something was
seriously wrong with the bearings, so I'm having to bite the bullett.

Should I take the drum off and take it somewhere to get the bearing changed and do I need to take sail
off to do this ??. Or is it a job for the professionals ??. Do I need to disconnect the forestay to get the
drum off ??
I don't mind doing the job myself as long as it's 'doable'.

If it has ball bear races they will be just 6000 series metric bearing . The Furlex 100s I just put together had 6 mm balls 27 in each of the two races ,purchased locally from a bearing shop as that's when they run

you could fit them using honey(Wash it off later) as some one suggested on here . I just used water proof grease and kept it to a minimum to keep the balls in place while your assembling it
That's if there separate balls the later version on the profurl use metric bearings .
From the above pdf it appears to be bushes but may not be the correct pdf that suits your furler
You could give washing them in warm soapy water before removing it see if that helps with the resistance thats what some furling companies suggest for servicing and a pressure pack of dry lub after

Hi Sam,
Its certainly doable, I replaced the bearings in my profurl R35 furler, needed bit of help from a friend who has a well equiped workshop. Best to replace the bearings in the halyard swivel as well. Once you've pulled it apart go down to your local bearing supplier with the bits and get new seals and bearings. Hell of a lot cheaper than ordering from profurl.
My furler spun much easier and smoother after replacing the bearings.
You will need to disconnect the forestay, slide the drum and halyard swivel off the bottom.

A Bit of information on the web, here is a site to start with:
www.exfac.com/aussie_bray/profurl_bearings.htm

Here is some helpful info from one of the forums:
"Ok,I removed the system and found that the bearings in the main swivel unit had started rusting up.The double lipped seals had let moisture in.Taking them apart is pretty much the same as any mechanical seal,I first drilled a small hole into the seal in order to get a scratch awl into the seal without damaging the bearing surfaces in order to pry out the seal(you are going to destroy the seal any way you do it).I have pictures and a diagram of how they are assembled in case anyone needs it.Once the seal is removed, there are three snap-rings in the interior of the swivel,both internal and external types. The first one is mainly a stop for the seal, then on some there is an aluminum spacer that needs to come out before you can remove the next snap-ring that holds the bearings.After removal of the second one you can press the center section of the swivel out of the carrier which will push out the other seal.
I found info on the bearing sizes from Pro furl and went to Miller Bearings in Tampa and they ordered the correct sizes for me. The old bearings are carbon steel,open faced, as an extra precaution I ordered sealed bearing as well as outer seals as before. Assembly is a little different than removal,you must install the first seal onto the center section and put on the first snap-ring before pressing it into the carrier,unless you have some very long snap-ring pliers.
The system is back up and working smoothly at a cost of less than $120. I also found that this is a more common problem than we thought. Most riggers do not even bother replacing the bearings,they just order new assemblies. Don't want to think about how much that would have cost.
Profurl of course advertises their systems as having lifetime seals, but they don't warrant them that long.There are some of their furling units that they no longer make parts for,my particular one is in that category as it is a mainsail furler unit.replacing the whole assembly was not an option."

This is what the drum bearings looked like after dismantling it.

Thanks fellas and thanks retired, really good info there. I might take it to Rigtech to
determine whether it's a collapsed bearing or just a gunk build up and get them to
service it. What I do next depends on the what they say.

Thanks everybody.

Bearings are pretty easy to fix in my experience. Cant see how a furler bearing is any different to a car/motorcycle/skateboard bearing. Hardest parts getting them in and out and even that's not an issue with the right tools /method.

There separate balls not in race

I have no experience with bearings and it sounds like I won't have the necessary tools anyway.
As I have to have a masthead sheave attended to I'll get Rigtech to check out the furler at the
same time.
Worst case scenario is they'll do the job and I'll pay for it.

Plus one for that Sam sturdy

Just to finish off this thread.

I took the furler to Riggtech and it was worst case scenario.....a split seal had let in
water and rusted the bearings. They took the furler off and kept it for a week after
which they put it back on, like brand new. They told me it looked like an amatuer
had had a go in the past as the top and bottom swivels had been reversed resulting
in incorrect assembly.
At the same time I had new masthead sheaves fitted. They didn't look in too bad a
condition until you looked at the bushes, they were completely oval. No wonder they
felt 'square'.
So I'm going to try it all out tomorrow (hopefully there'll be some breeze).
Wish me luck.

You can tell Mrs sturdy if she's board I've a deck to paint Sam

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HG02 said..
You can tell Mrs sturdy if she's board I've a deck to paint Sam

No probs HG. If you are using Intergrit it can be a bit tricky to apply. Happy to answer any
questions mate.

Nice smooth halyards and furler. Beautiful

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samsturdy said..

HG02 said..
You can tell Mrs sturdy if she's board I've a deck to paint Sam

No probs HG. If you are using Intergrit it can be a bit tricky to apply. Happy to answer any
questions mate.

Tell me more sam?

Sorry I didn't answer yesterday HG, went sailing.
You will use a lot of Intergrit but can recover a lot of it too. The enemy will be
the breeze. This stuff is like talcum powder and will end up all over the boat, so
I suggest you do it in the calm of the morning or something.
You will need to put a fair covering on the paint so you don't get any bare patches
then brush it off with a brush and pan when it's dry. You can reuse what you recover.
Bodging holes in the lid of the Intergrit can is one way of applying it, but I decanted
it into a herb dispenser I had to keep the can intact.
The grip I got when finished was 100% on the old dimpled surface. It really works.
It'll be a bit of trial and error HG.
All the best mate.