Installing new winches

  • March 28, 2017 7:25 PM
    Message # 4696891
    Deleted user

    So I just bought two new self tailing winches from West Marine because they were buy one get one free. I have not received them yet, but am trying to plan how I am going to install them. I currently have bronze #20 barlow winches and got #15 lewmars. The new ones are a little bit bigger. 

    Right now my plan would be to remove the mounting plates for the current winches and take them to a metal shop to have them remade with the correct diameter plate. After googling other solutions I saw that one website will make these for $450... which is a little much for a couple brackets. 

    Or take the brackets off and weld a new plate on top and drill new holes, this sounds the easiest

    This is the only way I can think of, so does anyone else have experience installing new winches on their W28?

    Last modified: March 28, 2017 7:29 PM | Deleted user
  • March 29, 2017 4:15 PM
    Reply # 4701350 on 4696891

    Pat,

    Are you mounting these on the mast for halyards or as sheet winches?   In either case you should not need to modify the mounting pads unless you have something other than the standard pads. 

    I've got #16ST's on my mast for halyards and #30ST's in the cockpit for sheet winches.  Both are mounted on the original winch pads.

    Kevin

    Last modified: March 29, 2017 4:17 PM | Kevin Donahue
  • March 29, 2017 6:36 PM
    Reply # 4701511 on 4696891
    Anonymous

    “…Or take the brackets off and weld a new plate on top and drill new holes, this sounds the easiest…”


    If you are replacing the sheet winches adjacent to the cockpit, your statement above is the way to go.  Back in 2006, I replaced mine with Anderson #46ST/two speed winches.  I took one of the new winches to a machine shop, which created a new SS plate that fit the new winches; this new plate was then welded on the old plate with the appropriate new fastener holes.  I then secured the re-designed winch plate back on the vessel with strong backing plates.

    Last modified: March 29, 2017 6:38 PM | Anonymous
  • June 12, 2017 12:21 PM
    Reply # 4893169 on 4696891

    If you do not want to go the route of welding, you can have new plates made with countersunk holes to match those on your brackets and use flat head bolts.  Have countersunk holes made on the underside of the same plate,to match the new winch.  Then bolt down the winch with locknuts inside the winch base plate.  Just make sure the nuts do not interfere with the winch being reassembled. 

  • July 12, 2021 6:28 PM
    Reply # 10747381 on 4696891

    I also bought the 2 for 1 getting Lewmar 40 Self tailing. My old winches are mounted on round wood mounts that go from the cockpit up to the coaming. Has anyone mounted winches with wood screws I dont see any through bolts

    Thanks

    Greg