Harken 53 electric winch gearbox

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   Hi all, I didn't see a previous post on this so this may be useful for future reference if you have a Harken Classic 53 electric winch. On the 461 these are the two primary winches. 
On Mako one of these was not working electrically although I could hear the motor running but just got no response from the winch. After getting the winch to pieces I ruled out the winch or the connection to the gearbox as the issue which meant it could only be the gearbox that had failed. A bit of googling and I found this excellent page.

https://catamaranimpi.com/2020/07/15/how-to-replace-the-gearbox-on-a-harken-53-electric-winch/

On the 461 there is a headlining panel in each aft cabin which comes down to reveal the underside of the winch. I found a load of oil on top of this and a very oily looking gearbox. I then followed the instructions in the link to get the gearbox off. Got it home and took to pieces to find a completely stripped gear set and bust lip seals. Scary to think of the forces needed to make this happen. Treat these things with extreme care!

Anyhow, I then had the challenge of sourcing a new gearbox and did not fancy trying my local Harken dealer as bound to have a healthy mark up and the unit is an off the shelf gearbox from Bonfiglioli. For those in the UK I got mine from Solent Bearings Ltd (www.solent-bearings.co.uk) who were very helpful and made sure we got the spec exactly right. 

The specific gearbox part number on my delivery note is;

MVF 49P-1-24 P71.B14B3 which appears to match the part number in the link above.

For clarity this is a 14mm input diameter and 25mm output and 1-24 reduction ratio. I paid £295 inc vat and delivery.

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richarddaltry Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Lieutenant Joined: 29 August 2020 Location: UK Status: Offline Points: 26	Post Options Post Reply Quote richarddaltry Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Topic: Harken 53 electric winch gearbox Posted: 19 May 2021 at 00:03
	Hi all, I didn't see a previous post on this so this may be useful for future reference if you have a Harken Classic 53 electric winch. On the 461 these are the two primary winches. On Mako one of these was not working electrically although I could hear the motor running but just got no response from the winch. After getting the winch to pieces I ruled out the winch or the connection to the gearbox as the issue which meant it could only be the gearbox that had failed. A bit of googling and I found this excellent page. https://catamaranimpi.com/2020/07/15/how-to-replace-the-gearbox-on-a-harken-53-electric-winch/ On the 461 there is a headlining panel in each aft cabin which comes down to reveal the underside of the winch. I found a load of oil on top of this and a very oily looking gearbox. I then followed the instructions in the link to get the gearbox off. Got it home and took to pieces to find a completely stripped gear set and bust lip seals. Scary to think of the forces needed to make this happen. Treat these things with extreme care! Anyhow, I then had the challenge of sourcing a new gearbox and did not fancy trying my local Harken dealer as bound to have a healthy mark up and the unit is an off the shelf gearbox from Bonfiglioli. For those in the UK I got mine from Solent Bearings Ltd (www.solent-bearings.co.uk) who were very helpful and made sure we got the spec exactly right. The specific gearbox part number on my delivery note is; MVF 49P-1-24 P71.B14B3 which appears to match the part number in the link above. For clarity this is a 14mm input diameter and 25mm output and 1-24 reduction ratio. I paid £295 inc vat and delivery.

Jeremy Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Commander Joined: 28 February 2018 Location: Auckland NZL Status: Offline Points: 91	Post Options Post Reply Quote Jeremy Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 20 May 2021 at 20:58
	I Had the same issue. Turned out the route cause was the top seal, where the shaft passes through the deck (make sure you replace this). This was letting rain down the winch shaft and into the gearbox, pressurising and leaking. I disassembled the gearbox and found that every bearing and seal in there was actually off the shelf from a local bearing retailer in New Zealand. I rebuilt mine this way. Harken label that top seal as a replacement wear and tear item and they actually provided a spare with the winch from new.



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