spinlock wheel loose

[semaphore]

Does anyone else have to retighten the spinlock wheel about every other day of use?

It doesn't matter if I hand tighten it or give it my all with a winch handle, it seems to work itself loose all the time. Loctite doesn't seem like a great idea, maybe there's something else to apply to the threads?

thanks

[Salty]

Does anyone else have to retighten the spinlock wheel about every other day of use?

It doesn't matter if I hand tighten it or give it my all with a winch handle, it seems to work itself loose all the time. Loctite doesn't seem like a great idea, maybe there's something else to apply to the threads?

thanks

I'm not sure if I've got the right thing in my mind of what it is that you are talking about here, but is it the device located in the middle of your boats steering wheel ?

If so, that is the steering wheel brake which locks your steering wheel when you don't want it to turn such as when you are moored for example. The brake is supposed to be loose when you or your autopilot are steering the boat. If you have tightened it, it may well work loose during the time your boat is being sailed. Leaving it tightened it will make the steering wheel significantly more difficult to turn, (dont ask how I know that 🤪), and it will overload your autopilot system leading to the autopilot tripping out. Worse still ii could cause expensive damage to your autopilot system. Its quite possible on your boat that you have a "Whitlock"  steering system.

One other point is that if that device does not lock your steering wheel when tightened, then its odds on that a push rod is missing. Unfortunately I no longer have a diagram of the Whitlock system, but I am sure someone else on the forum will have one and can post it here. That push rod was missing on my boat when I bought it secondhand, but I was able to make a new one from some suitably sized stainless rod.

[HappyAfloat]

Does anyone else have to retighten the spinlock wheel about every other day of use?

It doesn't matter if I hand tighten it or give it my all with a winch handle, it seems to work itself loose all the time. Loctite doesn't seem like a great idea, maybe there's something else to apply to the threads?

Our wheel had a lot of play after tightening the winch nut. It was running out of thread before the tapered spindle secured the wheel. The play resulted in the nut working loose over a short time. The cure was a washer between the nut and the wheel, which gave  the nut enough thread to push the wheel tighter onto the tapered spindle. The nut hasn't worked loose since.

[HappyAfloat]

That push rod was missing on my boat when I bought it secondhand, but I was able to make a new one from some suitably sized stainless rod.

Do you remember what sized rod you used?  I am sure that mine is also missing.

[Salty]

Happy Afloat, It was just a short piece of stainless rod that I had left over in my garage, that happened to be about the right diameter, and it only needed a small piece cut off the end to allow the rest to fit. The tricky part was determining just how long it needed to be. I used a piece of piano wire to mark off the total depth, then subtracted the depth of the push rod already fitted into the end of the brake spinner. It did need some further adjustment so its important that the rod is a fairly sloppy fit as retrieving it back out of the hole would be difficult if it was too snug a fit.  You can buy the push rods, but the one I bought was not right, too short, so it went back, and no I don't t remember where I ordered it from, too long ago ! It was apparently the right size for the job, but as the boat was ex charter, its possiblr that the spinner I had was not the original.

[symphony2]

The steering gear is Lewmar Constellation although it may be labeled Whitlock who were the original maker. Lewmar have a set up in the US and you can get spares and service from them. The website is not easy to navigate, but give them a call.

[semaphore]

Our wheel had a lot of play after tightening the winch nut. It was running out of thread before the tapered spindle secured the wheel. The play resulted in the nut working loose over a short time. The cure was a washer between the nut and the wheel, which gave  the nut enough thread to push the wheel tighter onto the tapered spindle. The nut hasn't worked loose since.

This is exactly what I was after, or at least gives me a place to start. Thanks!