[Minnesail]

My new-to-me boat is forty years old, and it seem like some of the line is that old too...

Anyway, the vang line looked to be the oldest. There was a similar length of line in the toolbox that was also the same color, so I assumed the previous owner meant that as a replacement. Last night I took off the old line and put on the new one, and now it slips like #### through the cam cleat. If I give the cleat a little push then it sets, but otherwise after you pull on the line it pulls back a few inches.

So... Is it an issue with the line? I have no idea what it is, maybe it's cheap crud.

Is it an issue with the cleat? Should I rough up the gripping surface? Or lubricate the moving bits?

Or do I just use it a bit and the line will roughen up?

Here's pics:

 

[killarney_sailor]

The new line is likely slipperier than the old one which is the immediate problem. The other problem could be with the cleat itself. There are springs under the cams and they may not be as robust as when new. Also the teeth on the cams may have rounded over the years. You might take the cleat apart and see what the possibilities are or see if you can replace just the cam cleat not the whole fitting. Before doing this compare how yours works compared to a new one in the store.

Good and helpful pictures by the way.

 

[socal c25]

The new line is likely slipperier than the old one which is the immediate problem. The other problem could be with the cleat itself. There are springs under the cams and they may not be as robust as when new. Also the teeth on the cams may have rounded over the years. You might take the cleat apart and see what the possibilities are or see if you can replace just the cam cleat not the whole fitting. Before doing this compare how yours works compared to a new one in the store.

Good and helpful pictures by the way.

I had a similar problem and it was the cam cleat, I took it apart, cleaned and a tiny bit of winch grease on the rotating parts, problem fixed... on to another problem...

 

[RichH]

If you carefully look at that cleat in your picture, you'll see that only one of the cleat teeth per side is engaging with that line.
Id recommend to change-out the present cam cleat for a more 'modern' Harken-type cam cleat with 'finer' and different 'engagement/'toggle' angle' so that you will have 'several' of the teeth engaged against the line simultaneously.

 

[newhaul]

A quick shot with WD 40 or similar then manually work the cams if that helps then lube them with a good spray lube if it doesn't seem to help then just get new camcleats they are not that expensive

 

[MarkofSeaLife]

The line is too thin for that jamb cleat.

See how the cleat is fully closed? If you have a bit of thicker line it may work better.

Or maybe undo the two screws on the U bolt, and bang the bastard together a bit more. Then screw it down again and see if that improves it.

Older boats often just need a bigger hammer.



Mark

 

[nolatom]

On a zero budget? Try filing the cam teeth a little sharper.
Agree you need thicker line to spread cams wider.

 

[SchockT]

It definitely looks like the line is too small for the cleat. I would either replace the line or replace the cleat. Making the cleat's teeth "sharper" is just going to chew up the line. You will find that a modern cam cleat will cleat and release much easier than those old metal ones. Easy releasing under load can be pretty important on a vang!

 

[SchockT]

On closer examination of the pic, it does look like you may be able to squeeze the cams a bit closer together. The bottom right Becket looks bent., and other is a gap in the base plate of the cleat. I would still think about upgrading the cleat.

 

[Minnesail]

It does seem like the line is too small, but it's the same size as the line that was there before and that line worked fine. Maybe the old line was stiff and coarse from age.

I'm not on zero-budget, but dang the list of stuff to buy just keeps getting longer.

I'll try taking it apart and lubing it and perhaps banging the bits a bit closer together, just for the fun of fiddling with things, but I'll also put a new Harken cleat on the list for next time I order a batch of stuff.

 

[jsaronson]

instead of throwing out the new line put a cover over the part likely to be in the cleat. You'll only need a few feet. Sew and whip the ends. And lube that thing (and probably ots of other moving parts.

 

[christian.hess]

Like others have mentioned it looks like the base is bent.
I would not under any circumstance sharpen the teeth.
The line does look ok for the cleat, I think like others have mentioned that you could benefit from a respringing and lube of the parts...

most importantly does one side snap back faster than the other?

if so this is what causes the slipping, both sides need to snap exactly the same way and distance...

do this before spending any real money on a replacement...

 

[bblument]

Just a quick comment on WD40, based on working on my cars for many years. WD40 does have its uses; believe it or not, it's a GREAT cleaner/degreaser, and it's good for removing moisture from water-saturated electrical wires. However, I've stopped using it as a lubricant or to free rusted parts. As WD40 dries over time, it seems to make things worse, gumming up everything and causing more of the problem it was used to solve in the first place.

For freeing up rusted parts and making sure they remain moving freely, try PBBlaster. Give the moving parts of the cam cleat a little spritz, work it in for a while, and you should be good to go. A drop or two of gun oil or sewing machine oil after a few days should keep'em good for quite a while afterwards. Try not to get any lubricant on the teeth of the cams themselves (OK, I probably didn't have to say that... too obvious).

You either love or hate WD40. I love it.. it's cleaned some tough things that nothing else would touch. Try it on duct tape residue sometime.. it's almost magical. As a lubricant, I hate it.

Best to all,

Barry

 

[Minnesail]

You either love or hate WD40. I love it.. it's cleaned some tough things that nothing else would touch. Try it on duct tape residue sometime.. it's almost magical. As a lubricant, I hate it.

Word.

I use WD-40 to clean fingerprints off our stainless steel fridge, and that's it. I learned from bicycle maintenance that it's a massive crud-attractor. If I must use a spray lube I go with Tri-Flow.

 

[christian.hess]

tri flow is the bees knees! used it on my dirtbike a lot or anything with general use bearings....

wd40 on duct tape is residue is one of those harmonious marriages kept secret stuff I love...

a lubricant it is not.

 

[Minnesail]

Update:

I took the cam cleat apart and cleaned everything up and lubricated it well. It was bent slightly concave (pulling the teeth apart) so I cheated it and bent it slightly convex.

The teeth were absolutely polished, they were so shiny and slippery. I get the point of not wanting them sharp, they'd cut up the line, but a little bit of friction seems like a good idea. I buffed them with 120 sandpaper to take the shine off and give them a little bite.

Now the cleat works like it should, grabbing right away.

However it does still seem like it's sized for larger line, and it's still a bit old and crusty, so I plan on ordering a replacement anyway. They're not that expensive.

 

[christian.hess]

good job...maybe try some talc in the meantime on the teeth...might be fine till you get your new cleat...

jeje

 

[newhaul]

Just a quick comment on WD40, based on working on my cars for many years. WD40 does have its uses; believe it or not, it's a GREAT cleaner/degreaser, and it's good for removing moisture from water-saturated electrical wires. However, I've stopped using it as a lubricant or to free rusted parts. As WD40 dries over time, it seems to make things worse, gumming up everything and causing more of the problem it was used to solve in the first place.

For freeing up rusted parts and making sure they remain moving freely, try PBBlaster. Give the moving parts of the cam cleat a little spritz, work it in for a while, and you should be good to go. A drop or two of gun oil or sewing machine oil after a few days should keep'em good for quite a while afterwards. Try not to get any lubricant on the teeth of the cams themselves (OK, I probably didn't have to say that... too obvious).

You either love or hate WD40. I love it.. it's cleaned some tough things that nothing else would touch. Try it on duct tape residue sometime.. it's almost magical. As a lubricant, I hate it.

Best to all,

Barry

As I stated in my post you can use the wd40 to clean the cam internals without removal and if that helps then disassemble clean and lube properly if the WD doesn't have any affect then likely the cam springs have reach EOL and need replaced.

 

[hellosailor]

New line tends to be slicker (less fuzzy) than old line.

Solution #1 could be to sandpaper the line using a coarse or medium grit sandpaper. But instead of prematurely wearing a line, I'd try solution #2:

Buy a new line that's 1/8" ? thicker. Or ask at the store if you can have some 6" clippings to see what diameter really holds well in that cleat. I suspect they won't even charge you for them.

Solution #3 would be to strip the cleat and use a small file to "unround" the teeth, giving them more grip again. But...you know...why wear out the teeth when a thicker line should just do it?

This will only hurt once, close your eyes and take out your wallet.(G)