Dear JimG,
There was a reason that Barbarossa were bought by Harken when they wanted a winch in their product line-up, and why Harken don't want to get involved with any other Barbarossa products from that era.
When we were selling and fitting Barbarossa deck gear, winches, jammers, backjstay adjusters etc, in the mid seventies-early eighteies, we had a nick-name for them.
It was " I'm Seized!"
At that time, it seemed that anything made in Italy looked heart-achingly beautiful, but lasted a very short time in the real world. ( Fiat, Olivetti, Ferrari ( cars and cranes ), Barbarossa, lancia, Alfa ( both Romeo and Sud ) etc.
I think that if yours IS an original Barbarossa and it is coming apart as you describe, then you should accept that you have had a full and useful life out of it and you should replace it ASAP.
It IS only holding your mast up after all.
Regards,
Joe.
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