Winch install question/issue

[Guruman]

Last night I decided to break down and pull the winch control valve off the frame for troubleshooting.

It's a bit problematic that you can only troubleshoot it withe the truck running as the winch control gets no power until the PTO is engaged and the pressure switch closes. So you can't just turn on the main power to test the electrical connections back at the winch control valve... meh.

Anyhoo. I pulled the 4 bolts holding it to the frame, so that it would drop down enough to work on. I pulled both electrical connectors off of the solenoids, and they looked ok, intact at least.

I was unable to get my test leads down into the DIN connector, so. I ended up using a couple of metal zip ties attached to my leads. My winch remote is working, so, I was able to press the buttons to test, otherwise you'd need a helper in the cab, and good luck hearing each other with the truck running....

Both connectors have power when the button is pressed... Well, crap. That means the issue is in the solenoid or the valve itself, neither of which I have part numbers for.

I tried to clean the contacts on both the solenoid and the DIN connector and replaced them, hoping it was a dirty contact (even though the y looked pretty clean). It was the same. The winch would reel in, but not power back out.

Some precision percussive maintenance was applied axially on the end of the valve/solenoid assemble near the affected input while holding the power out button on the remote...

Voila... The valve was stuck. A few love taps broke it loose. The winch is finally 100%.

Now to get this 500 feet of synthetic on the spool... Sounds like a task for this weekend.

 

[Mullaney]

Last night I decided to break down and pull the winch control valve off the frame for troubleshooting.

It's a bit problematic that you can only troubleshoot it withe the truck running as the winch control gets no power until the PTO is engaged and the pressure switch closes. So you can't just turn on the main power to test the electrical connections back at the winch control valve... meh.

Anyhoo. I pulled the 4 bolts holding it to the frame, so that it would drop down enough to work on. I pulled both electrical connectors off of the solenoids, and they looked ok, intact at least.

I was unable to get my test leads down into the DIN connector, so. I ended up using a couple of metal zip ties attached to my leads. My winch remote is working, so, I was able to press the buttons to test, otherwise you'd need a helper in the cab, and good luck hearing each other with the truck running....

Both connectors have power when the button is pressed... Well, crap. That means the issue is in the solenoid or the valve itself, neither of which I have part numbers for.

I tried to clean the contacts on both the solenoid and the DIN connector and replaced them, hoping it was a dirty contact (even though the y looked pretty clean). It was the same. The winch would reel in, but not power back out.

Some precision percussive maintenance was applied axially on the end of the valve/solenoid assemble near the affected input while holding the power out button on the remote...

Voila... The valve was stuck. A few love taps broke it loose. The winch is finally 100%.

Now to get this 500 feet of synthetic on the spool... Sounds like a task for this weekend.

.
That is really good news!!
Percussive Persuasion is a wonderful thing.

I wonder if there was a little water in the fluid that caused the sticky situation?
The winch is just about the lowest point in the hydraulic system and oil floats on water...

 

[Guruman]

.
That is really good news!!
Percussive Persuasion is a wonderful thing.

I wonder if there was a little water in the fluid that caused the sticky situation?
The winch is just about the lowest point in the hydraulic system and oil floats on water...

Probably...

I did get a bit of fluid leaking out of the center of the winch drum, and what came out was pretty nasty. I have a new filter to go on, I might just change out the fluid.

For whatever reason the leak just stopped. It leaked maybe a couple cups of nasty fluid on the first couple of uses.

 

[Ronmar]

Probably...

I did get a bit of fluid leaking out of the center of the winch drum, and what came out was pretty nasty. I have a new filter to go on, I might just change out the fluid.

For whatever reason the leak just stopped. It leaked maybe a couple cups of nasty fluid on the first couple of uses.

Where exactly did you get fluid leaking from on the winch? There is a little relief valve above the winch motor…

of course the planetary gear inside has some form of lube in it, what exactly, I am not sure. I am thinking the only way to get something out of the winch is to put something into it. The only way for that to happen is for the shaft seal on the hydraulic motor to leak. now air in thie system if it was pressurized might burp past the seal…

or there is some other void in the winch drum that somehow collected fluid(rain, hose or imersion) and when the drum rolled it dumped the contents of that void. You saying it only did it once makes me think it might be something like this.

at any rate, I would pull the winch apart to insure the gearbox is full of clean lube and the pump seal is OK…

 

[Guruman]

Where exactly did you get fluid leaking from on the winch? There is a little relief valve above the winch motor…

of course the planetary gear inside has some form of lube in it, what exactly, I am not sure. I am thinking the only way to get something out of the winch is to put something into it. The only way for that to happen is for the shaft seal on the hydraulic motor to leak. now air in thie system if it was pressurized might burp past the seal…

or there is some other void in the winch drum that somehow collected fluid(rain, hose or imersion) and when the drum rolled it dumped the contents of that void. You saying it only did it once makes me think it might be something like this.

at any rate, I would pull the winch apart to insure the gearbox is full of clean lube and the pump seal is OK…

Well, it was certainly NOT the little relief valve. It was right up against the frame of the truck. Just below the winch mount that holds the drum, right out of the center .

It puked out just the first couple of full rotations of the drum. At the time the valve was stuck in reel in mode, so I was trying and troubleshooting a lot. Now that I have the reverse working, I've ran it maybe 10 full turns in either direction.... not a drop.

I suppose it *might* have been just some fluid that ran into the center when the thing was packed in a tote for shipping. It was in the Bottom of the tote and the tank and lines were on top of it.

I think I'm choosing to believe it self-healed.

 

[Guruman]

Just spooled 500feet of 3/8 synthetic line onto it... Probably could have held a little more.

Man, that's a lot of line.

 

[ramdough]

Just spooled 500feet of 3/8 synthetic line onto it... Probably could have held a little more.

Man, that's a lot of line.

Pictures?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Guruman]

Pictures?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I'll shoot a pic of the full drum when I get back out there. For now I shot a short vid of us spooling the line, including a shot of how long the line was.

 

[Wingnut13]

Wow that’s so cool…. I had the thought about using synthetic line. However I plan on skidding logs out, I’m sure I’d damage it it in no time at all. But man….500’ of line…..

 

[Guruman]

Wow that’s so cool…. I had the thought about using synthetic line. However I plan on skidding logs out, I’m sure I’d damage it it in no time at all. But man….500’ of line…..

That's mostly what I'll be doing. I can use a chain or a steel choker to help minimize damage to the synthetic, but eventually the end will get chewed up. I'll just cut off a few feet and splice in a new loop.

It'll take many years for me to chew up 50 feet of line that way, then I'll just have to live with "only" 450 feet of line.

 

[coachgeo]

Just spooled 500feet of 3/8 synthetic line onto it... Probably could have held a little more.

Man, that's a lot of line.

catch 22 is....... the strongest pull is when most all that line is belayed out... sorta seems then that the trick might be to find that magic balance of keeping not too much on the spool so you get down to recommended final raps on winch pretty easy/yet enough to move you out of the muck or over object..... then a snatch block with half/rest of rope run back to an anchor on the truck...

THEN... having various length add on ropes/straps to get you from snatch block to land anchor point. Seems this would be best of both worlds..... strongest pull from nearby anchor points; as well as from one's far away. Definitely not easy way to go if your running metal cable... Hauling the various lengths of heavy cable back and forth between the snatch block and anchor would take a whole grunt Squad. With rope*/straps..... one person can do it.

*to avoid tangle of spare ropes... fold in half each single rope, then crochet it up. You can toss crocheted rope around like a wild ape into storage box and it will be tangle free when you take it out/pull it apart for use.

 

[coachgeo]

I'll shoot a pic of the full drum when I get back out there. For now I shot a short vid of us spooling the line, including a shot of how long the line was.

wow that line lays in nicely.

 

[Ronmar]

And we're winching, winching, winching… (45 minutes later) and we are still winching, winching, winching…

if you really need more force, you just throw on a snatch, you certainly have plenty of line for it…

 

[Guruman]

And we're winching, winching, winching… (45 minutes later) and we are still winching, winching, winching…

if you really need more force, you just throw on a snatch, you certainly have plenty of line for it…

It took a good 15 minutes or so to load all of the line even with the RPMs bumped up a bit.

Edit:
Also, I'm on the hunt for good snatch tackle. Most of the stuff I have from my Jeep is just not rated to handle a double line pull with this thing.

Anyone have experience with these:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0995QNQXY/

 

[Ronmar]

I think a donut and soft shackle is the way to go… They seem to work well and are very versatile.

 

[GCecchetto]

Anyone have specs for the roller bearings in the pulleys along the frame? Mine are all seized up and are not recoverable. There is a somewhat local bearing supplier that I plan to visit when I have time, but thought someone here may have been through this already.

 

[Lostchain]

Anyone have specs for the roller bearings in the pulleys along the frame? Mine are all seized up and are not recoverable. There is a somewhat local bearing supplier that I plan to visit when I have time, but thought someone here may have been through this already.

I am curious on this as well, last time I checked mine don’t turn by hand, but I think one broke loose when I was winching someone out at the dunes a few months back.

 

[GeneralDisorder]

Just pull them off and read the numbers. Any bearing shop can likely match them up. You will probably need a press to change them out if they are serviceable.

 

[GCecchetto]

Just pull them off and read the numbers. Any bearing shop can likely match them up. You will probably need a press to change them out if they are serviceable.

Already pressed one out, no numbers on them. That was the first thing I looked for.

 

[GCecchetto]

I take that back, took another look after a little more cleaning and there is a number. Will see what I find and report back.