Winch Seal Opinions Needed

[DUG]

So I have the PTO installed and working as it should (thanks to the advice from Phil). I have the brand new shaft ready to install so I can FINALLY try this thing out, but.....

When I installed the winch a couple years ago I tried to service the winch with fresh gear oil. All the plugs required heat to get out and the only fluid that came out was some milky water. I flushed it with some trans fluid and a spring from the passenger side seal popped out the drain. I tried to let the trans fluid sit in the winch overnight but it wouldn't hold. Of course it won't hold gear oil either.

Should I pull the winch before installing the shaft and swap the seal? Can I pour gear oil that's gonna leak out and at least test the winch to see if it works? Rumor is it used to belong to WM years ago so it's probably first rate. Should I get some Cornhead grease and dump it in?

All I want to do now is test the winch and if it works ok, install the cable and chain.

I would appreciate a little advice. I do have a full set of seals, but **** that seems like a ton of work. Thanks.

 

[doghead]

Try the cornhead grease, and see if it holds that. Try it and see if the winch works. If it does, run it that way.

 

[Shoprat 19th Engr]

oil seal leak on winch

Go to the Southern States Store and ask for Corn Oil . It stays thick till it works for a while and turns to an oil so when cools it turns thick enough that it will not leak . Farmers use this in their combines

 

[Bad_Carp]

Go to the Southern States Store and ask for Corn Oil .

Closest one is in Ogden Utah, you'll be back by dinner time, right Dug?

 

[m16ty]

You can get the corn head grease at any John Deere dealer. I'm running the stuff in my winch and my steering gear.

 

[gringeltaube]

............ Can I pour gear oil that's gonna leak out and at least test the winch to see if it works?.........

YES!
Passenger side oil level isn't critical; even after it stopped leaking (= all oil out) you still got enough lube into the sleeve bearings and around thrust washer plus all clutch components to safely operate the winch, for a test at least.

G.

 

[jasonjc]

One of the MV places has that cron head greas now. I just saw an add for it.

 

[DUG]

Got the shaft on and some Corn Head grease on order. I filled the winch with GL1 just to test it and oddly it's holding pretty well. The side with the missing seal spring is dripping, but it's not pouring out. Tested it in all speeds and it works as it should. As soon as my son and a friend come over we are going to respool the cable. I barely have enough driveway to do this, but I think I can get it done without anything hanging into the street. I plan to put the boy in the cab since he has more time there working the PTO than I do after running things while I got it adjusted. I run the show on the outside and our friend will steer our deadload - my 2008 crewcab. It's a very slight up hill grade to the deuce and I think I'll put the parking brake on a click or two.

If I get it on before July I'll beat the two year mark.

 

[Tinwoodsman]

Hope it goes well.

 

[DUG]

Hope it goes well.

It went ok for a bunch of first time rookies. We had just barely enough driveway with the deuce hanging out the back gate almost to the street and the deadload hanging out the other gate almost in the street (my driveway spans two streets).

We got 6 wraps by hand and then hooked it to the deadload. The winch wasn't holding and needed adjustment, but we took so much time that our friend had to leave. We took a break and waited for my wife to get home.

She had to ride the brakes to keep the cable under load and the boy did pretty well running the winch in the cab. The only problem we had is when the wrap got off course half way in. I had him let some cable out so we could try again. The PTO did not want to return to the forward (cable in) position. We discovered that if we put the transfer case in gear it let the PTO work normally again. Of course he put it back in neutral before we ran the winch again.

It was about a 15 minute job but we took 45 minutes stopping and checking on things and making sure it was going ok.

 

[m16ty]

. We discovered that if we put the transfer case in gear it let the PTO work normally again. Of course he put it back in neutral before we ran the winch again.

You can run the winch with the t-case in gear. Just make sure your trans is in neutral.