We'd used our venerable Warn M8000 for about six years or so, and it had never let us down. We had rescued stuck trucks, righted rolled-over rigs, and extracted ourselves from rocky notches and waterfalls too steep to climb. Though our winch hadn't seen a lot of mud, it had been submerged underwater a number of times in creek and wash crossings. It had also seen years of fine desert dust that had surely worked its way into our trusty companion. But in recent years, we'd noticed a little more noise coming from the drum assembly, so we decided it best to do a little inspection and maintenance as needed. You can find an exploded parts diagram in your original Warn manual, along with a parts list. If not, you can find them on Warn's Web site, in the "Replacement Parts" section. Once you identify any seals, gaskets, or other worn parts you want to replace, they can be ordered from your local Warn dealer for quite reasonable prices. Along with that, you'll want fresh grease for the internals. We tore down our M8000, then cleaned, inspected, lubed, and reassembled it in a few hours. The job required only common handtools and was fairly straightforward. Many Warn models should be similar in this process. Follow along as we revitalize our winch. 1. To start the disassembly, we removed the detent screw that secures the clutch engagement lever and removed the lever, metal retainer, and O-ring seal.1. To start the disassembly, we removed the detent screw that secures the clutch engagemen 2. Next, the 10 socket-head cap screws were removed from the end housing, freeing it and the ring gear that houses several planetary gearsets.2. Next, the 10 socket-head cap screws were removed from the end housing, freeing it and t 3. With the end housing and ring gear separated from the drum support, you can see the hex shaft that transfers drive from the motor on the opposite end of the winch to the small 12-tooth sun gear in the end housing.3. With the end housing and ring gear separated from the drum support, you can see the hex 4. Next we removed the splined drive gear from the end of the drum assembly. The two socket-head cap screws were removed and the drum support was separated from the two tie-rods.4. Next we removed the splined drive gear from the end of the drum assembly. The two socke 5. With the end of the drum assembly exposed, we found the first drum bushing. These appear to be made from a nylon-type material and are used to support and locate the drum in the side plates.5. With the end of the drum assembly exposed, we found the first drum bushing. These appea 6. Here you can see the drum support on the motor end (left) and the drum assembly. Inside the drum is a brake assembly that mates to the coupler on the motor shaft. Do not remove the brake or apply any lubrication to the brake.6. Here you can see the drum support on the motor end (left) and the drum assembly. Inside 7. Next, we removed the second drum bushing from the motor-side drum support. Here is where we found a good bit of accumulated dust and aged grease.7. Next, we removed the second drum bushing from the motor-side drum support. Here is wher 8. The last part removed was the motor coupler. We checked this piece for any signs of cracking or damage and made sure the spline fit was still snug to the splined motor shaft.8. The last part removed was the motor coupler. We checked this piece for any signs of cra 9. Grasping the end of the motor shaft, we wiggled it to check for any play or looseness in the bearing. We found none, so we stopped disassembly at this point.9. Grasping the end of the motor shaft, we wiggled it to check for any play or looseness i 10. Inside the end housing is a bronze bushing which supports the small sun gear. We checked for excessive play between the two and found they still fit close. On some Warn winches, this bushing can be replaced in the housing.10. Inside the end housing is a bronze bushing which supports the small sun gear. We check 11. Massive gear reduction is obtained through the use of three planetary gearsets that reside in the end housing. We cleaned ours in solvent and checked for loose or damaged gear pins and worn teeth.11. Massive gear reduction is obtained through the use of three planetary gearsets that re 12. The end housing has the sliding ring gear that is actuated by the clutch lever. This gear moves to engage the drum for powered use or to disengage and allow it to spool free.12. The end housing has the sliding ring gear that is actuated by the clutch lever. This g 1 | 2 | » | View Full Article Enjoyed this Post? Subscribe to our RSS Feed, or use your favorite social media to recommend us to friends and colleagues!
