Servicing my TDS-9.5 Winch

As I dont have anything to do to the truck in prep for Lincomb I decided to service my winch as I bought it secondhand from off of eBay and I've now had it for a year and have no idea of its internal condition. So without any guidance or knowledge of it I started to systematically strip it apart starting at the cone brake and gearbox end. It all came apart very well and although it had suffered some water ingress clearly down the freespool lever shaft, it really was not so bad. All the same I've stripped it to bits and decreased it all ready to fit back together.

I have a load of photos to post, but a couple of questions to ask before I start posting them up.

What grease shall I use to put the gearbox back together General Purpose or Graphite? In the back of my head somewhere I seem to remember a conversation on the subject that subjected Graphite/CV grease was the way to go.

I could also do with a little pointer on how to remove the back cover from off of the motor. I've removed the motor from off of the winch frame by removing the two very long bolts that pass through the motor to the drum frame and I've removed the two small Philips screws that hold the motor end cap onto the body of the motor, but can only pull them apart by 10/15mm before experiencing some resistance! Do I just need to pull harder or is there something Else I need to remove?

CV grease except between outer casing and freespool gear which should be a light oil I believe, and while on the subject of winches mind if I have a nosey at your winch tray at lincomb? Thinking of something similar on mine.

Cool, thanks for that, I did nearly go straight ahead last night with the CV grease, but thought I'd just check I was considering using something thicker than light oil on the free spool spindle as this is where the water has got in Maybe a little General Purpose grease or Silicon grease I am surprised that there is not an 'O' ring of some kind on the shaft

Just that motor to get apart now, any pointers anyone

Some photos

Hey, stripped mine today as well. Not to that degree, I didn't have time as I was putting in my new rear winch mount and wheel carrier. Mine is in much much much much worse condition that that. Fancy stripping mine? Ha Ha. I use CV grease as it 'anti-sling' and stays where you put it.

One of the plastic bushes has broken up. Better get one from David. at some point.

Chris said:

Hey, stripped mine today as well.

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Well how funny is that Sound as though you've been giving yours a tad more abuse than I give mine there Chris

I managed to get the end cap from off of the motor in the end. I actually put back in the two little screws from the body as I didnt like the look of how the insides where pulling away with it and following a few good smacks with a soft face hammer it came free. Revealing a small amount of water ingress, but again not a huge amount to be overly concerned about.

Gave it all a goog clean and grease, popped it all back together with lashings of RTV and a couple of bits of Duck Tape over holes and Bobs your uncle as they say

Some more photos

Dread to think what mine must look like at that end. Err do you do an exchange service?

C

Steven, you never said - how did it run after its servicing? Must have been like a new one, no?

Never got chance to ask you. David sent me some new bushes to go in mine so I shall be doing an SAE style strip and clean soon. If I can find a space to do it in.

Great thread Steve

Gav Peter said:

Great thread Steve

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Second that!

Despite the "you pays your money..." Scenario, I'm always annoyed by the quality of finish that seems to plague even the most expensive, across the range.

I have a Superwinch which I admit is in the bottom end of the price category, but the chrome tie bars always rust to buggery. OK internals are more important, but you'd think in this day and age they could chrome steel in a way that doesn't rust in 2 years like mine did.

I've had SS bars turned for no more than a few bob and a drink, so they could do better. Nought out of ten for that.

Powder coated castings, the coating was coming off within one year and the casting going to dust. Unacceptable in my book.

Mechanically, mine is still good after 6 years, I've stripped it and cleaned, greased and it's fine. But the finishings? I spent all my time re-painting and replacing rusty steel with stainless.

Not good enough, all brands.

Just my opinion, rant over!

Thing is if that had been a Warn, it would have stopped working completely by now. Never mind the coating peeling off.

You are right Clive, the finish on stuff for our market is rubbish. I have bought a Come Up winch and the coating does look very good indeed. I have yet to fit it of course, but it's not rusted in the box yet.

Oh, African Outback roof rack still looking new.

Mine has sat in my shed in its box for well over 2 years now and even in its bag is starting to show signs of rust on the bars. Not impressed.

I might take note from this thread and prior to fitment do some preventative maintenance on it like blocking those wholes and using some RTV sealer on it.

Great post and well worth having as a sticky in the tech section for future use.

Warren, whilst the finish not very long lasting, no, straight out the box they are pretty well sealed actually. Mine gets a lot of very heavy use and when I strip it periodically for some TLC I can confidently say that it looks better than the inside of my starter motor!!!!

On a new one, a coat of lacquer would probably solve this issue. If the winch is fitted for emergencies some rainy day on an overland trip then I would that it will be unlikely to have suffered inside. Mine gets continually buried.

I'm fairly sure the warranty didn't say anything about using your winch as a plough.

He sows the seeds and scatters...

Pulled mine again today and fully stripped it. Got some new bushes and drum seals from David. When compared to the old ones the word &*£$%%@£ comes to mind. Well worth doing. The free spool needed some TLC too. That's much better. Overall the gears were fine. They didn't need touching really. All back together running very nicely. Just didn't think it was pulling quite as well as it used to. But then it's had a good battering really.

Motor end wasn't bad at all. Just surface corrosion really. Came up pretty clean.