New Winch – Take2.

[outback]

I had bought a new 12000lb Rydge Ryder Winch, it was going cheap, 50% off.
When I got home from the big smoke and traffic lights I started to install the winch. This went all pear shaped. The free spool would not work properly. Anyway I stripped it down and regreased it. This did not resolve the issues.
I suspect something to do with the gear clutch system used was catching/rubbing.
Anyway I went back to Supercheap Auto and asked about the issue.
Two options provide by the manager, money back or new winch, no questions asked as the purchase was on record.

Took the new winch option, but only if it free spooled properly. Tested it at the store and all happy.

Well new winch home and in the process of putting it in.

The new version has a slightly different control/solenoid box and hand unit. At last they have one that can actually be mounted on the bull bar. Also the hand unit is either wired or remote.

Solenoid box:
The control/solenoid box is plastic. The solenoid is bolted to a plastic back plate and this back plate is held on to the angled mount bracket by 4 self tapping screws into the plastic back. Not sure if it would last too much bouncing around.

Well I have made a steel backing plate and mounted the whole unit on to that and also the mounting plate. Its now much stronger than the original.

I'll put up a pic of the updated control/solenoid unit later.

I am still hesitant mounting it on the bull bar as I reality its not water proof.
My current winch has the solenoid mounted behind the second battery near the firewall. Main issue here is the length of cable between the solenoid and the winch.
The bull bar mount shortens the cable to the winch motor but also has the issue of being non waterproof.

Might just be simpler to use the old solenoid unit with the new winch since the cables re already in place.


The Winch:
As the story goes, buy a new winch, then open up the bits and look for the grease.

What grease??

I have the suspicion that grease in China must be highly expensive, due to lack of it in this winch.
There is enough in there to be annoying to clean out, but not enough to do anything useful.

Pics W-0 to W-06


Water sealing:
This is a so called fully sealed unit. Thus there are no drain holes in the motor of gearbox.

Sealing is fully dependent on a single M shaped rubber seal. This seal is mounted on the gearbox/motor unit body and the points of the seal rub against the winch drum.

Pic W-1a

Now Supercheap Auto sell a Ridge Ryder Winch Service Kit BUT some of the parts are only useful for the older models of their 9500lb & 12000lb winches.
The kit has the solenoid, bushes and seals and a hand controller. For the new models the hand controller is useless, wont fit the new pin outs.
The rest is interchangeable.

Old units have part no:
9500lb winch PLU 219721
12000lb winch PLU 284085

New units have part no:
9500lb winch PLU 380257
12000lb winch PLU 380258

Had a brief talk with the local Supercheap Auto manager and he managed to get me a bunch of the seals and bushes, with out having to buy the solenoid and had unit.
So it's possible to just get the need bushes and seals, so long as ask.