How to remove OEM electric winch? (1 Viewer)

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Would anyone have any advice how to remove the OEM electric winch? I want to take mine out to replace the seals and so on. I can see the way to do it from Absolute Wits End rebuild pics, but I think it’s very heavy, right - so since I’m doing it alone, should I jack it up somewhere to support it, or do I need some extra jacking equipment, etc.

I feel like I read somewhere I need a transmission support add on to the jack but just checking if that’s the right tool or not.

Thanks!
 
You can do it with a regular floor jack and some wood blocks. Just support the winch plate/cradle with the jack while you remove the bolts that hold it to the frame, then slowly lower it to the ground. It is quite heavy and having a second person to help keep it steady certainly helps.
 
If you have the space, a hydraulic lift table is an amazingly helpful tool for jobs like this. I have an inexpensive one from Harbor Freight that has paid for itself many times over.
 
Thanks guys. I'll have to see if I can get a lift table - might not have space for it, but it does seem like a pretty cool tool.

Am I right that the winch would need support where the green line is, and then undo the red bolts? Or are the front facing bolts also supporting? (major thanks to Absolute Wits End, as that's the guide I'll be following to disassemble the rest of the winch)

1710125091545.png
 
You should be able to remove the bolts circled in red as well as the front bolts that hold on the front crossmember and fairlead. Removing those will lighten the winch and make it easier to handle. Then the winch will just be held in by the four bolts on the bottom of the winch cradle that is bolted to the underside of the frame.
 
Lower winch plate, fairlead support plate and frame connectors should be removed together...
IMG_9397.jpeg
 
You could also spool out the line and remove it to shed some pounds. Sounds like you’re going to need to strip it anyway. Might be easier now mounted than rolling around on a dolly.
 
Thanks. I ended up getting a hydraulic table and it made my life a LOT easier. Removing the line does save around 10kg, so that's definitely helpful; and once you undo the bolts in red in the posts above, and sort of give it a few mm of lift with the hydraulic table, it will just slide out. It is indeed heavy as hell, so you cannot do it alone without a table; the heaviest part is the lower bracket and the couple of extra steel plates that are in it. The motor and the gear section are somewhat manageable by hand, though, but you need to flip the entire assembly upside down to undo the bolts that hold those modules in place.

The HYPER annoying thing is that after doing ALL OF THIS, it's still leaking ATF, despite me having replaced all gaskets that I could see, etc.
 
Thanks. I ended up getting a hydraulic table and it made my life a LOT easier. Removing the line does save around 10kg, so that's definitely helpful; and once you undo the bolts in red in the posts above, and sort of give it a few mm of lift with the hydraulic table, it will just slide out. It is indeed heavy as hell, so you cannot do it alone without a table; the heaviest part is the lower bracket and the couple of extra steel plates that are in it. The motor and the gear section are somewhat manageable by hand, though, but you need to flip the entire assembly upside down to undo the bolts that hold those modules in place.

The HYPER annoying thing is that after doing ALL OF THIS, it's still leaking ATF, despite me having replaced all gaskets that I could see, etc.
I assume you replaced the X-seal on the motor side?
 
Mine leaks also.
I’m going to add some ps stop leak, aka “seal sweller”
 
Mine leaks also.
I’m going to add some ps stop leak, aka “seal sweller”
I genuinely felt - when reassembling - that the X-seal on the motor side is just simply not thick enough for the ATF fluid which gets through plastic bags, so a seal with a gap would basically be child's play for it to escape. Please share if your PS stop leak works. I don't really use my winch (mall cruiser life...) so it has leaked enough ATF out that it's sitting just below the leak point, but if I ever did spool it, I feel like it would go to town with it again, and I really do want it "right", since this is one of those appendages that you don't use until you REALLY NEED IT, and it's that one time that you REALLY want it functioning :rofl:
 

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