Sealing your Smittybilt XRC8 solenoid before it fails

If you haven't heard, the solenoids on the XRC8s are prone to corrosion and failure. There is a clear rubber gasket present from the factory but it's cheap and often not effective at keeping moisture away from your sensitive solenoid. So what we do is seal them up using RTV silicone before they fail you.

Get yourself a tube of RTV silicone, black, grey, red, blue, whatever...

Apply following the green lines.

Remove solenoid from plastic housing. Open solenoid. Lift clear gasket from it's groove. Apply light amount of RTV. Replace gasket, making sure it seats in groove. Apply more RTV. Re-assemble solenoid housing.

Apply RTV at the base of all connections. Take a picture to refer to which wire color goes where. Remove cables. RTV making sure not to get any on the contact areas. Re-attach cables and consider using dielectric grease. Small packets can be had at your local auto store for ~1.00.

Apply liberal amount of RTV where the black bundle of wires exit the solenoid. Both at the base and where the wires leave their rubber sheath.

Apply dielectric grease to all connections for winch controller. Apply dielectric grease to plug in port for winch controller. This is easily done by smearing some on the male end and inserting into female end.





A couple other things I noticed on mine is that with it mounted feet forward the rubber boots on the connections on the housing collect water since they're effectively upside down. I cut large enough holes so that the water would drain. This also wouldn't be a bad place for some dielectric grease.

I also pulled apart my winch, cleaned it of factory grease and repacked it with quality marine grease, then I reassembled and applied RTV on the paper gaskets on both ends.

I periodically spray the winch, cable, and spool out handle with a lubricant/penetrating oil. WD40, PB blaster etc.... I also wash it with the HP wand at the car wash whenever I'm there.

I've abused it, submerged it, washed it etc.. for nearly 2 years without any issues. The XRC8 is a great winch for it's price with a little forethought and TLC. I don't put all my eggs in one basket however and wouldn't even with a more quality winch.


I'd have better pictures but I did this when it was new and at that time Krookz' write up was on here. Admittedly his was probably better but... whatever, it's not complicated. Seal up all entrances/exits with RTV.


You're good to go!


One last thing... If you're unaware, there is a second generation of the XRC8 that is better and more reliable than the first. The first being a magnet motor, the second is a series wound. The second gen is the one you mostly see and it's been out for a long while.

edit: all pictures stolen, if they're yours and you want them pulled, let me know

 

Thanks for sharing your suggestions.

 

Nice write up! I know that is a popular winch with a lot of people on here.


We need get out an go wheeling again. Maybe next time I won't have to use my winch to keep up with you

 

Great pics Max. Did the "mod" a while back. I don't wheel as hard as you do, but this will be the second year of salt and sand and rain and snow, and mine still works every time I need it. I should probably pull it apart again now that I see the snow flying outside my window.

To do the motor is a royal pita as I need to pull the bumper to do it, but maybe next spring. It's a great idea!

Rep to you!

 

Thanks guys. I probably ought to pull mine and inspect the whole thing, maybe re-pack it with fresh grease. Maybe if I get bored one of these days.

Let me know if you're ever as far as Elko Jason, and I'll see about driving up. Better to winch a couple feet than beat the hell out of your truck.

 

Here is a little more of the corrosion that can happen.

I stole some pics, if they're yours let me know if you want me to and I'll pull them.

 

I see you stole my pic...I'll remember that!

I sealed up my new solenoid in the exact same way, so far no issues but only time will tell. I wonder which solenoid the X2O winches use...

 

Great advice ~ thanks for sharing. +1

 

lol check my post! I did host them all on my own account fwiw.

Thanks man

 

This makes me feel really stupid, but would you mind diagramming where the dielectric grease should go? I figure if there's green lines for the sealant... heck, blue for the grease and I'd be ready to roll!

 

I put the dilelectric grease on the male end of the controller where it plugs into the box, then it smears into the female end, then you can close that rubber cover and feel better about nothing corroding.

I also put it on the white electrical connector in the bottom of this picture. And on the spades behind the female controller port.




you can pretty much smear dielectric grease everywhere electrical though, if you want. If you put any inside the solenoid use sparing amounts.

 

Heres a great write up on sprucing up an XRC8.

 

You can always check to make sure your solenoid won't stick and cave in your bumper before breaking the winch by running it in and out in free spool mode.

 

Heres a nice exploded diagram of the xrc8 gen 2

and instruction manual

 

good info, I'm going to have to do this to mine, last trail on MJ's smittybilt wouldn't shut off and caved the bumper a bit.

 

Sub'd. Gotta do this soon. Thanks for the write up!

 

So I wanted to check out the condition of the motor and the gears after 2 years of use and abuse so I pulled the winch out of my bumper last night.

For reference I did pull the gears somewhat apart when I got it and packed it full of decent grease. I know I didn't get everything out though.

Pulled the gears out and pulled the motor apart.

I started with the gears. I pulled the whole gear set and housing off the drum and away from the rest of the winch. Then I popped off the cover with the clutch engagement lever.




Then I pulled the 3 planetary sets out and the rest of the gears. I cleaned them all off and looked at the majority of the teeth for damage or wear. They all looked good, but I did notice on the planetary set closest to the drum that the bottom fiber thrust washers on two planets were falling apart. With the slow speeds and the thickness of the washers thin and flimsy and don't cover much) and the grease in there, it'll be fine.

I repacked everything with a tube of CRC sta-lube moly grease, cheap but should do the job just fine.

This is the bottom most planetary or the set closest to the drum, it sits in a ring gear cast into the housing. It's important to note that there are two thrust washers that sit on top here. The shiny side is up, the dark side down (towards the drum). It only goes one way, as the dark side is is cut for a gear to fit into the center of it.



here it is covered in grease


The 2nd planetary stacks on the 3rd planetary with the protruding gear mating with the planets on planetary 3.

Then the 1st planetary does the same with the 2nd.

They taper down in size so it's easy to figure out.

Then removable ring gear/clutch then slips over planetary 1 and 2. It should fit almost flush, but a little under the lip on the housing. It also is inserted so the fattest part, is towards the drum.

Just like this.



Then you'll add the little gear into planetary 1.



you should end up with this



Then this is the gear side of the drum. That gear on there falls out easy and it fits back either way. You'll need to fit it with the deeper part in the drum and the shallow part in planetary 3.



This is the back of the gear assembly/housing. You can see the red fiber thrust washers and where the gear on the drum goes.




other side of the drum




here is the back side of the motor housing, if you choose to pull yours apart, for your convenience I would mark the orientation of the cap, and the housing, and the housing to the other piece. That way it's easier for you to get back together.




Here is the inside of the motor housing minus the stator or whatever it's called, I wouldn't recommend removing it though, total PITA to get back in by yourself


everything looked good to me, bearings seemed good as well



As you can see, after 2 years, plenty of mud and water etc... looks pretty clean on the inside.

refer to the hi-res parts diagram if you run into trouble.

 

couple more nice links

http://www.tacomaworld.com/forum/off-roading-trails/188190-smittybuilt-xrc8-solenoid-issues.html

http://www.tacomaworld.com/forum/product-reviews/85301-smittybuilt-xrc-8-maintenance.html

 

If you could go back and had the money would you choose a warn m8000 over the xrc8? I am an electrician and have access to all kinds of anti corrosion, dielectric grease, instant galvanize, de-oxidizing contact cleaning solvents, etc. So what I'm asking is would one of these winches be more susceptible to corrosion / failure than the other? I only ask because if all it takes is some good elbow grease to keep the solenoid / contacts from corroding I couldn't justify the extra $180 for the warn.. Thanks.

 

great thread and info. thanks for taking the time to explain and post.