Sealing your Smittybilt XRC8 solenoid before it fails

Thanks guys.

M8000 vs XRC8...

Well... I think more separates the two than just a solenoid. I think the XRC8 being a rebranded t-max (though likely with corners cut) is a decent little winch. I think with what I've done here you can make it fairly reliable and stout. Is the M8000 still a better winch? Probably. I imagine the gear set and the motor are both made of better parts. I have trouble believing the solenoid is any better, after reading plenty of issues with Warn solenoids. Maybe it's better sealed from the factory though?

I think the XRC8 is a good winch if you take the time to look yours over and do a little modding. I think the M8000 is probably a decent winch out of the box, but for 180 more? Maybe...as I do think you're taking a chance with the motor and gears on the xrc8 more than the solenoid but as you can see 2 years and everything inside still looks good, and I've taken this winch a lot of nasty places and used it plenty. I know that's a little inconclusive maybe but gotta think about the price. If you're not too concerned about it breaking and being stranded then perhaps the xrc8 is a decent buy, get a good life out of it and if it brakes you're not out much. You could replace for a little more than it would have cost you to buy an M8000 originally, and you don't have to drop all the money at once. Or if that's not your style, read on...

I do believe though that a superwinch x9 or ep9 or talon 9.5 is the way to go if you want to spend a little more. Superior solenoids and quality winches. Everything I've read would lead me to believe I'd rather spend the money here than with Warn if I wanted something more than the xrc8.

 

Before I bolted it back into the truck I drilled and tapped for a grease fitting. Not sure it's recommended but I did it!

I might as well mention that even after cutting holes into the boots on the electrical cables, everything but the posts was pretty rusty. I cleaned it all up and bolted it back together but before I slipped the boots back over, I smeared dielectric grease all over the posts and cable ends, might get a little dirty but should keep them from corroding any further.

Got it back in the truck and tested it out, works fine, spooled all the line back up nice and tight and ready to go for any future adventures.

 

Thank you so much for this write up! Just finished doing this today. Man is that grease terrible! It remained in little clumps even in mineral spirits!

By the way, I needed to either extend the wires coming off the winch or rotate the motor hub so that the wires would reach the solenoid after I rotated it (different thread), so I tried rotating the hub first. It went back together just fine, and it all still works, so I think that that's an option for your winch where water collects on the terminals.
Thanks again!

 

Im not sure if the new grease helps yours freespool easier. Mine didn't but I feel better about it at any rate. Good point on my clocking the motor end I saw no reason you couldn't. Though I wonder where the drains are, not that it matters as I've got mine feet forward rather than down anyway.

 

Yeah, the freespool is a little easier, but not by much. It was sounding gritty before, though, and now it doesn't, which is good.
Mine's feet forward, too. I'm not too worried...I don't really plan on doing any water crossings that deep right now anyways (I am a desert rat after all).

 

Sorry to revive an old thread, but corrosion happens lol. This solenoid was never used. I moved the solenoid under the hood about a week after it was in my bumper. It rained maybe once, good thing Amazon has good customer service. They sent me a whole new winch. Just a heads up.

 

Yikes!

 

dam better check mine.

 

So nearly having the xrc10 for nearly 5 years my solenoid finally took a crap..

 

I guess that's not too bad. Kind of.

 

So with a few years and lots of wheeling on this thing it started giving me troubles.

Pulled the solenoid apart, a little bit of arcing but no corrosion! Worked perfectly if I jumped the pins on the connector so I figured it was either the other side of the connector or somewhere in the controller.

Turned out to be a really shitty crimp job on the other side of the connector.

 

Did Smittybilt ever address the solenoid issue and fix it? My new one purchased a few months ago seems sealed pretty well or should I take it apart anyway?

 

I think the new X2O model has had less issues. But then again it's not as old!

 

Hey guys its Krookz. I took my solenoid apart this weekend to take a peek when I took the planetaries apart to re-pack the thing. This is from when I originally did the post about sealing it. Many of years and lots of mud/water. Good to go


2015-09-08_04-42-14 by ruggedT Decals, on Flickr

 

Thanks for the update, sold my winch with my Taco but I have a newer XRC 12k on my FJ!

 

Does anyone happen to have a picture of how the wiring goes on the solenoid?

I didnt take a picture before pulling it all apart and got sidetracked before I could put it back together.

Thanks in advance