Warn M8000 questions

I just acquired a used Warn M8000 winch (thanks, Kraig!) that's pretty much in pieces, ready to de-mud, shine up and restore. I've searched around on the Warn site and the web and have yet to find a owner's manual. Basically, I'm looking for an exploded view to make sure I have at least most of the parts before I start restoring it. Anyone have this?

Also, in looking at my ARB - is the fairlead the only main attachment point for this thing? Is there any other anchor point it attaches to on the ARB, frame, etc?

Any suggestions/advice/flaming is appreciated.

If I recall correctly bottom two bolts go through the fairleads and bumper and the top two bolts go through the bumper to the winch only.
I also remember drilling new holes in the fairleads so that it will be centered with the winch/cable.

Just call Warn.

I rebuilt an old M8000 about five years ago and found the people at Warn to be very helpful. No owners manual was available but Warn faxed copies of an exploded view with a parts list and wiring diagram.

I just found the exploded view w/ parts list and solenoid diagram. If you don't have any luck with Warn, I can snail mail you some copies.

try google... it'll get you warnparts.com

Awesome - that's exactly what I need to get started! I had to fix the link (replaced a comma with a period), but that site rocks!

Now hopefully I'll see I have at least MOST of the parts.

OK - so I've determined that I have most of the parts (save a bolt or two). Now I need to get this thing clean.


Most of the mud wipes right off. I plan to use a wire brush and steel wool on some of the rusty bits. Is there a solvent or solution to cleaning internal parts (motor coil and housing, electric box/solenoids)? Is there anything I should absolutely avoid using at all?

Before I put too much effort into the motor and housing, does any of this look like anything I should worry about?

Inside housing


Motor wire


Drive gear


I don't want to spend $200 if I don't have to on a new motor.

If you are really interested, take a look at the rest of the album HERE

Any advice/tips would be helpful. Thanks.

The brushes look like they should be replaced, but the rest of it looks like it should clean up pretty well with some light solvent like WD40 and a toothbrush, then later with some electronic parts cleaner.

I would also recommend investigating the condition of the gearbox, which has not been disassembled yet (based on your pics.)

Oh yeah, and as far as winch cable, I highly recommend synthetic rather than steel cable. Synthetic is much lighter, safer, and easier to handle.

Yeah, I've got a steel cable for it and it probably needs to be replaced, but if I don't want to spend $200 on a new motor, I certainly don't want to spend $500+ for a new line.

I'll take a look for electronics cleaner. Thanks!

$500+?!?? Try less than $200. Click here for an example.

Another example here

If you believe that the steel cable needs to be replaced anyway, why risk using a cable that might break?

Oh wow. Thanks. I could have sworn I'd seen a different price. That's not bad. I would need a different fairlead, though, right?

Jason, if you go with synthetic let me know... maybe we can double order and save a bit on at least shipping.

Will do, Roger.

Probably a dumb question (and I should be ashamed to ask since my dad is an electrician), but which ones are the "brushes" that need replacing.

Anything I should look for in the gearbox (other than broken gears)?

Nope. As long as the roller fairlead isn't gouged badly or has sharp edges it won't damage the rope. If you can spare the cash, a nice billet aluminum fairlead is even better.

Here's one reason why synthetic is nice. It's easy to wrap up if you will be winching often. (Also note the roller fairlead.)


And the brushes that you should probably replace are the 4 copper pieces (one of which is cracked) at the end of the motor housing:


As for the gears, I'd just make sure all the teeth are in OK shape, and that they have sufficient lubrication.

Oh yeah, and one last thing: open up the solenoid box and check the condition of the solenoids and other wires to clean them up. Mud and rust can wreak havoc with the contacts.

Get some new nuts for the fairlead (if they are Nylon locknuts) you may also need longer bolts. If you look at the ARB the two outer rollers bolt through the Bumper.

This fairlead just came off an ARB and fit just fine. Is there a reason for switching them out? Do my nuts look faulty?



Right now I have my stock fog lights mounted on the ARB, bolted through the fairlead bolt holes. I was thinking that I might fab up a bracket for the fairlead to mount them. Something like this, but with a 90 degree to accomodate the stock lights:


As far as replacing the brushes, warnparts.com only sells the motor as a single item. Any ideas how to replace the copper without spending $200+ on a new motor?

They are just brushes.. electronics supply stores would have them. They are the little square doodads (you can only see two in the pic, but there are four)

I figured out which they are, but since they are fitted into the housing and interact with their springs I wasn't sure if they would be specific to that motor.

I'll take a look at Radio Shack and see what they have.

Nylocks should only be used once.

Brush life

Ok, Jason... since I haven't seen you in forever, how'd the winch thing go? Got pics/stories/whatnot? Shame on you for starting this story, then not finishing it!

It's completely reassembled, but I can't get it to work. From the testing I've done, it looks like the actual motor is bad, as I can't get it to spin, through the control box or directly jumped to the battery. I'll do a few more tests before I spend the $200 to replace the motor. Fun stuff.

Uh...