Ramsey REP-8.5e User Manual

Congratulations

You have purchased the finest winch available in its service
class. The REP 8.5e features a highly efficient 3-stage plane­tary gear set. It transmits torque from a permanent magnet
D.C. motor. A safe positive clutch allows free spooling for
quick cable deployment. An automatic load holding brake is
designed to hold the full rated capacity of the winch. It was
designed and manufactured to provide you with the utmost in
utility. As with any device that combines power and movement
in its use, there are dangers if improperly used. At the same
time, there are easier and faster ways for getting the job done
if certain precautions are taken first. Please read this manual
carefully. It contains useful ideas in obtaining the most effi­cient operation from your Ramsey Winch and safety
procedures you need to know before beginning use. When
you follow our guidelines for operation, your Ramsey Winch
will give you many years of satisfying service. Thank you for
choosing Ramsey. You will be glad you have one working for
you.

Please Note: Ramsey REP 8.5e Series winch is designed for
front mount vehicle use. It is not designed for and should not
be used in industrial applications (car haulers/carriers,
wreckers, hoisting, etc.), and Ramsey does not warrant it to
be suitable for such use. Ramsey makes a separate, complete
line of winches for industrial/commercial use. Please contact
the factory for further information.

Contents

Safety Precautions ......................................................2

Tips for Safe Operation ................................................2

Techniques of Operation ..............................................3

Installation ................................................................4-7

Electrical Connections & Operations ............................5

Operating Instructions ..................................................8

Maintenance ................................................................8

Trouble Shooting Guide ................................................9

Winch Parts List ..................................................10-11

Warranty ......................................................Back Cover

CAUTION: Read and understand this manual before installation and operation of winch. See Safety Precautions.

Ramsey Winch Company

OWNER’S MANUAL

Model REP 8.5e

Front Mount Electric Winch

12 and 24 Volt available

Layer of Cable 1234 (lbs) NO 2,000 4,000 6,000 8,000 8,500

(lbs) 8,500 6,900 5,800 5,100 (kg) LOAD 900 1,810 2,720 3,630 3,860

(kg) 3,850 3,120 2,630 2,310

(FPM)

12V

15 12 10 8 64.5

(ft)*15407095

24V 22 17 14 10 7 5

(m)* 4 12 21 28

(MPM)

12V

4.6 3.7 3 2.4 1.8 1.4

24V

6.7 5.2 4.3 3 2.1 1.5

* Depends on cable being uniformly wound onto drum. 12V

40 110 170 230 310 335

Ramsey performance data is compiled from actual winch testing. 24V

25 80 120 170 225 250

First Layer Line Pull

Line Speed First
Layer

Amp Draw

Rated Line Pull Per Layer

Cumulative Cable Capacity Per Layer
5/16" (8mm) dia. Cable

Safety Precautions

To Guard Against Possible Injury…

A minimum of five wraps of cable around the drum
barrel is necessary to hold the rated load. Cable
clamp in not designed to hold the load.

A. Keep yourself and others a safe distance to the side of the

cable when pulling under load.
B. Don't step over a cable, or near a cable under load.
C. Use supplied hook strap when handling hook for spooling

wire rope.
D. Don't move the vehicle to pull a load on the winch cable.

This could result in cable breakage.
E. Use a heavy rag or gloves to protect hands from burrs

when handling winch cable.
F. Apply blocks to wheels when vehicle is on an incline.
G. Winch clutch should be disengaged when winch is not in

use and fully engaged when in use.
H. Modification, alteration or deviation to the winch should

only be made by Ramsey Winch Company.
I. Keep the duration of your pulls as short as possible. If the

motor becomes uncomfortably hot to the touch, stop and

let it cool for a few minutes. Do not pull more than one

minute at or near rated load. Do not maintain power to the

winch if the motor stalls. Electric winches are for intermit-

tent usage and should not used in constant duty

applications.
J. Disconnect the remote control switch from the winch when

not in use. A Ramsey Part No. 282053 safety on-off

switch in your vehicle is recommended.
K. Note: Do not use winch in hoisting applications due to

required hoist safety factors and features.
L. Do not exceed maximum line pull ratings shown in tables.

Shock loads must not exceed these ratings.
M. To respool correctly, it is necessary to keep a slight load

on the cable. This is accomplished by (wearing gloves)

holding the cable with one hand and the remote control

switch with the other, starting as far back and in the center

as you can, walking up keeping load on the cable as the

winch is powered in. Do not allow the cable to slip through

your hand and do not approach the winch too closely. Turn

off the winch and repeat the procedure until all the cable

except a few feet is in. Disconnect the remote control

switch and finish spooling in cable by rotating the drum by

hand with clutch disengaged. On hidden winches, spool in

cable under power using supplied hook strap.

Tips for Safe Operation

Don't underestimate the potential danger in winching opera­tions. Neither should you fear them. Do learn the basic
dangers and avoid them.

The uneven spooling of cable, while pulling a load, is not a
problem, unless there is cable pileup on one end of drum. If
this happens, reverse the winch to relieve the load and move
your anchor point further to the center of the vehicle. After the
job is done you can unspool and rewind for a neat lay of the
cable.

Store the remote control switch inside your vehicle where it
will not become damaged. Inspect it before you plug it in.

When ready to begin spooling in, plug in remote control
switch with clutch disengaged. Do not engage clutch with
motor running.

Never connect the hook back to the cable. This causes cable
damage. Always use a sling or chain of suitable strength as
shown in the illustrations.

Observe your winch while winching, if possible, while stand­ing at a safe distance. If you use vehicle drive to assist, stop
and get out every few feet to assure the cable is not piling up
in one corner. Jamming cable can break your winch.

Do not attach tow hooks to winch mounting apparatus. They
must attach to vehicle frame.

When double lining during stationary winching, the winch
hook should be attached to the chassis of the vehicle.

Since the greatest pulling power is achieved on the innermost
layer of your winch, it is desirable to pull off as much line as
you can for heavy pulls (remember, you must leave 5 wraps
min. on the drum). If this is not practical, use a snatch block
and double line arrangement (see illustration).

Neat, tight spooling avoids cable binding, which is caused
when a load is applied and the cable is pinched between two
others. If this happens, alternately power the winch in and out
a few inches. Do not attempt to work a bound cable under
load; free by hand.

2

Techniques of Operation

The best way to get acquainted with how your winch
operates is to make a few test runs before you actually
need to use it. Plan your test in advance. Remember you
hear your winch as well as see it operate. Get to recog­nize the sound of light steady pull, a heavy pull, and
sounds caused by load jerking or shifting. Soon you will
gain confidence in operating your winch and its use will
become second nature with you.

Your winch will not only pull your vehicle up or ease your
vehicle down a steep grade, it will also pull another vehi­cle or a load while your vehicle is anchored in a
stationary position. The following sketches show you a
few techniques.

For basic self-recovery, anchor to a tree or heavy rock.
When anchoring to a tree, always use a tree trunk pro­tector.

Stakes driven into solid earth and chained together make
a good anchor point for self-recovery when no solid
anchor point is available.

For a solid anchor, bury a log with earth or sand or place
it in a deep ravine.

When pulling a heavy load, place a blanket, jacket or tar­paulin over the cable five or six feet from the hook. It will
slow the snap back in the event of a broken cable. Also
open the vehicle hood for additional protection.

Use the vehicle wheel power to help the winch, but don't
overtake the winch line. Plan your pull. You can't always
hook up and pull out in one step. Examine all the areas
for anchoring possibilities as well as leverage situations,
direction and goal.

Winches equipped with cable guide fairleads can pull
from several different directions. Pull from an angle only
to straighten up the vehicle--otherwise you can damage
structural members or other parts of your vehicle and
cause excess cable buildup on one end of the winch
drum.

For a direct pull of 2,000 lbs. hitch a truck to a tree or
solid anchor, and take out of gear.

To double the pull, use 2-part line and tie off the chassis.
Take out of gear.

3

Installation

The winches shown in this owner's manual are solely and
exclusively designed for vehicle mounted, non-industrial appli­cations. All other applications will void warranty.

Note: For specific bull-bar applications, the shifter lever on
the winch may need to be repositioned. Refer to pages 6-7 for
instructions on how to do this.

It is very important that the winch be mounted on a flat sur­face so that the three major sections (the motor end, the cable
drum and the gear housing end) are properly aligned. It is rec­ommended that Ramsey kits be used to mount the winch.
They are designed to align the winch and distribute up to the
full rated load evenly, to avoid possible damage to the winch
or vehicle. Note: If recommended mounting is not used, a kit
of equal design must be used.

Also available for mounting the REP 8.5e winch are the fol­lowing winch mounting channels:

#408052 Short length (23.63" black)

#408120 Medium length (30.00" black)

#408101 Long length (36.00" black)

It is recommended that a Ramsey mounting channel be used
in all non-Ramsey mountings.

When mounting winch, insert band clamp through base of
solenoid and slide over motor end, as shown in Figure 1. Slide
solenoid and band clamp over motor end until the inside wall
of the cover rests against the motor end (See Figure 2).

Tighten band clamp onto motor end so that solenoid is
secure. CLEARANCE MUST BE MAINTAINED BETWEEN THE
STUDS ON THE BASE OF THE SOLENOID AND THE MOTOR
TERMINALS. Attach motor leads to motor terminals on end of
motor.

It may be necessary to turn the solenoid around the motor
end to allow clearance with grill guard tubes. If it is, simply
loosen the band clamp and turn the solenoid as far as neces­sary.

Motor Leads

Motor
Terminals

Battery
Leads

Band
Clamp

FIGURE 1

FIGURE 2

Slide solenoid onto motor
until inside of cover rests
against edge shown

After installation, confirm
there is sufficient clearance
between studs on base of
solenoid and motor terminals

4