identifting warn 8274 and checking before buying?

[Russell_ds80]

Hi all im possibbly going to buy an 8274 winch. I wanted to know how old it is and what to check before buying.

Firstly the sticker on the top has mostly rubbed of so cant read whats on that but theres some things stamped in the top case but these are difficult to read but i think they are :-

7585

158295

AN0

Anybody know what any of them numbers mean?

Also what should i check? Its been sat for a while in a workshop. Its fitted to a winch bumper and has steel wire on, i've tried pulling the cable out but cant budge it.

So what should i check so i dont waste my money.

Cheers Russell

[RedLineMike]

is the freespool handle a T shape or a round disc?

how complete is it? does it have a solenoid pack etc on it,

[Russell_ds80]

Its a round disc type freespool handle. It is all complete with solenoid pack on the front and its bolted to a bumper.

Russell

[robhybrid]

A T handle free spool lever is the type usually found on a newer 8274-50 although the parts are interchangeable so it is no guarantee.

The newer 8274-50 has a slightly smoother surface on the brake assembly, these can be swapped round but not so simple.

In my opinion condition ranks far higher than age for these winches.

Without dismantling the top cover or hearing and seeing the winch working it is always going to be a gamble on the condition of the winch.

Rusted or damaged internal gears and damage to the main casing are the main things to look out for in my opinion.

I would budget on replacing the winch motor and solenoid unless you can get guarantees on their age and history, plus a genuine albright solenoid of the right spec will prove to be more reliable (there are several different specs of what look like the same albright solenoid)

All parts are available (at a price) have a look on gigglepin web site.

I would still rather take a gamble on a second hand 8274 than buy a new low line winch though.

[jil6939]

Warn have an app on tinternet that tells you the age via serial no. Can't remember where I saw it but poss d44 or maybe just google warn? Someone else might remember where this app is located.

[jil6939]

Since the M8274 has been around for nearly 40 years, there are quite a few of them out there, many still performing regular recovery duty. We get a fair amount of requests to identify how old a specific M8274 is. Here's a way to identify them up until about the early 1990s.

On the top of the upper housing there will be a code with two letters and a number. For example, we'll use FB6.

The first letter stands for the month the winch was made (A=1, B=2, C=3, etc.). Therefore, with our example, F would equal the sixth month: June

The second letter stands for the working day of the month, not including Saturdays or Sundays. Our example says "B," which would be the second working day of the month.

The ending number represents the year the winch was made during the '70s or '80s. In this example, it's 6, so that'd be '76 or '86. (Remember, M8274 production started in '74 and this coding system stopped in the early 1990s, after that, Warn used serial numbers.) Beginning in about 1980, Warn switched from a metal socket on the control pack to a plastic socket. So, depending on which one your winch has would determine which year your M8274 was manufactured.

Found it under warn serial no's

[jil6939]

That would make yours the 14th working day of January 1970 or 80 depending on if it has a plastic or metal socket.

[Russell_ds80]

Thanks for that. Im building a 90 at the moment which i intend to do some challenging in so i will probably want some upgraded bits at some point. The bloke wants £500 for the winch. Is it worth that? Should i just wait a little longer and buy one thats got some upgrades?

cheers again