Help to Rewire an Old Thomas Winch

[John_D4]

I’m not an auto sparky, I’m self taught, and I’ve reached the end of my current tech knowledge.

I’d like to achieve 2 things - 1) to test the solenoids as they’re about 30 years old. 2) once the solenoids are confirmed to be working, rewire it all with a control switch on the dash instead of a hand control.

The winch motor definitely works - I can get it to go both directions by connecting the battery up directly.

I’ve tried following the directions for testing the solenoids, but unless either I’ve mucked something up or they’re US.

Here are the diagrams that I have:

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20181113/3c876c278dc77834ea509065e5296255.jpg

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20181113/da0f70b3a7da30408b953e3db21edc48.jpg

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20181113/c8b39bb224cd45432863802d631b1933.jpg

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20181113/d86f6976ac2f75587136bfa70f7d5e32.jpg

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20181113/5ccb3a1cbc028483a93a675d6f4fd343.jpg

[RobMichelle]

I got some new solenoids for my old winch off Ebay pretty cheap but good, after 30 years maybe worth considering, I used an extension cord, cut off the plugs thru firewall to heavy rated switch.i just connected onto the hand piece plug, one wire is power, one is forward, one reverse.

[RobMichelle]

In diagram 2 is the black,blue and white are they the 3 blue coated heavy gauge wires in 5?

[John_D4]

In diagram 2 is the black,blue and white are they the 3 blue coated heavy gauge wires in 5?

Yes. If u refer to diagram 1, I’m 99.9% sure that the red battery wire attaches to where the small gauge yellow wire is in the photo.

I think I’ve orientated the photo the same as diagram 1

[bee utey]

I assume you followed the oft repeated directions and ran an earth wire from the solenoid mounting plate to the battery negative terminal, along with the winch motor earth.

[John_D4]

I might wire it all up again tomorrow and post another pic of what I’ve done.

That way you all can either point out my obvious mistake or be as stumped as me!

[Blknight.aus]

what you have there is the mother of all double pole double throw relays.....

testing its easy. disconnect and insulate the leads going to the winch, connect the thick black wire from the left bus bar to the right bus bar


hook up a pair of jumper cables to the frame of the solenoid assembly (negative) and the bus bar

connect the yellow lead to either the green or black wire and 2 solenoids should click in. to test it simply grab your meter and measure between the frame and the joiners, if you have voltage you have some kind of connection but it could be sus, so grab a light (a headlight with the high and low bridged in parallel will do nicely) and touch it from the joiner to battery negative (or the frame whatevers easy)

if it lights up then the solenoid that is connected to the wire you have the yellow lead joined to is ok. with that done swap the yellow wire to the other of the green or black small wire and go again.

tested.

[John_D4]

connect the thick black wire from the left bus bar to the right bus bar hook up a pair of jumper cables to the frame of the solenoid assembly (negative) and the bus bar connect the yellow lead to either the green or black wire and 2 solenoids should click in. to test it simply grab your meter and measure between the frame and the joiners

I did this today like advised:

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20181115/0fedbc19b4de9044f1c65313ed515484.jpg

I can confirm that when you touch the yellow wire to either the black or green you can feel all 4 relays clicking. Although ‘thumping’ is probably a better term as they are loud.

So all 4 relays work - yay!

Next I connected it to the winch like so:

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20181115/9f8f34c8e627ad9334731d504663de91.jpg

And I connected up the yellow to the black 1st and the green 2nd. The winch drum goes both ways!

Obviously I’ll need a ‘winch in & out switch’ which the yellow will be the common and the black and green will go on opposite poles. That sounds easy enough. The switch will be dash mounted not remote.

The solenoid bank will go under my special dual battery holder which is in the same location of the main TD5 starting battery. Another 3 questions

1) 3b&s or 0 gauge wire from solenoids to winch

2) I’m adding an isolator relay/solenoid to cut main power. What size should I buy?

3 Also what size fuse between battery & solenoids? 10 amp between battery and main power relay should suffice?

[Blknight.aus]

I did this today like advised:

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20181115/0fedbc19b4de9044f1c65313ed515484.jpg

I can confirm that when you touch the yellow wire to either the black or green you can feel all 4 relays clicking. Although ‘thumping’ is probably a better term as they are loud.

So all 4 relays work - yay!

Next I connected it to the winch like so:

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20181115/9f8f34c8e627ad9334731d504663de91.jpg

And I connected up the yellow to the black 1st and the green 2nd. The winch drum goes both ways!

Obviously I’ll need a ‘winch in & out switch’ which the yellow will be the common and the black and green will go on opposite poles. That sounds easy enough. The switch will be dash mounted not remote.

The solenoid bank will go under my special dual battery holder which is in the same location of the main TD5 starting battery. Another 3 questions

1) 3b&s or 0 gauge wire from solenoids to winch

2) I’m adding an isolator relay/solenoid to cut main power. What size should I buy?

3 Also what size fuse between battery & solenoids? 10 amp between battery and main power relay should suffice?


use 2 small relays to drive the main relays, you want single throw single pole horn relays those big relays in pairs draw around 6 amps. then you can use almost any switch you like.

1) the fattest wire you can get, also make up an earth lead for the winch mount back to the battery or alternator. (battery is better)

2) something rated for 400A constant with a surge of about 700A and a peak over 1000A.

3. 10 Amps will be fine, but watch your switching (as per above comment about using relays)


Glad it worked out.

[John_D4]

use 2 small relays to drive the main relays, you want single throw single pole horn relays those big relays in pairs draw around 6 amps. then you can use almost any switch you like.

1) the fattest wire you can get, also make up an earth lead for the winch mount back to the battery or alternator. (battery is better)

2) something rated for 400A constant with a surge of about 700A and a peak over 1000A.

3. 10 Amps will be fine, but watch your switching (as per above comment about using relays)


Glad it worked out.

Thanks for your help. So just to clarify:

instead of running the black, green & yellow back to the dash switch, run them to 2 relays & fuse the yellow with 7.5amp. Control the relays with a 2 way switch.

Fat battery cable with suggested amperage ratings.

10 amp fuse on main power solenoid. What size solenoid for the battery to solenoid bank line?

[Blknight.aus]

Thanks for your help. So just to clarify:

instead of running the black, green & yellow back to the dash switch, run them to 2 relays & fuse the yellow with 7.5amp. Control the relays with a 2 way switch.

Fat battery cable with suggested amperage ratings.

10 amp fuse on main power solenoid. What size solenoid for the battery to solenoid bank line?

thats about it...

the 400A const, 700A surge and 1000A peak was the spec for the main solenoid you were going to use to isolate the whole winch assy.

[John_D4]

thats about it...

the 400A const, 700A surge and 1000A peak was the spec for the main solenoid you were going to use to isolate the whole winch assy.

That makes more sense! I was thinking that’s really strange specs for wire - that’s larger than 000 gauge!

[John_D4]

So what happened in the end? Today I bought some 50mm2 welding cable and ran 3 runs to where the winch is to be mounted. I’m installing a dual battery holder in place of the standard TD5 battery compartment. The 2 optimas will sit side by side. The new battery compartment has a small shelf underneath where the winch controlling solenoids just fit into.

All I have left (besides fitting the winch of course) is to fit the main power fuse and main power solenoid and to buy a ‘winch in and out’ switch. Incidentally seeing as I’m mucking around with wires I think I might fit an earth wire back to the battery just to make things a but more trouble free.

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20181123/4a6458048391f64fede5cdc4adee0808.jpg

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20181123/3a68dfd710da9bc7d5278fbd0fddbd1f.jpg