Update on winch reassembly.
All back together with new Aeroshell 33ms grease.
Not sure about brake operation, yet. I sent an e-mail to Warn, but so far, no response. Actually, I don't expect them to be helpful--liability issue??
Looking at the brake assembly, I didn't think the tension was adequate--the spring didn't even cause the cones to contract, which appears to be required to force the 3 pads outward so they will contact the drum wall. So, I rotated the cams one revolution, which then required me to keep something around the pads to keep the assembly from "unwinding".
There doesn't seem to be an "out of vehicle" method of testing the brake.
I rigged my snatch block to a beam in the garage, and ran the cable through it. I then hoisted an 85lb block, hoping the weight would be sufficient to test the brake action. Upon releasing power-in, it did, in fact hold the weight without spooling back out. Hopefully it was the brake holding, and not just the 156:1 reduction gear.
I then tried power-out. The the weight dropped without obvious over speed, but upon releasing the power, the winch chatters a little before halting.
This is a concern, but not sure what to expect, since I was using the winch as a hoist. Dropping a dead weight ~6 inches then stopping it could cause very large shock loads. I've never used my Warn in this manner before, always having all 4 wheels on the ground while winching.
Any comments? Individual experience with your Warn 8000/9000 winch regarding the brake action?