How to Install a MileMarker 10,500 or 12,000 Pound Two Speed Hydraulic Winch
(They both will fit the Hummer H1)
© Copyright 2004 Chuck Kopelson 11/30/1998
Updated 10/14/2003

Hydraulic or Electric? Hydraulic winches pull and pull and keep pulling without overheating and cutting out. Because they use hydraulic pressure the engine has to be running for them to work. Electric winches pull great until they overheat or the battery runs down. Electric winches can draw as much or more current then the starter so if the truck isn't running there is a good chance that the winch will drain the battery and quit anyway.

Here are my thoughts. If you're stuck, I mean really stuck, and your truck won't start, winching yourself out with an electric winch accomplishes what? You're unstuck with a truck that won't start... and your battery may be dead to boot.

Performance Specifications 3.5 gal/min @ 1500 psi
Layers of Cable 1 2 3 4
Line Speed Low Gear (ft/min) 5.56 6.43 7.41 8.58
Rated Pull lbs. 10,500 8,500 7,400 6,400
Line Speed High Gear (ft/min) 31 36 42 48
Rated Pull lbs. 1,600 1,300 1,200 1,000
Note - If you are not getting any pulling power:
Applying the brake and or turning your wheel while winching decreases the pulling power of the winch. The brakes on a hummer are hydrostatic and use pressure from the power steering pump for boost. Turning the wheel also uses pressure from the power steering pump. Make sure you are in low gear if you have a 2 speed. Hi gear is good for rewinding the line or very easy pulls.

You need to order the following: 10,500 winch
75-50050C  Kit  2-Speed winch w/Valve Motor and 100' 3/8 cable     $799.00
60-50017    Hummer Bumper    $310.00
35-5020-17    Optional - Magnifine Power steering fluid filter (optional)     $30.00
You can also get the filter at emerging enterprises

The whole package with freight cost me $1,196.02 from Winches Plus . I've been told that the price is now about $800.00 for the whole thing.
Get about 5 quarts of GM Power Steering Fluid and some locktite red. It's better to use power steering fluid then the original Dextron III.

Parts for the 12,500 winch
75-52000C  2speed valve iron winch
35-5020-17  2 speed valve kit for hummer
60-50017  bumper for Hummer
Total weight 156.84 lbs

What You Get: (includes a roller fairlead)

What_you_get.jpg (14448 bytes)    Winch_Bumper.jpg (43320 bytes)    Fittings.jpg (17501 bytes)    Elect_parts.jpg (15225 bytes)
FlowRestrictor.jpg (12432 bytes)The valve body has one port with a flow restrictor that must remain in the port hole.  The round washer is moved away to show the restrictor and must be placed over the restrictor.
WinchPorts.jpg (11726 bytes)You now are going to mount the valve on the winch.  Make sure that the sealing rings are sitting in the valve grooves before you install it.
Valve_on_Winch.jpg (12916 bytes)You then mount the valve body onto the winch lining up the port holes.  Use locktite on the 4 allen head bolts.

Frontbumper.jpg (13144 bytes)Remove the front bumper, brush guard, rings, and twisted metal support brackets.  Make sure that you shim the frame where the twisted metal brackets were removed.  You can also cut the brackets off even with the frame, leaving the bracket ends as  shims.

Make sure that the A arm bolts are installed so the nuts are facing front because this is where the winch mount bolts on to the truck. If the nuts are not facing foreword you will have to reverse them. I took an extra bolt and used it to push the original bolt out from behind. If you don't have another bolt you will have to jack the truck up to take the stress off the A arm and use a big punch to drive the bolt out. Then grind the edges of the bolt so you have a 1/8" taper and drive the bolt back in from the rear.
Fittings_on_solonoid.jpg (9808 bytes)Note the ground wires screwed into the valve body.  Make sure you remove the paint so the wires will make a good ground.  My winch stopped working once because the solenoids wouldn't activate.  I traced it to a bad ground on the valve. I recommend that you coat the ground with that liquid electrical tape or paint.

You can mount the hydraulic fittings on the valve body. The exact fittings you use is determined by the way you route the hose.   The fitting setup I ended up using is different then what's shown.

 
Winch_on_Bumper.jpg (10586 bytes)Mount the winch on the bumper locktiting the 4 Bottom bolts
Orig_Brake_hose.jpg (14605 bytes)You now have to install the hydraulic lines.  You begin by removing the blue hose that goes between the power brake booster and the power steering box.  Fluid will leak so cover up the floor.
Orings.jpg (8685 bytes)Transfer the O rings from the blue hose ends to the supplied fittings.
HoseRoute2.jpg (17509 bytes)Install the J shaped fitting on the brake booster.   Fasten the longer hose to the other end.  Attach the L shaped fitting to the steering box and the second high pressure hose to it. 

Note: If you are installing this on a 1999 and newer truck which has ABS and TT4 you will have to reverse the long and short lines to get around the ABS unit. The connections remain the same only the hose lengths are changed.

The power steering fluid filter is inserted between the low pressure line that goes between the cooler and the power steering pump by cutting the low pressure line and using some hose clamps.

Note: I mounted the circuit breaker  on the plastic panel on the left.  A red wire runs from the power to the breaker.

Hose_routeing.jpg (15406 bytes)Route both hoses over the top of the frame rail.  Remove the access panel on the side of the radiator to assist in pulling the hoses through.
HoseRoute3.jpg (7009 bytes)I raised the winch into position using a floor jack. Put the winch on a piece of wood and jack it up and push it into place.
Route the hoses over the top of the frame rail and whip them around into the winch space.   Connect the longer hose from the brake booster to the port labeled 'P' on the control valve.  Connect the short hose to the 'T' port.  Remember on 1999 and newer ABS trucks connect the shorter hose from the brake booster to port 'P' and connect the longer hose to the 'T' port. Keep all the hoses clear of any metal so they don't chafe.   Once you have all the hoses positioned tighten up all the fittings and use wire ties to keep hoses neat and together. Torque these fittings 1/4 turn past finger tight.    The photo directly above was taken a year later when my truck was getting a new engine. I had the opportunity to show exactly how the fittings and hoses are arranged with no radiator stack in the way.
wiring.jpg (16554 bytes)I routed the red 12v wire with the hydraulic hoses.  I mounted the receptacle in the blackout notch in the hood. I did this because behind the blackout recess is an enclosed area for the headlight wiring.
Recepticle.jpg (9609 bytes)

This is just a 4 pin trailer connector that comes with the winch. I drilled a hole in the hood and used a round file to enlarge the hole. I then used some hot melt glue to hold the connector in.

WIRING DIAGRAM FOR THE NEW REMOTE

The winch / trailer connector
Fairlead.jpg (11579 bytes)Mount the fairlead and  fill up the power steering pump with the GM power steering fluid.  You have to purge the air and the original Dextron fluid from the system.

Fill to capacity, Start engine, Turn wheels back and fourth a few times. Now plug in the winch control cable and run the winch in and out a few feet to get fluid into the winch.  Turn off engine, Drain - pull off bottom hose from cooler. Pour PS fluid until it runs clear. Re-attach hose.

Repeat until the fluid is all clear. The color will be less brown each time and finally clear. As the system is charged bubbles in the reservoir will slowly disappear.

Check all the fittings for leaks and you're done.

Milemarker suggests that you rewind the cable under a 500lb. load so it doesn't bind up the first time you use it.

Important

Lubricate the shift levers on the winch or they will freeze up.   The aluminum case will stick to the steel shift pins especially if they get doused in road salt.  If they freeze up use WD40 to unstick them.  I then smear the pins with anti-seize on a regular basis.

WinchSwitch.jpg (25034 bytes)I added an inside winch switch using a replacement power window switch. I placed it in this spot because I didn't want anyone accidentally activating the winch. The 3 round switches are for 3 pairs of Hella lights that are on my windshield light bar.