Allied Systems W8L User manual

P/N 599018W-CAT Printed in U.S.A. 5/28/2020
Towing Winch
for Caterpillar Dozers
This manual must be with the vehicle
on which this winch is installed.
Please check the Allied Systems website
regularly for updates to this manual.
www.alliedsystems.com
A Product of
Sherwood, OR USA
Operating Manual
W8L
Applicable to winches with serial number AW8L***3900*** and later.
A
Pr
od
uct
of

05/28/2020
Printed in U.S.A.
A Product of Allied Systems Company
Sherwood, Oregon
U.S.A.
Winch Model W8L
Date Delivered
Serial Number
Date Installed
Special Equipment or Attachments

Foreword
The safe and efficient operation of a winch requires skill
and alertness on the part of the operator. To develop the
skills required, the operator must:
• Receive training in the proper operation of the winch
and the machine on which it is mounted.
• Understand the capabilities and limitations of the winch
and the machine on which it is mounted.
• Become familiar with the winch and the machine on
which it is mounted and see that they are maintained
in good condition.
• Read and understand the SAFETY SUMMARY
and OPERATING PROCEDURES contained in this
Operating Manual.
In addition, a qualified person experienced in the operation
of the winch must guide a new operator through several
load handling applications before the new operator
attempts to operate the equipment alone. It is the
employer’s responsibility to make sure that the operator
can see, hear, and has the physical and mental ability to
operate the equipment safely.
This Operating Manual contains basic information
necessary for the operation and maintenance of a winch.
Optional equipment is sometimes installed that can
change the characteristics described in this manual.
Make sure the necessary instructions are available and
understood before operating the winch.
Some of the components described in this Operating
Manual will NOT be installed on your winch. If you have
questions about any item on your winch or described in
this Operating Manual, contact your local winch dealer,
or contact Allied Systems Company:
Allied Systems Company
21433 SW Oregon Street
Sherwood, OR 97140
U.S.A.
Phone: [phone]
Fax: [phone]
E-Mail: [email protected]
Also visit our website, www.alliedsystems.com, where
the most current copy of this manual is always available.
Foreword
i

ii
Note: For repairs and overhaul, contact
your Allied winch dealer. If you maintain
your own equipment, a service manual is
available for your specific winch.
Note: This publication may be translated
to different languages for sole purpose of
easy reference in non-English speaking
locations. Should there be differences in
interpretations to the text, please refer to
the English language edition published
by Allied Systems Company as the
controlling document.

iii
Contents
Foreword ..................................................................i
Contents................................................................. iii
Safety Summary .....................................................v
General
Introduction...............................................................1
How The Winch Operates.........................................1
Nameplate ................................................................2
Wire Rope Selection.................................................3
Recommended Oil List & Oil Capacity .....................4
W8L Winch Description ............................................5
Optional Equipment..................................................6
Serial Number Codes ...............................................7
Dozer Identification and Gear Ratios .................8
Operation, Power Controls
Checks Before Operation .........................................9
Operating Procedures ..............................................9
Power Operation.....................................................11
Troubleshooting Chart ............................................13
Operation, Electronic Controls
Checks Before Operation .......................................17
Checks During Operation .......................................17
Operating Procedures ............................................18
Power Operation.....................................................21
Inching....................................................................22
Troubleshooting Chart ............................................23
Maintenance
Maintenance...........................................................27
Maintenance Points ..........................................27
Maintenance Schedule.....................................28
Control Cable Adjustment.......................................30
Contents
(continued on next page)

iv
Operating Techniques, Power Controls
Dozer or Skidder Operation....................................31
Operating Techniques, Electronic Controls
Dozer or Skidder Operation....................................35
Operating Techniques, General
How To Move A Disabled Vehicle............................39
Working on A Steep Slope .....................................41
Tractor Is Down The Slope ...............................41
Other Equipment Is Down The Slope...............42
Operational Differences, Optional Equipment
Fairlead...................................................................44
Drawbar ..................................................................44
Optional Gear Ratios..............................................44
Contents (continued)

v
Safety Summary
Safety Summary
General Safety Notices
The following pages contain general safety warnings
which supplement specific warnings and cautions
appearing elsewhere in this manual. All electrical and
hydraulic equipment is dangerous. You must thoroughly
review and understand the Safety Summary before
attempting to operate, troubleshoot or service this winch.
The following symbols/terms are used to emphasize safety
precautions and notices in this manual:
DANGER
The “DANGER” symbol indicates a
hazardous situation which, if not avoided,
will result in death or serious injury.
Carefully read the message that follows
to prevent serious injury or death.
WARNING
The “WARNING” symbol appears
wherever incorrect operating procedures
or practices could cause serious injury
or death. Carefully read the message that
follows to prevent serious injury or death.
CAUTION
The “CAUTION” symbol appears where a
hazardous situation which, if not avoided,
could result in minor to moderate injury
and equipment damage.

vi
NOTICE
This signal word alerts to a situation that
is not related to personal injury but may
cause equipment damage.
NOTE: …
The term “NOTE” highlights operating
procedures or practices that may improve
equipment reliability and/or personnel
performance.
Safety Regulations
Each country has its own safety legislation. It is in the
operator’s own interest to be conversant with these
regulations and to comply with them in full. This also
applies to local bylaws and regulations in force on a
particular worksite.
Should the recommendations in this manual deviate from
those in the user’s country, the national regulations should
be followed.
NOTE: All possible safety hazards cannot
be foreseen so as to be included in this
manual. Therefore, you must always
be alert to potential hazards that could
endanger personnel and/or damage the
equipment.
Operation, Inspection, and Maintenance Warnings
WARNING
The winch shall not be used for hoisting.
WARNING
Use hearing protection when operating
winches.

vii
Safety Summary
»Do not work with a damaged or worn wire rope.
»Do not use a winch that needs repairs.
»If the wire rope and ferrule must be removed from
the drum, make sure the end of the wire rope and
ferrule are controlled when the ferrule is released.
The end of the wire rope can suddenly move from
the drum like a compressed spring when the
ferrule is released and cause an injury.
• Stay in the operator’s seat when operating the winch.
• Do not stand on the vehicle when operating the
winch.
• Avoid winch operation near people or other machines.
• Never stand nor permit others to stand in the bight
(loop) of a wire rope.
• Do not stand nor permit others to be near the winch
or wire rope when there is tension on the wire rope.
• Observe jobsite rules.
• Be in complete control at all times.
• Do not use the control levers as hangers for clothes,
water bags, grease guns, lunch pails, etc.
Obey the following cautions and
warnings before using your winch to
avoid equipment damage, personal
injury or death.
• Do not operate the winch unless you are authorized
and trained to do so.
• Do not operate the winch unless the vehicle is
equipped with a screen to protect the operator if the
wire rope breaks.
• Read, understand, and follow the operating,
inspection, and maintenance instructions in this
Operating Manual.
• Do not use the control levers for hand holds when
entering or leaving the vehicle.
• Do not permit other people near the control area
when you inspect or repair a machine.
• Never inspect, repair, or perform maintenance on a
machine that is in motion.
• Inspect the winch before each use:
»Make sure that the controls and instruments
operate correctly.
»Report the need for repairs immediately.

viii
• Do not leave the vehicle when the winch wire rope
is under tension.
• Do not permit riders on the vehicle or load.
• Do not use the winch as an anchor for a double or
two-part line.
• Do not pull the hook through the throat or over the
drum, which will cause damage.
• When the winch is not in use, make sure the control
lever is in BRAKE-ON position and the winch brake
is applied.
• Do not use winch as a hoist. Tractor and skidder
mounted winches are designed for towing.
• Always inspect wire rope, tail chain and other rigging
components for wear, damage, broken strands or
abuse before use.
• Never use wire rope, tail chain or other rigging that
is worn-out, damaged or abused.
• Never overload wire rope, tail chain or rigging.
• Wire rope and tail chain will fail if worn-out, overloaded,
misused, damaged, improperly maintained or
abused. Wire rope or tail chain failure may cause
serious injury or death!
• Do not terminate wire rope to tail chain by the use
of a knot.
KG
KG

ix
Safety Summary
• Do not handle wire rope if the hook end is not free. A
load could break away, suddenly tensioning the wire
rope, resulting in serious injury or death.
• Stay clear of wire rope entry areas (fairlead or arch
rollers, winch drum etc).
• Make sure ground personnel are in plain view of the
operator, and at a distance of at least 1½ times the
working length of the wire rope.
• Make sure that any hand signals used by ground
personnel are clearly defined and understood by
everyone involved.
• Do not attempt to “jerk” or “shock” a load free. Doing
so can cause loads in excess of the rated capacity of
the wire rope, winch, or mounting hardware.
• Replace any parts only with genuine Allied Winch
parts. Refer to W8L Parts Manual (P/N 599781W).
• Maintain a minimum of three (3) complete wraps
of wire rope on the drum for normal operation. It
may help to paint the last five wraps of wire rope a
contrasting color, to serve as a visual indicator.
• Do not handle wire rope with bare hands. Wear
leather gloves at all times.
• Align the tractor with the load to prevent side loading
the winch, and to maintain even spooling of the wire
rope.
• If applying tension to the wire rope manually during
spooling:
»ensure that the operator is winching in slowly,
»keep your hands and clothing well clear of any
rollers or the winch drum,
»do not maintain tension by letting the wire rope
to slip through your hands,
»use a hand-over-hand technique to maintain
tension.
• Be aware of the ground conditions, and make sure
the ground and tractor are stable enough to pull
the intended load.
• Do not attempt to pull loads in excess of the rated
capacity of the winch.
• Keep yourself informed of any applicable codes,
regulations and standards for the job.
• Your winch may have temperature shut-off system
for protection of tractor and winch. Manual override
of high temperature shut-off will cause damage to
tractor and winch.

x
• This winch is neither intended, designed, nor rated
for any application involved in the lifting or moving
of personnel.
• Use only the lubricants listed in the Recommended
Oil List. See Page 5.
• Do not weld on any part of the winch. Contact Allied
Systems if weld repairs are needed.
• The hydraulic system must be kept clean and free
of contamination at all times.
• Be aware of the hazards of pressurized hydraulics:
»Wear personal protective equipment, such as
gloves and safety glasses, whenever servicing
or checking a hydraulic system.
»Assume that all hydraulic hoses and components
are pressurized. Relieve all hydraulic pressure
before disconnecting any hydraulic line.
»Never try to stop or check for a hydraulic leak with
any part of your body; use a piece of cardboard
to check for hydraulic leaks.
»Small hydraulic hose leaks are extremely
dangerous, and can inject hydraulic oil under the
skin, even through gloves.
»Infection and gangrene are possible when
hydraulic oil penetrates the skin. See a doctor
immediately to prevent loss of limb or death.

1
General
Introduction
This Operating Manual contains basic information
necessary for the operation and maintenance of the W8L
winch.
How the Winch Operates
A winch is normally installed on a skidder or dozer:
• to increase the pulling power of the skidder or dozer.
• to reach into an area where a skidder or dozer cannot
go.
• to make lift functions available when special attachments
are installed.
The winch has hydraulic clutches that are similar to a
hydraulic (powershift) transmission. The dozer or skidder
has a power take-off (PTO) that is used to connect the
power from the engine to the winch. The SCH (Self
Contained Hydraulics) on the winch label indicates that
the hydraulic system for control of the winch is inside of
the winch case. When the PTO is operating, a hydraulic
pump in the winch case takes hydraulic oil from the
winch sump and sends it to the hydraulic control valve.
The hydraulic valve controls the operation of the winch.
Removable covers on the winch case allow access for
repairs and adjustments.
When PTO is rotating, the hydraulic pump shaft is also
rotating. Oil from the hydraulic pump is used to cool
and lubricate the winch components. The pressure is
connected via gears to an oil clutch for the LINE-IN (power
forward) operation and another oil clutch for the LINE-OUT
(power reverse) direction.
The power through the winch to the drum for the wire rope
is controlled by a LINE-IN and a LINE-OUT clutch. When
the LINE-IN clutch is applied, the drum rotates to pull the
wire rope into the winch. When the LINE-OUT clutch is
applied, the drum rotates to reel the wire rope from the
winch at the speed controlled by the engine rpm.
When the control lever is in the BRAKE-ON position, the
oil brake is automatically applied by a spring to hold the
drum in its position. If the control lever is moved to apply
one of the clutches, the brake is released by the same oil
pressure that applies the clutch. In the event that hydraulic
power is lost, the brake remains applied and the winch
will not turn.
General

2
Figure 1 - Nameplate
Nameplate
Each winch is shipped from the factory with a nameplate
as shown in Figure 1. The nameplate is stamped with:
• winch model
• winch serial number
• maximum bare drum line pull
• maximum wire rope diameter
DO NOT operate the winch with larger diameter wire rope.
If the nameplate is missing, DO NOT operate the winch
until its capacity is known.
The serial number for the winch is also stamped into the
frame next to the nameplate.

3
General
Wire Rope Selection
Each winch model can have a variety of wire rope sizes
installed by the user.The maximum wire rope size is shown
on the nameplate. See Figure 2 for approved wire rope
sizes and drum capacities. When a larger diameter wire
rope is used, the length of wire rope installed on the drum
will be shorter. In some situations, the winch can create a
tension in the wire rope that is greater than the strength
of the wire rope.The user must be careful to select a wire
rope that has enough strength and length for the job.
WARNING
Load loss hazard.
A wire rope that breaks under high tension
can suddenly whip back towards the
winch, causing injury or product damage.
Be sure the operator knows the capacity
of the wire rope and the winch.
WARNING
Load loss hazard.
A loaded wire rope with fewer than
three complete wraps on the drum
could disengage from the ferrule pocket,
causing load loss and possible injury.
Paint the last five wraps of wire rope a
contrasting color to alert the operator that
end of the wire rope has been reached.
Figure 2 - Wire Rope Size and Capacities
Wire Rope Diameter Capacity for 12 in (305 mm)
Drum Diameter
7/8 in (22 mm) 354 ft (108 m)
1 in (25 mm) 275 ft (84 m)
1 1/8 in (28.6 mm) 220 ft (67 m)
NOTE:
1. Loosely or unevenly spooled line will reduce capacities.
2. Use flexible wire rope with independent wire rope center.
3. Ferule size: 2 1/4 inches diameter, 2 3/8 inches long.

4
Recommended Oil List and Oil Capacity
The type of oil used in Allied winches affects the line
control. Use the following oils in the W8L winch:
Figure 3 - Recommended Oil List
°F °C
ExxonMobil Mobil Fluid 424 (Factory fill) -13 to 104 -25 to 40
05ot52-221ot31-™draG-yHereeDnhoJ
04ot52-401ot31-FHT0001norvehC
Caterpillar Multipurpose Tractor Oil (MTO) -13 to 104 -25 to 40
05ot92-221ot02-artlU
narT-yHesaC
°F °C
03ot04-68ot04-TLdiulFliboMliboMnoxxE
John Deere Low Viscosity Hy-Gard -40 to 86 -40 to 30
03ot04-68ot04-WFHTnorvehC
* Note: Use of non-recommended oils may void warranty.
Recommended Oils* - General Conditions
Ambient Temperature Range
Recommended Oils* - Low Temperature Conditions
Ambient Temperature Range
Manufacturer Oil Type
Manufacturer Oil Type
Winch Model Oil Capacity
W8L 20.0 Gallon (76 L)
Figure 4 - Oil Capacity

5
General
Figure 5 - W8L Winch
W8L Winch Description
1
23
4,9
5
6
7
8
13
10
11
15
12
14
16
17
1. Drum
2. Access Cover for Filter
3. Access Cover to Hydraulic Valve
4. Access Cover to Hydraulic System
5. Plug to Check Oil Level
6. Plug to Drain Oil
7. Tie Rod
8. Fill Plug
9. Cover for Oil Brake
10. Intermediate Shaft Bearing Retainer
11. Drum Shaft Bearing Retainer
12. Drawbar
13. Breather
14. Nameplate
15. Drawbar Pin
16. Clutch Shaft Retainer
17. Brake Shaft Retainer

6
Optional Equipment (See also Page 46 for details)
The W8L winch may be equipped with the following
options:
• Fairlead assembly - To protect wire rope and frame
from damage at odd pull angles;
• Alternate gear ratio - To allow better line speed control;
• Electronic controls - Line control.
NOTE: Not all optional equipment listed is available
for each model of dozer.
Figure 6 - Fairlead
4-Roller Fairlead
3-Roller Fairlead

7
Serial Number Codes
The nameplate with the serial number code is found on
the left front corner of the winch case. A serial number
indicates the following information:
General
A W8L P 3 N 1555 C72 S
Manufactured By
Vehicle Code
Sequence Number
Internal Option
Winch Model
Type Drive
Gear Ratio
A = Allied Systems Company
P = Power Controls
E = Electronic Controls
See Figure 7
In Addition to the serial number plate,
the serial number is stamped on to
the left hand side of the frame
Circled numbers in Figure 7 indicate
possible gear ratios.
2.
Notes: 1.
W8L = Standard
K8L = Special Design (Contact Factory)
Code = Forward Ratio/Reverse Ratio
1 = 49.8:1/19.9:1
3 = 94.0:1/37.6:1
9= 94:1/102:1
N = Non-Freespool
Seals
Blank = Standard Seals
S = Extreme Duty Seals

8
Figure 7 - Dozer Identification and Gear Ratios
Tractor Make Model and Starting Tractor Serial Number Where Applicable
C
O
D
E
C
Caterpillar
715 D6GC

72 D7R SERIES II

721 D7 BUILD 17A
