Engo E 9000 Failure. Winching a tracker out of a 4’ snow hole. The tracker fell through where a small stream had eroded the underside of the snow.We hooked the winch up and started easing up out of the hole after shoveling a make shift ramp. We probably worked this winch to its extreme rating. But it began to pop and wouldn’t spool up, then we tried un spooling it and it hung up after a few turns. Then went on back and forth. I’m thinking this is when the end of the spring was getting chewed off. In being fair to Engo’s winch it worked hard and was worked beyond what it should have, hard to tell without a load cell scale. WE couldn’t leave the tracker in the creek. So we went for broke. The engo ended up finishing the pull. We took it home and tore it apart and found : In this picture you can see that spring and the two gears. The spring broke in half and came unsprung looks like the ends of the spring got chewed off by the gears this is on the motor side of the spool. In this picture You get a better look at the spring. We tore apart a new one ( New E9000 Engo spare) and that spring can't be seen from this end so it definitely out of position. In this picture you can see the piece between the motor and the spool/ spring and gears. In this picture it is showing the brake assembly and shaft and the parts are laying in order from the top to bottom motor side to the shaft that goes through the spool. And the spring, I am assuming it is suppose to be a single spring and it fits between the two small shiny gears. This picture it shows the spring and the two parts it fits between. So the end results….. We took the spring completely out and reassembled the winch hooked it to a tree and brought it up on load and was able to drag the samurai to it, it unspooled like new no catches. And the brake works like it suppose to???? ? So anyway this is a sort-of failure that was temporary. We could have easily fixed this on the trail. So I will still buy and use these winches if this is all the trouble I have with hard winching.:happy Now to see if Engo will stand by their product calling them next week and see what shakes out and if I can get a new spring... will update.
A little surprised you didn't hook up a couple tow straps and pull it out. I've used that method in slippery going a couple times.
It was going to be difficult, we are working on 6 feet of snow.You cant spin a tire, if you do your next in line to be pulled out.Its better to winch. This was in a hole you couldn't see the top of it. And this took place in the bottom of a steep canyon.
Update. Engo looked up the serial number, and has confirmed the failure of this winch is due to an assembly issue. They are drop shipping a complete upgraded spool replacement. Cant ask for more than that.
