Can anyone point me to any references showing the color of the winch assembly in a bergepanther. I've seen suggestions for primer red, panzer gray, and some models have it painted dark yellow.

Primer red ?

http://www.primeportal.net/recovery/jens_hill/bergepanther/

Related thread

H.P.

Well, can't really beat actual photos, but I'm quite sure, that the Germans generally painted their equipment in the standard colors.
Jacob

the one of the Saumur Museum (France)has the same color...

you can find other details pictures here :
http://www.maquetland.com/phototheque/35-maquetgeniedepannage

Pascal

Panzer tracts has two clear photos of the winch. I have no doubt one is Dunkelgelb, as it is the same colour of the superstructure around it. I would say it was taken by the British after the capture, but I do not think they repainted it.

However the other one is definitively darker, which given the date of production should be red primer. It is at the factory so maybe it was painted later on -or not.

In general I tend to avoid museum photos for colour reference (and even for details unless confirmed by wartime photos) as they are not very reliable.