Posted: 8/4/2010 3:51:50 PM EDT
...or anyone else who knows washers.  I've noticed louder-than-normal sounds coming from my Whirlpool washer during the spin cycle lately. I popped the cover off to investigate, and I have oil or grease on the floor under my washer. The bottom of the drum's motor (transmission? gearbox? It's a roundish, black, metal piece.) is also greasy, as are a bundle of wires going by it. There is also a little oil around the bottom of the cabinet on all sides, so it looks like it's been slinging oil in all directions. Am I looking at a new motor here, or is this something that can be fixed by replacing a seal or something? The oil looks almost like a dry powder until you touch it, then it just smears. Thanks in advance for any advice!!  |
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Quoted: Transmission is going. Yeah, I've been doing some more digging online this morning, and I actually found someone else who posted a photo that looked identical to mine. Exact same powdery-looking oil. That turned out to be his problem too. Is this something I can fix myself by replacing seals in the transmission or something similar? I looked at the cost of a new transmission, and it was over half the cost of the washer. For that much money, I'd rather just buy a new washer. But if I can repair the existing transmission, I'd love to save this thing. ETA: I reread the posting I found, and his problem was actually a motor coupler that was wearing out. It was leaving a dry plastic powder. I think my washer is also doing this, but in addition, it's also losing oil from the transmission. So I think I have two problems. If so, I guess it's time for a new washer.  |
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Quoted: I've changed out a few transmissions for work and its a pita. Most likely something a home owner isn't going to be able to do. Get a new machine and save your self a bunch of grief. Yeah, that's kinda where I'm leaning. Plus, I don't know how long it would take for the parts to get here + time to work on it, and from the sounds my washer is making, it's not long for this world. I've already started shopping around. Thanks for the advice, all. |
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Pish posh, it's the motor coupling going, Jeez, 10 bucks and you are back in business. A few drops of oil just means that it'll go out in the next 10 years or so. Simple job to replace it. 15 minutes TOPS.
While a transmission isn't really cost effective to replace, the clutch and bands are and they are a whole lot easier then people think. What you do is unhook the hoses, unplug the machine, remove the agitator and the clip retainer, then flip the machine on it's back, remove the motor and coupling, one clip and the3 three bolts, you then just pull the entire transmission down and out with the clutch and brake assy attached. Harder to write then to actually do. OP, it's likely just the motor coupling which has lost one or two of the legs, just pull the motor off the transmission to verify. Unplug, take off housing un clip the latches for the pump and lodge pump with hoses still attached behind left front leg remove wiring from motor, just a molex and maybe 2 wires to the capacitor and one other molex remove motor clips remove motor, remove the coupling from the motor AND the transmission, even if the legs are good, it can still spin on the shaft so look at that part to see if notches are worn into where it slides onto the shafts Buy new coupling, reinstall, get back to washing. |
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Quoted: Pish posh, it's the motor coupling going, Jeez, 10 bucks and you are back in business. A few drops of oil just means that it'll go out in the next 10 years or so. Simple job to replace it. 15 minutes TOPS. While a transmission isn't really cost effective to replace, the clutch and bands are and they are a whole lot easier then people think. What you do is unhook the hoses, unplug the machine, remove the agitator and the clip retainer, then flip the machine on it's back, remove the motor and coupling, one clip and the3 three bolts, you then just pull the entire transmission down and out with the clutch and brake assy attached. Harder to write then to actually do. OP, it's likely just the motor coupling which has lost one or two of the legs, just pull the motor off the transmission to verify. Unplug, take off housing un clip the latches for the pump and lodge pump with hoses still attached behind left front leg remove wiring from motor, just a molex and maybe 2 wires to the capacitor and one other molex remove motor clips remove motor, remove the coupling from the motor AND the transmission, even if the legs are good, it can still spin on the shaft so look at that part to see if notches are worn into where it slides onto the shafts Buy new coupling, reinstall, get back to washing. I'll check it out. Thanks! |
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Quoted:
to quote fxntime... "Pish Posh" coupler. I've been getting back into the groove of things, Yep lost the business due to this WONDERFUL economy. But, SLOWLY getting back into the swing of things... I'll be getting back under y'all's skin in no time.  Glad to hear friend |
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Quoted: to quote fxntime... "Pish Posh" coupler. I've been getting back into the groove of things, Yep lost the business due to this WONDERFUL economy. But, SLOWLY getting back into the swing of things... I'll be getting back under y'all's skin in no time. Thanks.  Sorry to hear about the business troubles, but also glad to hear things are on the mend.  |
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Your instructions for disassembly were dead-on. Thanks, fxntime. Saved me a good bit of hassle. It wasn't the coupling, unfortunately. When I got to the coupling, it was in great shape, so it has to be something in the gearbox. There was at least 1/4 cup of oil spread all over everything at the bottom of the washer, and it made quite a racket the last time I used it. I'm going to set it aside as a little project to take on later. I may be able to repair the gearbox with a few parts. If not, I'll just dispose of it. A whole new gearbox is prohibitively expensive. But in the meantime, I need to wash clothes, so I went ahead and bought a new washer. It's also a Whirlpool (an HE top-loader –– the high capacity made the sale). This last one did work flawlessly for over 8 years, so that's earned them another go. Thanks for all the help! |
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Quoted:
Your instructions for disassembly were dead-on. Thanks, fxntime. Saved me a good bit of hassle. It wasn't the coupling, unfortunately. When I got to the coupling, it was in great shape, so it has to be something in the gearbox. There was at least 1/4 cup of oil spread all over everything at the bottom of the washer, and it made quite a racket the last time I used it. I'm going to set it aside as a little project to take on later. I may be able to repair the gearbox with a few parts. If not, I'll just dispose of it. A whole new gearbox is prohibitively expensive. But in the meantime, I need to wash clothes, so I went ahead and bought a new washer. It's also a Whirlpool (an HE top-loader –– the high capacity made the sale). This last one did work flawlessly for over 8 years, so that's earned them another go. Thanks for all the help! Probably the Wig Wag, I can get transmissions for around $125 but honestly, it's usually not worth it to replace them. I've only seen a couple broken ones and both of those were from severe overloading. Did you get the Cabrio? My last Whirlpool washer lasted 35 years, I probably could have fixed it but the tub was starting to rust out so it was only going to last another year or two. |
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Quoted: Probably the Wig Wag, I can get transmissions for around $125 but honestly, it's usually not worth it to replace them. I've only seen a couple broken ones and both of those were from severe overloading. Did you get the Cabrio? My last Whirlpool washer lasted 35 years, I probably could have fixed it but the tub was starting to rust out so it was only going to last another year or two. Yes, it was the mid-level Cabrio at Lowes. 5.0 cuft capacity. About $700. The high-end one had a see-through lid and a slightly higher capacity, which was neat, but it wasn't worth the extra cost. The lower-end one was a fair bit smaller. |
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Quoted:
Quoted:
Probably the Wig Wag, I can get transmissions for around $125 but honestly, it's usually not worth it to replace them. I've only seen a couple broken ones and both of those were from severe overloading. Did you get the Cabrio? My last Whirlpool washer lasted 35 years, I probably could have fixed it but the tub was starting to rust out so it was only going to last another year or two. Yes, it was the mid-level Cabrio at Lowes. 5.0 cuft capacity. About $700. The high-end one had a see-through lid and a slightly higher capacity, which was neat, but it wasn't worth the extra cost. The lower-end one was a fair bit smaller. The Cabrios are pretty easy to work on [took the Whirlpool factory school] but I haven't had to fix any in the field yet. They seem to be pretty reliable. |