Don't you hate it when you know how to fix your own $h|t?

similost

similost

Rockin and Rollin....
Not looking forward to this evening... Our washing machine crapped out last night.... timer works, pumps work, just no washy washy or spin... It's making a grinding noise, and after pulling out the parts list and pulling up Sears (Kenmore) parts site, my educated guess is the three piece plastic and rubber coupler that goes between the motor and the gearbox...

You know that sinking feeling you get... 4 hours of work to replace a $20 part... or hopefully that is all it is.. .

An hour to gather all the tools and clean out the laundry room so you can pull the washer out... another hour to get it taken apart and find out what the real problem is. 15 minutes to order the part... 3 days of waiting for the part.. then another couple hours to put it in, and put the laundry room back together...

It sure would be easier to just give into the fact you don't know what your doing or how to fix it, and just order a new washer.... However, if it turns out to be the gearbox, a new machine will be ordered.. damn those boxes aren't cheap..

Oh well.. I guess the good part of this is, when I pull out the machine, I'll find all those single socks we haven't been able to figure out where they went..
 
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It would be much easier to just do that too..... I guess I get tired of always having something that breaks at the worst possible time (weekends are laundy days) and you know it's going to take a big chunk of your time... where as just ordering up a new one (or used) to be delivered and installed just seems so much easier..
 
Don't forget about the shop-vac. You might as well clean up while there.

Some fixes are easy, like dishwashers.

Best of luck.
 
Yeah.. I figured it would be the perfect time to clean the room out really well.. first time the washer has been moved in 5 years.
 
James this is an easy fix. just remove the 2 screws holding the console to the washer. Flip it back, you will see 2 big metal clips holding the washer cabinet to the frame back, use a big flat blade screwdriver to unclip them. Lean the whole washer cabinet forward and push the bottom edge of the front of the cabinet back a little to disengage the clips at the bottom. Remove the cabinet and set it out of your way. Down at the bottom front of the frame you will see the pump, it is coupled to the motor with 2 clips. Remove the clips and set the pump to the side, do NOT remove the hoses. Now you will see the motor that is also connected to the tranny with 2 clips, remove the clips (sometimes there is a shipping screw holding the clips on) and the motor will come free. You are right in that the problem is the coupler connected between the motor and tranny. Either the rubber torque bushing holes are worn out or the nylon parts have worn or broken the pegs that go into the rubber bushing.
These are direct drive washers and did not have belts. The coupler is what drives the tranny by the motor. The hardest thing about this job is lining up the pegs in the nylon parts with the holes in the rubber bushing when you are putting it all back together. One nylon part goes on the motor the other on the tranny.
When i was an appliance tech I loved working on Kenmore and Whirlpool laundry products as they were the easiest to work on. Changing that coupler was like a 1/2 hr, job, tops for me. If you have any questions PM Me.
 
Yeah.. got a coupler you wanna send me? :D.. .

Yeah.. I figured this wouldn't be too bad, but bummin since you said you need to move the pump.. I was hopong just pull the back and the motor would be right there..

Honestly... I know it's not that big a deal to change out the coupler.. but still... it's just ome more thing I gotta do instead of not knowing and being able to just make a few clicks and a man shows up with a new washer and all I gotta do is point..

I just hope something in the gearbox didn't break causing the coupler to sheer..
 
chilliwolf, I've gotta remember that you know about this stuff!

What I hate about knowing how to fix my own stuff, is that I am so busy repairing everyone else's stuff that I don't have time to fix my own. The shoemaker's children have no shoes...
 
Similost sell me some of your audio gear.!
You'll have the cash, I'll have the gear , wife has new washer! its a win win win:D
 
LOL.. Cash isn't the problem.. it's just a matter of spending the time...

When you don't have the ability, it's easy to spend the cash.. when you do have the ability, then it's hard to spend the time, and even harder to spend the cash..

I like when you know you don't have the ability, so then there's no guilt about saying the whole thing needed to be replaced anyway... When you know how, you feel guilty if you don't give it a whirl to at least find out if it's cost prohibitive or not..
 
similost said:
LOL.. Cash isn't the problem.. it's just a matter of spending the time...

When you don't have the ability, it's easy to spend the cash.. when you do have the ability, then it's hard to spend the time, and even harder to spend the cash..

I like when you know you don't have the ability, so then there's no guilt about saying the whole thing needed to be replaced anyway... When you know how, you feel guilty if you don't give it a whirl to at least find out if it's cost prohibitive or not..
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I do draw the line at plumbing. At the first sign of water I call the plumber. Unfortunately (or fortunately, depending on how you look at it) when I call the plumber, he knows I know how to fix stuff, so he almost always asks me, "Did you try ..." "Try that and call me back if it doesn't work." He's a great guy and tries to save me money but I don't want to admit to him that I hate plumbing and would rather pay him to do it. Gruntin' under the sink and gettin' all grubby and wet. Yuck. Never know how tight to tighten the damn pipes so they won't leak. He loves it, let him do it, I say.
 
similost said:
Yeah.. got a coupler you wanna send me? :D.. .

Yeah.. I figured this wouldn't be too bad, but bummin since you said you need to move the pump.. I was hopong just pull the back and the motor would be right there..

Honestly... I know it's not that big a deal to change out the coupler.. but still... it's just ome more thing I gotta do instead of not knowing and being able to just make a few clicks and a man shows up with a new washer and all I gotta do is point..

I just hope something in the gearbox didn't break causing the coupler to sheer..
Click to expand...

Nah, it's just normal wear and tear that causes the couplers to go. It always amazed me that that they last as long as they do. Usually what goes in the trannys are the seals. When you see oil on the floor under the washer, then it's time for a new washer!
 
The thing I hate about plumbing is that it always take 6 trips to the store, because before you know it, you've had to replace the faucet all the way back to the meter at the street... I call the landlord for my plumbing problems.. I know the plumber has all the parts with him, where as if I start, I'm going to be spending a full day running back and forth..

Anything else around the house, I usually fix on my own cause I don't like people coming in to fix my stuff.. .
 
chillwolf said:
Nah, it's just normal wear and tear that causes the couplers to go. It always amazed me that that they last as long as they do. Usually what goes in the trannys are the seals. When you see oil on the floor under the washer, then it's time for a new washer!
Click to expand...

well that's a good sign then... Yeah.. this one has lasted for 7 or 8 years.. too new for a new one.. too old to work without problems.. errrr... A metal coupler sure would be nice.. but then they wouldn't have a way to get any cash from you..
 
My Parent's just gave me a Maytag Neptune Washer & Dryer set.
Washer was making the 'Jet taking off sound' Dryer was fine.
Bought a seal & bearing kit off ebay, seller rented me a cutom puller for the job on the washer. Fortunately for me the bearing corrosion was in it's infant stage.
Totally cleaned entire inside, also removing any and all mold buildup.
The washer took 6 hours to take apart, pull old & install new bearings & put back together a few weekends ago.
Also bought a $11.50 Dryer belt.
This last weekend I tackled the Dryer, cleaned out all the lint, lubed the wheels & idler, installed new belt, put it back together. Total time 3 1/2 hours.
Then removing the old units, cleaning the floor & walls before installing the newer units.
So for less than $130 plus some weekend time and good old elbow grease I now have a like new looking & operating $1800(when new) set of laundry manchinery.

So I know the feeling!!
 
similost said:
When you don't have the ability, it's easy to spend the cash.. when you do have the ability, then it's hard to spend the time, and even harder to spend the cash..
Click to expand...

And when your wife knows you have the ability there's no limit to the length of the "to do" list. Last night she threatened me with buying a new car if I don't get a handful of time intensive things fixed on her car. Today I'm crawling the web looking for the best fixes and ordering parts. I guess it beats a car payment.

I gave up on the washer when the gear box rusted up and the brake mechanism became erratic. The dryer is still the one we bought just before we got married in 1990 though.
 
similost said:
LOL.. Cash isn't the problem.. it's just a matter of spending the time...

When you don't have the ability, it's easy to spend the cash.. when you do have the ability, then it's hard to spend the time, and even harder to spend the cash..

I like when you know you don't have the ability, so then there's no guilt about saying the whole thing needed to be replaced anyway... When you know how, you feel guilty if you don't give it a whirl to at least find out if it's cost prohibitive or not..
Click to expand...

I know exactly the feelings. I do the same thing usually for me its the time thing I hate paying knowing I can do it. But sometimes I throw in the towel (no pun intended) because I've stalled for too long.

Actually between this post and my last I just repaired 2 out of 4 dresser drawers for my daughter, because I thought I could.:yes:
 
I know some of those Whirlpools had metal replacement parts for the nylon bits that were stock, I've been there. FWIW, I visited two Sears Parts Outlet stores, today, for water sofetner parts. No, I'm not about to buy a new one when I can fix this one, no matter how much grief it is. :D
 
Scuzzer said:
And when your wife knows you have the ability there's no limit to the length of the "to do" list. Last night she threatened me with buying a new car if I don't get a handful of time intensive things fixed on her car. .
Click to expand...

Oh man does my wife know how to push me on this one... She keeps telling me how much she wants a Jag.. NO WAY IN HELL am I gonna let that happen, so no matter the weather.. I go out and fix her car the second there is a problem....
 
Similost, I had the same part fail on my Whirlpool washing machine a few years ago. Bought the parts but never installed them. Once I tried to take the drum out, I figured out that I was going to have to buy an expensive spanner wrench to get the job done (a seal on the drum was also leaking). The repair got to be not worth it in a hurry.

We ended up buying a new front-load washing machine. It was a good deal for us because it reduced the load on our well and our septic system and our electric meter. The only question in my mind is how long the front-load machine will last.

Seems like the older I get, the less willing I am to invest lots of time in fixing old appliances, cars, etc. "Diminishing returns" kicks in a little more quickly than it used to.
 
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