19 replies to this topic

[ttut15]

So, I have a Whirlpool Washer (# LSQ9010LW0).  It was working fine, then after a slightly bumpy move up three flights of stairs to a new apartment, it was installed and worked perfectly.  For about a month, then when the spin cycle would FINISH (not suring the spin) there would be loud banging, like the brake was not working.  We stopped using it for a month and with busy schedules didn't get a repairperson over, but one day on a whim we tried it again and no banging.  It's worked perfectly for about 2-3 months, then a week ago, this time DURING the spin, there was this wooshing sound that was not there before, and the faint smell of warm/hot plastic, then the spin cycle just stopped working, but agitation is working fine.  The basket spins freely when you manually turn it, and i've opened it up and checked the switch on the door. 

here are some observations:

  - the whole basket seems to be sitting low, but it still self-centers. like, the gap between the bottom of the agitator and the innerbasket has gotten greater. 

  - i took off the agitator to look at the drive block, and it was coated with metal shavings and a lubricant.  i'm not sure if the metal shavings are normal?  the plastic spacer thing as well as the metal clip that are on top of the spanner nut are in fine condition. 

 

I can take out the drive coupling or the drive block to look for damage, but i don't know what to look for.  is there anything else that could be causing this, besides those two pieces? 

Is this two different problems, or the same one?

 

Thanks!

[Samurai Appliance Repair Man]

What is going on with these Whirlpool direct drive washers lately?  Must be the end of the design life-cycle for certain components, such as the drive block.



See if those notches are worn.  Metal filings under the agitator are usually a sign of a deteriorating drive block.

[ttut15]

in the pic they look like recessed notches, but on mine it seems there are two raised notches on the piece.  am i looking at the correct piece?  the raised notches seem rounded.  could this wear be responsible for the basket not stopping after the spin as well as now not spinning?

 

Thanks so much for your help!

 

i put in a poor pic, i'm not sure if you can see what i'm talking about or not.  or so i have to take off that special nut to see the piece totally?

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[ttut15]

one more pic

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[Mad Mac]

Stripped out drive block, Whirlpool part number 389140. Visit our friends at RepairClinic.com - you'll also need the special wrench to get that nut off.

[Samurai Appliance Repair Man]

Drive block and spanner wrench.



EDIT: Corrected parts links.

[Budget Appliance Repair]

Another TIP: or you will be doing this job again in less than a year.......


Those two tabs that stick up and are bent in towards the agitator shaft. They need to be bent back out to the correct position or a new drive block is just going to strip out in no time at all.

Take a small square ended chisel and gently tap it with a hammer in between the agitator shaft and the tab at all four cornes of the tabs.

Use the new drive block turned upside down to gauge when you have them back out to the correct position, if you go to far you won't get the new drive block to seat down correctly.

This is what I do anytime I replace a drive block on these newer Whirlpools that seem to be having this problem. I haven't had to go back on one yet and didn't have to charge the customer for a new spin tube/brake assembly replacement either.

William Burk (Willie)
Willie's Budget Appliance Repair
Eureka, CA 95501

[ttut15]

ok, so i got those parts and two things

 the drive block currently in there does not look worn ( i had to remove the inner basket to see) and it looks different than the part i ordered.  i checked the model number with the folks at repair clinic.  my drive block does not have those two notches on the inside. ???  it was the only whirlpool drive block i found.

also, i've removed the inner basket (the pictures i sent were before i did that and you could only see the top of the drive block.  but, i can't get the damn drive block out, i've tapped up on it like crazy, still it won't budge.  any suggestions?

PS:  while i'm at it should i clean out all that sludge in the bottom of the outer basket? 

thanks folks for all your help.

i'm putting  a pic of my washers innards here and in a reply to this post.

tripp

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[ttut15]

pic

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[ttut15]

ha!  nevermind!  the reason it didn't look the same is because it's all messed up!  thanks for all your help!  i think i have it figured out.

[Samurai Appliance Repair Man]

Hey, let us know how it turns out!

[Budget Appliance Repair]

Diffenitely clean that sludge out while you're in there, why wouldn't you?

Also check the outer plastic tub and make sure none of the gouges in the bottom go all the way through, I can see signs of where you spin basket rubbed pretty heavily on the bottom of the outer tub.

William Burk (Willie)
Willie's Budget Appliance Repair
Eureka, CA 95501

[kevinhelm]

I managed to get the sud nut off of the top of the basket cone but I can't get the basket to lift out so that I can check the drive block. How do I get the basket out?

Kevin

  

[Budget Appliance Repair]

Grab hold of the spin basket by the edge and give it a good push down and back up, it should come loose with just a couple bounces.

Also, you don't need to remove the tub to see if the drive block is bad. Look at the picture posted above and if yours looks like the picture then the drive block isn't your problem. Notice the two tabs that are level with the top of the drive block, that is what your looking for. If your drive block is bad the spin tube, which has the two tabs sticking up , will be sticking about a 1/2" to 1" above the top of the drive block.

[kevinhelm]

Thank you,  I will give it a try when I get home from work this afternoon. The washer is a 3 year old Kenmore Elite  large capacity, direct drive.  Everything seems to be fine except for the fact that it will not spin. When I removed the nut from the top of the basket I did not see any shavings, The coupling is okay, I believe the lid switch is okay. I used a jumper wire in place of the switch to double check it.   Any ideas? I read that it could be the brake cam, clutch lining, or transmission.

Thank you. I feel your site is great. I was wondering what kind of delivery time you have on your parts to the Houston, Texas area?

    

 

 

[Phoenix_Rising]

[user=1]Samurai Appliance Repair Man[/user] wrote:

Drive block and spanner wrench.

Samurai - Your http://www.repaircli...?R=154&N=389140 link is bad in this http://applianceguru..._id=736&quote=1 ]Post[/url].
 
Here's the right one:
http://www.repairclinic.com/referral.asp?R=154&N=389140

Also, your "Help" page (the button at the top right of this page) says to use the above format for links, but as you can see, it doesn't seem to work!

[/color]

[RegUS_PatOff]

[user=34624]Phoenix_Rising[/user] wrote:

Here's the right one:
]]Drive Block.

Also, your "Help" page (the button at the top right of this page) says to use the above format for links, but as you can see, it doesn't seem to work!

dont use " " on the URL, you can use them on the "Drive Block" if wanted.

 

[Phoenix_Rising]

Thanks [user=3641]RegUS_PatOff[/user], but as you can see, that didn't do it either.  I've never seen a forum where part of your display code is implimented right in the editor, and parts are not.

So once you've done something, you can't access the raw code again to make any adjustments you might want to make, because it's already been converted into the resulting effect right there in the editor display.  I thought that's what the Preview button was used for.

[Samurai Appliance Repair Man]

I've corrected the part link to the drive block in my previous post. Not sure what you're doing when you make the links. So far, you're the only person I'm seeing having this problem.

[RegUS_PatOff]

Here's the right one:
http://www.repaircli...?R=154&N=389140

musical chairs ?

they just changed it again

now it's a another different part number

RepairClinic keeps changing their part numbers ?


NOW it's http://www.repaircli...R=154&N=1021707