Roper RTW4340SQ0 - Brake stuck?

[The GoBot]

Hi folks,

Here's the story:  I've got a Roper RTW4340SQ0 that decided to give up on life- won't agitate, spin or drain.  I started with the easy stuff, lid switch & drive coupler are both good.  After a little head scratching, I summoned my inner Captain Obvious and noticed that the neutral wire on the body of the motor had overheated, completely melted through.  The wire is the one between the motor switch block (WP3952056 I think) and a little rectangular black fuse?  doodad, not part of the main wiring harness.

I'm trying to determine what caused the overheat/short/whateverthehell before I just replace the wire and call it good, and it seems like the wash tub is not spinning freely.  I can give it just a bit of twist before it feels like it locks up.   Same deal if I spin it from the motor side, it'll go a few rotations and then seizes up.  My running theory is something borked with the brake/clutch/basket drive bearings, but the sum total of my washer repair experience has been this weekend, plowing through youtube videos and repair manual diagrams.  The bearings haven't been making noise and I haven't noticed a slow start to the spin cycle before the motor called it quits.  Any ideas? 

I've got a whole afternoon to kill, the parts place doesn't open until tomorrow, and I have a stocked beer fridge to help me plan my attack.

Thanks!

 

[evaappliance]

Just fix the wire and you should be fine. Very common to find where a bad connection from the factory caused it .

[Hiroshi]

This "direct drive" washer basket shouldn't turn by hand. While you have the motor off, run a thimble full of oil down the motor shaft on both sides, then wipe some plastic friendly grease (silicone ideally or something with no petroleum) on the pump-side motor shaft before putting it back together... The oil will help the bearings last forever and the grease will keep the motor shaft from corroding and swelling if your pump eventually leaks water onto it. If the drive couple feels loose on the motor or has a lot of wear in the rubber portion of the couple, replace that too. Another maintainence point on these is the agitator "dogs." If the top half of the agitator spins freely in both directions, replace part no# 80040 called the "dog agits," it makes a huge difference in the wash performance of these machines. If you want stuff to do on this washer I can bark out ideas until you run out of beer, sir!

[The GoBot]

Wire replaced, motor lubed up, washer is churnin' and bubblin', and the missus stopped giving me the stink eye.

Domo arigato gozaimasu evaappliance and Hiroshi-sama.

[evaappliance]

excellent !