How to prevent front load washer spider-arm from corroding when putting in a new one.

[Elli]

Brand new Daewoo front load washer, 3 years in and the spider arm needs to be replaced. Can't believe it! A little research reveals that it is a common problem on front loads these days, particularly Korean brands (LG, Samsung, Daewoo...etc). Where is this info when you need it… like when researching before buying.

This is what it looks like…

Anyway, the reason the spider arm goes quick in these machines is because of an effect called “galvanic corrosion.” You see, the spider arm is made of aluminum, and what it is attached to - the drum - is made of stainless steel. Put these 2 metals together, add a little air and water, and you got the perfect recipe for corrosion – in this case, it’s the aluminum component that corrodes. I can’t believe they still manufacture them with suck obvious defect! How the hell are they not sued black and blue?!

Now, I’m getting ready to put in a new spider arm and trying to figure out how I can “treat it so that I could get at least 10 years out of it. Came across a post somewhere where this guy anodized his spider arm before installing. He reported back about 5 years later saying the machine was still as good as new. Would have been awesome if he’d reported back a little later. Read also that Chromating it would work. And then there is priming it with epoxy zinc phosphate.

No idea which way to go. Anyone tried doing this? Any tips?

 

Also…the bearing looks perfectly fine. Is it usually replaced along with the spider arm for good measure…it’s not exactly cheap so I was wondering if I’ll end up regretting not doing so.

[Elli]

[Hiroshi]

  Molykote/ DOW 111 Pure silicone gel will tolerate a wide temp range, if you spread a very thin layer on the "spider" it will not corrode.

More importantly, do not use liquid detergent and leave the machine's door open when not in use to prolong the life of the low grade metals.

[Lighthouse]

18 hours ago, Hiroshi said:

More importantly, do not use liquid detergent

Educate me here 

Why would powder detergent make a difference? I thought this was more of an electrolysis problem.

[Hiroshi]

Liquid detergent leaves a residue, it keeps things wet, anything that stays wet will corrode more readily. Even if electrolysis is at play, the moisture is the catalyst- this wouldn't happen to those pieces bolted together on a dry shelf.

 

[h00ch]

Probably a biut late, but I I am about to switch out the arm on my Samsung (Kenmore) washer and I've read that painting it with epoxy resin will help to keep it alive longer

[J5*]

Put the spider in , get ready to buy a new machine in another 3 years if it makes it that long without needing something else repairing 

I see and hear about very few spider issues 

so from this my suspicion is that water quality plays a big part 

Having worked in a different state for a while which had fairly had water I started seeing issues in washers that I had never seen before

, the first time I saw something I thought wow that’s strange never seen that before and then over a couple of months kept seeing things again and again and the only real difference is the water 

[Lighthouse]

When I bought my cabrio tub puller from jay he was telling me that they sold them in certain areas and hardly to none in others. Appears that the cabrio bearing jobs are more frequent in certain water conditions 

[fenderbender]

You need to break the galvanic circuit between the stainless steel drum and the aluminum spider. To due this you have to place a thin sheet of decent mil thickness plastic between the 3 spider contact points so that no part of the spider actually touches the drum. The for the bolts you must use a plastic or non-metal fiber washer. You may also have to cut pieces of straw if the bolt shaft is able to touch the drum. It is a cathode anode issue involving ,electrolysis of noble metals. In addiion to that I would get a can of Tremclad 90% zinc cold galvanizing pray paint and give the spider a number of coats. As a parting comment perhaps a compatible aftermarket spider is available in a non-corroding metal. And while you are there you might as well save yourself future grief and replace both bearings and bearing seal, including the large diameter O-ring that seals the two plastic drum halves.

[16345Ed]

11 hours ago, fenderbender said:

You need to break the galvanic circuit between the stainless steel drum and the aluminum spider. To due this you have to place a thin sheet of decent mil thickness plastic between the 3 spider contact points so that no part of the spider actually touches the drum. The for the bolts you must use a plastic or non-metal fiber washer. You may also have to cut pieces of straw if the bolt shaft is able to touch the drum. It is a cathode anode issue involving ,electrolysis of noble metals. In addiion to that I would get a can of Tremclad 90% zinc cold galvanizing pray paint and give the spider a number of coats. As a parting comment perhaps a compatible aftermarket spider is available in a non-corroding metal. And while you are there you might as well save yourself future grief and replace both bearings and bearing seal, including the large diameter O-ring that seals the two plastic drum halves.

He asked this question 4 years ago. Hopefully he already took care of it by now.