Model LSQ9520LQ0 Whirlpool Washer won't spin most of the time.

[Greece_Monkey]

I’ve got a Whirlpool top-loader clothes washer (Model No. LSQ9520LQ0) that’s been a dependable workhorse for my large family for about 15 years. HOWEVER, for the past couple of years, the spin cycle has been getting more and more unreliable. Every now and then I’d have to run a load more than once to get the washer to spin properly to get the water out of the clothes.

This month, however, it’s gotten very rare that I get an effective spin cycle. I can hear the motor running, which psyches me out into thinking that I’ve got a good spin going, but when I lift the lid, the clothes are all just in a sopping wet load at the bottom of the dryer.

I tried adjusting the size of the loads I washed, and that seemed to work for awhile; sometimes the load was unbalanced, sometimes it seemed to heavy so I'd remove some clothes, and sometimes adding clothes seemed to help. But now nothing seems to work.

At first, I had no idea what to do, so I replaced the lid switch. I thought maybe that fixed things, but the problem kept getting worse. (I should have known that wasn’t the problem since the motor was running when the lid was closed.)

Last week I watched a YouTube video which said to check for a broken coupler between the motor and the transmission, so I pulled my motor out and the coupler looks just fine. The only thing I can think right now is that I’ve got a problem with the transmission, but I wanted to consult with the experts here before I spend $175 on what might not actually be the problem.

(In addition, the agitator isn’t working properly anymore, but from what I’ve seen, that should be a simple job to fix with some new agitator dogs. The bottom of the agitator does spin, the upper part doesn’t, so I don’t think that’s related to the BIG problem of no spin cycle.)

So it seems to me that the motor is working, since the agitator base does spin and the motor seems to running as normal, based on the sounds coming from the washer. It’s just that the drum very often doesn’t spin at all during the spin cycle, or only spins a little bit – enough to get some of the water out, but still leaving the clothes soaking wet.

Oh, also, the transmission's exterior is super oily, and there appears to be a pool of oil (transmission fluid?) soaked into the concrete under the washer. I don't know whether that's normal or not, but I'd guess not...

Can anybody give me any meaningful input, things to try, or anything like that? Does it seem like I’m on the right path by suspecting the transmission? Or is it time to just buy a new washer?

Thanks in advance for your time and any help or advice.

[MrApplianceMatt]

Your transmission is likely shot. This usually occurs overtime and usually involves some leakage from the tub into the transmission. This is a particularly complex assembly with many other parts that should be replaced if you are going to change the transmission. It might be time to consider, after 15 years of faithful service, putting the old dog down and going new machine here.

[16345Ed]

I disagree. I say find a dependable trustworthy repair technician to check it. 

Might simply be a bad motor coupling. 

Even if it needs a new transmission it’s worth doing if the frame isn’t rusted. 

They don’t make machines like this anymore and you likely won’t like the new machines. 

I rebuild these all the time for clients. 

[Greece_Monkey]

2 hours ago, 16345Ed said:

I disagree. I say find a dependable trustworthy repair technician to check it. 

Might simply be a bad motor coupling. 

Even if it needs a new transmission it’s worth doing if the frame isn’t rusted. 

They don’t make machines like this anymore and you likely won’t like the new machines. 

I rebuild these all the time for clients. 

Thanks for that perspective. The machine is otherwise in great condition and I'd love to save us a few hundred bucks by fixing it, especially if the newer ones aren't as good.

I did take it apart enough to check the motor coupling, and that was fine.

I also watched a good video on YouTube in which the guy (Bill Newberry) showed how to test whether the clutch needs replacing. I pulled the motor and transmission out and tested the clutch, and sure enough, it was easy to spin the lining with just my fingers. Before I spend $175 on a new transmission, I'm going to try replacing the clutch lining with a new one. It seems as though it may well be the clutch slipping and not allowing the tub to push against anything to spin up...

[16345Ed]

8 hours ago, Greece_Monkey said:

Thanks for that perspective. The machine is otherwise in great condition and I'd love to save us a few hundred bucks by fixing it, especially if the newer ones aren't as good.

I did take it apart enough to check the motor coupling, and that was fine.

I also watched a good video on YouTube in which the guy (Bill Newberry) showed how to test whether the clutch needs replacing. I pulled the motor and transmission out and tested the clutch, and sure enough, it was easy to spin the lining with just my fingers. Before I spend $175 on a new transmission, I'm going to try replacing the clutch lining with a new one. It seems as though it may well be the clutch slipping and not allowing the tub to push against anything to spin up...

Perfect...

[16345Ed]

You can spend $500 on a new machine, it will take 1 hour and 20 minutes to do a load and you won’t be happy with performance. Plus you will likely have trouble in 2 to 5 years. 

Put $500 into your machine and it’ll likely run another 15 years. 

My washer is a 40 year old Maytag.

[David Jero]

Sounds like the shift mechanism is worn on the gear case. Not a hard job at all.  Totally worth replacing.  Throw in a fresh pump and motor coupling while your're at it.  

[MrApplianceMatt]

I do a lot of work on the beach here in NC and the units I see are usually rotted out on the bottom from sand and salt. If the unit is in otherwise good shape then go for it. They do run far better than a lot of new units today.

[Greece_Monkey]

Well, everyone, I have good news to report.

Thanks to Amazon Prime, I got all my parts in a couple of days (I started buying the parts last weekend).

Today after work I replaced the clutch and the agitator dogs (old motor coupling was still in great shape), cleaned out the deep insides of years' worth of crud, and I now have a functioning washing machine. In fact, I have no idea when the agitator dogs broke, so my washing machine is probably functioning better tonight than it has in years.

I'm feeling so satisfied right now!

Thanks to you all for letting me bounce some ideas off you, and especially for educating me on the downsides of today's new washers. My wife's very happy that we saved a ton of money by fixing this one up with less than $100 in parts and free labor.