Kenmore topload washer 110.92060120 will not spin

[rodney]

Washer will agitate. Washer will drain. But washer will not spin. Motor is heard during spin interval but no spin-o-rama of any speed. Cannot help initiate spin during spin cycle by turning basket with hand. Basket can be turned, but it does take non-trivial effort.

Lid switch checked good. Motor coupling checked good.

I suppose next to check is clutch and transmission. How do I determine which of these is bad? Replace clutch first? Then reassemble and if it still doesn't work then replace transmission?

Thanks,
Rodney

[Hiroshi]

Wait until the machine is draining before the rinse or final spin... If you lift and then close the lid, interrupting the timer, you should hear a definite 'clunk' of the transmission engaging spin- if there is no 'clunk,' you probably need a Neutral Pac kit. If you hear the clunk, but no spin occurs, you have a 100% slipping spin clutch that cannot release the 'basket drive' assembly that contains what is essentially a drum brake- 

Follow the first tip and let us know of you hear the "clunk?" 

This is one of the most serviceable washers in history and I can walk you through! Just fixed one from 1987 today... Direct Drives are gravy

 

[rodney]

I don't hear the clunk.

Apart from the noise of the water leaving, the sound made by the washer during the spin interval (during which no spin occurs) is pretty much the same as during the preceding drain interval. There is no clunk noise occurring between them, but rather only a moment of silence.

Do you have apart number of what I need to order?

Thank you for your reply and any future help. Much appreciated.

-Rodney

[16345Ed]

Neutral drain kit is inside transmission are you prepared to take it apart? You might be better off replacing the whole tranny at this point. 

[rodney]

Hiroshi -- my washer is from 1993.

How tedious is taking apart and reassembling the transmission to repair with the neutral pack? Is there a video?

 

Thanks,

Rodney

[Budget Appliance Repair]

@rodney I really doubt you have a neutral drain problem but if the neutral drain kit comes with the nylon main spin gear the whole kit will most likely take care of your problem.  The neutral drain kits didn't used to have the spin gear in the kit but I have seen it in the new kits.

I suspect the nylon spin gear is stripped out - I've never seen a bad neutral drain pak cause a no spin condition - just won't do the neural drain, (drains as it spins like the first 1982 direct drive washers did).

You won't hear that clunk noise that is talked about if the spin gear is stripped out.

You need to take the cabinet off and bypass the lid switch, put it in the spin cycle and what the silver clutch bell just above the transmission - if it is spinning then you have a bad clutch or locked up brakes or possibly something keeping the basket from spinning.   If the clutch bell isn't spinning then you have an internal transmission problem.

If the nylon spin gear is stripped out you will need to empty all the oil out of the transmission and clean all the nylon gear parts out and replace the oil.

This can be a very messy job but it's not really that difficult if you have decent mechanical abilities - the worst part is keeping the transmission upright and level when working on it.  The oil full right up to the top of the lower case assembly.

When you put the transmission cover back on you can use auto gasket RTV sealer instead of the crazy expensive Loc-Tite Red gasket eliminator stuff that Whirlpool sells for $30+ for a little tube.

Edited January 24, 2020 by Budget Appliance Repair

[Vance R]

If you want to rebuild your own transmission watch the videos on youtube.

[rodney]

I replaced the transmission/gearcase following the appliance parts pros video. Happiness was not achieved. The washer now just fills and then buzzes. No agitation, no drain, no spin. I must not have reassembled it correctly.

[Vance R]

Since this a direct drive transmission. You can remove motor, leave wires attached. Set on floor , protect floor if needed. Bypass lid switch, hold motor on place ( your foot will work ) set timer to spin and turn on to test motor. If motor is ok you can turn coupler on transmission to see if everything is turn free. On direction is agitate, other direction is spin if the flyweights engage. If spin does engage it will be hard to get basket moving by hand.

[rodney]

Happiness has been achieved!

I unplugged the electrical supply. I removed the cabinet. I removed the pump. I attached a cordless drill to the pump side of the motor shaft. I tightened the drill chuck. Turning the drill one way resulted in agitation. Turning the drill the other way resulted in spinning. All was well with the new transmission.

At was at this point that I noticed one of the wires had fallen out of the harness that clips into the side of the motor. I snapped it back into place.

I put the pump and cabinet back into place. Plugged it in. I ran a short wash cycle from agitation through rinse and spin --- and all worked .

Thank you to everybody who offered advice. My 27-year-old washer purchased by me --- then a kid fresh out of college running on the cheap --- at a Sears scratch-and-dent outlet soldiers onward!