Washer fix not going well

[Erik027]

Hi All,

I would appreciate any help on this issue. I have a 15ish year old Kenmore washer. Last week it stopped spinning, even though I could hear the motor running. After watching a few videos and disassembling it, I found the issue was the coupler that was broken in two. I found a replacement part easily enough, put it in, and reassembled the washer. Now, the washer wont move at all, and the motor makes a hum. I've disassembled and reassembled twice, but I get the same issue. Could the motor be damaged? The coupler too tight? Has anyone else had a similar issue?

Thanks.
Erik

 

[AC Power]

Disconnect the assembly again. Try spinning the drum manually with your hand. A "love joy" coupling, or flexible spider coupler, can break due to upstream mechanical load on it's prime mover (the motor). If the drum doesn't rotate easily, your bearing are likely dead. Listen for an "intermittent" random sound when rotating (I know that sounds silly)...feel for a "grinding" feeling when manually rotating.

If the drum spins ok, apply AC power to the motor only, see if it operates. There are more electrical tests that ought to be done, but for a homeowner, its all you could do.

Re-assemble with loosely fastened bolts/nuts. Try it, does it work? If so, tighten the bolts/nut a little more. Try it again, does it work? It might be that your tightening the bolts too tight and distorting the alignment of motor-vs-drum via spider coupler.