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  • Whirlpool Washer Transmission Repair

    Posted on January 21st, 2007 Lee Devlin 126 comments

    A few months ago our whirlpool washer wouldn’t spin. It did everything else, but it was pretty worthless without the spin function because the clothes would just be sitting at the bottom of it completely soaked after a wash. Of course, the first thing I did was go to Google and type in “Whirlpool washer won’t spin” and got a lot of hits on some great websites. Most of them were repair websites and forums sponsored by kind individuals who freely share their knowledge such as fixitnow.com. Others are sponsored by companies who sell parts to DIY homeowners, like repairclinic.com.

    The forums always suggest the most common and easy fixes first, like the lid switch, which wasn’t my problem. So I had to start disassembling the washer because the next item on the list was the coupling on the motor. Fortunately, these websites have directions on how to get the washer open, which takes very little effort, as long as you know which screws to remove and in what order. I knew that the coupling was unlikely to be the failed item because the agitator was still working and it would be unlikely that a failed coupling would allow that to work. Then I started looking at the clutch/brake mechanism and that also looked OK. Finally, I figured it had to be the transmission, one of the hardest items to remove. I had the entire washer torn apart and moved to the kitchen because our laundry room is more of an alcove in the entryway between the garage and the kitchen.

    After pulling the transmission, I was faced with the prospect of taking it apart, knowing it would be filled with heavy oil.

    To pull your washer’s transmission, you need to remove a bolt at the top of the shaft holding it to the agitator. You have to pull off the plastic cap on the top of agitator as well as another translucent seal below it to gain access to the bolt. Note the translucent cap has an o-ring seal on it. Make sure to put it back in properly when you re-assemble the washer to keep water out of that bolt’s compartment or it will rust and fuse with the shaft.

    I carefully took out all the screws holding on the transmission’s top cover and drained the oil into a jar. This was going to a really messy job and so I put on some vinyl mechanics gloves.

    Whirlpool Transmission

    I was amazed at the complexity of the transmission. It has to perform several functions, all without any input other than the direction and speed of the motor. For instance, it has to agitate, spin, and also go into neutral without any shifters or solenoids. The same motor is simultaneously running the pump from a portion of the drive shaft that comes out the other end. The transmission uses a rather complex plate of pawls, gears, and cams on something called the ‘rack retainer’. I was trying to simulate spinning the motor forward and backward and thus I could shift it from spin mode to agitate mode, but I couldn’t get it into spin. It was then that I realized that something called a ‘shoulder pawl stud’ was broken off at its threads and the rack retainer was spinning freely. This pawl stud works as an axle and also as a way of getting the plate to spin along with the spin gear, but it was broken with its threads embedded in the main gear. So I had to find a new pawl stud and figure out a way to extract the threads from the hole they were in. I was pretty sure that the threads had some locking compound on them and they weren’t going to come out easily.

    Whirlpool Transmission

    The pawl stud wasn’t available as a separate part, but there was something called the Neutral Drain Pack from Repairclinic.com which included a lot of parts, including 2 different studs, since Whirlpool evidently beefed up the threads for the newer models, no doubt because it was a weak point. The upside to that is that if I ruined the threads extracting the broken stud, I could drill and tap it for the larger stud and newer rack retainer. So as Terri headed off to the laundry mat, I order the parts on line. The neutral drain kit was about $17 + $6 shipping. In the meantime, I tried to drill the screw threads out of the main drive gear. I broke a drill bit doing it, but got enough of a hole down through the middle of the broken screw shaft that I thought I’d have success with an ‘easy out’. I took it into work and borrowed an easy out and with the help of an arbor press to apply pressure to the easy out, I extracted the broken screw without doing any damage to the threads.

    A few days later, the parts arrived. The kit contained a lot more parts than I needed. I replaced all the old parts with new ones, figuring after 15 years of service, there was no point in reassembling things with old parts when I had new ones right there. Getting everything back together required some head scratching, but after thinking it through, I was able to manually operate the transmission and check the agitate and neutral modes.

    After a little fiddling everything went back together and I ran a cycle through without clothes and was very happy when the spin mode began working again. Now it’s been working for a few months years, I figured that the $23 and my time was worth it because if I had a repairman do it, I’m sure it would have been over $300 because he would have likely replaced the whole transmission. That would be beyond the value of the washer. It was also better than throwing it away and buying a new one for somewhere between $600-900. I generally don’t fix things myself just for the savings because if you consider my time, it’s not really saving me that much. I do it more for the educational experience and the satisfaction of knowing that if it ever breaks again, I can choose to either fix it myself or buy a new one, if we think it’s time for its retirement.

    I’ve included the meager set of instructions for the Neutral Drain Pack in pdf format here.

    UPDATE: 2009-01-07 I continue to get comments and emails on this posting. I just got one asking about getting the transmission apart and so I’ve uploaded a new picture that shows what a messy job this is. Click on it for a higher resolution image.

    The snap ring (shown next to the screw driver laying on the newspaper) needs to be removed from the shaft to get the top cover off of it. I can’t recall if I had the proper snap ring pliers or if I used needle nose pliers ‘in reverse’ to spread open the snap ring by its holes. I managed to save all the oil and reuse it afterward, but if you lose some or it looks dirty you can get more from an appliance service center or use SAE 90 weight gear oil if you can’t find a service center.

    There is also the possibility that your washer is caked with mud, so if the basket won’t spin, it may be clutch that is worn or can’t overcome the friction of mud caked between the basket and the tub like the image below:

    washermud1

    This photo was sent to me by a reader who found mud stuck between the basket and tub. His washer wouldn’t spin because the clutch couldn’t overcome the friction caused by the mud. If your spin cycle is intermittent, then this could be the potential cause of it.

    Another resource you may find useful if you’ve gotten this far is the .pdf file for the service manual for a Whirlpool direct drive washer.

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    126 responses to “Whirlpool Washer Transmission Repair”

    1. Anonymous January 29th, 2007 at 20:28

      Thanks for this post. I have dismantled my Whirlpool down to the motor couplings which look pristine. You’ve given me the confidence to continue on to the transmission.

    2. TJ November 4th, 2007 at 18:00

      The lid switch, coupling and motor on my whirlpool washer checked out ok. As per your Jan. 2007 post, I purchased the neutral drain pack. No damage was evident in the transmission but I installed kit anyway. Machine is still disassembled. Any other suggestions? Thanks in advance for your advice.
      Hawkeye

    3. Lee Devlin November 4th, 2007 at 18:08

      Hawkeye,

      Please email me at lee810@yahoo.com and explain the symptoms and maybe I can make some suggestions.

      -Lee

    4. Anonymous August 14th, 2008 at 16:15

      I just complete a replacement of the drive coupling on a kenmore washer. You do not have to take the cabinet off to do this. Just tip the unit against a wall and undo the motor straps. Pull off the motor and replace the coupling with a “newer model” part sold at Sears or ebay Make sure it is the A model with metal center insert. I am not mechanically inclined and did the job in about half an hour.

    5. Anonymous September 8th, 2008 at 18:28

      Thanks for the info about the Whirlpool transmission. My machine was intermittent in going into the spin cycle. Pulled the tranny and discovered that the trip lever spring was broken. Installed a “neutral drain kit” and bingo, my 10 yr machine was back in operation.

      Thanks for giving me the inspiration to tear apart the tranny. Not that bad to make a repair on the inside..

      Larry

      BTW – also found a website with 40 pictures of the transmission

    6. Shilo January 7th, 2009 at 19:35

      Hi Lee! You are a wonderful human being for posting this to your site. I just took apart my washer down to it’s guts, and I think I am doing something wrong. The big rod that runs through the middle is holding everything together, and I can’t get the transmission off. I was able to pry it open after removing the screws, and I even saved the oil that ran out, but I can’t get it off. I can only peek inside with a flashlight. I have no idea what I’m doing, but I don’t want to buy a new washer, especially after I’ve come this far. Any suggestions?

    7. Lee Devlin January 7th, 2009 at 22:42

      Hi Shilo,

      I’ve put an addendum on the end of my posting that shows a snap ring that I’m pretty sure I had to remove to get the top cover off. Maybe you can try looking for that and see if it’s what is still holding things together.

    8. Natureluvur January 22nd, 2009 at 04:04

      What is the easiest way to remove a whirlpool direct drive transmission? For example on it’s back or on a side? Also what type oil do I put back in? Is 90 wt ok?

    9. Lee Devlin January 22nd, 2009 at 14:05

      If you follow the links in the posting, you’ll find that the machine comes apart by removing two screws, a few clamps and and ‘tipping’ the body forward, almost like a cab-over Peterbuilt. Once you remove the skin, the interior parts are accessible. However, to get the transmission out, you need to tip the washer over on its back because the agitator shaft that goes up into the bale is quite long.

      I avoided spilling the oil when I removed the top of the transmission, so I didn’t need to add any more, but according to some other Internet web pages where guys did have to replace the oil, 90W was recommended. You can buy it from an appliance repair shop, but it’s not cheap. It costs about $20/pint at Repairclinic.com. I’d suggest an auto parts store. If they have a multi-viscosity like 75w90 gear oil, that would work too.

    10. Jimster May 24th, 2009 at 10:26

      My Whirlpool washer direct drive unit occasionally will not spin. If I fiddle with it, it will start spinning. I’m afraid this may become progressively worse. Is this a clutch problem? I don’t want to get too deep into the transmission if I don’t have to.
      Any suggestions? Thanks.

    11. Lee Devlin May 25th, 2009 at 11:30

      If your washer will begin spinning after fiddling with it, then it could be a clutch issue. The clutch is outside of the transmission and if it’s slipping, you should be able to hear the motor spinning and a slipping sound coming from the clutch. You may even be able to touch it to see if it’s hot (do it quickly, because a slipping clutch can get very hot). I had a guy send me a photo of a washer that would no longer spin and there was mud caked in between the basket and the outside tub, and the clutch could not overcome the friction. He had to remove the basket and remove the basket to clean off the mud and then everything worked fine. You’d think that a washer would be somewhat ‘self cleaning’, but I guess there are places where mud can accumulate. I’ve added the photos to show the clutch location and mud accumulation.

    12. dave t August 10th, 2009 at 18:53

      thanks guys; i just started checking out a machine that has no agitator movement. It’s a used one that was constantly over-loaded with heavy terry. I’d like to get it running as it’s much better than my current machine. Any ideas as to what to look for in the transmission, or couplings that may have broken with the excess load? Any info would be greatly appreciated!

    13. l. russell August 20th, 2009 at 11:57

      my kenmore washer has had the motor coupling replaced when it was just 2 years old. now, 3 years later, i notice trnsmission oil on the bolts and oil getting on clothes that have just been washed. is there a seal that could be leaking the oil, the gasket between the halves of the transmission, and is there a filler hole somewhere that oil can be added or checked, in the transmission? thank you

    14. Ssingletary August 28th, 2009 at 21:20

      Hey!! I was just looking for some solution (besides the $300 quote that I just got from a repairman…..and that was with warranty!!!) for my non spinning washing machine. He said it was a Bad Basket Drive Transmission. Is that 2 different things? Or is it just the the transmission itself? I am pretty sure that I can do this myself. How does the warranty work? This is our first problem with this machine, so I need some advice. Thank You SOOOOOOOOO much for your posting. Stefanie

    15. Lee Devlin August 29th, 2009 at 06:55

      Hi Stephanie, The basket drive transmission is the only transmission on the Whirlpool washer I wrote about. It doesn’t surprise me you’d get a quote like that. My recollection is that a new transmission was about $200 and the labor would easily be $100 (assuming $75/hr). If you have a handyman around the house, or you can do it yourself, you can take the transmission off and see if it is something easy to fix like it was in my case (a sheared screw/pinion). As for warranty, if your machine is still in the warranty period, then you shouldn’t have to pay anything. You may wish to contact the retailer or manufacturer if the washer should still be under warranty.

    16. Dlap September 13th, 2009 at 17:25

      First I want to say thank you Lee for posting this article.

      Our Sears (Whirlpool)washer quit spinning this weekend. As it was going out it was making a terrible noise during the spin cycle and we were fortunate to get one last load through it. Finally it would no longer spin.

      After reading this I went ahead and pulled the transmission and when I opened it up I found that the teeth on the spin gear were completely stripped off. With all the little teeth pieces in the oil I will have to clean it out well and replace the oil.

      I found the gear on Repair Clinic (they sell it with a new pinion so $70.00) but I have to wonder what would cause something like this to happen? Any thoughts?

      By just replacing the gear could I be missing the actual problem only to have the new one get stripped clean as well? Or could this just be from years of heavy use? I had to replace the motor to trans coupling last year.

    17. Lee Devlin September 14th, 2009 at 07:28

      I’d recommend you take a good look around for anything else that might be wrong with the transmission. One way for teeth to get stripped off a gear is for the pinions on which the gears spin to become worn, which can allow the gears to back away from each other. When that happens, then the stresses on the teeth are high because they are not fully engaged and once you break one tooth, the rest will start shearing off too. You should also look to see if there is anything causing the basket to get stuck by making sure it spins free. If it doesn’t, there could be something stuck between the tub and the basket or possibly a bad bearing on the basket. Anything that prevents the tub from spinning would cause excessive force on the gears. Normally, the motor coupling is the part that sacrifices its life, as it is a designed to break first, sort of like a fuse protects an electrical circuit so make sure to take a good look in the transmission for any other potential broken or worn parts.

    18. Dlap September 16th, 2009 at 12:33

      So are you saying that with the gearcase removed from the machine that the tub should ‘spin’ freely? Because ours does not, I have to work it around by hand with a fair amount of force. Haven’t looked further yet but is the bearing replaceable?

      I don’t see anything else in the gearcase that looks broken. Would it be safe to use an engine degreaser to clean out all the old oil? With all the teeth off the spin gear I really need to clean it out good and completely replace the oil.

      Yes, the coupling is what went last year. I wonder if damage to the spin gear began back then?

    19. Lee Devlin September 16th, 2009 at 13:26

      Normally the tub doesn’t spin freely. I had assumed that if you had the motor out, it would spin freely. However, there is also a clutch mechanism has brake at the bottom of the tub, so check to see if that is what’s holding the tub from spinning. If so, then what you’re feeling is normal. There may be a way to manually override this clutch/brake mechanism to see if the tub’s bearings need replacing. I’ve not done that repair, but perhaps you can find some advice on one of the other repair sites on the Internet like this one:

      http://www.davesrepair.com/DIYhelp/DIYddbrakelube.htm

    20. Dlap September 16th, 2009 at 19:07

      Thank you for the link. I followed his advice and put some high temp grease on the drum per his picture. With the gear case out of the way you can use the small cam on the brake and rotate the tub with your fingers. It releases the brake and then the tub seemed to rotate pretty easily. I also took off the plastic piece that covers the top of the tub and looked around inside for any items that could cause binding but didn’t see anything.

      Finally, I cleaned out the gear case real well, scraped off the old form-a-gasket and could not see any other damage other than the stripped spin gear. So tomorrow morning I am going to order the spin gear and pinion.

      Thanks again for your post, it gave me just the confidence I needed to dig into this thing. Now all that’s left is to get it back together correctly. :-)

    21. Dlap September 20th, 2009 at 20:23

      Just thought I would follow-up to let you know that everything went back together smoothly, the gear box is working like a champ and the washer is back in operation! :-)

    22. JB November 14th, 2009 at 00:13

      Hi Lee, Great posts.
      I have worked my way through several problems but am left with one for which I can find no how to info. I have an oil leak at the transmission input shaft. The seal kit is readily available but there is no apparent reasonable way to remove the old seal.

      It looks like the shaft & seal were pressed in. There is no room to drive the shaft out and no way to grip the seal from the outside to pull it. I can probably drill, cut and dig the seal out and risk more damage

      Any suggestions would be extremely helpful

      Thanks

    23. Rebuilding the electric range | Lee Devlin's Website November 16th, 2009 at 16:03

      [...] few months ago, I repaired the washing machine and wrote about it in a blog posting. Lately, our stove has been acting up, not heating up its burners until they were [...]

    24. Lee Devlin November 17th, 2009 at 08:09

      In the case of my washer, the bearing and seal were held in place by a snap ring. You can see the snap ring in this image. If you can’t figure out how the seal is held in, look for some kind of a snap ring since you can press fit bearings on a shaft, but seals generally need to be replaced and are made of a soft material like rubber or felt so they have to be removable. I would be quite surprised if the manufacturer made it impossible to replace the seal.

    25. JB November 17th, 2009 at 10:23

      Thanks for the advice. The seal in question is for the input shaft which is mounted horizontally and drives the worm gear that is not visible in the picture. There is no snap ring or other retainer that I could see. This machine has some other problem that apparently causes it to lockup completely only occasionally. The problem has caused the drive coupler to break, and after replacing the all plastic coupler with the “heavy duty” metal hub model, the motor and transmission shafts to be rounded off. I fixed that by shimming the shafts with JB Weld. After that repair the leak started so I will have to take credit for somehow damaging the seal. Regardless this is only a temporary situation as we have decided to replace this machine.

      Thanks again for your help.

    26. Lee Devlin November 17th, 2009 at 11:20

      Hi JB,

      Sorry, I didn’t realize you were talking about the input shaft. I noticed that this web page has a list of parts and down around the bottom, they have the seal you mentioned. It is part 285352 and is a kit which appears to contain several seals, which indicates that they may have changed it over time and now just supply a set and you pick the one that fits. I also found a good picture of the input shaft. Whirlpool Washer Transmission Input Shaft

      In looking around the Internet, I found a discussion of someone who used a large socket to push a thrust seal (p/n AP3043580) into place, which seems to indicate it slides in place. Those seals can be tricky to get out sometimes requiring you to grip them with needle nose pliers to rip them out sometimes in pieces if they are stuck. Here’s another web page that shows a kit of 3 seals for $8 that are intended to replace the lower seal. Based on the diagram at the top, it appears to slide into place (it’s item 21 on that diagram).

      UPDATE: 2010-07-18 Stephen A. located a web page on how to remove the existing lower transmission seal using a self-tapping screw. Thanks Steve!

    27. Richard W. November 29th, 2009 at 16:02

      Hi Lee, My whirlpool washer is about seven years old and began making this awful sound when it goes into the spin cycle. Everything works fine except spin. After looking closer at it I can see the agitator actually stops or jambs up, then restarts and does this continually. After reading your page here I thought I would tackle opening up the trans case and see if anything was wrong but after opening it up I couldn’t see anything wrong with any of the gears or parts. No chipped gears, no broken plastic parts and no metal shavings. Put back together and still doing the same thing. I posted a video to youtube if you would like to see and hear it. I appreciate any advice or ideas you have to offer. I’m beginning to consider a new washer. Thanks

    28. Lee Devlin November 29th, 2009 at 17:32

      Hi Richard, Your washer is considerably newer than the one I fixed with the neutral drain kit. I’m not sure what could be making that kind of noise, but is sure sounds like gear teeth slipping based on its frequency. The transmission has several functions. One function is to switch between agitate and spin depending on motor speed by using the centrifugal speed of some weights inside the transmission. When the motor is spinning backwards, it also shifts the transmission into neutral (which is what happens during the drain cycle). At high speed, the neutral drain plate makes agitator and basket move in the same direction. So it appears that it’s not transitioning smoothly between the agitate and the spin, because it appears that it’s trying to do both, at least initially. When I had the problem, I didn’t get a noise like yours, but it seemed to go bad gradually, so maybe something is bent or worn. I’m sure that in my case, before the pin sheared, it probably bent and so sometimes it worked, and sometimes it didn’t.

      Another area to look would be the clutch/brake mechanism that makes the drum spin in along with the agitator. There may also be something stripped on the shaft inside the agitator.

      Also, with your video, there are some other appliance repair forums where someone may look at it and tell you immediately what is wrong so I’d recommend you ask around on other forums.

    29. Dennis S. December 20th, 2009 at 21:12

      Hi Lee.

      I love the site, there is a lot of great info here. I too am having a problem with my 17 year old Whirlpool washer (model # LSR5233ANO). It is old but in great shape. It has just started leaking oil and it leaves water in the tub after spincycle. If mess with the controls, I can get it to spin. I consider myself handy and with some guidance, I think I can fix this. I know I can replace the clutch parts. It is the transmission leak that I am worried about. Can you tell me the parts I would need to fix this issue? Are these parts model specific? I’ve got three boys so we do at least 6 to 8 loads a week. If I can get this fixed it would be a great savings. I really don’t want to shell out the cash for a new washer. Not right after Christmas, if you know what I mean. Thanks for any help you can offer. – Dennis

    30. Lee Devlin December 20th, 2009 at 23:02

      Hi Dennis,

      The most likely candidates for leaks are the shaft seals in the bottom of the transmission case. Take a look and see if it’s from the motor shaft or the vertical shaft. If you look at a response I made in this thread, there are some links to a site that sells these seals. In the case of the motor shaft, which is horizontal, it appears that you get 3 seals and use the one that fits. My guess is that by providing 3 seals, they cover all the variations in the transmissions that have been made over the years. The only other place for oil to leak is where the case upper and lower come together, and that’s just sealed with a bead of silicone. As for the water left in the tub, that’s not part of the transmission, since the pump is connected to other side of the motor. When it spins in reverse, it runs the pump and that’s what empties the tub.

    31. Dennis December 21st, 2009 at 16:23

      Lee, thanks for the advice. I have to tell you I am captivated by your blog. I did see that you are from NEPA. I live in Scranton and was just up in Waymart on Saturday looking at the windfarm. I also work in Wilkes-Barre and there is a windfarm not far from my office. It sure is a small world. Thanks again and happy holidays. – Dennis

    32. Enrique January 2nd, 2010 at 06:22

      Lee.

      My wirpool has problems.
      I dissasamble everything and I realize that the shaft of the transmission couple in the side of the trasmission is worn.

      I do not see how this shaft can be puulled out from the transmission case (gear).

      Any aidea?

      Thanks

    33. Lee Devlin January 7th, 2010 at 07:18

      I didn’t need to take my shaft out of my transmission case, but generally, shafts are secured with a ‘c’ or ‘e’ type snap rings. You can remove these snap rings with snap ring pliers, or sometimes with needle nose pliers. I’m not aware of anyone who sells the shaft independently of the transmission, so you may need to replace the whole transmission if the transmission shaft has gone bad unless you have the equipment to repair it yourself.

    34. Rick February 20th, 2010 at 21:11

      I have the same problem with the transmission shaft being rounded off. I managed to get it out but it takes a good effort. There is a rather soft metal sleeve holding the shaft/gear in the transmission. At first I was worried that this sleeve was threaded into the transmission case because there were 4 slots on the circumference which you can see from the inside of the transmission. I should mention that you need to completely disassemble the transmission to get this piece removed. It turns out that the sleeve is pressed in. I managed to mangle the seal while removing it but you may be able to save it if you’re so inclined.

      To remove the shaft/gear you need to clamp a vise grip to the rounded input shaft and hammer the gear housing until you work it loose. It’s not pretty but it’s the only way that I can see to get it out. If you leave the seal alone it will come out with the gear. Hammer away and be patient. You will see the gap inside the case starting to get larger between the thrust washer and the pressed-in sleeve. Eventually it works its way out.

      Unless you have the tools/skills to rebuild the shaft I wouldn’t bother. Just replace the transmission. I would wager a guess that this part is not meant to be serviceable.

    35. Sam February 25th, 2010 at 11:22

      My whirlpool machine is 9 years old. I noticed six months ago that it started to make a stud noise when spinning which I though was just normal because of its heavy load. Until last week when finally the noise starts to be loud and grinding that is becoming unbearable to ignore. So I thought it might just be the motor coupling that gave way, and replaced it. But the grinding noise is still there. And even when I took out the agitator to test, and just leave the shaft open while the tub spins, the grnding noise is still there. Could this be the transmission that need replacement?

    36. manuel March 23rd, 2010 at 21:25

      Hello Lee,
      Your site has been a big help. I’ve torn apart the transmission and changed the broken parts. tested it with the motor and it works great until i put the transmission cover on, then the clutch will not spin properly or strong enough to make the basket spin. I’ve greased the seals and filled with new oil. the clutch spins great without the cover on. i’m really struggling with this and I am done buying parts. the pinon is new and fits very snug through the cover but moves by hand. any ideals with this?

    37. Lee Devlin March 24th, 2010 at 02:25

      Hi Manuel, The basket and tub sometimes get stuck together so check for any dirt and or clothing that might be causing them to bind. Also, there is a brake that stop the basket from moving when not in spin mode. Make sure that it is not stuck. The other possibility is a worn clutch that is slipping.

    38. manuel March 25th, 2010 at 21:00

      hey Lee, the clutch is new. the basket spins great manually. this is about the gearbox. i have the cover off but still connected to the motor. when i run it with gearbox cover off everything seems to work fine. the clutch spins fast and hard. but when i put the gearbox cover on, the clutch hardly spins and i can stop it with my finger. the pinon fits very snug in the seal, but will rotate by hand.

    39. Rachel March 26th, 2010 at 08:40

      Hi Lee,
      This site has been so helpful. I have a kenmore elite direct drive washer #11023032102. In the past year I’ve replaced the agitator dogs and the motor coupling, now the tub isn’t spinning and the agitator is hardly (if not) moving. I assumed it was the motor coupling again so I ordered it, went to put it on and noticed it was completely fine. I then started checking as many things as I could and now I’m trying to get to the transmission. I removed the snap clip and all the bolts holding the top, but it seems like the top is welded down. I mean it doesn’t budge at all. I’m beginning to think it was made not to open, because they’d rather me replace the entire tranny instead of just a piece. A few people told me they started doing this with newer appliances… have you heard of such a thing. It truly frustrates me that I don’t have the chance to fix it on my own. Instead of approx. $17, I have to spend approx $200. (any suggestions on how to remove the top)?
      Thanks for your Time:)
      ** Rachel **

    40. Ramona O'Banion June 15th, 2010 at 11:47

      We changed the coupler between the motor and transmission last week, while we had it apart a small amount of transmission oil leeked out. when we use it now there’s a slight burning rubber smell when its running, could the smell be from the new part or does the tranny need more oil replaced? It runs great.Thanks Ramona

    41. Lee Devlin June 17th, 2010 at 05:29

      Hi Rachel, Sorry for the delay in responding. I didn’t notice you had a question in your comment. I have not heard of anything like a ‘sealed transmission’. If it won’t come apart, it could just be the gasket material, which is a bit like an adhesive, is holding it together. You may need to pry the halves apart. If it was truly welded together, there probably wouldn’t be any bolts to remove.

    42. Lee Devlin June 17th, 2010 at 05:32

      The transmission holds about 12 oz. of oil, if I recall correctly. As long as you didn’t lose more than an ounce or so, then it’s unlikely that is will be a problem. A burning smell would indicate that it is something that is getting hot. I suppose the rubber coupling may be doing that and outgassing because it’s new. If it gets worse, then check for the source of the smell, but if it goes away, then it’s probably just the new part wearing in.

    43. Fixing my Whirlpool 5 cycle 2 speed Washer Part 2 | Blogternet.com June 21st, 2010 at 11:25

      [...] major… otherwise ill have to study Lee Devlin’s post from his website K0lee.com: Whirlpool Washer Transmission Repair Read more from BLOG lid switch, whirlpool washer fix, Whirlpool Washer Transmission Repair [...]

    44. luis castillo July 7th, 2010 at 13:08

      Buen día, he leido mucho estos comentarios y quiero comentar mi problema.

      Mi whirlpool trabaja bien, pero a la hora de exprimir, no lo hace. Incluso la envie a reparar y duró 15 dias. Compre una nueva transmisión y duro 5 meses. Al abrirla, todo esta bien. Lei por horas el manual y noté que no pasa del drenaje a exprimir. La leva de metal que debe soltar el SPIN GEAR CAM, no lo hace y sigue trabajando como si drenara, pero no exprime pues no lo suelta. Por la fuerza centrifufa, la leva de metal se abre para realizar el drenaje, luego se debe detener la lavadora y empieza de nuevo, supuestamente a exprimir, pero no lo hace, las piezas están libres no deberian quedar pegadas. NO SE QUE HACER.

    45. Paul July 8th, 2010 at 10:24

      Hey Lee, I too am messing with the tranny of my whirpool waher. I broke the seal in the tranny cover and neeed to replace it (lost all the oil) and put oil in. i don’t want to over or under service the oil…I see you recommended 12 oz. If I have the cover off and am pouring the oil in, how can I visually tell that there is the right amount oil? Another question…I don’t think my transmission is bad, because with the cover off and while I’m rotating the input shaft to the right, the spin gear rotates just fine, and when I turn to the left, the spin gear disengages and there is a distinct click. The cam gear works great in both directions…does everything sound OK?…I don’t want to start pulling gears apart if I don’t have to.

    46. Lee Devlin July 9th, 2010 at 06:10

      My recollection was that the transmission was pretty full of oil, but below the flange. I’d suggest filling it until you’re about 1/4″ to 1/2″ below the lower flange. The way that the transmission works is hard to check just by spinning it by hand. Just take some pictures and good notes and put everything back together the way it came off. Check from any broken teeth on the plastic gears. These are not visible unless you pull some of the metal gears out of the transmission. I suspect that if you have gone through the trouble of removing the transmission that you were troubleshooting some problem, so it’s best to take a good look before putting it all back together.

    47. Bill August 10th, 2010 at 09:25

      HELP!! The first photograph on this page shows a washer with two tabs laying under the needle nose pliers. I have this washer left over and I do not know where it goes. Can someone help me.

    48. Lee Devlin August 10th, 2010 at 11:49

      Hi Bill, If you’re referring to the snap ring, which looks like a split washer with two tabs with holes in them, then I believe that is to hold on the clutch hub. If you scroll down to the bottom, you can find a pdf file of the service manual. Download that file and open it and I believe that this snap ring is what is referred to in Fig. 67. It may work without the snap ring, but it would be better to install it.

    49. Bill August 11th, 2010 at 06:40

      Lee,

      I do not believe it is a snap ring. Take a look at the picture I posted on the web:

      http://www.mropartner.com/BeveledWasherWithTabs.jpeg

      Thanks

    50. JPaul September 9th, 2010 at 13:59

      The transmission input shaft seal is easy to replace. I noticed about 1 oz of oil on the floor when we moved, twice. With help this website with all the good info, I removed the transmission and used a method I’ve use on automotive seals many times. Use an awl or a dental pick with one end ground off to hit with a mallet and the other straightened. Tap a small hole through the seal halfway between the outer casting and the shaft. It is easy to keep the awal away from the shaft (seal surface) and the casting. Tap all the way down till the awl hits the casting underneath. Then work the awl around to enlarge the hole. Now take a small flat blade screwdriver (not Phillips, as they are too blunt ended.) The screwdriver should be about 1/8 wide or slightly smaller. Place a corner of the blade in the hole you have made. Keep the blade perpendicular to an imaginary spoke from the shaft. Tap the screwdriver through the seal surface. (This is easy, the seal metal is relatively soft.) Then use another screwdriver as a fulcrum and push the first screwdriver under the seal metal and pry up.
      The seal pops right out. You don’t even get close to the shaft (seal surface) or casting to damage them. An alternative method in some auto repair manuals is to tap holes in the seal face on opposite sides and screw in small sheet metal screws part way and alternately pry up on these. I find this method unnecessary. In either case, it is not difficult. Also, there are two oil circulation slots under the seal. I poured in 1 and 1/2 oz of gear oil, so I did not have to remove the transmission top to add oil.

    51. Rick October 9th, 2010 at 17:03

      I have my trans apart and have a video. I am concerned that the shaft is not spinning. I think the issue is in the coupler but can anyone tell me why the shaft isn’t spinning? I don’t want to order a coupler if there are other issues… http://www.facebook.com/notes.php?id=559401875&notes_tab=app_2347471856#!/video/video.php?v=436590451875

      Thanks

    52. Rick October 9th, 2010 at 17:04

      oops. This link http://www.facebook.com/notes.php?id=559401875&notes_tab=app_2347471856#!/video/video.php?v=436590451875

    53. Jason October 9th, 2010 at 23:39

      I have the topload whirlpool washer bought in 1993. I just replaced the dog ears for the broken agitator top portion.

      I have a drain problem once in a while. Sometimes, the water remains full after the compelete cycle, and sometimes water drain works perfectly normal. But sometimes, drain works partilly with the clothes wetter than normal. Whenever there is drain problem, if I redo the rinse cycle, usually, drain works fine.

      I researched the web, trying to troubleshoot, but I have not yet found the cause since the problem is not there all the time.

      One thing that I noticed is the little abnormal sound, in my opinion, coming from the bottom area of the washer during the wash cycle when the agitator is working. I recorded the sound.

      Can you give some help on this one?
      Thank you very much.

    54. Lee Devlin October 10th, 2010 at 20:29

      Hi Rick,
      It looks like you’ve removed some parts from the transmission, namely the spin gear along with the neutral drain plate. Without these, the shaft won’t spin. However, it does appear that the worm gear in the bottom of the transmission is spinning, and so that may not mean that the coupling needs to be replaced. In any event, it’s easy enough to remove the motor to check the coupling and see if it’s broken.

    55. Trevor Marshall October 18th, 2010 at 15:07

      Hi Lee – I’m stumped by my LSR5233AW0. Replaced drive coupling recently and all was well until the agitator slowed when the timer was at 8 minutes on regular cycle. Made an awful noise for a few seconds but kept going and rest of wash pump and spin was fine. So I replaced the transmission but the noise is STILL there. Not as bad, but definitely only in the wash cycle at the transition point. I can manually skip this to rinse and then no problems all the way through spin. Any ideas? Something mechanical broke in the motor?

    56. Lee Devlin October 18th, 2010 at 16:18

      Hi Trevor, I’m not sure what kind of noise would come from the motor, other than perhaps a noise related to a failed bearing. That would sound like grinding or squealing. Sometimes bearings fail over time and they appear to self-heal until they fail catastrophically which usually means that they will seize. Since you’ve already replaced the transmission, I would have to assume that the problem lies either with the motor, the clutch/brake assembly, or in the spindle/basket area. Maybe if you can describe the noise, I might be able to further isolate the the source. Also, please download the troubleshooting manual linked to the posting to see if it has any clues in its troubleshooting section.

    57. Trevor Marshall October 19th, 2010 at 09:44

      Hi Lee – I can really only describe it as a high-pitched grating/squealing that was at first continuous for a few seconds, and is now intermittent – but again, only on the ‘slow’ part of the wash cycle. The local parts place tells me there’s a centrifugal switch which they have for $100 which is nearly the cost of a whole new motor ($150) – unfortunately (and understandably) neither are returnable, just like the new transmission! Is it safe for me to take the motor off, secure it to a heavy wood board, reconnect it and run it through all the cycles to see what it does and when? (I already ran it without the pump)

    58. Robert B. October 23rd, 2010 at 09:42

      Hey there! Great website, loads of info and very helpful!
      My Whirlpool 3 speed automatic wouldn’t spin or agitate, so I tore into it and found the coupler is broken. Meanwhile, I wanted to see if there was more to the problem so I spin the transmission input shaft by hand, but there is no resistance and the tub does not turn when I do this.
      My question: does this mean there is a problem inside the transmission? Or should I not expect anything to engage at hand turning speed?

      Many thanks for your help and your website!

      Robert B.
      Snellville, GA

    59. Lee Devlin October 23rd, 2010 at 10:44

      Hi Robert, I found that hand turning was not a reliable way of testing the transmission. The neutral drain pack has some weights on it and unless they spin fast enough, they won’t engage so the drive may stay in neutral. If you had a broken coupling, then that would explain the failure to spin or agitate.

    60. Robert B. October 23rd, 2010 at 13:06

      Wow! Thanks for the quick reply! Now I can just order the coupler and hopeffully that will be all it needs. It’s great to be able to benefit from someone else’s experience – I wasn’t looking forward to tearing into that transmission.

      RB

    61. Bill L October 30th, 2010 at 21:36

      Hi Lee, this is Bill, n6cq, in PA. I envy your fb qth and skiing! My problem is that after replacing the clutch, I can’t seem to get the transmission to go back in all the way. It stops about 3/4″ from the mounts. Do you have any idea what I’m doing wrong?

    62. Lee Devlin October 31st, 2010 at 06:46

      I’d check the agitator to see what’s blocking it. In order to get the transmission out, you likely had to unscrew the top off of the agitator, and remove a seal to expose a screw that goes into the end of the transmission shaft. Also, I recall that there are splines at the end of the shaft and then need to align with the spline in the agitator so if it’s not going in, try rotating the agitator or shaft a little bit.

    63. Trevor Marshall November 1st, 2010 at 09:54

      Bill L – I think I read somewhere that the brake alignment can slip when the trans is out, so you might want to check that. Sorry I don’t recall which webiste it was on, I was lucky with my new trans as it went straight in. (but not so lucky that it didn’t fix my problem!)

    64. Jerry Hammarlund November 10th, 2010 at 11:52

      Hi Lee- I have read most of your responses to a Whirlpool washer not spinning during the spin cycle. My washer is model # LSQ7533JQO. I have eliminated the lid switch because the machine will run when I hold the switch down, I replaced the motor coupler, the agitator dogs look good, the shaft teeth where they connect to the agitator look good,so I think we are down to either the clutch or transmission. During the spin cycle, if I reach in and turn the agitator by hand it will start to move then it does finish the spin cycle. I’m hoping that will shed some light as to what the problem is (hoping it is the clutch and not the transmission!!)

    65. Mike N November 10th, 2010 at 13:09

      Hi Lee,

      We have a top load Admiral washer(18 yrs old) and it stopped spinning. I was researching the possible problems on the internet and found your transmission article. Turns out that the shoulder pawl stud was broken in this transmission too. A few hours later I had it fixed. Thanks for taking the time to put this on the web. It saved me a lot of headaches and a few $$$ as well!

      Cheers
      Mike N

    66. Lee Devlin November 10th, 2010 at 17:32

      It sounds like you have a slipping clutch, but you may want to figure out if it slipping for some reason other than being worn out. You should check to make sure that the basket doesn’t have something built up between it and the tub. If you want to see a video on how to replace the clutch, here’s a good on on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tVc6SZ2DD4U

    67. Lee Devlin November 10th, 2010 at 17:48

      Hi Mike – I think yours is the first report of the exact same problem I found… a sheared pawl stud… and on an Admiral brand, no less! I recall the Admiral brand from my youth. The appliances offered by Admiral are manufactured by Whirlpool and exclusively sold today through Home Depot. Back in the 1990s, Montgomery Ward had that deal. I would imagine that’s where your washer came from.

    68. leonard November 15th, 2010 at 05:05

      hi lee. i cant get my agitator of the shaft. any suggestions as to how to do it without breaking anything.

    69. Jon M November 18th, 2010 at 19:51

      Wow! Who would think that a transmission write up 3 years would still come up in search results. Glad to see it’s still active. I just finished replacing the motor coupler in my Kenmore Series 80 direct drive washer. The model # plate disappeared so I’m winging it. The coupler did not appear broken until I removed it. The motor side was cracked and the inside flats were rounded out. So, replaced w/ the super duty commercial quality one (hmmm) and now it will do everything but spin. I disassembled the transmission, nothing looked particularly worn…no broken pieces or sheared material so reassembled it. Still won’t spin…should I just go ahead and buy the neutral drain kit and a spin gear? It didn’t look bad but then, I didn’t have a new one with which to compare…

    70. Lee Devlin November 19th, 2010 at 07:33

      I’d check to see if the clutch/brake assembly is worn out. If so, the outside of the clutch will be spinning, but the basket will not. Also, check to see if you can manually get the basket to spin. Sometimes dirt or clothing can get stuck between it and the tub.

    71. Lee Devlin November 19th, 2010 at 07:39

      Have you taken off the top cap and popped out the dust seal to expose the bolt? If so, and you removed the bolt, are you saying it’s still stuck? Perhaps it’s rusted together, and if so, I’d recommend some liquid wrench and a gentle tap with a rod resting on the shaft from the top while pulling on the agitator. You may need an assistant to hold a rod to tap against the shaft. It would be a 3-handed operation.

    72. Lisa Franchot January 1st, 2011 at 14:40

      Hi Lee, Happy New Year!
      Your info is very helpful.
      My washer won’t spin. The coupler looks perfect and the clutch looks fine as well as the brake part. I am attempting to take apart the transmission, I have all the screws out but can not get the lid off. Do i just use a razor blade?

      Thanks for your help

    73. Lisa Franchot January 1st, 2011 at 14:56

      Got it off and open.

    74. Paul Dellas February 6th, 2011 at 22:53

      Hi Lee, thanks for your page. Just fininshed the job. Took around two hours to complete and now works a treat. I used the neutral-pak AW (285595) and it was fairly simple. The gear box cover would not budge however a screwdriver levered it of ok. Cheers from Geelong in Victoria Australia

    75. corey gilbert March 14th, 2011 at 14:28

      Hey Lee, awsome link!
      So I have a whirlpool estate doing the same as yours. Agitates fine but does not spin, I have it torn apart and want to tear into the trans but want to make sure it is not the clutch first. How can I diagnose a slipping clutch? I can spin it in its casing without much force and it is fairly gresy inside casing.
      When I spin the trans manually counterclockwise it goes into agitate and I can’t stop shaft from turning. But clockwise for spin the clutch spins but the shaft doesn’t. So I was thinking it was the trans. What is your expert opinion?

    76. David Ginsberg March 14th, 2011 at 18:11

      Hi Lee, here’s a deeper question re: Whirlpool transmission. I actually do this for a living nearby in Sullivan County (I’m in Hurleyville, NY and my company is called The Fix-It Shop)and I’ve just decided to see if I can repair a seized transmission that I got from a customer. Breaking it down I see that the main drive gear was seized on the vertical shaft. I cleaned and burnished the shaft and in inspecting the gear there was some scoring on the gear hole wall near the top;I’m sure low oil finally caught up with this unit. I found an FSP 3946631 on the gear. Do you know of anyone who sells this part? I just might install an output shaft seal and drain pack, refill it and use it as a replacement in one of the machines in a laundromat that I also own.I have a feeling that if there’s enough oil in the case, it shouldn’t seize up again….comments?

    77. David Ginsberg March 14th, 2011 at 18:14

      Slight update to the last post. I intend to install an input seal since that’s probably where the oil leaked out. And one final question; is the main vertical shaft that the spin gear and other parts sit on supposed to somehow rotate? Mine seems pressed into the case.

    78. I’M REPLACING A MOTOR COUPLING ON A DIRECT DRIVE KENMORE WASHING… — Free Appliance Repairman April 7th, 2011 at 21:11

      [...] found the info you require you can repair the tranny just follow instructions.Hope this helps you.http://k0lee.com/2007/01/whirlpool-washer-transmission-repair/ google_ad_client = "pub-9944067410364964"; /* freeappliancerepairman 336×280 text */ google_ad_slot [...]

    79. Wanda P April 25th, 2011 at 11:09

      Lee,

      I have a Kenmore Series 80 (Whirlpool) top loading machine that was leaking transmission fluid. It leaked quite a bit out. Last night it stopped spinning and won’t spin. We recently replaced the clutch plate. Any suggestions of what it could be? Thank you!

      Wanda

    80. Lee Devlin April 25th, 2011 at 12:50

      If you have already replaced the clutch, I’d take a look in the transmission. It’s not that much more work than replacing a clutch, although it is a bit messier. If it agitates, then that would eliminate the motor coupling. -Lee

    81. ortiz May 6th, 2011 at 16:11

      gracias por compartir tu experiencia con la transmicion de tu lavadora, quisiera saber donde puedo conseguir el diagrama de desmontaje completo de esta tramsmicion ?

    82. Lee Devlin May 6th, 2011 at 16:46

      Hola, no estoy al tanto de cualquier esquema de montaje de la transmisión que no sea lo que se muestra en esta página web y enlaces. Haz fotos cuando lo desmonte con una cámara digital, entonces sabrás cómo poner de nuevo juntos.

    83. Jonathan May 12th, 2011 at 14:03

      Hi lee I have read many of the comments and some sound like my problem, but my transmission makes a thunking sound. I have checked clutch and brake and both seem fine. Took transmission out and made same sound. Should my agitator be movine while on spin cycle? And my washer won’t spin when too heavy load or too wet of clotheing leaving them all wet after cycle. Should I open the transmission and if so do you think the neutral kit would fix this problem. Thanks.

    84. Lee Devlin May 12th, 2011 at 17:12

      Hi Jonathan,

      As I recall, when the tub is spinning, the agitator should be spinning as well in concert with the tub. There are some parts up in the agitator that could be the problem. You might want to take a look at that too. It’s sort of a one-way clutch. As for the neutral drain kit, those are the only replaceable parts in the transmission, so if it’s not one of those, then the only option is to replace the whole transmission. The gears don’t generally fail and those would be the only other parts in the transmission that you could replace, if they were available.

    85. Enri San May 14th, 2011 at 17:11

      Hola Lee, Antes que nada Muchas Gracias, Tu experiencia me fue de mucha utilidad, pues tu problema resulto ser identico al mio, en este momento estoy cambiando el shoulder pawl stud, y me parece perfecto tratar de reparar nuestro aparatos porque asi ayudamos al planeta, mi lavadora tiene 15 años y espero me dure 15 mas, hahahaha, Thank´s Lee.

    86. Lee Devlin May 15th, 2011 at 07:00

      Hola Enri, Me asusta pensar cómo muchas lavadoras están un vertedero a causa de esta simple 50 partes ciento el shoulder pawl stud. Felicitaciones por la fijación de su lavadora!

    87. mona maruca June 15th, 2011 at 18:46

      My Affinity front load washer will not agitate or spin, and there is no resistance on the drum. I can freely spin it around manually like a casino game.

    88. Scott June 22nd, 2011 at 06:30

      This article and the comments are really helpful. I wasn’t sure what was wrong with my washer but now I think it is probably the transmission. I wanted to pass along this link I came across though during my search.. when you click the problem your washer is having the next page tells the possible cause to the problem, just though it was kinda cool and would probably be helpful to others with washer issues. Thanks for such the awesome post!
      http://www.partselect.com/washing-machine+repair+repair.htm

    89. Fixing a Sony Wega with a 6 or 7 blink code | Lee Devlin's Website June 22nd, 2011 at 18:04

      [...] found the repair to be of intermediate difficulty, certainly not as hard as repairing the transmission in a washing machine, and the result was very gratifying. And if it ever happens again, I could fix it in a few minutes, [...]

    90. Allen July 13th, 2011 at 17:48

      In putting the cover back on the tranny, do we need to find a gasket, some thick adhesive, or blue caulk ? Cleaning procedure for the surfaces?

    91. Lee Devlin July 14th, 2011 at 05:44

      The halves of my transmission have what appeared to be a thin bead of silicone caulk. The seal wasn’t damaged in splitting the case so I didn’t replace it. My case halves were very flat and came together without any gaps. If you notice that the seal that was on there is in any way damaged, you may want to clean the surfaces and re-apply a small bead of silicon caulk that you can get at any auto parts store. The thin bead will get squashed when you tighten all the case screws. In my case the seal was so thin you could see right through it like it wasn’t even there.

    92. GREG GRANJA August 6th, 2011 at 21:40

      Model LRS5233ANO I start my load in the Regular cycle, it presoaks and agitates but will not empty or rinse or spin. So after it agitates I always move the dial to the Permanent press 6 minute mark and it completes the full cycle cycle (it doesn’t work at the 10 minute mark) I’m wondering it this is a timer issue rather than something wrong mechanically?

    93. charles allen August 6th, 2011 at 23:54

      love this sight your great, couldnt done it alone. I took apart my machine and found the clutch is because of mud under the basket, but the sticker with the model# came off at some point and time thus I dont have it, is there another way to get my model#?

    94. Lee Devlin August 7th, 2011 at 07:10

      If you’re able to complete a cycle by changing the timer position, it sounds as if it’s related to the timer cam, not something mechanical in the transmission.

    95. Lee Devlin August 7th, 2011 at 07:29

      If your clutch needs to be replaced, you may just want to remove it and take it to your local appliance parts store. It’s a commonly replaced item and they may be able to match it up with the correct replacement part by looking at it.

    96. Neill September 2nd, 2011 at 09:23

      Great article. I might have missed it but do you know what oil to use in the transmission and how full it should be?
      Thanks, Neill

    97. Lee Devlin September 3rd, 2011 at 08:11

      My recollection is that the oil is about 3/8″ from the seam between the upper and lower case. You can use regular 90 weight gear oil which is available in most auto parts stores.

    98. Lowell October 12th, 2011 at 14:55

      I have a 3 1/2 yr old Whirlpool topload washer. When you open the lid while it’s spinning, and as it ends the spin cycle, it doesn’t stop quick like it should, but just “spins down”. When this occurs, it makes a loud knocking noise, ’til the spin stops. When you manually turn the inner tub around, at one point it seems to catch in like, a notch, or something like that. I suppose this has something to do with the spin brake? This is a problem I’ve never encountered in past experiences. Thanks for any advice.

    99. Mark Kaufman October 15th, 2011 at 10:54

      Great article. My problem seems to be a variation. The washer works fine, but, during drain and spin, the washer emits a squealing noise. Thought the clutch was slipping – replaced, but no help. Noticed that the basket was spinning during drain. From reading the service manual, I think the transmission is not shifting into neutral during drain. Does this sound like I’m headed in the right direction, and would the neutral drain pack be a good next step?
      Thanks.

    100. Lee Devlin October 15th, 2011 at 12:37

      The brake which is part of the clutch assembly is responsible for keeping the tub from spinning around unless it’s being driven by the motor. So if that is broken or worn out, you might experience a problem like you describe. I’m not an expert in the newer machines, so you may want to ask on one of the other forums or talk to your appliance repair shop.

    101. Lee Devlin October 15th, 2011 at 13:37

      The only parts I know of that are replaceable in the transmission are those items included in the neutral drain pack, and if any of them are broken, it could give rise to a problem like you describe where it won’t shift into neutral, although I don’t know how it would make a squealing noise. I’d take the transmission apart and look for anything that is broken. If it’s one of the parts that comes in the neutral drain pack, then it’s a cheap repair.

    102. Dan R November 21st, 2011 at 08:34

      Hello Lee

      First and foremost thank you for putting this site up. Here goes. Whirpool Stylemaster makes a banging noise only in Normal and Permanent press modes. Works fine in the gentle cycle. Also noted its not agitating back and forth, It just a forward push all the time while making the banging noise. Took trans apart and found no damaged items but changed out the that two piece plastic agitator cam and follower that wore out one before. No improvement is noted…

      Thanks
      Dan R

    103. Lee Devlin November 21st, 2011 at 15:40

      If the transmission looks good, it might be the clutch inside the agitator. You can download the service manual which is linked at the end of that article and see this clutch on page 24 in figure 57. Take a look at the clutch and clutch dogs and see if they are broken.

      There is also a clutch/brake assembly below that might be broken. That’s just above the transmission.

    104. Alan December 5th, 2011 at 20:19

      Our Whirlpool direct drive began with a whining and sounded like it was a jet engine about to take flight. A few days later the spin cycle stopped working. I did some research and found it may be the clutch is burned out since it was getting very hot. So I replaced the clutch/brake assembly…really easy. The washer began spinning and I thought it was all fixed. I put a regular load in and found that the drum stopped spinning again and the clutch was very hot. Should I tear into the transmission and replace the neutral drain pack? Or will that be throwing good money after bad? Maybe I should replace the 5 year old washer???

    105. Lee Devlin December 6th, 2011 at 08:19

      It sounds like the basket is stuck in the tub. A previous commenter found his problem was dirt stuck between the tub (which is stationary) and the basket (the part with holes in it that is supposed to spin). The clutch mechanism includes a brake that is intended to make the basket stop spinning when the motor is not trying to turn it, so it’s normal to have resistance to being able to spin the basket clockwise, but once the brake is de-activated, which happens when the motor tries to spin the tub, the basket should spin freely. You should be able to spin it about a revolution clockwise before the brake stops it, or indefinitely counter clockwise with little resistance. If you can’t do that, then perhaps some dirt or clothing is stuck between them.

    106. Dan R December 12th, 2011 at 08:53

      Had gearcase apart again, Just cant find anything wrong with it. What would cause the clothes to be wrapped tight around the agitator ? In the wash mode it all looks to be going in one slow spin direction with agitation and a bumping noise. Thanks.

    107. Dan R December 12th, 2011 at 18:08

      I should add that the tub is not spinning just the agitators rotating with them going back and forth but also moving ahead. Wash mode and spin mode they both rotate clock wise. Can the timer cause this kind of problem ? Thanks

    108. Lee Devlin December 12th, 2011 at 18:41

      Have you checked the clutch/brake mechanism? It sits above the transmission. If its worn or broken it could explain why it has the clothes wrapped around the agitator.

    109. Dan R December 13th, 2011 at 08:26

      Cluch and brake both looked fine, Could not turn it by hand when in locked position and is free in other direction. Drum does not move when agitating. So its not spinning and agitating at the same time. I took timer out and looked at the reed switches. Two on end seem not to be going up and down as the others are doing when I rotate the mechanism with the dial. Maybe these are the ones that control direction of motor. Like I said the agitate is going in the same direction as the spin. They should be opposite actions. This must be a very rare thing seeing I cant find a thing on line anywhere that addresses motor rotation direction issues. I guess I’ll go with replacing the timer because mechanically I cant find anything wrong. It looks to do what its supposed to do when I spun the gear case with a drill when I had it out of the machine.

    110. John December 18th, 2011 at 10:26

      Hi Lee,
      I removed the transmission and shaft from my Kenmore washer (model 110.29842990) and inspected the gears. Everything appeared to be fine. I put new lube in, sealed it up, and went to replace it on the machine. However, I can’t get the assembly to seat correctly on bottom of the tub. The washer on top of the clutch assembly is bottoming out against the bottom of the tub, yet I still have about a half inch gap between the housing and the bolt mounts.

      Any idea what I’m doing wrong?

      Also, I got a schematic drawing from RepairClinic but it’s small and I can’t see it very well. Do you have a better schematic in PDF that I can zoom in and still see the various parts?

      Thanks very much. John Auburn Hills MI

    111. John December 18th, 2011 at 11:14

      Solved the issue of not being able to seat the housing properly. With the machine resting on its back on the floor, by chance, I pulled up on the tub and that gave me the clearance I needed.

      However, my original issue is still unresolved. I turn the shaft on the transmission and the clutch rotates but the shaft does not.

    112. Beth December 30th, 2011 at 21:59

      So I’ve replaced the dog ears, the motor coupler and the clutch and it turned about an inch and stopped with the load noise. It will drain not won’t agate oe spin. Is my next step the transmission? Kenmore washer about 4 years old?

    113. Marty January 8th, 2012 at 13:45

      The agitation is very weak on my 16 year old Whirlpool top loader. The spin function works fine.

      A couple of weeks ago, the washer was making a racheting noise during the agitation phase.

      I’m wondering which component could be the most likely culprit.

    114. Michelle January 11th, 2012 at 15:00

      HELP! My upright LAT8624AE Maytag,recently was overloaded-noisy & smoking! so I stopped it. Next day-put a few towels in and started cycle again- would not agitate & noise. But works fine on drain and spin! Pulled transmission as a retired guy who fixes appls. said it (tranny)was probably the problem- and to get a new washer! (But he wasnt sure) I don’t want to replace as full tranny is 214.00 for my model but wonder if it could be a part of the tranny and not the whole thing! We pulled the tranny apart ANYone have any ideas? Everything inside looks good.

    115. Bret January 12th, 2012 at 21:20

      My washer does the same thing as the one in the video where it makes a ratchet sound during the spin cycle, this was annoying for about a week and then the agitator started to bang and jerk during the spin cycle and twisted all the clothes around it. I have a used transmission to replace it with and I’ll tear down the old one to see if it can be rebuilt as a spare. The gears are available, at least the spin gear set is but it is $70 and the used trans was only $60.

    116. Michelle January 17th, 2012 at 11:02

      WHERE do you buy a used tranny?? Thanks!

    117. Bret January 18th, 2012 at 17:38

      I got my last used transmission at a local appliance repair shop, I have also ordered one off of eBay it lasted about 4 years.
      On another note I tore down the transmission that was making the ratchet noise and agitating and spinning at the same time. it appears that the agitate cam is not disengaging the agitator drive shaft enough causing the splines on the agitate sector to drag on the splines of the agitator drive shaft during the spin cycle. The replacement parts, “agitator cam and follower assembly” list for $15. I’ll order them and see if that fixes the problem, if it does I’ll have a spare trans for that inevitable moment when the one I just put it dies.

    118. Scott January 23rd, 2012 at 08:39

      My series 80 Kenmore had an intermittent spin. Sometimes it would spin and sometimes it would not leaving the wash soaking wet at the end. I checked all of the usual items, Lid switch, Timer, Clutch etc. and all were OK. This was driving me nuts until I came across your post showing the internal parts of the transmission. I determined my problem was in the transmission. I opened up the transmission and after draining out the old oil I discovered that the spring on the trip lever was broken off. The trip lever was the cause of my intermittent spin. I ordered the Neutral Drain Pack ( Now comes with a new spin gear included ) Cleaned out the gear case, Installed the new parts, Filled the transmission with new 75-90 synthetic gear oil and used Permatex Ultra Black to re-seal the cover. I also installed a new clutch while I had the transmission out. The washer now runs like new thanks to your post.

    119. Bryan March 24th, 2012 at 14:10

      Last night, the wife and I picked up a used whirlpool washer (model #3954190). We had to put it on its back to get it into our van. When we removed the washer today we noticed there was a signifigant amount of oil that had leaked onto the back/inside of the washer. I am assuming the oil has leaked out of the transmission. Is there an easy way to refill the transmission without having to disasemble it? Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance, Bryan

    120. Lee Devlin March 26th, 2012 at 08:15

      You might search with a mirror and flashlight on the top of the case for a plug, but on my transmission case, there was no plug. The only way to refill it was to take it apart. I think that the reason there is no plug is because it wouldn’t be possible to see the oil level. On my transmission, the oil level was just below the seam of the top and bottom case.

    121. Hank April 2nd, 2012 at 15:13

      Lee, I have this old Whirlpool top load washer and every function works ok but some time back it developed a transmission oil leak but I fixed the leak but sometimes now it’s a little noisy in the washcycle but I kind of think it’s because it might be a little low on oil ? I think I might just deill about a quarter inch hole about 3/4 inch inside of the outer rim and tht should put me on the inside. add some 90 wt. gear oil and plug the hole with some kind of rubber stopper that you can get from the industrial supply houses. what are your thoughts? I reall don’t want to tear into this thing other than that! Hank

    122. Lee Devlin April 4th, 2012 at 07:07

      I think that the amount of work involved in drilling a hole and getting oil into it would be on par with just removing the transmission and filling by removing the top cover. That would also allow you to inspect it to see if there is any damage inside while you’re at it. That’s just my opinion.

    123. rrmaron April 5th, 2012 at 18:15

      Lee, thank you for a great post – very practical and useful … I am not sure if I have a transmission problem as the machine works well, except for oil leaking into the tub. I have removed the drive bell and seal and can see some oil above the hex nut where the transmission output shaft can be seen. Could transmission oil get up this far? Photos here:
      https://skydrive.live.com/redir.aspx?cid=306e266d3c93c426&resid=306E266D3C93C426!219&parid=306E266D3C93C426!218

      https://skydrive.live.com/redir.aspx?cid=306e266d3c93c426&resid=306E266D3C93C426!220&parid=306E266D3C93C426!218

    124. Duane Burgess April 19th, 2012 at 06:37

      Kenmore direct drive transmission. I had already done what you did to fix your transmission. Installed a neutral drain kit before I found your site, but I have a little different problem. This is what led me to your website. Thanks a lot by the way. Great info here. My problem is: The washer will fill, wash, agitate, but when it comes to the drain/spin cycle it will drain but will not spin. I can push the timer in and let the motor come to a stop then pull the timer back out and it will spin and drain fine. Sometimes it will work fine but mostly it will not spin the basket. I’ve torn into the gearbox about 6 times looking and trying to figure out what could be causing this problem but everything in the gearbox looks fine. I replaced the neutral drain kit just for practice. I can take a 1/2″ drill motor and spin the motor gearbox while it is apart and it locks up everytime?? When the problem is happening the ring and pinion gears in the gearbox are turning but the neutral paws are not locking into the upper plastic gear to turn and spin the basket. Still something not right in this gearbox. I just don’t get it. It’s like when you push the timer and stop the motor, when it stops it locks up then and will spin but it will not do this when during a regular cylce. Any ideas?? Thanks.

    125. Lee Devlin April 19th, 2012 at 14:43

      Hi Duane, After two minutes of spinning in the spin/drain direction, the motor should stop momentarily. This resets the neutral drain and allows the pawl to engage the spin gear. It sounds like that it not happening in the case of your washer. There is a pdf linked to the end of the article that talks about the theory of operation of the neutral drain kit, but you have to read it over several times to mentally digest what happens to allow the motor to spin in one direction (to agitate) and then in the other direction to drain the tub while the spin gear is in neutral. Once the motor stops spinning in that direction and resumes in the same direction, a pawl will engage the spin gear the next time it starts.

      Since you can simulate the correct behavior of the neutral drain with your drill, and by manually stopping the motor, it sounds like the timer might be defective. It’s the timer’s job to stop the motor after the tub has drained, and it appears that is not occurring in your case so that’s what I’d check next. These timers may not be repairable, but I’ve opened them in the past and they have a molded cam that operate switches. It could be that the portion of the cam that operates that part of the cycle has worn down or broken off at the tip and that’s why it works sometimes but not all the time.

    126. Duane Burgess April 21st, 2012 at 03:21

      Thanks a bunch! Now that makes a lot of sense. What it boils down to is, I just didn’t understand how the gearbox worked. Now I know. I kept wondering if it could the timer. I will order one and try it and let you know how it turns out. Again, Thanks! This info here makes a difference!

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