[obrien1984]

Our washer has started making a knocking noise whenever the tub is turning, regardless of the cycle. This occurs even when I turn it manually, although it is much softer and more muted. It occurs about three times per revolution. I have removed the top of the washer and the bottom access panel to take a peek inside, but there's nothing obviously wrong (like a broken spring or tub hitting the side or something). I let the washer spin up and drain while the panels were removed, but everything seems OK.

Can anyone recommend further tests or troubleshooting? I'm thinking about pulling the washer out from the wall and removing the back panel today. Is there anything I should look for beyond obvious, superficial components?

My hope is to repair, not replace. While I have it pulled apart, I will probably replace the water pump, since it sounds like it is going out.

Thanks for your advice.
Joseph

[ApplianceJunk]

Hi,

Sounds like a bad tub bearing. See a lot of these go out.
Pull it out from the wall and remove the back panel. Often times you can see a water and grease mark running down the back of the tub from the bearing behind the pulley.

Good luck,

[obrien1984]

Thanks for your recommendation. I need to clarify my original post, though. I originally said that I could hear the knocking sound whenever the tub moved, but I realized last night that it was only during the spin cycles. It sounds almost like the tub is hitting something repeatedly, but, as I said originally, I have observed the spin cycles with the top off, and I can't see anything wrong.

I pulled the back off and couldn't see any grease or water. Does it still sound like tub bearings? I have read a number of threads about replacing these, so I might give it a try myself. One thing I am confused about, though, is that it is apparently possible to buy the bearings separately, or to buy a kit that includes the entire back of the washer. Do you have a recommendation? I would rather not spend $250 when a less expensive component would do just as well.

By the way, here's the part number to my washer: fwt645rhs0. It has 04/02 as the manufacture date.

Thanks again.

Joseph

[obrien1984]

Success!

I ordered the rear drum assembly with bearings from the local Marcone Supply and installed it this weekend. After installing the $180 assembly, I read somewhere that the bearing alone can be purchased from a bearing supply store for about $10, part# 6306-2RS.

What a job! I'm somewhat of a klutz when it comes to disassembling appliances (and even more of one when re-assembling), so I had to make a special effort to properly label each part and its orientation.

For anyone else trying to do this repair, I would highly recommend the instructions posted at http://www.zenzoidman.com/documents/RearBearingV6.pdf. I followed them precisely and could never have done this repair without it.

Just a few notes:

1) Be sure to take out the pump and control board. It's only takes an extra 5 minutes, and gives you much more room.

2) By far, the most difficult part of this repair was the stupid level sensor. It's a little white cylinder attached to the drum by a tiny clip, and also attached to the drain hose by a small rubber extension. The spring that holds the drain onto the sensor is stubborn. I don't have any advice for you; just expect it to take a while, and maybe use a good pair of vice grips (mine kept slipping off the spring).

3) When replacing the boot, keep in mind that the groove on the boot fits perfectly around the plastic lip on the tub. For some reason I didn't realize this straight away, so I was trying to put the entire boot over the lip. It goes on very easily when done properly.

4) Be very careful when removing the big pulley from the back of the tub. Mine was stuck pretty good, and I was worried after reading posts about people damaging this delicate part. I sprayed some liquid wrench on the nuts and let it soak in for a few minutes before attempting to remove it. You'll want the back half of the tub on the ground so that the stainless steel tub doesn't spin when you turn the nut. I had to give my socket wrench a few good, sharp hits to loosen the nut. To detach the bolt from the bearing (again, mine was stuck pretty good), I sprayed on some more liquid wrench, and then used a lever beneath the pulley to pry it loose. Again, be very careful, since the pulley is very soft and can apparently be damaged. I had to get the lever all the way under the pulley, so that pressure was actually being applied to very center of it, not the outer wheel portion.

The repair took me about 6 hours over two days, but I'm glad I did it myself. Not only did the knocking sound stop, I also feel much less mystified about the inner workings of my washer. When the pump goes out or the shocks crack, I will have no problem replacing them, and if it leaks, I know where to look.

Thanks to all those who posted advice on this forum.
Joseph