 Whirlpool Not Spinning Brand: Whirlpool Age: More than 10 years
I have this whirlpool washer LXR model bought back in the early 90's. About a few months after the warranty expired it started having problems. It has been in storage for years because I got tired of it. It was only used for 2 years, so it is still like new! I have checked several things and replaced loads of stuff to no avail. So here is what it does and what has been checked or replaced:
All cycles are fine until the spin. It will drain water but not spin....but wait, heres the thing, if I lift the lid, or push the knob in and wait for the machine to "rest" for a few seconds, then pull the knob or close the lid it will sound like it "unlocks" and then it will spin. Now, it doesn't do this all the time. Sometimes it will continue all the way and not have a problem, and other times it does. I know it is not the timer or lid switch as Whirlpool tech suggested. I even paid them to come out and tell me those where the parts needed to replace.
So I bought a new timer and switch, put them in, and same thing. So those are not the issue.
Then I have heard that the motor coupler could be the problem, however I never looked at that before until now and the reason I haven't is that it works in all other positions of the cycle but spin, and even that worked sometimes. So yesterday I took it all apart to figure out what could be wrong. The coupler...good and feels great. All there, no broken parts no cracks. So it is not the coupler.
The brake couldbe the problem too, again I took it apart all the way to the gearcase out so I could inspect everything. THe brake mechanism works great. I can pull the cam over and spin the washer, then release and the brake stops the tub. So that is not the problem.
Next, the gearcase. I took it and could spin the coupler in either direction to obtain agitate and spin, so assume the gearcase to be fine. But to be safe, I took it all aprt and found the oil to be dark like espresso and very thick, but all the gears would turn and do what it is supposed to do. So after inspecting everything in the gearcase and nothing is bad there, I have to rule out the gearcase (just need to refill and cap).
So that leaves the clutch right? So I took it off of course to get the gearcase apart, and inspected the clutch band and drum. The clutch band is like new, very little wear, and it is tigh in the drum. No spring disfiguring, no warped drum, nothing. But it did have a little oil residue on the lining. This is a 3-tab mind you. SO I plan to clean that up and sand it rough and the same for the drum, but that is the only thing I could see as being even remotely a problem.
Can anyone else recommend the next step? Could it be the clutch was slipping? I mean it was draining, so the motor was spinning, and when I ran it just for fun before taking it apart, it did a spin cycle just fine, but thats what it did, sometimes it would be fine, others it would not. When it wouldn't you could smell burning plastic/rubber/clutch like from a car. This would leave me to believe that the motor is spinning correctly and the gearcase is spinning the shaft correctly, thus the brake might be holding the thing up if the clutch is not grabbing the spin tube to spin therfore not disengaging the brake. But could it also be that the motor may not in fact be reversing to spin? But why does it do fine sometimes and not others?
Strange old thing! I plan to fill the gearcase, and clean the clutch and re-assemble it, then take it for a "spin" and see what it does. But before I go to far back together, and other suggestions?
Jeff | 
