Posted: Thu Oct 13th, 2005 06:33 pm

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More Time Than Cents Lurking at the Threshold   Joined:  Location:    Posts:  Flavorite Brew:  Status:  Offline

Kenmore top-load. direct-drive washer #110.26822690, about 9 years old. Wouldn't agitate or spin last weekend. Replaced a broken coupler yesterday. I could turn the "coupler shaft" on the tranny by hand, it made the "agitator shaft" turn as well. Lid switch ohms out OK when depressed by hand or by washer lid. Ran a test load of towels last night. Tub filled with warm water to the appropriate level- good inlet valve solenoids, good water level switch. Ran through HD wash cycle OK- agitator worked, water seemed to be churning so I'm ASSuming pump circulates water during wash cycle on this model. Tub drained completely at end of wash cycle. Then an eerie pause with a deadening silence emanated from that locus we call the utility room. It was so quiet my ears ached. I expected to hear the pump draining the tub, but I did not. I felt completely alone without even the whir of the motor to console me. Sad, dejected, discouraged, I advanced the timer a couple of clicks and watched while I depressed lid switch by hand (finger). The tub went to spinning and the water level began to fall. Spin cycle completed, tub was empty at end of spin. Rinse cycle ran OK, post-rinse spin cycle ran OK. Towels wet as expected, no water remainng in tub at end. Then I ran the Second Spin cycle. Water filled tub OK as before. Then another period of silence where I expected to hear the pump draining the tub. Lid was closed, lid switch is not a problem AFAIK. I went into the other room for a moment or two or three to do something else. Then I heard a cacophony, a din, a veritable chorus of grinding similar to the incessant carping of a bevy of mother-in-laws. The freaking new coupler broke. I felt like spewing. The transmission turned OK by hand when I replaced the first coupler. The pump emptied the tub after I manually started the first spin cycle, and emptied the tub without my intervention at the end of the rinse cycle. I'm guessing the coupler broke when the motor tried to spin the tub full of clothes and water? I did't think the timer was stuck when I advanced it- it never has failed to finish a load before and didn't fail to advance afterward. I advanced it during my test to speed things up. I need to figure out what's binding the transmission and making the coupler break so I can quit donating cash to the local appliance parts swindler. He charged $25 for the first coupler. I realize my wallet has been sodomized, but it was the only coupler in town, I needed it NOW, and the nearest semblance of civilization is an hour away on the staunch back of the fleetest Arabian charger. Plus he smiled when he handed me the hand-written receipt. Cash, no check, no credit card, probably no indoor plumbing at his home. I'll deal with his crime against Economy at a later venue. For now I must screw my courage to the sticking point and get this washer working. Any advise will be appreciated. And be of good cheer, for my medication should kick in by the time I check back.

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Posted: Thu Oct 13th, 2005 06:59 pm

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Back2Normal Lurking at the Threshold   Joined:  Location:    Posts:  Flavorite Brew:  Status:  Offline

Thanks for replying so fast. More Time Than Cents is gone. He won't be back again. I'm in control now. Correction of the first post- at the end of the 3rd paragraph it was said the tub drained at the end of the wash cycle. That's not correct. The tub didn't drain until the timer was advanced a few clicks. I placed a 1/2" socket against each sprocket and lightly (I hope light enough) tapped them on to their shafts with a hammer. Is there a better way? Isn't the pump supposed to empty the tub before the the tub begins to spin? If the motor did try to spin a full tub would that be enough strain to break the coupler? Are there any potential problems for me to look at where a pump or motor would work OK in one mode but lock up in another- opposite direction of turn or something? The replacement coupler was OEM. I'll have to drive to Longview to get one from the Sears parts place or wait for one to be shipped. I'm just afraid there's another problem that resulted in the original coupler breaking in the first place. I don't want to buy 2 couplers when I go, or have to make a second trip.

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Posted: Thu Oct 13th, 2005 07:18 pm

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allergic to East Texas Lurking at the Threshold   Joined:  Location:    Posts:  Flavorite Brew:  Status:  Offline

You had already posted by the time I finished my second post. Sorry for the redundancy. At this point I think I'll put a new coupler on and run another cycle with a test lead jumping the lid switch. I really need to get the service manual for this model. I'm afraid if I order a manual and wait until it arrives to fix this, the manual won't get here before I succomb to spousal pressure and buy that front-loading washer that we can't live without. Thanks for your help. I'll let you know how it turns out.

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Posted: Thu Oct 13th, 2005 08:54 pm

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Makin Some Progress Lurking at the Threshold   Joined:  Location:    Posts:  Flavorite Brew:  Status:  Offline

Here's some update: Shell's off, water level switch bypassed with a test lead. Motor's mounted without a coupler. Pump's attached to motor. Started running the HD cycle. Already had water in the tub. Motor ran but obviously didn't turn the transmission, as no coupler. Pump doesn't circulate during agitation after all. Some air bubbles came out of pump intake hose into tub, as pump was "running in reverse." You can see the air bubbles through the plastic tub. Agitation cycle finished. Motor stopped. A few seconds later the motor reversed directions and pump began evacuating water. THREE SECONDS LATER THE MOTOR SHUT OFF. About two minutes lapsed, then the motor started back up. (I'm guessing the timer just gives X seconds to drain the tub but doesn't get any feedback that the tub has indeed drained.) Pump then resumed pumping water out of tub. I'm assuming this is when the motor would be spinning the tub, but again no coupler for now. Pump completely drained tub. Motor ran throughout rest of spin cycle, then stopped. Tub began filling again, getting ready for rinse cycle.   I knew from last night that the pump did drain the tub if I advanced the timer until the basket started spinning. Looks to me like my primary problem is the motor is shutting down just after starting to drain the tub, before the motor starts to spin the tub. If my theory is correct, my coupler is breaking when the motor starts to spin the tub that hasn't had the water drained out. ? Maybe the motor starts the spinning so hard and the water-filled tub provides so much resistance that the coupler pins shear off. Any guesses as to why the motor is shutting down just after the pump begins to drain the tub?

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Posted: Thu Oct 13th, 2005 09:23 pm

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gettin closer Lurking at the Threshold   Joined:  Location:    Posts:  Flavorite Brew:  Status:  Offline

Just got off the phone with Dad. Pretty cool having a RetiredElectricalEngineer-KnowsSomethingAboutEverything, even if he lives out of town. We came down to what you just said- likely the timer. He wants me to trace out the wires and measure voltages to double-check. My problem is I have to get on the road pretty quick if I'm going to make it to Longview before the Sears parts store closes. What's the chance that the printed circuit board is involved here? If the PC board doesn't give input to the timer, then what exactly does the PC board do? Seems to me that washers worked pretty good for several decades before computer circuits came around. Unnecessarily complex, if you ask me.

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