Ball bearing replacement top loader

[Morad]

Please advise about changing ball bearings on top loading whirlpool (formerly Philips) washing machine. It was making a lot of noise on the final spin. Thank you

[Whitegoodshelp]

Hi Morad. Unfortunately, I never worked on top loaders, so I've no idea. I only used to repair front loaders and hardly ever had anyone ring me up asking to fix a top loader, which shows how both uncommon and reliable they were in the UK.

[Whitegoodshelp]

Are you sure it’s the bearings in the drum btw? They are usually extremely reliable in a top loader. 

[Morad]

13 minutes ago, Whitegoodshelp (Andy) said:

Are you sure it’s the bearings in the drum btw? They are usually extremely reliable in a top loader. 

Thank you. Can you suggest any other cause ?

[Whitegoodshelp]

When a washing machine is on spin, the noise created is a combination of the motor, noise from the suspension and drive belt, and the drum and bearings. So to be sure what is causing the noise you need to take the belt off and run the motor on it’s own and spin the drum by hand to identify what is causing the noise. 

[Morad]

22 minutes ago, Whitegoodshelp (Andy) said:

When a washing machine is on spin, the noise created is a combination of the motor, noise from the suspension and drive belt, and the drum and bearings. So to be sure what is causing the noise you need to take the belt off and run the motor on it’s own and spin the drum by hand to identify what is causing the noise. 

Thank you. I shall try that.

[Whitegoodshelp]

If you take the belt off, try spinning the drum by hand as fast as you can. Can you feel, and / or hear any rumbling?

[Morad]

3 minutes ago, Whitegoodshelp (Andy) said:

If you take the belt off, try spinning the drum by hand as fast as you can. Can you feel, and / or hear any rumbling?

Thank you. I shall do it tomorrow.

[Morad]

On 28/05/2022 at 22:16, Morad said:

Thank you. I shall do it tomorrow.

With the belt off the drum was noisy.

So we took off the driven side central bolt and cover and to my surprise the spindle was turning in a socket with a dried and perished compound between them. As a result metal was in touch with the metal socket and making all that noise. I put a plastic bottle top on the spindle to stop metal turning on metal!! Seems ok now but I don't know how long it will last!!. 

Is it common to put a compound in that position especially as it perishes and then you have metal on metal??

Seems very strange to me

Thank you for your help

[Whitegoodshelp]

15 minutes ago, Morad said:

I put a plastic bottle top on the spindle to stop metal turning on metal

Wow. That sounds extremely temporary. I’m not familiar with top loaders. Presumably the compound needs replacing or the entire unit needs replacing if the metal shaft is worn. 

[Morad]

Thank you. The spindle isn't worn. Do you know what compound can be used in such a place? Am I right to be shocked at that arrangement or is it normal?? 

[Whitegoodshelp]

Can you post photos?

[Morad]

Thank you Andy. I wish I had taken photos when it was open. Now it will be a lot of bending and pushing which I can't do on my own  (heart trouble!) and I don't have help now . It really was a spindle turning in a plastic socket lined with metal rings. The compound was in between but mostly perished so that metal was turning on metal.

Thanks again.

[Whitegoodshelp]

Maybe top loaders need regular servicing and this “grease” would be replaced. How old is it?

[Morad]

Hi Andy, it's nearly 10 years old. What was left of the stuff was rock hard. Any ideas what it could be?? brown in colour

[Whitegoodshelp]

I think you need to think about getting an engineer in, or buying a new one. Maybe it can be stripped down, cleaned and re-greased, or maybe it needs a new unit. Unfortunately it’s 30 years since I worked on any top loader and even then I only ever did a few simple repairs. 
 

I’m surprised they still sell them in the uk to be honest. They are pretty unpopular in the UK and only a few manufacturers ever made any. Unless by any chance they started up again Hoover and Hotpoint just stopped making them in the 90s. 

[Morad]

Thank you for your help Andy.

I will see how it goes

Best wishes