Amana washing machine tub removal

I have an Amana washing machine, Model LWM833,LWM433, and I need to remove the outer tub to replace the main bearing. How do I remove the inner tub?

Thanks

 

Hi,

I have very limited experience with Amana washers!!...but I checked out a few pic of the model# posted...

You can see parts breakdowns as well with the model# if you would like to.....

http://www.qksrv.net/click-609513-8777457


Amana washer repair manual - newer one belt style:

http://www.repairclinic.com/referral.asp?R=153&N=219949


**How do I remove the inner tub?**

Looks like.....

Remove the screws at the bottom of the front panel, pull the bottom of the panel out to release it from the top. Remove two screws just inside the top front of the top panel and the top will tilt back. http://www.applianceaid.com/image/1b.jpg

Remove tank cover by releasing clips on plastic tank cover.

Remove agitator, http://www.applianceaid.com/generalwash.html#agitator

Remove agitator drive block and innerbasket bolts and out it comes http://www.applianceaid.com/image/1a.jpg

After that....your on your own...sorry!

Parts help if needed...also has model# searches....

http://www.pcappliancerepair.com/cgi-bin/promotewasher.cgi?affiliate_id=AppAid

jeff.

 

Thanks for your reply. I should have given more information. I have removed the inner tub and the agitator. There is a large nut that apparently holds the outer tub in place on top of the shaft but there is a metal fitting that the plastic piece that hold the agitator in place fits on. It looks like it needs to come off first but I can't figure out how.

 

Hi,

A pic of the tub and a nut in the middle....

http://www.partselect.com/Schematics/Maytag/AM19044.gif

One nut....and one nut wrench....I don't know if this is a standard thread or left hand thread....sorry....maybe a pipe wrench will work on it?...

http://www.repairclinic.com/referral.asp?R=153&N=549912

http://www.repairclinic.com/referral.asp?R=153&N=483387



Amana washer repair manual - newer one belt style, this might help.....

http://www.repairclinic.com/referral.asp?R=153&N=219949



This below may be too old, but has take apart info....

http://www.american-appliance.com/service_pages/Amana-Speed-Queen-washer/Amana-Speed-Queen-Washer-Diagnostic-Chart.htm

jeff.

 

Thanks.

Ed

 

I hope we helped!!

jeff.

 

I cannot get the nut to budge. There appears to be something that looks like a retaining clip but it won't budge either.

 

Hi,

**I have very limited experience with Amana washers!!...**

I asked some fellow techs about that Amana washer tub nut....

**Yes, it is left hand, and the spline insert is to lock the nut.**

http://www.repairclinic.com/dbimages/00000273/00084135.jpg
Spline insert for lock nut.

http://www.repairclinic.com/dbimages/00000166/00048127.jpg
tub nut.

jeff.

 

Thanks again. This has been a comedy of errors. I got the nut loose and off and removed the retainer, the circular metal plate that the inner tub bolts to and the rubber seal below that BUT THE OUTER TUB STILL WILL NOT BUDGE. I need to remove the outer tub to gain access to the main bearing.

Ed

 

Howdy,

Might be that "break it" time for that nut....if it doesn't come with the seal kit...it can be purchased seperatly....

jeff.

 

Hi! I'm at the same stage as this fellow but I still don't see how to remove the retainer ( I think it's officially called a spline insert for the lock nut).
1. Do you remove the spline insert first? How do you remove it---like does it screw off or what? Do you need some kind of special tool to get the spline insert off?
2. Is it true that the lock nut is a left handed screw ie. to remove it I would turn it clockwise?

 

I am not experienced on Amana washers either, but I do know that two or three special tools are needed to replace the tub bearing and seals. I tried this one time and figured it wasn't worth it. Sorry I am not much help

 

We Managed to get the lock nut off. It is NOT left-handed on our machine! (a 1995 Amana model LW8203W2). Turning it counter-clockwise got it off. It requires a really good monkey wrench that is not too long since you only have a turning radius of a little more than 10 inches or a special washing machine wrench with a 1 1/2 inch 6 pointed hole, or a 1 1/2 inch deep socket for your socket set. Then we used lots of WD40 and waited for it to penetrate. Finally, we used a trick learned from an old handyman. We put 2 sturdy round metal bars into 2 neighboring holes in the plate that the inner basket rode on (these were the holes that the bolts that held the basket came out of). Our plate only has 4 holes, not 6 like some models may have. Then we put a sturdy wood 2x4 slantways thru the bars, and clamped our monkey wrench onto the 1 1/2 inch bolt so that there was a convenient distance between them. Finally, we used a big C-clamp to pull the board and the handle of the monkey wrench together to loosen the blot a little bit. Then we had to disassemble the whole mess, move the metal bars to 2 other neighboring holes, and repeat the process about 6 times. You will have to experiment to see which holes will allow you to place the board so that there is a small but significant angle between the handle of the monkey wrench and the board in such a position that pulling them together will unscrew the nut. It helps to carefully mark the position of the nut relative to the plate so you can see when you have turned it a bit (1mm per repetition). It would have helped greatly if we had known that it was normal threads, since we actually tightened it first and decided that the information that it was left-handed was wrong. We determined that by looking VERY carefully at the few threads that were visible above the nut. If this information ever helps anyone I would love to get a reply via this WEB site.

 

P.S. The spline insert does not hold the lock nut on (See my first entry to this thread). To remove the locknut you just have to screw it off counter-clock wise, but it may be VERY, VERY hard to turn. See my last message before this one.

 

Just wanted to say this thread was a great help!

My outer tub had a mysterious 2 foot crack, and water was pouring out. I tried plastic epoxy, and fiberglass, but the crack always came back. So, I ordered a new outer tub, but realized when it arrived, I could not even figure out now to remove tha agitator!

It is always hard to tell with appliances if something is secured by a bolt, or is just friction fit. When I removed the inner tube, I discovered the problem. A 2" screw fell into one of the holes, and slowely was digging into the outer tube, until it managed to slice through it..

Like everyone else, I got stuck on that same 1.5" nut. So, I went out to find a 1.5" socket, or wrench, and could not find either!

The biggest I could find was 1.25" in either. So I figured I'd get an adjustable, but the 10" adjustable only went to 1.25" as well. The 12" wrench went up to 1.5", but would not fit inside the tub.

That probobly explains why Maytag sells a custom wrench! Since I was replacing the tub anyway, I figured I'd go with the 12", and if the tub cracked, it was no big deal.

However, I could not tell if the nut was right handed, or left. The trick I used was to place a knife edge into the threads, and follow them around, to figure out the thread direction. In my 8 years old Amana, they were counter-clockwise.

But the nut would not budge. So, I soaked in some WD40, secured the hub by running a tire-iron between the lug screws, and out the water level sensor. Then I smacked the wrench with a sledge hammer. 3 hits, and the nut was loose! I also punched a huge hole into the tub!! oh well.

Tub itself would not budge. Discovered it was held on by 6 screws mounted underneath the frame. 2 of which were hidden over a large weight. (for balancing?). To remove that weight, I had to unhook the upper and lower frame assembly enough to move the weight.

Then did the remove, and everything runs great now! Also took the time to clean out the sludge, scale, fabric softenser, sand, and all sorts of nastyness.

Thanks to all.

 

An interesting read. How many minutes did this job take you?

 

Ended up taking close to 8 hours, over 2 days.

Mostly because for each step, I would have no idea what to do, and have to google a solution. Most of the time was spend with that darn 1.5" nut as well.

If I had to do it again, I could probobly do it in 30 minutes.

Plus, I never mentioned how hard it was to find the replacement tub. Well, I should say plenty were availible, but everyone wanted to charge me a $100 shipping fee, ON TOP of the $100 for the tube, and another $100 for the seal kit.

$300 to fix a 10 year old $400 washer is clearly not worth it.

After about 20 companies, I found one that would ship it for $5. Perhaps a mistake on there part, but I was happy. I also talked to a local shop. They told me they usually skip the seal kit, and simply clean, relube, and re-silicone if the seals are in good shape.

Water might still get into the trans eventually, but I do plan on replacing the washer within a year or two anyway. Just didn't want my basement flooded anymore until then.

 

Interesting. Thanks for the reply.

I now am trying to remember what size deep hex socket that is used to remove water heater elements. Hardware stores even sell those.

On one washing machine I worked on that had this giant nut, I used a cold chisel and hammer to jar it loose. I believed I even tightened it back on the same way. Rather than spending money at some specialty shop for some special wrench.

 

Water heater elements are 1 1/2"; and, the sockets they sell for removing them are a total waste of time and money - at least if you live in an area with hard water. A much better solution is to go to AutoZone and get a real socket for about $5. That way, you can use a breaker bar and a cheater bar, or even a sledge hammer. That said, the nut I ran into on the washer I'm trying to take apart was an 1 5/8"ths, which I wound up having to chisel into 4 pieces to get loose. (I'd pretty well destroyed it trying to get it loose with vice grips and a small sledge hammer; so, there was no point in making a 7 mile trip into town to hunt a bigger socket. The top of the nut was all gunked up; so, I missed the "loosen -->" on top. I'm used to left handed threads having notches on the outside edges, not writing on top!... I'm not 100% sure that I'm dealing with an Amana, though. There's no brand marking left on it; it's just an old junker that I'm trying to get the baskets off of; so, I can use the motor and transmission to make a cavitation heater...)

 

As I said in my previous post, I'm not 100% sure that the washer I'm dismantling is an Amana; but, hopefully, this is a generic enough question that it won't matter. The nut that held the inner basket down was a left-handed thread. It was threaded onto a squarish (with rounded and threaded edges) collar that goes over the drive shaft. It had a spacer (under the inner basket), which I also had to chisel to get loose. I can SEE the bearing in the center of the outer tun; but, to slide the drive shaft out, I need to get that collar off of the shaft. It won't pull off; so, I'm guessing that it's threaded onto the drive shaft (esp. because of the unthreaded flat sides.) I'm having a hard time visualizing the torque dynamics, though. With the exterior threads being left-handed, would that imply that the inner threads should also be left-handed; or, would the torque dynamics require that the inner threads be right-handed? (Bearing in mind that torque dynamics are typically the reason which left-handed threads are used - a.k.a. that particular nut would tend to loosen up and come off in the course of its particular type of usage...) I've tried it both ways; but, "assumed" it was also a left-handed thread; so, I might have it so overly tightened (a pipe wrench and small sledge hammer can do that...) that it's going to be "a real bear" to get loose. Also, I still can't rule out that it's a press fit onto splines; and, just REALLY stuck on there.... Anyone have any ideas??? If it helps: It's a single belt unit; and, the transmission has a stamp mark on it that leads me to believe it was manufactured in '95...

 

if you post the model# i can tell you how to get the basket out