1987 Kenmore Washer is Leaking Water on the Floor

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philcobendixduo

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When I moved the dryer away from the wall today to clean the vent (see my post "Bird in the Dryer Vent"), I discovered that my 1987 Kenmore Limited Edition Electronic Fabric Care washer has been leaking water onto the floor from underneath.
It's obviously not enough for me to notice (not running out beyond the machine) but there was some dried "residue of leakage" near the dryer.
I have never done ANY repairs to this machine other than agitator dogs and fluorescent tubes and starters.
Not surprised that it's leaking after 37 years of use (light use).
I used to have an "old school" repair guy nearby to call upon for appliance repairs but he's gone now.
(I am NOT handy at all and would not even think of opening the machine or trying to fix it).
I would love to keep using the washer and it's matching dryer but I think the washer is going to need a complete overhaul as it also has some other issues like the fabric softener dispenser shooting water all over, the neutral drain sometimes failing, a noisy spin gear and the water leaking.
The machines LOOK like new on the outside and in the tubs but 37 years with no repairs or maintenance have taken their toll.
SO - fix or replace? Anyone in the area know of any "old school" repair people that would be willing to do a "rebuild" on a 37 year-old washer?
I plan to keep using it until it won't run. The floor is vinyl so the water leaking isn't harming anything.
Still, I don't like the idea of water collecting dirt and possibly attracting insects etc.
What think you all?
 
I’d love to buy it from you and fix it up. My guess is the tub seal is bad. This is a very involved repair as it requires full disassembly of the machine. Just letting you know, working on these isn’t difficult at all. Up until 3 years ago, I didn’t know his to work on these machines at all. I learned here and there and I’m so glad I did.

But if you’re not willing to do that then I guess your only solution would be to pay for the repairs. Only problem with that is it could be hit or miss and they won’t do as good as a job as you would do. I wish I had more insight.
 
Tub seal replacement would likely fix the leak. I believe the spin gear is included with the neutral drain repair kit so installing a new one of those would likely fix both intermittent neutral drain failure and noisy spin gear. Matt, am I on the right track?

Ryne
 
Ryne, I'm not expert, but it may be a bad clutch. When I took apart my 94 & 96 Kenmore, the clutch housing was full of transmission oil and gunk. Replacing the clutch entirely resolved all my issues, of course I also did a neutral drain replacement. I doubt Bill is willing to tinker with the transmission.  
 
 
Bill, there's no certain way to advise without confirming the source of the new leak, and the other stated problems.  Eyes-on is necessary to pinpoint water leak sources.  Water on the floor often has flowed elsehwere from the leak location.  The new leak may be simple as replacing the pump ... although it should be done promptly if that's the case being that the motor's pump drive shaft can get rusted/damaged from a long-term slight-to-increasing pump leak.

How are are you determining that the spin gear is a source of noise?

Ryne ... correct, neutral drain repair kits include the spin gear.
 
Leaking 37 year-old Kenmore direct drive washer?

Hi Bill, the residue from a leak you said was even near the dryer. It could be from a clogged dryer vent and condensation that leaked out of the vent because it was being run. I assume with a clogged or partially clogged dryer vent.

There’s also a dozen places the washer could be leaking as already mentioned however, the center post gasket almost never leaks in the lifetime of a direct drive washer, unless the machine has been Poorly used using way too little detergent causes a nasty buildup in the bottom of the outer tub, which will result in the center post gasket leaking, I’ve almost never seen one of these center gaskets leak unless the machine was a gunkey mess. When you get a heavy buildup of gunk and slime in the center of the outer tub, it causes corrosion on the center post and that’s what causes the leak. Other than that the plastic outer tub and the rubber seal will never leak in normal use.

John
 
Bill, I hope John is right about the dryer condensation, but if it's definitely the washer's issue, I just saw this reply to a post about a non-draining washer on Nextdoor today. I don't what she means by "very old" but it might be worth a try:

 

<span class="Text_miniTitle__1cj4dca16 reset__1m5uu6e0" data-block="11">Barbara Ann Brandt</span>

 

<span class="blocks-cxv4kg">Greater Rose Garden</span> • <span class="blocks-cxv4kg"><span class="comment-detail-scopeline-timestamp">7h</span></span>

 

<span style="color: var(--nd-color-fgprimary); font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'HelveticaNeue-Medium', 'Helvetica Neue Medium', Helvetica-Bold, 'Roboto-Medium', 'Segoe UI Semibold', Arial-Bold, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; font-weight: 600; line-height: 20px;" data-testid="styled-text">Appliance Repair Gurus</span><span style="color: var(--nd-color-fgprimary); font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'HelveticaNeue', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, 'Roboto', 'Segoe UI', Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; font-weight: 400; line-height: 20px;" data-testid="styled-text"><span class="link_style-provider-base__owgxbf0 link_style-provider-primary__owgxbf1 Linkify"> - </span></span>
<span style="color: var(--nd-color-blue30); font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'HelveticaNeue', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, 'Roboto', 'Segoe UI', Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; font-weight: 400; line-height: 20px;" data-testid="styled-text">408-387-2663</span>

<span style="color: var(--nd-color-fgprimary); font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'HelveticaNeue', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, 'Roboto', 'Segoe UI', Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; font-weight: 400; line-height: 20px;" data-testid="styled-text"><span class="link_style-provider-base__owgxbf0 link_style-provider-primary__owgxbf1 Linkify"> keep my very old Maytag washer & dryer running in great condition.</span></span>

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<span class="blocks-7rdb4z">Appliance Repair Gurus</span>
 

<span class="blocks-13iuv5v">68</span>

 

<span class="blocks-1wgs0au">877 Willow St, San Jose, CA 95125</span>

 
Thanks, Ralph....

.....for the info on "Appliance Repair Gurus".
YELP reviews are good so I may give him a call.
In researching leaks on DD washers, I find the water pump is often a source of leaks.
With the triple dispenser system, there are a lot of hoses that could leak as well.

Definitely not condensation from the dryer as the water stain residue is originating from under the washer.
I can see it from the front of the washer a bit as well.
The dryer has an indicator light to show when the lint screen needs cleaning and it would illuminate if the vent was clogged (back pressure activated).

I know the spin gear is bad because someone here on AW posted a video of a DD with the same issue.
I commented that I thought that the grinding sound was the agitator dogs and got a reply that no - it was the spin gear making the noise.

Thanks, all!
 
No water today but OIL

I did three loads of laundry this morning.
I put this piece of cardboard under the washer before starting the first load so I could see where the water was leaking from.
Instead of water, I find oil.
I don't think that's a good sign and it seems like quite a lot for only 3 loads run.
I think I'll have to ask the appliance guru if he does complete overhaul/rebuilds as I think this washer need one!

philcobendixduo-2024083112204100029_1.jpg
 

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