Deep breaths Jon, although I have to admit I've been there many times myself. I think part of the problem here is not so much that it's a front loader, but that it’s a Combo to boot. These machines are so very complicated with double the amount of parts of a regular washer. Front loaders definitely have more places to leak and Top Loaders generally have more complicated transmissions which can make for some difficult restorations.
My Whirlpool combo return hose problem has been solved once and for all by combining a part I found in Phoenix and a trip the auto parts store.