Brand New Stainless Speed Queen Front Loader, Horrible Popping Noise

[jond]

Moved my family into a nice new house, thought we'd splurge on a new stainless speed queen FF7005SN model washer because it is shiney and made in 'Murica! Does a great job but sounds like a combination of making popcorn or someone banging a spoon into a frying pan. I doubt it can last with the noises it is making. Took the back off. Everything is very solidly built except the tin foil trash can lid they used for a main pulley. Kinda sounds like it is flexing and popping. Took a short vid of it, but not sure if I can upload it here.

Anyone run into one of these machines with this issue? I have a 10 year warranty, but being a former mechanic who worked up into becoming a wastewater process design engineer, it just feels like a bit of a personal fail if I have to call an appliance tech for a knocking sound on a machine with two spinning bits and a rubber belt...

 

[DADoES]

 
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[mieletag]

I had the same exact issue with our new Speed Queen front loader a little over a year ago. John (combo52) told me it would go away, but foolishly I didn't take sound advice. After letting the dealer's one rookie tech work on it and make it worse, a senior tech came out and replaced the inner basket and bearing.

But it starting making the same noise two loads after that. So, I finally listened to good advice and just let it go. After 5-15 more heavy loads, the sound went away and has been smooooth ever since. I really believe the belt gets a somewhat flat spot and the basket pulley amplifies the "slapping" "knocking" noise.