DD Kenmore motor noise

[davek]

I have not posted here for a while, but I have dropped in and read stuff. It's just been a zoo at work.

Anyway, my DD portable Kenmore has started making some noise. It's a high pitched whine, and it only happens on high speed. On low speed, it sounds completely normal. Not even a hint of the noise that it's making on high. Is this the sound of the motor going bad on the high speed? Perhaps the capacitor? My first thought was a bearing, but that should be noisy at both speeds. It makes the noise both during agitation and drain/spin. It's similar to the noise that it made when the pump was going bad, but the pump was noisy on both speeds and was replaced with a new one just about 6 months ago.

 

[cfz2882]

pump likely cause

sounds like something in the pump,though usually that will
knock clear when motor runs the other way-just unclip the
pump and disengage from motor to test.the only motor fault
that could cause the noise is something rubbing on the motor's
rotor fins,but that should happen at both speeds.

 

[davek]

I'll tear it down and check the pump. I've done two loads with the noise to see if it changed and it hasn't. That's several directional cycles...

 

[combo52]

PUMP NOISE

All you have to do is run the washer in spin while its making this noise with the cabinet off, stop the washer and unclip the pump from the motor and hold it away from the motor and turn the machine back on.

 

[davek]

As it turns out, it needs a pump again. It's been a little less than a year since the last one, and I only do about 2-3 loads a week! Grrr! It leaks a little bit every load now.

Is there something I did, or did I just get a bad pump?

 

[cfz2882]

probably just a bad pump

as long as both clips are in place and all four locating pegs
are there really can't mess up though if motor shaft is badly
rusted impeller may wobble and cause seal leakage-also best
to use genuine FSP parts.

 

[davek]

It was a genuine FSP, and everything installed smoothly and properly when I put it in. There's no play in the motor shaft.

 

[combo52]

NOISEY DD WASHER PUMP

I have never seen a noisey pump on a DD washer that did not have a foreign object caught in it. Either keep using the machine the object will often work it self out or if you do replace it crack the old one open along where its heat welded together and see what you are getting caught in it. If you are careful and a little lucky breaking the old pump open you may be able to epoxy it back together and reuse it I did this with several Calypso pumps and they worked fine.

 

[davek]

It needs a new pump, not because of noise, but because it's leaking at the shaft seal. The last load I did made a 1' puddle. I won't do another until I change the pump.

 

[cfz2882]

hope you have better luck with the 2nd one!-some thread might
gotten wrapped up between the seal surfaces causing the leak
just yesterday found a DD pump with part of a broken piston
ring in it!