GE filter flo - rough spin cycle

[moonshiner180]

Hello again everyone! If you've seen my other post I recently have become acquainted with my new 1984ish filter flo.

I have leveled the machine as exact as I can get, but the spin cycle shakes and flexes the entire machine, it "walks" across the laundry room floor a bit, and shakes the entire house even on "gentle" spin. What causes this and what can I do about it?

I do imagine this contributed to the machine's issue it came to me with, having the top clamp come off of the tub boot. I would like to prevent this and get the washer to stay in place while it's running, as well as not shake itself apart.

 

[bradfordwhite]

You Again ? lol

 

It seems like this washer at some point was laid on it's side and that caused both the boot, you just fixed, to come detached and now this problem. 

 

It sounds like one or more of the four platform "feet" that are near the bottom corners of the inside of the machine to come out of their respective guides.  You will definitely need to get a light and look in the back at the four corners.  There is a blade like surface on the four corners of the platform the transmission is attached to.  Each of those blades needs to be BETWEEN a pair of carbon "snubbers" which are held inside a clip that is mounted to the base of the machine.  These can easily come out if the machine is laid on its side. 

 

Getting all four of them back into the snubbers is going to be fun.   If it's just the back ones, it won't be too difficult, but reaching the front.....

 

Pictures please.

 

[moonshiner180]

Yeah lol me again, gotta get this thing tip top! Okay thanks I will slide it out a bit and have a look! As far as I know it's been kept upright but I did have to move and load this heavy beast by myself, so it was horizontal when I leveraged it off my knees and lifted into the truck bed. The lady that gave it to me said it just flooded her basement one day, and she had a spare machine so it just got moved aside.

 

[combo52]

Vibrating and Walking GE FF Washer

The rubber transmission boot may have gotten too stiff and then transmits  too much vibration to the cabinet a new boot may be in order, is this the part you already ordered ?, laying these washers on their side is not likely to hurt them.

 

Do check that all the snubbers are in place as Keith suggested, also keep in mind when using the washer to fill it up with similar weight clothing and if the water level is too high for a given load the load can shift to one side as the machine drains and spins leading to an out-of-balance load.

 

John L.

 

[moonshiner180]

Mainly the rear and one of the front seats appear to be broken although the front is only slightly on one side, I couldn't get a good picture of the one behind the counter balance but it looked okay. How are these replaced, what is their specific name, and where do I get new ones?

 

[bradfordwhite]

There should be a carbon piece on either side to prevent squeaking.

 

Another issue may be the floor.  Is it cement or is it soggy or bouncy? 

 

Many washers perform best on cement or a firm floor.  If there is rot or if the floor is made with 2x4s such as in a mobile home, the washer is bound to have balance problems when spinning.

 

[moonshiner180]

The floor is pretty solid, but it is in a mobile home. What would be involved in changing the transmission boot? The snubbers seem to be okay from what I can tell. I raised up the front feet a little and it helped the walking issue, but it still feels like an earthquake when it spins up with the load pretty well
balanced and the whole cabinet shakes. I like this machine alot but I want my wife to like it too and not make me find something quieter...lol

 

[jons1077]

Suspension cables

There are cables that run through pulley wheels going from the transmission bracket up to the corners of the cabinet. My only other thought on this is that maybe a cable has lost its tension?

 

[moonshiner180]

Okay thanks! I'll check that out when I get a chance! It does seem to be alot rougher during the Rinse cycle spin than the final spin cycle.

 

[bradfordwhite]

There is only one cable in a GE FF washer that attaches on one side of the platform goes up, thru three pulleys near the top of the machine, and back down to the opposite corner of the machine platform.  If it lost tension it would have broke and you'd definitely know it if it did because the machine could not run.

 

Another thing could be the rear feet are rusted in place.  This machine is self leveling.  If you pull the machine out and tip it forward so the back is off the floor about 6 inches, the two rear feet should both slide out about an inch.  If you push up on one of them the other one should push out and vice versa.  They are supposed to be attached inside. When you set the machine down it will find level based on what the other legs are set at.

 

However, if they've rusted in place or are damaged in some way, you will have a hard time getting it to set level.  If they are rusted you can take the claw of a handle to gently pull them down and they should loosen.  Once you move the machine back in place, adjusted the feet so it's level from side to side and back to front, lift the back of the machine up a couple of inches and let it fall back down and it will level.  

 

Since the floor is probably weak you can also try screwing one or two pieces of 3/4 plywood to the floor that are at least a few inches bigger than the base of the machine.  This will help stiffen the floor.

 

This is just one of the realities of living in a mobile home.  If a mobile home is not set up on piers and just sitting on blocks any movement in the home, from kids jumping on the floor to the washer spinning will cause the home to shake at times.  I've seen it happen.

 

I lived in a 30' RV for a while with a front load washer and when it would spin, if the RV was not leveled right, the home would sway when it was starting out spinning.

 

I wish you the best in solving this.

 

[bradfordwhite]

I just noticed something in your picture.

 

This black tube, if thats what it is, is the overflow tube.  It's actually supposed to run down the side of the machine and there should be a hold or bracket mid way on the side.  Where it is in the picture it looks like it could be interfering with the suspension cable or even the self leveling mechanism in the back.  

 

Its not glued in.  It should just pull out of the rubber connector at the top so you can reposition it.

 

 

 

[moonshiner180]

Okay thanks I will try that before I run another load! I checked the suspension cable briefly and there does seem to be a fair amount of tension in it but I can deflect it about an inch. I just checked it at the top by popping the lid up.

In case I try the rubber transmission boot idea, what part # would I be looking for? The washer is a wwa8364vjl
All I found was a lower seal that says it's for repairing leaking oil, which doesn't seem to be a current issue for me

 

[bradfordwhite]

Didn't you already reinstall the transmission boot? 

 

That was that large black rubber piece with a picture and model no. of it in your original post.

 

[moonshiner180]

I may've been confused as to what boot was being discussed as I thought the tub seal was different than what was mentioned. Yes I did reattach the tub seal and it seemed flexible. I do know for a fact that the self leveling legs work great because they make it very difficult to slide the machine around on linoleum without digging in.

 

[moonshiner180]

Okay, well I decided to go ahead and replace the seal after I picked up the new one as it is nice flexible/pliable. I had a leaking issue after the initial installation, and 2nd attempt, both times in the same spot towards the left front of the machine. I decided it was a good possibility I uncovered a pinhole leak when I cleaned all of the crud out of the groove, so I went back to the permatex ultra grey and gave a good coating to the recess around where the tub boot sits as well as both sealing surfaces for good measure.

I did an initial fill test after about 2 hours (1 hour after snugging down clamps) and had no leaks. I'm going to let the rtv cure atleast another 12-16 hours before running a load, directions call for 24 but I've never actually had an issue only waiting out the initial hour before torquing.

I will report back to see if indeed this new boot makes a difference in how smoothly it runs!

 

[moonshiner180]

Success!

I'm happy to report that I've solved my problem! The old seal was soft enough on the sealing surfaces but the middle "bumpy" part was pretty stiff and hard. With the new tub seal in place and sealed up it runs much smoother! No more earthquakes or walking across the laundry room! It's definitely made a night and day difference in how my FF operates!

I was a little hesitant to replace this as it was noted some of the aftermarket boots are not flexible enough and don't work well, but when I finally got around to picking up the package I was pleasantly surprised by the look and feel of the product, and it seems like a quality piece. There were a couple of slightly warped spots on the bottom lip but perfect otherwise and nothing like the other seal on eBay I looked at which was poorly molded and highly distorted on the bottom lip. The brand I purchased was ap2u.

 

[jons1077]

Great news!

Honestly, I never knew a boot could harden so much that it’d actually rock the entire machine around. Glad you got it fixed up!