Help with WP

[jasonl]

OK, Helen's former WP which is still residing at her old house here in TN is aging and is going to need help soon.

It agitates and recirculates fine, but it pumps out very slow, like it takes the full 2 timer increments to pump out. And it struggles to spin. Could this be the belt needing attention?

What do I tell Nancy (Helen's sister) to tell the tech when he comes out to fix it? (they are NOT to throw it away)

 

[coldspot66]

Sounds like the belt is streched....should be changed instead of tightened. Hope this helps!!!

 

[gizmo]

I'd look at the belt, if it isn't visibly worn or damaged I'd tighten it.
The motor is attached to the frame (base plate?) through two brackets. The brackets attach to the frame with one bolt each. One bolt has a hole to go through, it is the pivot. The other passes through a slot, it is the adjustment.
Loosen both nuts/bolts a couple of turns. It is fiddly as there isn't a lot of room to swing a spanner. then pull the motor around to tighten the belt - the adjustment bolt will slide in the slot to allow the movement. Tighten up the adjustment nut, then the pivot nut.

It is an easy job.

Chris.

 

[cleanteamofny]

Keep in mind not to over tighten or the pump will fail!
To check to see if the belt is loose, press the belt in between the motor and the pump and if it deflects more than 1/2 inch, take a hammer and tap the motor housing until the belt is tighten correctly.

If draining is still slow, then the pump may needs to be changed and this is the best time to replace the belt at the same time.

Wish you the best!

 

[westytoploader]

Hi Jason,

That sounds like either a belt or pump problem; I'm willing to bet pump failure because I had the exact same thing happen with my Baby Kenmo' (remember when I ran it for you on the phone?). The belt was WAY too tight, so I loosened it to the appropriate tension. It worked fine for 3 loads (did drain slower than normal though), but then the next day it absolutely REFUSED to drain and struggled to get up to full spin speed (sounded like a jet taking off). However, what puzzled me was that it agitated normally. I pulled it out, removed the rear access panel, and when I moved the belt I noticed the pump pulley wasn't turning. It would NOT budge by hand either, so the pump simply froze up and needed replacing. Honestly, pump replacement is one of the easiest repairs on a BD Kenmore, regardless of the number of ports. If only the belt was that easy! Check the condition of the belt; if there are any cracks or missing teeth on the geared side, then it needs replacement. The belt was still fine on my machine, so I didn't replace it when I changed the pump.

Also, the correct tension for the belt according to the Sears manual is 1/2" deflection in either direction when flexed with 6 pounds of force (finger push).

Good luck!

--Austin

 

[appnut]

Paging Dr. Whirlmore, Paging Dr. Whirlmore, you're needed in the ER stat.

 

[DADoES]

Another possibility: If the machine has a recirculating self-cleaning filter (NOT the kind that snaps in place under the basket), the filter may be clogged. That happened to our 1976 Supreme 80. At first it could drain a full fill in just a smidgeon less than 2 mins. As the years progressed, it starting crossing over into that 2nd drain increment.

 

[jasonl]

Thanks

NOpe. Fortunately it has a recirculating lint filter, so no funky ass magic-clean to deal with (not you Leslie). But yeah, it's all leading to pump/belt.