Bearings done
Hello all!
With my bathroom and plumbing back up and running, and thousands saved taking the time to do the work myself, I'm back in full swing on the washer
Today I pressed in the new center post bearings and seals. I gave the inside of the post another quick run with a small cylinder hone, and applied a thin layer of grease before pressing in parts.
The order I used for install is as follows: I pressed in the top bearing first, then flipped the base plate and pressed in the top bearing oil seal, and then bottom bearing and it's oil seal. I then flipped the plate back right side up, and pressed in the two main seals.
It went well, with no damage to anything. I used a piece of 1-1/4" ABS pipe to press in the main seals. I chamfered the inside of the pipe so there was no pinched seal lips. Did the inner seal, then used outer seal to guide and press the final one in. For bearings and oil seals, I simply used a stack of large industrial sockets that fit just perfectly in the center post

No WP FSP factory install or removal tools needed. Just large hydraulic shop press. I'm sure it could be done with a hammer and patience as well.
I plan to put a tiny bead of marine sealant at the top of the center post to make certain my repair sleeve is sealed, and the original steel center post cannot rust at the seal and damage it over time.
I'd also like to install the outer tub on the baseplate AND THEN install the assembly in the cabinet. Just makes the work of sealing it all up much easier. Am I screwing my future self over doing this?
Thanks for reading! Happy to see those bearings and seals in place! Cheers.
