"The Lady Kenmore has lots of issues. It basically needs to be all taken apart and painted. The outer drum needs to be serviced as well. The last time I used it, it leaked and was very noisy. I think this machine is kinda hard to find, but I'm sure it still has some good parts (electronic boards, etc)."
My educated guess would be that if the machine is leaking badly externally, it is probably leaking internally through the centerpost as well. This eventually causes fouling of the gearcase oil, wear of the bearings and spin tube, and a loss of lubrication on the basket drive pulley. All those things in concert cause a machine to get noisy. There is very possibly oil spewed by the belt all through the lower cabinet.
When this happens, all is not lost however if you're able to work on machines. I start by fully dismembering the machine, installing a new upper spin bearing (if not both) and new upper seal, and a new seal in the spin tube. If the gearcase is full of water or rusty oil, I replace that or thoroughly clean and re-oil the old one, and re-install. A new belt and pump are adviseable. Then of course fix the tub leak, and the machine should be good to go for almost another lifetime.
This can all be done with about $50 in parts (if you use the old transmission) and about 8 - 10 hours of your time, assuming the machine comes apart without being stubborn.
I have at least three electronic control panels if anyone needs parts from them.
Gordon
