Kenmore Elite TL broken timer knob

[bobbyderegis]

Hi Folks, does anyone have a good fix for this broken timer knob? It's probably the most stupid design they could have come up with! Part is NLA, and I can't seem to find any out there. Any ideas? I've thought about glue, or a couple of screws. What a pain to removed the black part still on the timer- a central retentive pin accessible only from the back of the timer. Great engineering for serviceability it is not! Plastic knobs are all getting very brittle. Give me a helical drive Maytag any day.

Bobby in Boston

 

[combo52]

Broken timer knob

You should be able to remove the knob and epoxy it back together.

Even as a service person I’ve never seen one of these knobs break like that so I don’t think it’s a very common problem.

If you can’t find one I’m sure I have boxes full of them. Send me a personal message through the site and I can send you one.

John.

 

[repairguy]

Try part number WPW10043440.

 

[bobbyderegis]

Thanks John and Repairguy. Part unfortunately is NLA. John, I'll message you and take you up on the offer if you have a spare one.

Bobby in Boston

 

[bobbyderegis]

Hi John, I sent you an email. Hopefully you have a spare timer knob.

Bobby in Boston

 

[combo52]

Kenmore timer knob part number 8541457

Hi Bobby , I did find one of these knobs. It doesn’t look that great but it’s usable. Apparently it’s a little bit of an odd knob.

It would be very easy to take yours and epoxy it back together if you want to send a personal message through the site I can send you this one. You can also search that part number on eBay and you might find one in better condition,

John

 

[bobbyderegis]

Thank you so much John. I'll try the epoxy trick first. All the plastic knobs on this machine are seeming to deteriorate. It must have been a wonky new plastic they tried.

 

[professorg]

Kenmore Elite TL broken timer knob Part 2

Hi guys....I have the same exact problem. Can't find the part new or used...
It broke off and now I'm carefully holding the transparent plastic underneath and pulling the whole thing out to start washer and pushing it in to stop. Don't know how long that solution will last before something else breaks. If I can get a decent used one that's already attached without having to epoxy it, that would be super.
I'm open to any advice before the whole thing breaks.
Thanks
Jack

 

[bobbyderegis]

That's a testimony to todays quality Jack. I'm still stumped as to getting a replacement. I'm going to analyze some repair scenarios this weekend. I'll let you know what I come up with and if it works. Thank God for the old Maytag, still going strong.

Bobby in Boston

 

[professorg]

Hey Bobby....Thanks for keeping me in the loop on that. This was actually from my
Old Kenmore Elite Model#110.24992300...A real tank of a machine and still works like a charm since the day I bought it new until the knob broke off. I'm guessing that I would need to find a used knob and the black plastic part it attaches to?

Well I'm anxious to hear what you found out on your end.

Thanks again.
Jack

 

[bobbyderegis]

New timer knob installed

I ordered a few different knobs for plastic press fit timer shafts to see what worked best. I found this particular grey one works well, replacing the NLA original. The other one that fit well was from the latest Frigidaire top loader, but it looked like a lollipop on a stick. The photo shows the grey replacement.

Bobby in Boston

 

[bobbyderegis]

It is an FSP part. I ordered it on ebay.

 

[bobbyderegis]

It is unfortunate that plastic gets brittle and breaks. It will only be a matter of time before the lugs on the plastic timer shaft break off. The timer shaft has quite a stiff resistance when pushing and pulling the knob.

 

[bobbyderegis]

Has anyone discussed these newer plastic body timers? I was surprised to find how many manufacturers and models used them. Unless you read the fine print on the back of the timer, the DIY repairperson will be stumped in removing the timer knob. Knob removal instructions are in small print on the back of the timer.

 

[DADoES]

 
Maybe squirt a little silicone spray into the timer.  I did that on 1999 KM, the timer was getting hard to turn, much easier after.