Looking for GE WH23X42 pump

[jdm]

I need a pump for a GE washer that has started to leak a lot. The part number is WH23X42, and it is a 4-port pump with a metal cap on the top. I have been having trouble finding one that is reasonably priced. Any sources for these would be appreciated!

Looking at the longer term, can this pump be rebuilt? If anyone has done so, I would be interested in what replacement parts such as seals were used and where they could be obtained.

Thanks for any information!

 

[combo52]

Not sure what pump you’re looking for. Do you have a picture of it? There are no GE pumps that have a metal cap on the top that I’ve seen.

What’s the model number of the machine or a picture or how old is the machine that you need to pump for?

 

[DADoES]

Not sure what pump you’re looking for. Do you have a picture of it? There are no GE pumps that have a metal cap on the top that I’ve seen.

What’s the model number of the machine or a picture or how old is the machine that you need to pump for?

It appears to be a FilterFlo 4-port pump. The referenced metal cap presumably is the pulley to which the flex coupler attaches.

GEAppliances.com Pump WH23X42

Signed: Goofy Glenn

 

[jdm]

Not sure what pump you’re looking for. Do you have a picture of it? There are no GE pumps that have a metal cap on the top that I’ve seen.

What’s the model number of the machine or a picture or how old is the machine that you need to pump for?

The model number is WWA8858MALWH, serial number LF195336G. I think the WH at the end of the model number is for white machine color. The picture by DADoES is correct, and yes, the metal cap is where the flexible coupling connects.

 

[coldspot66]

I may have one....I will check.

 

[jdm]

Can someone explain why this pump has 4 ports? There is one source for the water (the tub) and one destination (the drain hose), which would only need 2 ports to connect. One thing I had looked at a bit was getting a combination motor/pump like https://www.ebay.com/itm/286693900470 as a replacement, but aside from the work involved in retrofitting, these pumps quite reasonably have only 2 ports.

 

[coldspot66]

The upper chamber with 2 ports are for the recirculation water for the filter-flo.

 

[jdm]

An equivalent pump is Supco LP112. Sources for those would also be welcome.

 

[coldspot66]

I have an oem GE 4 port filter-flo pump, I also have other filter-flo parts, if needed.

 

[jdm]

For the benefit of anyone finding this thread in the future, it turned out that eBay was the best source for the pump. However, there have not been a lot of sellers there, so with them it is hit or miss on finding the pump at a good price. When I started this thread, the only options there were very expensive. Fortunately, a more economical alternative appeared later. The completed listings at eBay show a wide range of purchase prices.

I had also tried searching for online appliance parts sellers and checking their inventory if one were given or calling them otherwise. Maybe a dozen calls did not turn up a pump. However, it seems that the eBay seller who sold me the pump was one of the places I had found with my search for online sellers, and the inventory there simply showed that the part was no longer available. So calling instead of relying on the information on a web page may be the best route to finding the part.

One of the people I talked to said that the pump was used from 1979 until 1985, which may help date a washing machine having this pump at least a little bit, assuming the dates given are accurate.

 

[jdm]

Could have let me know that you found a pump. Learn some manners!!!!

What on earth are you talking about? I waited a week for you to give me your name and e-mail address so that I could send you payment and a shipping label. I sent you messages stating that I needed that information, and I got no reply. You told me that you would be shipping the pump last Saturday.

jdm​

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Joined2025-09-03Messages4
2025-09-11
Is either USPS or UPS OK for you, or just USPS? I checked USPS rates on their website, and the price was $10.05. So Pirate Ship is a bit over half the cost.

I will send a payment through PayPal in the amount of $50 since I am paying for shipping directly. I will need your name and an e-mail address for using PayPal and sending the label.

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jdm​

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Joined2025-09-03Messages4
2025-09-12
I noticed that I also need to know the date that you will be shipping the package. The Pirate Ship website requests that information as part of the process of making a shipping label. I am not sure why, and I doubt if shipping a day or two later would make any difference.

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coldspot66​

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Joined2003-01-08Messages1,552LocationPlymouth, Mass
2025-09-12
Saturday 9/13/25.

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jdm​

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Joined2025-09-03Messages4
2025-09-12
OK on the date, but I still need your name and an e-mail address to send the money through PayPal and make the label for shipping.

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jdm​

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Joined2025-09-03Messages4
Tuesday at 10:53 AM
I never received your name or e-mail address. Have you decided that you do not want to sell the pump? You had told me that you would be shipping it last Saturday.

I ended up paying a little more on eBay, but not that much, and I am actually getting a pump instead of wasting my time sending messages to someone lacking the courtesy to even reply. When you tell someone to learn some manners, you should be looking into a mirror.

 

[combo52]

Hi JDM, glad you got a water pump.

For the record that same pump is used from 1961 through 1995 on GE filter flow washers the same pump fit every filter flow model, the only exception was they made a very few basic models that did not have the lint filter feature, and had only two ports on the pump.

This two port pump was the same pump that was used on the General Electric combination washer dryer from 1963 through 1973

It’s hard to believe that these parts are drying up, but because this pump fits so many different year machines I can’t imagine it’ll be impossible to find a water pump anytime in the next decades.

John L

 

[jdm]

Does anyone know how the metal cap is attached to the shaft? The new pump works perfectly. However, given that they are obsolete parts, I would be interested in seeing if the old one might be repaired, and getting that cap off is the first step to getting at the leaking seal.

 

[10050cielodr]

Its NOT a cap, there is no such thing on a GE pump. First of all you are looking at the pump upside down. What you are incorrectly calling a "cap" is the coupling for the flexible drive. It is PERMANANTLY attached and NOT removable. There would be no reason to ever remove it as those GE pumps are not rebuildable AND since in my 50+yrs of appliance repair I have never seen one of those couplings go bad.

 

[jdm]

Its NOT a cap, there is no such thing on a GE pump. First of all you are looking at the pump upside down. What you are incorrectly calling a "cap" is the coupling for the flexible drive. It is PERMANANTLY attached and NOT removable. There would be no reason to ever remove it as those GE pumps are not rebuildable AND since in my 50+yrs of appliance repair I have never seen one of those couplings go bad.

I am aware that the metal cap is part of the flexible coupling, but alone is not the coupling. I am also aware that this cap is at the bottom of the pump when it is installed above the motor. I also know that these pumps are not usually rebuilt, but I would like to see if they can be.

The cap is in good condition. However, it is in the way if I want to get access to the seal. It is clear that the shaft and the cap are two distinct pieces. My question is how the two were joined. Knowing that would give me the best chance of separating them nondestructively.

 

[jdm]

For the benefit of anyone interested, the cap on the pump was pressed on. After soaking it in penetrating oil, I tried using a bearing separator to hold it while trying to separate it from the shaft with a hammer and punch. Unfortunately, the cap broke around the shaft. As shown in the pictures, there is a fairly thick hub in the center of the cap around the shaft. An approach that might have been successful would have been to drill holes in the top of the cap and then to try removing it with a small 2-jaw or 3-jaw puller attached to the bottom of the hub. Alternatively, with some care, the cap can be ground away without doing much, if any, damage to the shaft. The cap could be replaced by a pulley with the groove filled in with RTV.

The plastic cover below the metal cap was easily cut off with a narrow saw so that it could have been attached again with screws. In fact, I have seen some versions of the pump that use screws to attach this cover. It appears that the plastic cover is designed to divert a small amount of water that may leak under normal conditions.

With the metal cap and plastic cover removed, the seal can be seen. It does not appear to be a typical seal, and I did not see a good way to remove it. So my rebuilding effort ended there.

 

[jdm]

For the benefit of anyone interested, the cap on the pump was pressed on. After soaking it in penetrating oil, I tried using a bearing separator to hold it while trying to separate it from the shaft with a hammer and punch. Unfortunately, the cap broke around the shaft. As shown in the pictures, there is a fairly thick hub in the center of the cap around the shaft. An approach that might have been successful would have been to drill holes in the top of the cap and then to try removing it with a small 2-jaw or 3-jaw puller attached to the bottom of the hub. Alternatively, with some care, the cap can be ground away without doing much, if any, damage to the shaft. The cap could be replaced by a pulley with the groove filled in with RTV.

The plastic cover below the metal cap was easily cut off with a narrow saw so that it could have been attached again with screws. In fact, I have seen some versions of the pump that use screws to attach this cover. It appears that the plastic cover is designed to divert a small amount of water that may leak under normal conditions.

With the metal cap and plastic cover removed, the seal can be seen. It does not appear to be a typical seal, and I did not see a good way to remove it. So my rebuilding effort ended there.

The pictures I tried attaching did not get included. I got a message that "A server error occurred. Please try again later." If there is a trick to including pictures, please let me know.

 

[jr2712]

Hi everyone!

As my Electric Machines professor used to say: "those two things didn't born together". I'd always thought that with the correct tool, technique, time and patience the Filter-Flo pump shaft and coupling can be disassembled and the seal and sleeve could be modified and improved.

I have many original damaged pumps to try different techniques. Maybe I can make some tools that can be used like a puller. All I'm missing is time...

 

[DADoES]

The pictures I tried attaching did not get included. I got a message that "A server error occurred. Please try again later." If there is a trick to including pictures, please let me know.

There apparently are some issues with the board software after an update that occurred on 9/27/2025. No acknowledgement from admin/tech as-yet but reports of problems have been posted so presumably they're aware.

 

[jdm]

Hi everyone!

As my Electric Machines professor used to say: "those two things didn't born together". I'd always thought that with the correct tool, technique, time and patience the Filter-Flo pump shaft and coupling can be disassembled and the seal and sleeve could be modified and improved.

I have many original damaged pumps to try different techniques. Maybe I can make some tools that can be used like a puller. All I'm missing is time...

Besides trying a 2-jaw or 3-jaw puller, it may be possible to drill and tap holes into the hub and then use a puller like a smaller version of https://www.aliexpress.us/item/3256808439562096.html to pull the cap off. The diameter of the hub is about 3 times that of the shaft. The bearing on the pump can be definitiely improved since it looks like there is only a bronze bushing. I was not able to see what, if any, actual seal is used under the bushing. As I had mentioned before, I did not see a good way to take apart that part of the pump.

 

[combo52]

GE filter flow washer pumps

The part that is being called a cap is really the drive hub it’s press fit onto the shaft. It was not designed to ever be removed nor would there be any reason to remove it.

The early versions of this pump were screwed together. They were first metal and then they were turned to black baklit plastic and later went to polypropylene plastic. These pumps could be disassembled from the top, but you were never able to replace bearings or seals in them.

The drive hub is a pressfit item that could be pressed on and off, but you wouldn’t be able to press it on again without destroying the seal in the bearing

John L

 

[10050cielodr]

Tried to explain it to this guy John L. but he wouldnt listen, and all our combined years of experience didnt seem to impress him. GE pumps were so inexpensive to buy and replace GE never made them to be rebuilt. Yes, all these years later they are getting scarce and hard to find, but they are still out there. I still have a few NOS metal pumps that had the red coating inside....but even those were NOT made to be rebuilt. They could be unscrewed and opened up to remove a foreign body like if a sock got inside, but most of the time even that was not needed....it could be pulled out with a pair of needlenose. I guess let the guy struggle and find out the hard way....that GE pumps cannot be rebuilt.

 

[jdm]

The drive hub is a pressfit item that could be pressed on and off, but you wouldn’t be able to press it on again without destroying the seal in the bearing

There is a melted plastic glob on the pump housing at the center next to the side of the impeller shaft opposite the driven end. (I dare not call it the bottom of the pump.) It appears that during assembly, the shaft was supported here while the "metal cap" (call it what you like -- driven end block seems to be an accurate techinical description) was pressed on, and then the hole was melted shut. It would not be much work to open the hole again to support the shaft while the cap was pressed on again and weld it shut again with some plastic welding rod.

all our combined years of experience didnt seem to impress him

I would have been more impressed and listened a lot more if you had actually rebuilt the pumps and described how you did it. It is too easy to say that something can't be done. I fully believe that these pumps can be rebuilt. The issue is how much work is involved. From what I can see when looking at the driven end of the impeller shaft, any seal and a bushing are installed in a metal cylinder, and this cylinder is installed somehow into the plastic housing, either pressed or melted perhaps. This assembly looks difficult to remove from that side with the shaft in the way. If it were important enough, the pump could be cut at the seams that were melted together, disassembled in the opposite order that it was installed, and then reassembled with replacement parts and plastic welded as required. For me, that seems to be too much work, especially for one or two pumps when a lot of the time would be learning how to best do the work.

If the pump truly became NLA, it would probably be easier to get a couple of integrated motor/pump assemblies to replace it.. Considering cost, I could have done that even now for less money, but the extra work to make hoses and to figure out how to wire in the pumps made it not worth the effort.

 

[jr2712]

There is a difference between the Technically Possible and the Practically Possible. I'm sure that the Polypropylene screwed Filter Flo pump refurbishment is Technically Possible even though it's maybe not Practical, but we are talking from the collector's point of view, not serviceman's.

We all are aware that those pump are more and more scarce and if we intend to keep a GE Filter Flo alive it would be necessary to find the way to recover the lots of leaking and noisy pumps we may have in our shelves. I also think that $150 for an ebay NOS is way too high, at least for me. Maybe all this would apply some day for the Maytag DC pumps when became NLA

In my collection I have a 1986 GE Spotscrubber WWA8500GAL that is used at least 3 times a week and I love it. It has a cheapo replacement pump but I will try to overhaul one of the original pumps when I get some spare time.

 

[10050cielodr]

This is really getting funny..... Go back and read your initial post. You ask if a GE pump can be rebuilt. TWO very experienced people have told you its not possible, then because you dont like the answer you argue with both of us about it.

 

[jr2712]

This is really getting funny..... Go back and read your initial post. You ask if a GE pump can be rebuilt. TWO very experienced people have told you its not possible, then because you dont like the answer you argue with both of us about it.

I'm not usually rude, especially on websites like this, but what's getting "funny" is the obvious arrogance with which you speak, even in a mocking tone. It seems you think you're the sole owner of the absolute truth. Well, my friend, with all due respect, I'm going to disappoint you: you're not. I understand you have experience in the repair field, but that's it: Your experience, and from a service standpoint, Filter-Flo pumps must have disappeared from everyday use more than 15 years ago, when a brand-new, original pump could be obtained very cheaply and easily, so your experience may be somewhat outdated.

Look, I'm an electrical engineer. I studied for five years as an undergraduate (the length of the program at the University of Zulia), then I did postgraduate studies in various specialties, including mechanical parts manufacturing. One of my professors was William Johnston, an American engineer and manager at Baker Hughes, and if there's one thing he taught me, it's that one of the missions of engineering is to make the impossible possible, through techniques and tools, whether existing or developed for that purpose.

Actually, given the way you try to impose your experience, I can tell you that I don't care; it's not relevant to me under these conditions.

When I have the time, the need, and the desire—that is, whenever I feel like it—I'll start devising a way to remove the coupling, modify and/or manufacture a new seal and also a new bushing, and, if necessary, manufacture a new coupling and shaft. As soon as I achieve some result, I'll share it here for other people who find the procedure useful and also for anyone who believes it's impossible.

I don't know what city or town you live in, but out there in the real world, do you know how many things throughout history have been declared impossible and then, in the most foolish way, became commonplace? Just because you haven't tried or achieved it doesn't mean it isn't possible. Remember that.

As we say in my city: Every mind is a world in itself, but the world isn't just your mind. Cheers.

 

[jdm]

Picture attaching works again!

For the benefit of anyone interested, here are the pictures I had tried to attach a few days ago.


At the left is the "cap" -- the piece used to attach the WH01X1722 flexible coupling to the pump. As mentioned previously, a bearing separator was used to grab it at the outside, and the metal broke when I tried to tap the shaft out with a hammer and punch. As can be seen in the picture, the center of the hub of that part is smooth, meaning it was not threaded, and there is no evidence of any adheasive. After the part broke, the hub was removed from the shaft by grinding part of it away and chiseling it off when it was weakened enough. Originally it was cylindrical, and you can get an idea of its size by looking at the spot where the diameter was largest. That will give you some idea of where you would want to drill holes for puller arms or where to drill and tap holes for grabbing the hub.


Here the driven end of the pump is shown. Any seal would be between the bushing shown and the impeller. I do not know what was used for sealing. The weep hole for removing small amounts of water points downward in the picture.


Here all of the parts of the pump are shown. The washer-like part with 4 projections fits above the seal and bushiing assembly and retains it. That suggests that the assembly may not be that firmly installed. The washer fits above this retainer and then the hub of the cap is pressed over that. Looking at the rust pattern on the washer, it appears that the hub made contact with the washer, which, if true, means that the only way to pull the cap off is to drill and tap holes in it for pulling since there would be no way to get the jaws of a puller below its hub.

The brown glob is some of the material that filled 2 of the 4 compartments of the housing. I think it was the ones on the left and right. I am guessing that it is used to absorb water.

I hope this information is helpful for anyone considering how to take the pump apart.