westytoploader
Well-known member
- Joined
- Sep 4, 2004
- Messages
- 4,485
Congrats and good luck...the Ramp Activation is worth it! I did all of the below with my Dispensall before even water-testing it, and it's now 100% leak-free, both water and oil! Greg's explanation for removing the top is good and is basically what the repair manual states. Be sure to get the GE repair manual; they're on eBay all the time. It is VERY helpful and is one of the most detailed washer repair manuals I've read.
Have you removed the spin tub and checked the outer tub for rust and to see if the flexible boot's OK? After you raise the top, pull up HARD on the agitator (or use the Agi-Tamer...it works well for these) to lift it off and unclip the plastic boot underneath. Remove 4 bolts underneath (use penetrating oil...these can be quite a b*tch to loosen), and the tub should lift off (although with the heavy balance ring on the top it is HEAVY; having two people wouldn't be a bad idea). Inspect the boot carefully, grab the shaft, and see if the boot flexes. Get some POR-15 (just the standard black) and be sure to paint over the rust or else it will "come back and haunt you" over time. It's not cheap, but a little goes a long way so you won't use much to patch the tub. Also, check the top seal for any gaps/imperfections, and be sure to clean it. This is what prevents the water from leaking out during spin-drain (IMHO, these machines would have been MUCH better-off if they neutral-drained instead; not the best design).
Now, about the "moving basket". Is the tub indexing during agitation and not "catching"? At the beginning of agitation, it moves around until it "catches", and then stops. During agitation, the tub sort of "does the twist" back and forth, however, does not move dramatically. If you stop the machine during agitation after it "catches", you will not be able to turn the tub by hand. If the tub indexes, the clutch problem probably contributed to the fact that it's not "catching", based on what you said. When my machine starts out in Gentle, the tub moves around and even then it "catches" with considerable force, so I can imagine what starting out on Normal would do. I'm not 100% positive how this works or if this is a clutch or transmission problem. You can shift FROM Gentle TO Normal while the machine is running, but not vice-versa. Not taking any chances, I just shut the machine off first.
--Austin
Have you removed the spin tub and checked the outer tub for rust and to see if the flexible boot's OK? After you raise the top, pull up HARD on the agitator (or use the Agi-Tamer...it works well for these) to lift it off and unclip the plastic boot underneath. Remove 4 bolts underneath (use penetrating oil...these can be quite a b*tch to loosen), and the tub should lift off (although with the heavy balance ring on the top it is HEAVY; having two people wouldn't be a bad idea). Inspect the boot carefully, grab the shaft, and see if the boot flexes. Get some POR-15 (just the standard black) and be sure to paint over the rust or else it will "come back and haunt you" over time. It's not cheap, but a little goes a long way so you won't use much to patch the tub. Also, check the top seal for any gaps/imperfections, and be sure to clean it. This is what prevents the water from leaking out during spin-drain (IMHO, these machines would have been MUCH better-off if they neutral-drained instead; not the best design).
Now, about the "moving basket". Is the tub indexing during agitation and not "catching"? At the beginning of agitation, it moves around until it "catches", and then stops. During agitation, the tub sort of "does the twist" back and forth, however, does not move dramatically. If you stop the machine during agitation after it "catches", you will not be able to turn the tub by hand. If the tub indexes, the clutch problem probably contributed to the fact that it's not "catching", based on what you said. When my machine starts out in Gentle, the tub moves around and even then it "catches" with considerable force, so I can imagine what starting out on Normal would do. I'm not 100% positive how this works or if this is a clutch or transmission problem. You can shift FROM Gentle TO Normal while the machine is running, but not vice-versa. Not taking any chances, I just shut the machine off first.
--Austin
