Stuck FF Agitator

[macboy91si]

Anyone have a suggestion for removing a stuck GE rampie? These things are extremely hard to get a good grip on and I've pulled on it hard enough to lift the washer off the ground. The washer is pretty rusty in the tubs but the agitator is like new. This is the SpotScrubber washer I just got and it appears that the lip in the bottom of the tub where the boot attaches has rusted out on one side and is leaking there. The machine has very rusty tubs, the outer tub is so thin you can probably punch through it, and I can see this with the inner tub still in. I was going to attempt to remove the inner tub and assess the damage. I want the agitator because it's white and in very good shape. I will be using the Hotpoints for now, but I was going to put the GE agitator in it for now as the top of the Hotpoint agi is busted and yellowed. Also if anyone has a good Hotpoint agitator (are they supposed to be cream?) and maybe even a FS dispenser I would be glad to hear as well.

For now I'm keeping the SS set, but I'm going to be looking for a lower end, cheap FF to swap the guts into. I'm going to look for an almond machine as the 7500 dryer is almond. I may even find a decent set cheap too. The dryer is beat up, but works very well. Mechanically both the washer and dryer are sound. The washer it very quiet and the motor/clutch was replaced in 2004 according to a service note in the machine. Such a shame.

-Tim

 

[peterh770]

The FF "Rampies" (I love that!) that I had have a screw in the top. On some, there is an obvious cap that you pop off with a screwdriver to get to the screw underneath. Others, you have to pry off the metal decal to get to it. I don't know about it if it has that rubber grippy piece over the top -- maybe it slides off?

Pic of the agitator might help...

 

[mixfinder]

No Screw

No screws since the solid tub. Its a friction fit.

 

[yogitunes]

Well the last series of GE FF did use a small capacity agitator in their machines, bolted it down to the post, and stuck a long post extension on top......

but not in Tim's case.....there is a little cap on top that should pop off with your fingers, you may or may not have this, but if you do, underneath is a sort of "topcap" that you can use a paring knife and cut this little disc out, and then you should see the top of the tranny post, now you have several options but the best is penetrating oil, flood it down and let it set for a awhile, may take several attempts, even using the 2X4 with the straps, but it should come off....

took me 4 tries/days to get mine off

Tim...if you need a pic of the disc and what it should look like while removed let me know...

 

[gyrafoam]

Use an Agi-Tamer.

 

[sensi-temp]

An appliance parts store I frequent has an agitator remover, looks to be a bladder you slide under the agi & inflate, must work by pushing up on the bottom.

 

[peterh770]

No screws since the solid tub.

Coin-ops had them. Mine were 1994 machines. All 6 had screws to hold down the agitator. In the GE repair manual, they show that the handwash agitator had a screw, but the regular Activator did not. They show pouring hot water or some penetrating oil into the top of the coupler.

 

[mixfinder]

Well By All Means

Since there were screws in GE commercial machines and screws in the late 90s model, just go ahead and rip apart the agitater and look for the screws some are so sure hold you back.

 

[bajaespuma]

Boiling Turban o' Terror

What's worked for me in the past, although it's not a perfect solution, is wrap the activator "head" tightly with towels and then give the towels a good soaking with boiling water. There are two parts to the activator drive coupling: a male metal spline that is attached permanently to the drive shaft and a female rubber/metal spline inserted into the activator head in the factory. What usually happens after you heat it up and do a lot of back-crippling yanking is that the activator spline may, I repeat, MAY, slip out of the activator head, but will remain on the rusted drive shaft. I haven't discovered a way, yet, to remove the activator spline from the drive shaft. Very hard to get underneath it. My parents had a V-12 that was about 14 years old where the GE repairman didn't even bother trying to get the activator to slip off; he just broke the thing up in the machine, yanked the top off with a monster wrench and replaced it with a new one. People with Filter-Flo's who can, need to keep that spline rust-free and lubed. I seem to remember instructions under the lid of an old V-12 telling the owners to periodically remove the activator to clean it and then to dab a little grease on the spline before replacing it. That went the way of the Dodo.

 

[rp2813]

I am so biting my tongue over the title of this thread.

 

[whirlcool]

"Turban O' Terror"? I'm still ROLF!

I can imagine chasing my crazy sister around the house with that!