Whirlpool Belt drive leaking

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kenmoreguy89

kenmoreguy89

Well-known member
Joined
Feb 23, 2010
Messages
2,995
Location
Valenza Piemonte, Italy- Soon to be US immigrant.
I brought in the whirlpool belt drive aafter It sat unused for quote some time and It started leaking šŸ™šŸ™
I'm positive it is the bolts holding the outer tub to the base, i can spot water in between the bolt inward lodging and the outer tub surface and water couldn't end up there, it seems It is especially one on the rear right side (looking from the back) and It runs above the "skirt-base"
probably it is two of them leaking as i see water on the front also but not sure (even because i have no access to really see the front)... Looking with a torch i spot no water toward the center drive area and nothing comes out from the holes in the center and can't really see it being wet in there... so guess is not the tub seal which i should be happy for I guess.
I do not have a spanner nut tool at the moment to remove the basket and see what's under there and check.
Are all spanner tools the same or there is a specific one for older models and newer models?
I have seen in some pictures of restorations that there are two bolts having a seal and two do not. Is It possibile?
It seems to me that the leaking ones in my machine are the ones with the seal.
Do these seals have a part number?

kenmoreguy89-2020050708093509357_1.jpg
 
Sounds like seal may need replacing

Somewhere in archives is the sad tale of woe and misery about my Whirlpool belt drive convertible/portable. It looked great, but upon first water test/use it leaked as well. Turns out one of shaft seals had gone and wanted replacing.

Two repair calls later all was well. Didn't keep unit long though, as it was sold on to another club member.
 
Oh yes Launderess I remember the story of your portable, and the unhappy repair person.

But you know,it seems it leaks right from these bolts, between base and tub is wet and there is no way water would go up there and tub bottom seems free of water tears,I spot no water toward the center and shaft and the base has slots and holes toward the center, so I guess It would leak from there also or I would see it wet if the leak was in that area....
In the meantime waiting for a spanner nut thing to make its way to Italy I may remove the surgilator and fill It to see if I spot bubbles coming up the drive shaft which is how you had the certainty It was indeed the shaft seal IIRC.
If it is the bolts rubber seals that went I wonder what i can use to seal.
Guess whatever bolts rubber seal for the size may work.
I already know they will be a kind of PITA to get out.
 
During the time I had leaking washers fixing themselves, minor leaks matter of a drop every 10 seconds like that would stop, I recall my Candy SA 68 and others that would start leaking from filter gasket or drain sleeves lips and after a couple washes would stop.
Methinks that is thanks to zeolites in some powder detergents that would just make their way into and seal.
I may try to run a wash tonight with some zeolites laden powder like whatever made from Reckitt Benckiser, all their powders contain zeolites 15 to 30 percent opposed to Henkek's stuff that contains none.
 
Let's don't say it too loud.
I ran a cycle with towels and the infamous zeolite laden stuff and appears that is not leaking.
I will anyways check it out when I will get the spanner wrench.
In the meantime I better stock up with parts that i will need someday, does anybody know what exactly I need?
Seal part number?
 
Anyways I see that a lot of people blame the tub seal as soon as one of these leaks as the tub seals were prone to go with these whirlpools.
I'm very positive but not 100% sure that what's wrong with my whirlpool is not the tub seal, not yet at least haha but a couple of the tub nuts that hold the outer tub to the base underneath.
I spot rusting and water in the rear right nut area that holds tub to the base between the tub and the base where this nut is which is above the rest of the base, of course the nut housing.
As said no way water can go upward and up there right?
Machine was still so it was not splashed there by oscillations
Looking in the midlle through the space using the phone torch i see no rust or any water..
Put my pinkie in the hole in the center and is all dry down there.
But who is 100% sure?
I wonder if sealing by patching these nuts with some sugru whitout even trying to remove them will do the job even though I actually want to replace the seal before it goes even if it's not that one and do a good long lasting repair nuts included as i'm at it I might do It all.
But....
Time is not by my side though and shipping parts to Europe is Pretty expensive...
Granted I can't find the parts available for international shipping
 
As soon as I get the wrench I will remove the tub and try to seal these nuts with some sugru from inside, of course if the leak will continue.
If it stops then it was them.
I have bad experience with using silicone washer tubs...

It soon comes off...i do very hot washes above 160F and silicone always come off.
I found sugru to work wonders, i fixed several tubs using It and withstands very high temperature and alkalinity.
 
I tried to look up online for instructions about how replace the seal and stuff, lots of things about transmission and wig wag but nothing about the seals.
And quite honestly I did understand very little, this machine is a complete mess and way too complicated.
I did not even understand how to replace the belt.
That is the most complicated machine i have ever seen and seem everything so delicate I am amazed they lasted so long.
Are there any clear instructions one could use?
Thanks
 

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