Stephen,
You don't need to disassemble any mechanicals under the baseplate to remove the tub. You will want to disconnect the hoses coming from the filter port however which in your picture is at the 1-o'clock position. Due to limited space, they are usually easiest to disconnect at the pump and drain ends down below, instead of at the port itself.
That is one cruddy tub. Some of that will come off if you're interested, some won't. When the tub is out, they are easy to clean with a hose and nozzle, etc.
You do need to remove the four tub bolts, and you already have the basket drive block off. That is all you need to remove other than the filter hoses. I have some tips as to how to remove the tub most effectively:
I can't see it very well in the picture, but the centerpost gasket is likely stuck to the centerpost, and the walls of tub mounting surface are probably stuck to the center gasket. This area of the tub becomes delicate over time, so you will want to loosen this area thoroughly before pulling the tub upward. A penetrating oil can be very helpful. You will also need to loosen the tub from the drain grommet under the tub outlet. There is enough flex in these largest capacity tubs that if you insert your fingers between the baseplate but under the tub, right there at the grommet, you can pop that area loose without too much stress on the rest of the tub.
Unfortunately, if the tub is in bad shape, deteriorated portions may crack or break at the grommet or the center gasket.
Make sure the centerpost itself is clean and debris-free, or at least as clear as possible. This will help pulling the tub upward. I like to coat these with a light layer of dishwashing or hand soap. That helps everything slide. Again, you don't want to put a lot of pressure on the center gasket mounting area, as this can damage weakened areas.
I, like you, am unfamiliar with that rubber bushing. There were some aftermarket parts that installed in that area to counteract noisy bearings I believe, or this could be something to aid in protecting the centerpost bearings from getting wet.
If all goes well, I recommend a new 96386 tub grommet. The smaller grommet used on many standard capacity and late models is often easy to re-use, but these large capacity grommets that were used from 1967-1981 are formed differently, and are usually very flattened out and questionable to re-use. These have been NLA for some time, but can be found on eBay, and at last check, SearsParts had them for less than $10.
What is the serial number of your machines? This is a 1977 and older configuration, not the 1978 short centerpost. Perhaps this machine was made in very late '77 as a '78 model?
Finally, what is the model number of your machine? I'd like to look up the parts list to see if that bushing is shown on the parts list.
I hope this info helps you.
Gordon
