Whirlpool Washer of unknown age no Mfg. Info.

[markmc]

Good Morning All,
I came upon this interesting site after searching the airwaves for parts for the Whirlpool Washer that is in need of repair. So this is my first post here, and I'm turning to the expertise of site members to first identify this now unidentified machine I'm trying to repair. I have the machine disassembled, save for taking the transmission/agitator shaft system out. What brought us to this point is the machine sprang a gradual drip leak from what appears to be the interface (gasket) of the agitator drive to the lower tub assembly as viewed from under the machine. At this stage, I have dismantled everything down to the agitator shaft. The drip issue seems to be in the sleeve that fits over the shaft. The sleeve has a seal at the top, has a seal just under the top inside the sleeve, along with a solid bearing, and a lower rubber seal. The overall length of the sleeve is approx. 4.25". The sleeve is shown in the left foreground of the attached picture. It seems that the sleeve rusted at its base, as it couples (my guess) in some way to the lower tub seal, which is where the drip is coming from. With all that said, I would appreciate any help in first identifying this machine so that I can confidently search for parts, namely the sleeve, seals and anything else I may need to keep this great machine running. Thank you.

 

[DADoES]

 
The model number is coded for market-year.

The serial number is coded for the year and week of manufacture.

Your broken piece is not a sleeve.  It's the tub support baseplate centerpost that has rusted/broken off.  The centerpost is integral to the baseplate, it's not a separate replaceable part.  Whirlpool belt-drive design was discontinued in 1985/1986.  Replacement baseplates have long been NLA (no longer available).

Your washer is a goner, unless 1) you could find a donor baseplate from another washer or 2) find a machine shop to make and fit a new centerpost to the baseplate ($$$$).

 

[markmc]

Whirlpool Washer

Thanks for your reply. Regarding the Year of Mfg./ Model# Serial# of this machine, I've looked high and low, inside and out on the machine and I'm not finding anything in the way of Data tags that show this information. Any help in assisting where I can find this information on the machine would be greatly appreciated. In any event, I'm not sure I follow your comment regarding the rusted piece as being a center post to the base plate. A diagram of these parts and how they go together would be very helpful to understand their relationship. The base plate that I observed from underneath the machine that supports the tub looks fine to me, showing a clean approx 3.5" diameter steel disk. Inside the tub, there is a substantial rubber seal which seems to mate to the hole in the tub. I'm puzzled as to how the centerpost is part of a baseplate that appears to interface the tub from underside the tub. I look at the centerpost for what it appears to be - a sleeve that has a bushing and two seals in it, which all seem to be in decent shape. Is what you are calling a centerpost welded to the baseplate? If the centerpost and the baseplate are an intergral part, would you have a picture of what that part should look like? Would you happen to have a part number for that part?

 

[goatfarmer]

Model number is not under the lid?

 

 

[markmc]

Whirlpool Washer

Picture of Under lid attached. No Information on the machine there.

 

[ron350]

MarkMC if you look at the bottom of your picture you can see the lower edge of the silver plate that has the model and serial #.

If you have the lid halfway open you can look past the back lip on the lid and read the model #.

 

[markmc]

Whirlpool Washer

Thanks ron350 !! I greatly appreciate your help tracking this down. Now to start the parts source, and/or parts manual search. If anyone on this site has a parts manual for this machine that illustrates the tub support/centerpost assembly, I would gladly compensate you for your efforts. Thank you.

 

[bpetersxx]

oh my goodness I did it I think

This is how i got my manuals

La5710xpw3 - Free Pdf Manuals Download | ManualsLib

www.manualslib.com

La5710xpw3 - Free Pdf Manuals Download | ManualsLib

www.manualslib.com

 

[bpetersxx]

well butter i am going to have to dig harder

 

[bpetersxx]

sorry gonna dump the pic I found with google

 

[markmc]

Whirlpool

Thank you bpetersxx !! I greatly appreciate the links. The illustration looks like it could be part of the machine, but not the area I'm trying to repair. I'll keep looking myself in the links you sent. If anything is fruitful, ill keep you posted. Thank you.

 

[kenmoreguy64]

Very Interesting machine and situation

Hello!

First, Pete, thanks for the parts diagrams.

Mark, The base plate needed for this machine is in pic #7. As Glenn mentioned, it has long ago been discontinued. I purchased one baseplate in 100+ rebuilds in 1992-ish and I think that was about the end of them. It was 80-some dollars in 1992, discounted with my parts account, at the time.

The solution here is likely to be to find a machine shop able to press in a new center post which meets the outside and inside diameter requirements. The dimensions need to be exact, especially for the bearings that mount inside the post.

As to some other details, this machine, if I read the serial correctly, was made in the 50th week of 1986. That is super late production for belt drives. I knew certain models lasted to April 1987, but I’ve only seen a couple of those. This machine is a standard capacity, which makes it even more unusual by that time.

Many changes were made to belt drives in summer 1981, which brought about changes to both baseplates used in 29-inch machines (standard, and large capacity) and in all inner wash baskets. If locating a parts donor machine, which is another way to get a “new” baseplate, a late 1981 or newer machine would be required. Tub mounting bolt holes are specific to the newer models.

One thing that I am not certain of, but I believe, is that both capacities, with the new revision in 1981, use the same base plate. if that is correct, a base plate from a large capacity machine could be used in a standard capacity rebuild. This was not possible prior to 1981. The majority of machine production post late 1981 was large capacity, so it would be helpful if the base plates are interchangeable.

Good luck, I will keep an eye on this thread in case there is anything else I can contribute.

Gordon

 

[DADoES]

 
Here's the relevant diagram again.  I outlined the baseplate in red.  It's item #5, "Baseplate & Centerpost" Part Number 358949, indicated by the broken line which would include already-installed centerpost bearings #32 & #50 (which are for the basket spin drive tube) and bearing lower seals #33.

Also a photo of an older baseplate (from a 1967 machine), which has a taller centerpost (it was revised shorter years later).

 

[scrubflex]

I believe about 1985.

 

[DADoES]

 
Model LA5710XPW3.  L = laundry.  A = automatic washer.  5710 references the position/features within the line.  X = U.S. domestic market?  P = 1985 model-year.  W = white.  3 = engineering revision.

Serial C65028022.  C = Clyde OH factory.  6 = 1986.  50 = 50th week.  28022 = production sequence number.

 

[markmc]

The Hard Truth

Good Afternoon All,

Fist off, Thank you to Pete, Ron, Gordon, Scrub, and DAD. My delayed reply here is only due to a long night into the wee hours of this morning. Reading wrenching, and more reading. Attached for your viewing is the subject centerpost of this machine. The section of the centerpost still in the base plate measures about 3.5" long. This would make the length of the centerpost in its original state about 7.0" long. Both bearings remain in individual sections of the centerpost, as do the seals shown in the parts diagram. My approach on this repair was to proceed until I could evaluate what the repair would look like before writing the machine off. Daunting as it seems, I've taken measurements, photos, and notes. My plan at this time is to bring the baseplate and centerpost (remnants) to a machine shop Ive worked with for many years. Can anyone comment on how the centerpost is mated to the baseplate? It appears as a tolerance fit, but I'm wondering if there are surface preps on either part, and if there is any welding or special sealer used in the mating of these two parts. It also appears to my eye that there may be some sort of of clamping tool used to swaged together by the Whirlpool factory. The upper diameter of the baseplate cup for the centerpost looks like it is possibly swaged once the centerpost is inserted in the cup (?).

 

[repairguy]

On the ones I’ve had done the lower section of the baseplate is heated and a puller is used to remove the old center post. Then to install the new one the baseplate is heated again and the puller is used to set the new post.

 

[combo52]

Rusted off center post on a whirlpool belt drive washer

At one point the center post tube was just a force fit into the base plate at various times in the history of these machines it was welded in place. I remember warranty service call I did on a whirlpool washer that was acting very strange and wouldn’t spin properly turned out that the center posted come loose in the base plate that model had only a friction fit. I had to order an install complete new base plate assembly in the washer.

Several members here have put stainless steel center post tubes in the base plate and have them welded in place. The only trick is it has to be absolutely perpendicular to the base plate or things won’t be a line properly in the machine may not spin properly. I’ve put stainless steel sleeves over the outside of center post, but I’ve done it before they rusted off completely , that seems to be a very good way shielding the center post from corrosion damage without affecting the alignment.

I have a couple good use baseplates that are not rusty, it also might be worth just getting them donor machine to get a good base plate from .

John

 

[markmc]

Baseplate/centerpost

Hi John,
The baseplate on this particular machine actually seems to be in decent shape. The mounting point for the centerpost will be evaluated by the machine shop. I totally follow your comment regarding how critical it is for the centerpost to be perfectly aligned for the machine to operate correctly. I imagine that Whirlpool probably has a fixture to align the centerpost as it's pressed home, then perhaps welded in place. The seals/bearings for the centerpost are available. A centerpost can be made from any number of materials. It is a tube after all, albeit with some unique features. I plan on speaking to the machine shop about the project. While exploring that avenue, your mention of used baseplates has me curious. Do the baseplate have centerposts?