Kitchen Large Electric Appliances - Maytag Neptune Noisey in Front

We have had a Maytag Neptune washing machine since it was first released in - I guess it was about 1997. We have heard of the many problems and have been lucky to have been spared. We've only had one issue which was a motor that failed - but that was my fault, a tiny nail that I left in my pocket had gotten through the small holes in the drum and gotten to the pump. I was able to fix that myself so, like I've said, we've been lucky.

Lately, however, the front "bearing" (if there is one) sounds like it is getting rough. it still spins fine, but you can tell that it is rougher than it should be and there is some vibration. It has become very loud. The machine is not hopping or any of the things normally attributed to a front-loader while spinning - you can just feel that is not running smoothly and a little oscilation like it may no longer be properly balanced. I suspect that the failure could be wear and tear - since we use our washing machine like crazy (two small children, cloth diapers, max extract and line drying - you do the math).

My question is - should I take this thing apart and try to look for signs of damage in the front bearing, or is this going to be too much trouble? I am pretty reasonable at appliance repair - but I don't know if I am going to have to do some kind of "re-balancing" of the whole machine, and I don't want to bust all the way into the thing only to find out I do not have the parts or some special tool/equipment to fix it.

Thanks,

Steve

Hello Steve,
I had to replace my front drum bearing when the noise got unbearable. Unfortunately, you have to replace the whole drum (the bearings are imbedded). There are several web sites that have Maytag parts for sale at slightly less than retail. I would start searching for the cheapest price. The actual replacement of the drum wasn't that hard and I think you can handle it. I had a genuine Maytag repair guide at my side, but I didn't have to use it.
You can check my earlier post about this same problem in the archives. Also look up www.tonytool.com I think you'll find a tool that replaces the bearings (expensive).


Kelly
bilbojr@earthlink.net if you have problems.

Thanks, Kelly for the input. I am going to open it up and try to fix it myself. Did your front drum bearing actually look bad when you changed it? I would love to have the parts on hand and change it right away, but usually I do better in disassembling it and finding out what actually looks bad before getting any parts.

I really appreciate the response - it is a very different situation when you know someone else has done it before you.

Steve