I picked up a nice, clean Kenmore he5t matching set yesterday, top of the line with all features and options, tan (not sure of specific color name!), and both matching pedestals. The best part of all, FREE! They said the washer worked (it does) but leaked and needed a new door boot (it does). The dryer is said to work (I haven't tried it) but the door doesn't stay closed. Not a huge issue. I happen to have a he4t for parts (spider broke), so the door boot is not an issue. I hooked the washer up, put a couple towels down, and started a smallish load (a set of queen sheets) on sanitary. It leaked like a sieve when filling, but not at all otherwise. When it got to the spin, it rattled and knocked very loudly. I figured broken spider. The drum seemed loose, but only to a point (no evidence of hitting the outer tub).
Tonight I tore into it, finding the spider perfect, but the shaft very worn, the inner bearing totally shot, and the outer bearing well on it's way. I have the bearings and seal (the rear tub on the parts machine is Ok, and the bearings quiet as a mouse and smooth. The shaft is what concerns me- if I replace the bearings and seal, will the shaft not wobble, creating lots of noise and eventually tearing the seal up? Is there a way to swap the shafts from the bad spider to the perfect one? That shaft has no or almost no wear. I understand the shafts are pressed in, can they be removed without destroying the good spider? (I'm sure I can just crumble the broken spider away) I would really like to get this machine working, as there is barely a scratch on either the washer or dryer, but a new drum/spider/shaft is over $300. I also understand there is a lifetime warranty on the inner drum (which is considered one part with the spider/shaft) That's an option, but I've tried emailing Kenmore before and never got a reply. Any input is greatly appreciated!
Comes to the Rescue!
