Have an 8 year old Maytag clothes washer that is leaking where the drive
shaft goes into the tub. Looking at the Sears parts site, it seems it might
need a new shaft seal, which sells for about $70. To get at it, you have to
take off the top of the washer and the inner tub. I took off the agitator
but it wasn't clear how everything comes apart.

Called a few repair places, but they wouldn't give me a ball park figure for
taking the machine apart to replace the seal. The want to charge $50 to
come out and see where it goes from there. Given the amount of work to take
apart the machine, seems to me it might cost a couple of hundred dollars.
(Does this seem right?) With a replacement washer costing about $500, it
wouldn't be worth the cost to repair it, even though the rest of the machine
looks OK.

Thought?

Thanks.

Ken