On Aug 9, 1:08*pm, Wayne Whitney wrote:
Hello,

My 6 year old Kenmore front loading clothes washer was getting louder
during the spin cycle, so I figured the bearings were worn. *I tore it
down to remove the two bearings holding the spin basket shaft, and the
forward-most bearing was rough and rusty. *Apparently the shaft seal
between the bearings and the wash tub had partially failed, allowing
some water into the bearing. *Everything else was in good shape, so I
guess I caught the problem early.

I've ordered replacement bearings and a replacement seal, but I have a
few questions about reassembling the machine:

1) What is the proper grease/lubricant to use in each of the following
places: between the bearings/seal and their metal housings, between
the bearings and the shaft, and most importantly between the shaft and
the seal? *I have lithium grease on hand if that would work.

2) What is the proper glue to use for connecting rubber to painted
metal? *There is a rubber boot that connects the wash tub to the front
face of the machine for the door to seal against. *It was glued to the
front frame in several discrete places around its perimetter, I guess
so you don't dislodge the boot while shoving clothes in the washer. *I
need to reglue it.

There's no information in the service manual, since Kenmore sells the
entire rear tub half with the bearings installed as a single unit.
But that is alot more expensive than just replacing the bearings, plus
the OEM bearings were not a very high quality. *

Thanks, Wayne

I can't speak to the grease question, but I'd use a little Dow 732 to
reattach the boot. I love that stuff.

Dow Corning Silicone Adhesives/Sealants

Form a tough, rubbery solid in 24 hours at room temperature (unless
otherwise stated). Not for concrete, mortar, or under water (unless
otherwise stated). These products are VOC compliant in all 50 states
as of October 1, 2008.

732 Multipurpose— For sealing, bonding, and gasketing. Bonds metal,
plastic, ceramic, glass, natural and synthetic fiber, silicone resin,
vulcanized silicone rubber, and wood

http://www.mcmaster.com/#dow-corning...alants/=8bxjby

I'd just make sure the paint is still solid after the removal of the
boot. There's no adhesive in the world that's going to work if
whatever it's appplied to is loose.

On 2010-08-09, DerbyDad03 wrote:

I can't speak to the grease question, but I'd use a little Dow 732
to reattach the boot. I love that stuff.

Thanks for the suggestion--RTV (room-temperature volcanizing) silicone
seems like the way to go. I'll get myself some, although probably not
the Dow 732, as I don't think it comes in small quantities.

As for the grease question, any takers? I'll probably just use the
white lithium grease. There is a concern that it is petroleum based,
so it can degrade rubber, but the seal I am using is marked "oil seal"
so it is presumably a resistant material. :-)

Cheers, Wayne