Home Repair (alt.home.repair) For all homeowners and DIYers with many experienced tradesmen. Solve your toughest home fix-it problems.

Reply
 
LinkBack Thread Tools Search this Thread Display Modes
  #1   Report Post  
r
 
Posts: n/a
Default amana washer belt shreds often... why?

Hi,

I own an Amana clothes washer, model CW8203W2, purchase ~9 years ago.

I never had a problem until about 3 years ago when the drive belt
started falling apart. I replaced it with a stock replacement
following the instructions in the Amana repair manual.

Last summer, I had to replace the belt a 2nd time.

Last week, I opened the front panel only to notice that the belt is
again starting to fall apart. There are pieces of the material the
covers the belt here and there in the washer, and there is rubber dust
everywhere.

I'll be replacing it yet again in the next few weeks, but I was
wondering if there is any adjustment required to ensure these belts
last longer. What could be causing belts to fail so quickly?

Thanks for any insight on this.

t
  #2   Report Post  
Joe Bobst
 
Posts: n/a
Default amana washer belt shreds often... why?

What could be causing belts to fail so quickly?

My vote is for rusty and/or misaligned drive pulleys. Replace the nasty ones,
align and you should eliminate the shredding act. Good luck.

Joe

  #4   Report Post  
r
 
Posts: n/a
Default amana washer belt shreds often... why?

Me again,

The manufacturing no. is PCW8203W2A (with no space between 2 and A)

The replacement belt I use has part no. H40200A (don't recall actual
manufacturer) which is direct replacement for part no. 28808 (same
number of found on amana.com: item no. 28808 - BELT,AGITATE SPIN)
available from a local appliance repair centre.

It isn't a 'plain rubber automotive belt'. It does have a V-shape
(well, not really a V, since the inside of the belt is flat, not
pointed, but the belt does have tappered sided) and is covered in some
kind of cloth material, which is what rips and shreds first, after
which the inside rubber section starts cracking. I'm assuming it is a
low-friction belt with this cloth material covering the rubber.

I'll verify the drive pulleys as suggested for alignment/rust/wear.
For alignment, I don't recall seeing this in the repair manual. Is it
easily done visually?

Thanks,
t

I own an Amana clothes washer, model
CW8203W2, purchase ~9 years ago.

I never had a problem until about 3 years ago
when the drive belt started falling apart.

I replaced it with a stock replacement


What do you mean by a "stock replacement"?

Not a plain rubber automotive belt I hope. Many washers these days use
special low-friction belts which can not be replaced with just any old
belt.

I'll be replacing it yet again in the next few weeks,
but I was wondering if there is any adjustment
required to ensure these belts last longer. What
could be causing belts to fail so quickly?


Installing other than the factory replacement would be one cause, too
much play in the idler or transmission pulley another. Maybe a
deformation in one or the other as well.

  #5   Report Post  
r
 
Posts: n/a
Default amana washer belt shreds often... why?

who knows? wrote in message ...
[...]
The last time, the repairmen found that the idler pulley spring had
weakened.
Too much slippage under high-torque conditions = burned belt.

Anyway, he told me its a good idea to make sure this spring is okay is
you're
having recurring belt failure...


Thanks for the 2 cents, it's an excellent lead. I still have the
original spring.

So in addition to checking the pulleys, I'll replace the spring at the
same time as the belt. The part costs next to nothing and is real easy
to replace. Who knows, I may have stretched it too much when I
replaced the belt the 1st or 2nd time (or both?).

r.


  #6   Report Post  
Posted to alt.home.repair
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 3
Default amana washer belt shreds often... why?

responding to
http://www.homeownershub.com/mainten...hy-511081-.htm
thegrayguy wrote:

r wrote:


Hi,


I own an Amana clothes washer, model CW8203W2, purchase ~9 years ago.


I never had a problem until about 3 years ago when the drive belt
started falling apart. I replaced it with a stock replacement
following the instructions in the Amana repair manual.


Last summer, I had to replace the belt a 2nd time.


Last week, I opened the front panel only to notice that the belt is
again starting to fall apart. There are pieces of the material the
covers the belt here and there in the washer, and there is rubber dust
everywhere.


I'll be replacing it yet again in the next few weeks, but I was
wondering if there is any adjustment required to ensure these belts
last longer. What could be causing belts to fail so quickly?


Thanks for any insight on this.


t




-------------------------------------




  #7   Report Post  
Posted to alt.home.repair
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 3
Default amana washer belt shreds often... why?

responding to
http://www.homeownershub.com/mainten...hy-511081-.htm
thegrayguy wrote:

These belt problems are usually due to excessive endplay in the input
transmission shaft. You can verify this by taking the pulley off and
pulling the shaft down. If you see any bearing wear marks there is too
much endplay in the shaft. This is due to a poor design/manufacturing of
the transmission. You could replace the transmission but it is probably
better to get a new machine and if you do get a new transmission you just
paid for the same old problem yet again. Amana will tell you the
transmission is sealed. However, they put it together with bolts so it can
be taken apart. I was going to get a new machine but I figured I could
discard the old one apart as well as together so I would just go for it!
The problem with this transmission is that the pinion gear has slipped on
the input shafts gear spine.

To fix this have to take the washer apart. You can look up how to replace
the tub seal for the procedure. There is a big counterweight on the drum
so I would recommend that you get someone to help you with this and the
reassembly. In addition, there is some messy and smelly gear lube to
contend with so do this in the garage (and not in the kitchen). Once you
have the drum out and upside down (and it is best to level it) and
everything off so you can access the transmission, you take out the bolts
and split the case (I used a screwdriver and a hammer) but be careful not
to damage the machined sealing surfaces. I used a small hand vacuum pump
to get most of the gear lube out of the top half of the transmission (and
yes I did get some on the outer drum). You can then remove the input
shaft from the lower case. Protecting the bottom spine with several layers
of cloth lightly clamp the lower spine in a vice and remove the stud and
washer that are supposed to hold the gear in place.

At this point you might want to check the gears and if they are in bad
shape, scrap the washer. Mine were in great shape and had almost no wear
even after 10 years of use. Check the brake assembly itself along with
the other parts for wear. However, my machine ran at least 10 loads of
laundry each week and all my other parts were just fine.

Next drive the pinion gear as far as it will go toward the center of the
shaft (be sure to protected the end of the shaft with some rages and I
used an old socket and a hammer to drive the gear). Next get in your car
and go to a good (local) hardware store and purchase a spacer that will
fit over the spine and not interfere with the gear teeth and between the
gear serface and the washer that holds the gear in place. Make sure the
spacer is thinner that the space between the gear and the surface of the
shaft where the original washer mounts. Mine was 1/16 of an inch thick
and cost me 50 cents. While you are at the hardware store, purchase some
RTV and some new gear lube. (I paid $5.00 for the RTV. There were many
brands that were cheaper, and $5.00 for the gear lube. I am not sure what
the spec’s are for the lube (but I got the 70 weight). When you get home
put your spacer between the gear and the original washer and reassemble
the stud. Take your time cleaning up the old sealant especially in the
sealant groves in the housing and do not get any of the old sealant inside
the gear housing. Use some rages if needed. Next put the RTV on the
sealing surfaces making sure to work the RTV into the seal groves. Next
carefully fill the upper transmission housing with the new gear lube up to
the sealing surfaces (being careful not to overfill and not getting ANY
lube on the sealing surfaces). Put the input shaft and gear in the lower
housing (you can put a little gear lube on the lower sleeve bearing if you
want). You can then reassemble the transmission and the washer. You might
want to lube the spines and the break assembly and replace the brake
shoes, as it is easy to do so while you have them off. Also, of course,
replace the belt.

My machine now runs great and makes much less noise than when it was new!
I am wondering how many good washers and transmissions are in the
landfills because they needed a 50-cent part. How much money did Amana
make on replacement transmissions? Not to mention the bad repetition these
machine have do this defect. Unbelievable!! The total for the repair was:
Spacer $0.50, Gear lube $5.00, RTV-$5.00, Brake shoes - $25.00 Belt-$13.00
= $48.50.
The washer will run another 10 years (hopefully). Time to figure this all
out: About 1 sleepless night: Wife’s happiness: Priceless!


Reply
Thread Tools Search this Thread
Search this Thread:

Advanced Search
Display Modes

Posting Rules

Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are On
Pingbacks are On
Refbacks are On


Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
Aluminum foundries in N. Calif? steamer Metalworking 10 June 8th 04 06:06 AM
Washer motor cuts out at start of spin (Speed Queen/ Amana) [email protected] Home Repair 11 August 27th 03 07:29 PM
Old reliable belt drive washer Cult of Nurse's Home Repair 10 June 28th 03 04:59 PM


All times are GMT +1. The time now is 01:43 PM.

Powered by vBulletin® Copyright ©2000 - 2024, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.
Copyright ©2004-2024 DIYbanter.
The comments are property of their posters.
 

About Us

"It's about DIY & home improvement"