Tips on washing machine bearing replacement

[Jim Backus]

As subject line ... Can anyone give general advice on how to replace the drum bearing of a washing machine?

The machine is an antique Hotpoint electronic. As far as I can see, the bearing is mounted in a removable back plate to the static drum. The rotating drum has a spindle through the bearing to a large pulley driven by a belt from the motor. Is the correct method to:

1. remove the back plate from the static drum bringing the rotating drum with it;
2. remove the pulley allowing the rotating drum and spindle to be taken out of the bearing
3. extract bearing
4. re-assemble by reversing the above

Presumably the back plate has a gasket to the main body of the static drum? It would seem likely that this would need replacing at the same time.

All advice gratefully received - TIA

[Aidan]

You have to remove the front of he machine, then from the front you remove the front of the outer drum and the inner drum. Then you get access to the bearings. It's too detailed to try to decribe here, even if I could. Haynes do a manual, which you may find in a library, which describes it in inadequate detail.