GE Washer - tub spins while washing??

Sounds like the brake in the transmission is bad. The only fix for this is to replace the transmission. If the washer is under 5 years old, the transmission is still under warranty but you have to pay for labor.

It is the brake of the transmission which is slipping but unfortunately in many cases G.E. will *not* cover the repair under the

If not, you can see the transmission brake package that will likely be needed at the following link:

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Gene, does the basket move round a few inches with each agitation "stroke"? If so, this is normal on GE washers. It is known as "Indexing".

Hi,

Does sound like the classic GE tranny problem :( You can read about it from below...

jeff.

Appliance Repair Aid

YES - that is exactly what it does, it moves around an inch or more each time it agitates.

Now what do I do? :-)

The washer is less than a year old.

Gene

I solved the problem - I'm getting her a new one:-) This time a Whirlpool or a Maytag :-)

Gene

"Indexing".

Hi,

If the tub only moves an inch or two when agitating, that is indexing which is normal on the newer GE and Frigidaire style washers.....if the tub takes off and accually spins that is not normal.

jeff.

Appliance Repair Aid

You don't need to do anything, what Mad Mac described is normal operation.

I had thought you were describing the tub going completely around (ie. spinning) during the wash and that's what my previous reply was in regard to. Sorry for the misdiagnosis.

Dan O.

- Appliance411.com

Sorry, I did not make myself clear, it DOES spin around out of control. HOWEVER, I did find a unique fix. I will post the fix in this general thread, but under FOUND a SOLUTION :-)

LOL - Just as I was about to trash a relatively new washer, I decided to try and experiment. Nothing to lose, as the complete washer was headed for the dump anyway.

Problem: The grease/oil from the above transmission had migrated downward into the spin brake & rendered the brake useless. That is, the brake was coated with oil from the leaking transmission. The series of metal washers under the pulley were also oily. "GE saved a few pennies with a cheap seal & bearing - only to ruin an otherwise great washer". :-(

SOLUTION:-) Remove the oil from the brake surface , as well as the washers under the pulley.

Here is the procedure that I used. I "DO NOT" recommend that anyone do this, it's just what I did - and it is working great. I opened the front panel cover, removed the 4 nuts holding the motor & laid it aside with wires still connected. Then I ground a hole about 1" square in the housing that surrounds the brake. The brake is near the top, so I made the hole nearer the bottom (of the top part of the housing). Once I could see the brake mechanism, I filled it with a non-flammable degreaser & completely flushed out all oil from inside the brake housing with a high pressure garden hose. It was really full of oil - no wonder it slipped:-) I also cleaned the washers under the pulley. I bolted the motor back in & put a small heater/fan in the brake area and thoroughly dried everything. I reinstalled the washer & washed a LARGE load.

It ran like new:-) The tub did not spin, just agitated as it is supposed to do. So how long will it last, who knows? I suspect that the hole will help keep the brake surface dry, as it's exposed to the air now. If it gets oily again, I'll just flush it out again:-) You just never know about fixes like this, I've used unorthodox fixes on old dozers & tractors, etc. - and they ran for 10 years+. The worst thing is that I will have to go buy a new washer ... which I was about to do anyway. I guess I just like tinkering & the challenge:-)

Gene

That's not what you said previously, this is how that exchange went:

When I said spinning I meant "going around and around *without ever stopping* (except at the very end of the cycle)"

Why not post the solution you found in this thread *without changing the title* so it will be grouped with the rest of these messages if someone searches for it in the newsgroup archives using Google? It might help someone out later on if it can be found.

JMO

Dan O.

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