How to remove washing machine weights

I fear those will be a one time push fit device to cheapen production. Once on never off. There might be a special tool to compress them but I bet the spring will be pretty strong for that application.

Good luck

drum on a hotpoint Aqualtis washing machine? Rather than the usual bolts, it appears to have a plastic sleeve with a spring inside it. Almost as if the role of the spring is to separate the pieces of the sleeve to increase the diameter and therefore hold onto the concrete.

After much searching I finally came across this video. It looks like it is in Russian but this is the thing. So anyone any ideas on how to fashion t his special tool?

thanks

Lee

Looks fairly easy in principle as you can get the removal end dimensions from the spring in situ and then make the fitting end to fit the spring once removed. All depend what facilities you or local mates might have. Always worth befriending a model engineer with lathe and mill.

Good luck

Fair bit of energy in those weights when the drum is spinning!

Sorry, that's a bit cryptic. What I meant is that I'd want to be 100% sure the weights were secure at the end of the job. Perhaps the fact they are impossible to remove without an expensive-looking tool is a hint not to try?

It's more than a hint. So get em off.

NT

Hi all

Though I would send an update in case anyone else faces this issue.. so.. i nitially I created a "tool" from a brass threaded bar (type you get in plum bing). I cut a notch out for the spring to locate into and found that turni ng the thread bar bent the spring so.... Putting a pipe in the middle of th e thread (as close to internal diameter of the thread bar) and messing arou nd a little got them all off. They were quite tricky so ended up releasing with some WD-40 and oil.

When I got to the bottom block, the plastic fitting seemed slightly wider m aking it virtually impossible to locate the pin in the slot. So... After sp raying with WD-40 and oil I then found a socket which had the right diamete r. Cut a slot in it and it worked like a dream. I suspect these weren't as tight as the others as this didn't distort the spring at all.

I haven't put everything back together yet but it a quick test revealed tha t you can put them back on with a wide bladed screwdriver as you now have t o connect to the bottom end of the spring to rotate them. All very complex but got there in the end. Hope this helps someone.

If anyone needs any more details pls ping me.

initially I created a "tool" from a brass threaded bar (type you get in pl umbing). I cut a notch out for the spring to locate into and found that tur ning the thread bar bent the spring so.... Putting a pipe in the middle of the thread (as close to internal diameter of the thread bar) and messing ar ound a little got them all off. They were quite tricky so ended up releasin g with some WD-40 and oil.

making it virtually impossible to locate the pin in the slot. So... After spraying with WD-40 and oil I then found a socket which had the right diame ter. Cut a slot in it and it worked like a dream. I suspect these weren't a s tight as the others as this didn't distort the spring at all.

hat you can put them back on with a wide bladed screwdriver as you now have to connect to the bottom end of the spring to rotate them. All very comple x but got there in the end. Hope this helps someone.

You could put this on the wiki maybe.

NT

initially I created a "tool" from a brass threaded bar (type you get in pl umbing). I cut a notch out for the spring to locate into and found that tur ning the thread bar bent the spring so.... Putting a pipe in the middle of the thread (as close to internal diameter of the thread bar) and messing ar ound a little got them all off. They were quite tricky so ended up releasin g with some WD-40 and oil.

making it virtually impossible to locate the pin in the slot. So... After spraying with WD-40 and oil I then found a socket which had the right diame ter. Cut a slot in it and it worked like a dream. I suspect these weren't a s tight as the others as this didn't distort the spring at all.

hat you can put them back on with a wide bladed screwdriver as you now have to connect to the bottom end of the spring to rotate them. All very comple x but got there in the end. Hope this helps someone.

initially I created a "tool" from a brass threaded bar (type you get in pl umbing). I cut a notch out for the spring to locate into and found that tur ning the thread bar bent the spring so.... Putting a pipe in the middle of the thread (as close to internal diameter of the thread bar) and messing ar ound a little got them all off. They were quite tricky so ended up releasin g with some WD-40 and oil.

making it virtually impossible to locate the pin in the slot. So... After spraying with WD-40 and oil I then found a socket which had the right diame ter. Cut a slot in it and it worked like a dream. I suspect these weren't a s tight as the others as this didn't distort the spring at all.

hat you can put them back on with a wide bladed screwdriver as you now have to connect to the bottom end of the spring to rotate them. All very comple x but got there in the end. Hope this helps someone.

initially I created a "tool" from a brass threaded bar (type you get in pl umbing). I cut a notch out for the spring to locate into and found that tur ning the thread bar bent the spring so.... Putting a pipe in the middle of the thread (as close to internal diameter of the thread bar) and messing ar ound a little got them all off. They were quite tricky so ended up releasin g with some WD-40 and oil.

making it virtually impossible to locate the pin in the slot. So... After spraying with WD-40 and oil I then found a socket which had the right diame ter. Cut a slot in it and it worked like a dream. I suspect these weren't a s tight as the others as this didn't distort the spring at all.

hat you can put them back on with a wide bladed screwdriver as you now have to connect to the bottom end of the spring to rotate them. All very comple x but got there in the end. Hope this helps someone.

Any pics of the DIY tool you put together ? Unfortunately I have the same problem and have damaged the springs on the t op weight - not started on the bottom weight as yet but have had to fork ou t for replacement springs from Hotpoint and they cannot provide a tool or i nstructions for removal / refitting !!!

Hi! It's simple to make tools for removal and adding springs! It's take a few minutes of work. Link with pic's added.:

Was response to a post from 2017.

How to remove washing machine weights

Clicking on random links on folks google drive, however. Erm, no.