To note: Whenever fixing a washer you should buy a 1+11/16th" spanner wrench from a specialty appliance store.
The tool is difficult to find.
It is an odd spec. Bigger than 1 5/8" but smaller than 1 3/4". Neither will work. Trust me on this.
I spent three days going to every local box store, every auto supply, Ace, and talking to many people who did not know.
Getting this tool was not possible in time so I made it myself.
So...
One day the 14yo washer made a bad sound and didn't work anymore.
The agitator plate drive (or whatever it's called) had rusted through.
Buy a new washer?
New washer appliances have gone from $400-$600 to $700-$1000, even for basic models.
For $100 in parts and $25 in tools I think I made out okay.
Stuff a rag in the drain hole to the expeller pump first.
Try to remove the rounded-out nut, which someone had tried to work on many years before but stripped out.
No luck there.
First I tried to dremel a few slits and knock it sideways with a chisel using the side of the hammer.
No luck there either. The chisel got 1/8" in and popped to the surface.
I broke out the cut-off wheel and went into full destructo mode. Fk it.
That worked finally.
I got the parts from
https://www.appliancepartspros.com/ Great site. Diagrams and full installation videos.
A few bucks more for expedited. Parts arrived early or on time. It was a satisfying purchasing experience.
The website ;recommended; a washer and the split-bearing, which I am thankful for.
That is the other half of the pancake and those were trashed.
What they did not 'recommend' unfortunately was the installation tool nor the 7/16 bolt on top of the spindle which has a rubber seal.
I used a little bit of Teflon thread paste to help that seal.
Spray everything down with WD-40. Wipe clean. Stay clean.
Use a dental pick to clean the threads.
Everything looks good so far...
How to tighten that drive spindle-to-tub nut to 30-50 ft/lbs? A guestimate torque based on the video.
I had to make my own tool.
Dark magic was involved.
The tool worked perfectly.
There was a little slop still but I added welds to the center of the flat sections and filed them down round.
It only took many many hours.
Started the machine up tonight and ran a small load.
Now it works even better than before. There is almost no vibration at all on final spin and when stopping to a halt.
The GE water pump didn't seem to mind a fww chunks of metal running through it.
Job done. For now. I left the bottom seal alone because its not leaking.
If something else goes out it will be a half hour job next time.
Actually washers are quite simple in design and easy to fix once you've done it once.