The DRSNews
November 2007

Happy Veterans Day!
Happy Thanksgiving!

Published by subscription only, by Dave's Repair Service
(c)2007 All Rights Reserved

WHO ELSE WOULD LIKE THIS NEWSLETTER?
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of every issue if it's not your cuppa tea) Thanks! - Dave

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In this issue:

1) Tributes to Our Men and Women in Uniform
2) Replacing the Whirlpool/Kenmore Direct-drive Washer Gearcase
3) Subscribers-only '2 or More Ship Free' parts sale extended again!

(I haven't forgotten that we were talking about refrigeration system
repairs months ago <grin>. We'll get back to the subject in the future,
I promise!)

1) As we celebrate Veteran's Day and enter the Thanksgiving and
Christmas seasons, here's a must-see tribute to our men and women
fighting for us overseas, put together by young Lizzie Palmer:
http://www.youtube.com/v/ervaMPt4Ha0&autoplay=1

And please remember to visit www.LetsSayThanks.com , where you
can send a thank-you card to a soldier currently serving in Iraq.
You can't pick who gets it, but Xerox will print it and send it to a
member of the armed services. It only takes a minute, and will be
greatly appreciated.

While I'm on the subject, I've mentioned this organization before,
but here's a great way to dispose of your old cell phones and benefit
our troops at the same time: http://www.cellphonesforsoldiers.com/
I've sent in 8 of them so far!

2) I've been seeing more problems with the previously very reliable
Whirlpool-built direct-drive washer gearcase (or 'transmission'), and
most of them are caused by the 'neutral-drain' mechanism. Spin is
usually intermittent when this failure occurs. The fix is a $20 kit that
can be replaced without too much hassle once the gearcase is dropped
out of the machine.

This isn't nearly as hard as it sounds to remove (not nearly as involved
and time consuming as the old belt-drive gearcase!) so I thought it'd
be a good idea to quickly go over the procedure for you.

The first step is to remove the agitator, because it bolts to the top of
the agitate shaft, which is a part of the gearcase. To get to its 7/16"
bolt, pry off the agitator cap, or the fabric softener dispenser and then
the cap, and on many you'll see a second cap inside that just pulls out,
revealing the bolt underneath. The agitator just pulls straight off once
the bolt's removed.

Once the agitator's out, you'll usually see two small parts, not used on
all machines, one steel, and one plastic, on the shaft that you'll want to
slide off and set aside.

Then remove the cabinet and pull the machine out away from the wall
until its back feet are about even with the front edge of the dryer.

Double-check that there's enough hose and cord length, then tilt the
machine back and rest it against the wall. Make sure it's tipped back far
enough that it doesn't become a 'deadfall trap' while you're under it ;-).

Spread a few old newspapers under the machine to protect the floor,
then remove the pump clips and pull the pump off the motor. Unplug
the motor harness plug(s), then the motor clip screws and clips. The
clips pry off easily with a screwdriver. Remove the motor and set it aside.
It's not necessary, but tying the pump back out of your way, over to
the left, makes things easier.

Remove the two 1/2" bolts that hold the motor mounting plate, and
remove it. If any of the 4 rubber motor mount bushings remained stuck
on the plate when you pulled the motor off, push them back onto the
motor mounting pins.

Most of the wiring harnesses are clipped to the gearcase on the right
side and will just pull off.

Now we're ready to drop the gearcase, and it's very simple. Three
1/2" bolts hold it in place, and unlike the older belt-drive machines,
this design self-centers, so when we bolt it back on we don't have
to go through the old centering routine we used to. Just bolt it on
and it's centered.

Anyway, take out 2 of the bolts, then slowly back out the 3rd, taking
the gearcase weight and slowly lowering it to the floor. There should
be just enough room to clear the top of the agitate shaft if the machine
was pulled out even with the dryer before it was tipped back.

The chrome spin clutch is attached to the top of the gearcase, and will
come out with it. To remove it, take off the cup washer, then the shaft's
flat snap ring, and then pry the clutch snap ring off with a screwdriver.
Save those parts to attach the clutch to the new gearcase.

If you're repairing the gearcase with a neutral drain parts kit, follow
the instructions in the kit, and replace the oil with Whirlpool #350572.
Seal the cover back on with either automotive silicone gasket material
or Permatex™, and you're all set. I plan on getting into that in a future
article, hopefully with photos included.

If you have any problems locating any of these parts or materials,
contact me. I can usually get them to you pretty fast.

By the way, I have an easily downloadable step-by-step PHOTO pdf
file on removing this gearcase, put together by my friend Dale, that'll be very
helpful. There's nothing like seeing photos of this being done. A great way
to learn it! It's only $7, and less than 3MB in size - not a long download -
SEEING it's definitely the fastest way to learn how to do this. Check it
out: Gearcase Replacement Photo pdf

You can download a free sample photo pdf from that page to get an idea
what these are like. Dale's done a nice job, and I appreciate all his hard
work (Thanks, my friend!)

We have a lot of these 'how-to' photo files ready, and one of my goals
for the near future is to get as many as possible posted on the website.
(2007 has been a tough year for me physically, and I'm way behind on
everything!)

3) You've put up with my rambling for so long (some of you for this
entire 5-1/2 years! Wow! What endurance!), and I'm always looking
for ways to try to say 'thank you' for your incredible support. So I'll
start by extending the '2 or more ship free' special again this month.

A whole bunch of you have been taking advantage of me with this sale,
<grin> so again during November, shipping and handling are no charge
on any two or more online products, to any US address. But only for
DRSNews subscribers, and only during this month. And this has to be
limited to US subscribers for now.

So here's the deal: Buy any two or more items from the website this
month, 'mix and match', and I'll ship them free, Priority Mail (it's fast!).
(Note: this deal doesn't apply to items purchased on the 800 number,
but only to products posted on the website.)

Looks like this might become a permanent 'perk' for you guys, or at
least for future paid 'insider' members.

One of the rewards I get from writing this newsletter is all the
encouragement you all (y'all to you guys down south) have been to me
over the years. I want you to know I appreciate you, and this is just
one small 'thank you' that I can throw your way.

Also, I've just started working with a very promising and unique online
income system that I'll probably be telling you about in the near future.
I know quite a few of you are into marketing, and there are many ways
to use the Net these days to make a nice side - or even main - income.
The hardest part's sorting out the legitimate businesses from the scams
and schemes! I'm getting a lot better at it. <grin> more to come...

PS - Feel free to send me any other ideas you might have for subscriber
'perks' I can add for you!

Check out the Appliance Terms Glossary Project - a work in progress.
Let me know what you think. Here's what I have so far:
http://www.DavesRepair.com/glossary/

As always, if you have any topics you'd like to see discussed here or
covered in an online article, let me know and I'll do my best to oblige.
And don't forget those testimonials and/or critiques! Many thanks to
those of you who've already sent yours in! I appreciate that!

***

May God richly bless you and yours this Thanksgiving,

Dave Harnish
Dave's Repair Service
New Albany, PA
drs@sosbbs.com
http://www.DavesRepair.com

To our Troops in harm's way, as well as our Veterans:

THANK YOU for answering the call!
''Fear nothing but God. Whatever you fear will be your master.''
Proverbs 1:6

Parts orders (for items not posted here on the website):

(One of the largest appliance parts inventories in the world!)


Copyright 2007, www.DavesRepair.com , All Rights Reserved
This newsletter may be reprinted and distributed freely, but only
in its entirety, including this message.