GE grinding noise

[Boman]

Model - WJRE5500G1WW
Serial - FR120345G
Believed to be manufactured March 2008.

Seller described a grinding noise when in operation. I figured Transmission.

We loaded it in the back of my SUV on its side on a shipping quilt.
Got home with it and the quilt was a little wet. It also had some kind of shavings on it when I took the machine out of my vehicle. I thought these were metal shavings. I took my magnetic yard sweep and used it to see if the shavings would be attracted to it. They did not seem to be. So, I assume the shavings are not metal. These shavings were about the size of sand.

Got the machine inside the shop and put it on spin. Spins fine.

If these shavings came out with some water, what would they be? Could luck be with me and the pump is bad?

[jeff1]

Belt?
Lots of issues with the top frame and cabinet not being strong enough and collapsing, the wash assembly would drop down and contact the base giving a grinding noise when the machine was full of water.

jeff.

[Boman]

Belt? Doubt it unless it is shiny like glass or ground up metal.

Weak frame and cabinet? Hmm, I will try to run it in agitate mode empty. If it is quiet, I will then run it with water. If noisy, I guess that would point to that direction.

Any fix for it?

Hopefully I will know more today when I take the front off. I will also check the belt to see if it deteriorating for some reason. Maybe it is a silver colored belt.

[jeff1]

Weak frame and cabinet?
Any fix for it?

Sure...don't buy a GE! ;)

Suppose to be a repair kit of some sort.

jeff.

[Boman]

Sure...don't buy a GE! Quit! LOL!

There are still some fans out there...I hope.

These shavings that look like filings do appear to be metal as they are attracted to a magnet when you bunch them up. Thought maybe the wheel that drives the drum, but it is not attracted to the magnet. There does seem to be play in the wheel. Maybe 1" to 1.5" before the shaft turns. Is this normal? Are the splines in the wheel aluminum?

Is the big wheel/pulley supposed to be smooth or....nevermind. I think it is ruled out as being the source of the filings, unless the middle is regular metal that may be attracted to a magnet.

On second thought, maybe the pulley does have some iron in it. Is it supposed to be smooth where the belt goes around it?

Can I drop the bottom of the cabinet to get to the nut holding the pulley on, or do I have to remove the basket and all from the hangers?

Ran it a little while empty. Seemed to do okay. I was thinking maybe the agitator coupler, but the metal shavings have me perplexed.

[Boman]

I just noticed the drive pulley looks like it may have slipped down a little, maybe 1/4 to 3/8". Far enough for the gaps to show in the piece that fits inside the pulley hub. I suspect this may be where the shavings came from. What would cause this?

From looking at a diagram of this machine, it looks like the drive pulley connects to the mode shaft. The mode shaft does not look like the piece I see where the pulley looks like it has slipped down.
Going to look at some other ge's to see if this might be what is happening here.

Found a video on this and the parts do look normal except I don't think the pulley is high enough on the mode shaft as I can see part of the "teeth" (?) on the mode shaft.

Btw, that agitator just yanks off, right? I broke a dryer belt trying to get it off.

[Boman]

removed the whole thing agitator and all. It is obvious the cabinet and platform has collapsed some. Didn't see where anything was hitting anything. Maybe the tub bearing went out from the basket leaning while running with a load.

From what I can see, the little bit of back and forth play is normal for the drive pulley as it fits in the "teeth" of the shift mechanism.

Time to go back and fool with it some more.

K, think I have found the problem. It looks like it had been doing some scrubbing, beating, etc while loaded. I think I will re-enforce the front corners and see how it goes. Interested in getting it back together to see how it was dropping enough to scrub. The motor had been bottoming out at some point against the bottom panel of the cabinet.

[Boman]

Re-enforced the front corners with 1" angle iron after reshaping the corners back into shape. Got a load in it now. Seems to be doing okay....if you like that type of machine.

I positioned the bottom of the angle iron about 3 5/8" back from the front bottom and about 1 1/2" from the bottom. At the top corners, I placed the iron as close to the suspension rods as I could. A couple of small bolts and nuts on each side, and I was finished.

Looks like GE would correct this weakness in design at no cost. Oh well....

BNtw, wife commented on the gap between the tub ring and the cabinet top. It does seem a little excessive, quite a bit more than a regular washer I am used to. You can actually tilt your head and see the wires for the lid switch. About 2 or 3 inches.

[jeff1]

Suppose to be a new one piece apron instead of the 3 seperate pieces ( 364, 365, 366 ) but I haven't found a part# yet....

635

jeff.

[Boman]

I guess I should have re-enforced the back corners too.

What about the gap between the tub ring and the cabinet? Normal for it to be more than the older more traditional washers?

[jeff1]

What about the gap between the tub ring and the cabinet? Normal for it to be more than the older more traditional washers?

On the side or at the top?

jeff.

[Boman]

On the side or at the top?

The gap at the top between the tub ring and the top of the washer. Enough of a gap, I could probably remove the magnetic lid switch pretty easily without raising the top.

I hadn't really noticed, but my wife was asking me about and is convinced it should not be that much of a gap. I can't see any signs of anything missing where something else might have been attached. I tend to believe it is designed with this gap in it.
That would be about par for the poor spec requirements of this machine.

Btw, I forced the ..apron (?) back very close to its original shape before I re-enforced the front corners, so I do not think it is sagging. Besides, the gap is the same all the way around the top.

[jeff1]

The one I looked at today had about an inch btween the tank cover and the washer top panal....that was dry with no water or clothes inside.

jeff.

[Boman]

I'll check it dry and see what it looks like. Not sure what to do if I think the gap is too much. Maybe shorten the rods.

Got another problem with it now. Put it in the shop after it had drained and spun out. Quite a bit of water in the floor today. Kind of expect the drain hose has a small break in it. It is the type I do not like that imo tend to get small cracks in them. Hope it is something between the pump and the drain and not a tub seal.

[jeff1]

Those plastic drain hoses are terrible for rubbing against something and getting a hole.

jeff.