WTW5550XW3 Whirlpool Washer - Instructions

Replaced the belt and the wheels supplied with the kit. I also cleaned the inside of the unit. It looks and works like new.

First, I watched a utube video of replacing the dryer belt. Then I went to Sears Hardware and couldn't find a part. Then I ordered the parts for my favorite online repair parts source - partselect.com. I had the part in one day! We did exactly what the video showed and also replaced the two wheels that looked like roller blade wheels. Piece of cake. Saved a $75 repair call plus whatever the parts would have been and spent about 20 minutes doing it. Back in business. Great for a 12 year old dryer! Buy the dryer kit!

Changing the gear case is a basic R and R operation since the gear case is a complete assembly riveted together. It is a bit challenging though getting to it because you have to totally disassemble the entire washer nearly every nut, bolt and screw. Fortunately the washer is fairly easy to work on and I am very mechanically inclined, but I did cheat a bit by watching some U-tube videos first. I couldn't find the same exact model washer as mine on U-tube but there were enough similar units to obtain the basic procedure. A thing I do when disassembling things is to take pictures of the way it's put together before removing stuff. It goes without saying that you first have to disconnect the power, the water hoses and it helps to get the washer out away from the wall so you can work around it. You have to remove the top, back panels, and the inner and outer tubs first. After removing the inner and outer tubs I turned the washer upside down in order to gain access to the gear case so I wouldn't have to stand on my head or lay down. Remove everything attached to the gear case (take picture) and use a strap wrench (or a strong friend) to hold the large pulley while removing the retaining nut. To remove the condenser (large round thing in black plastic retainer) rotate it counter clockwise and lift out, it doesn't snap out. I was very happy to see that the new gear case came with the shaft seal already installed so with a small amount of liquid dish soap around the outside of the rubber it allowed a nice slip fit back into the outer tub. All the parts that were removed pretty much will only fit one way so you don't have to worry too much about how everything goes back together. After reassembly and hooking up the washer again be sure to perform the calibration procedure before you turn on the water. Instructions came in the box with the gear case. Here is a side bar: I am 76, my grandson and I replaced the gear case in just a few hours, It's no big deal. Now for the interesting part, when I ordered the replacement gear case by the old part number I was told it had been superseded by a new number so when the new unit arrived I discovered that the shaft and seal looked different so hopefully the water leaking into bearing won't happen again. I was going to drill the old gear case apart and replace the bad bearing so I am glad I didn't because the shaft and seal would continue to leak and ruin the bearing again so don't try that. One thing I would like to mention about this company from which I ordered the part was the amazing delivery, only 36 hours. I ordered the part Sunday evening late and Tuesday morning early it arrived. Wow, blew me away, also I live in California and apparently the company is in Nova Scotia, no sales tax, Woo Hoo.

Remove small screws on back of top on both sides, slide top forward. No need to remove water hoses. Lift top up to expose switch safety mechanism (black plastic) on front underside of top. Undo screws holding switch mechanism. remove plate cover from back of top and unplug wiring harness. Thread new wireing harness and plug through hole in top and plug in to plug receptor.

I looked for squeaky dryer within parts select and went with the 80%. I received the Maintenance Kit, replaced two rollers and it works like new. Amazing since this is the first time I have ever opened a dryer. The instruction sheet and parts were all I needed.

Unplug washer. Remove 4 screws from the small plates that hold top to body of washer. Remove cover plate from back of top. Lift top from base and support it on its back. Remove lid lock mechanism. Unplug connector from its socket at the back of the lid. In reverse order install the new lid latch,

First, I checked the belt before ordering and then decided to order the belt, capacitor, and clutch assembly (if I needed to replace). I replaced the belt noticing the older belt came right off and new one was tighter going on. I replaced the capacitor since I had it handy and it can be known to cause this smell also. After setting washer back up and started a cycle I noticed the spin cycle would not start properly so I thought maybe the capacitor (new one) was faulty or just not the exact match even though it was said to be. I replaced my older capacitor back on and again ran cycle and it ran great. Thus I decided to send the parts which were not used. I would recommend this site as I have used them in the past before on other items. They ship fast and have a great return policy if parts not used.

I followed the online video, removed the old part and replaced it with the new part. My washer is working perfectly. It took about an hour to reset.

Removed the two screws under the lint trap
Opened the top (had to use flathead screwdriver to release latches)
Disconnected door switch harness from front panel
Removed 2 screws holding front panel on dryer
Lifted out dryer drum (previous belt had broken)
Vacuumed inside of dryer (found $3 in quarters!)
Put new belt around drum
Put drum back in dryer, using empty laundry soap bottle to support its weight
Looped belt around pulley and motor; secured pulley to dryer bottom
Made sure rear gasket thingy was aligned properly and drum turned freely
Put front panel back on
Re-attached door switch
Closed top and put screws back in under lint trap
Fired it up - WOOHOO!

This was a learning experience but it appears to have worked out in the end. Our 3 1/2 year old washer was not agitating much and I attributed that to a loose bolt. I would tighten the bolt and it would work ok for a load or two and then stop agitating. I would find that the bolt was loose again. I took a number of steps to try to get the bolt to stay on tight - threadlock, a new bolt, more threadlock, and applying progressively more force on the bolt, with no better results. Yet the repair guys on you tube were saying the bolt only needs to be snug, not super tight - something was amiss. I even went so far as to secure the basket with a rope so I could use two hands on the socket wrench (please don't do this). But when I tried the washer again there was no agitation at all! I observed the agitation output in manual test mode and the bolt was turning in lock step with the shaft but the agitator wasn't turning at all. That's when I suspected that the problem was actually a worn lower agitator. Trouble was that now I couldn't seem to get the bolt off. Turning the wrench caused the shaft itself to rotate so I couldn't loosen the bolt from the shaft. I thought I broke the washer. Then I considered that maybe the shaft was rotating because the washer was in an agitation mode when I turned it off. I went back into manual test mode, made the washer spin, then turned it off. Fortunately, this worked. The shaft was again stationary and, albeit with great difficulty, I got the bolt off.

I removed the agitator, and as a pro would have figured out long before, the ridges inside the top of the lower agitator were almost completely worn down. I realized then that the contact between these ridges and the splines on the shaft is what is supposed to cause the lower agitator to move with the shaft. The purpose of the bolt is just to keep the agitator in the correct position and from coming off the shaft. I had been trying to compensate for the worn agitator ridges by over-tightening the bolt, creating some contact at the top of the shaft. This would work for a little while, then the agitator would start slipping, and the slipping agitator was acting just like a wrench loosening the bolt (until my stupid rope trick, that is.)

So I ordered a new agitator (only the lower agitator was bad, but the price of an entire agitator isn't a lot more than just the lower part and I was reading that the upper agitator parts will wear over time) and another new bolt (because my repeated attempts to over-tighten the first one I ordered had split the rubber gasket apart and worn the bolt head).

The new agitator fit snugly on the splines of the shaft so I sensed no need to use excessive force on the bolt. Just an easy one-handed snug tightening with the socket wrench, using the other hand to hold the lower agitator. The washer is now working again.

I checked out the reviews and the recommendation of these "professionals", replaced the part easy enough when it came in. However, it didn't solve the problem. Got an actual professional to come in and see what the problem was, and they determined that gear oil was being leaked and it wasn't worth replacing.

Tried to get a refund and return the part. Was told absolutely not. The money back guarantee is a lie.

I raised the top of the dryer, removed the front, the belt and the drum. Slipped off old rollers, installed new ones and new tensioner. Reinstalled drum and belt, bolted front back on and closed the top.

DO NOT do this repair from the top. The only thing needed to be removed from the top of the machine is the agitator and retaining clip. After removing these items, lay the machine on its front, on a table if you have a friend who will help. Remove the back cover. Simply disconnect the wiring, remove the water pump, the tub locking mechanism, the belt, and motor. Remove the four bolts holding the gearcase. It should come out with little effort. Remove the old tub seal. There should be a new one on the replacement. Lubricate the new seal. Dishwashing liquid worked great. Move the drive wheel from the old gearcase to the replacement part. All the parts originally removed will only fit one way. Reverse all the removal steps and you be should be ready to go. My only problem with the replacement was there was no groove in the new part spline for the tub retaining clip. Seemed to be no problem since the agitator is bolted on so the tub is going nowhere.

Removed old drain pump and found a sock in the inlet - must have burned out pump because after removing it pump was still defective. Installed new pump in about 30 minutes and off to the races no more issues

Just follow the instructions the one was provided with Maitanace kit we bought from you.