LA9200 Washer - Instructions

Well, I found the washer leaking water from the bottom a couple weeks ago. I finally got around to pulling off the front panel and ran a couple cycles to see where the water was coming from. Turns out the leak was at the plastic pump that does the draining after wash and rinse.

So I got the model number and googled online. I found Partselect and they had every part I needed. Took me 10 minutes online to find the parts for my specific washer. I couldn't believe how easy it was. Parts came in two days...and this was right before Xmas.

Anyways, changing out the pump was simple. Took 5 minutes to get it off and put the new one in. I decided to change the hoses and elbow siphon break as well while I had the thing apart as those parts were old...but still working well.

Got the washer back together and the floor is dry as a bone. Perfect repair, really easy to do. Hardest part was figuring out how to get the front panel off.

Removed two screws at bottom of front panel and then removed front panel. Then removed two self-tapping bolts (one on each side) holding top panel in place and swung the panel up, out of the way, to expose top of tub and water injection components. Cut off one pinch clamp and loosened screw clamp holding two injector hoses to the injector sleeve. Removed these water injector hoses from injector sleeve assembly which is mounted on top of left side panel upper flange. Replaced deteriorated rubber injector valve, nozzle and the sleeve for the injector (plastic housing containing the injector valve and nozzle). Also replaced deteriorated injector tube seal where injector tube elbow mounts to top of tub assembly. Reinstalled injector hoses with a replacement screw clamp to replace the one cut off. tightened the new clamp and the other, original, screw clamp and checked for leaks. This solved the leakage problem. Secured top panel and re-installed front panel. Hardest part of the task was determining where the leak emanated from but once found and parts ordered, it was a relative snap to fix.

1: Disconnected all water and electrical connections.
2: Removed front panel.
3: Disconnected all wires leading from the control panel and removed the top of the washer.
4: Removed the springs that holds the drum down on the damper pads.
5: Flipped washer upside-down so the drum would hang from the bottom of the wash. This made it easy to clean the area since it was full of dirt and ground metal dust.
6: Glued new pads (per the instructions) to the cone that protrudes up from the bottom of the washer and allowed to dry.
7: Lubricated the pads with the provided grease and added additional silicon grease to insure smooth operation.
8: Replaced drive belt.
9: Flipped the washer back up-right and installed the drum springs.
10: Reconnected all wires and attached the top of the washer.
11: Reconnected all electrical and water lines and tested operation.
12: Replaced the front panel.

Washer now runs as quite and smooth as it did when it was new.

Took some online research to figure out how to get the cabinet off. Once inside I fitted the wear pads which were a breeze to remove using a knife blade to pry them up and removing them using the screwdriver. The springs were replaced one by one using strong fingers. The machine went through the spin cycle without any rocking or self-destruct noises.

I had to remove the washing machine from the laundry room (our laundry room is pretty small).

I read the do-it-yourself explanation posted by Paul From Glendale CA and followed his instructions.

1. Unplugged the Washer and disconnected the hoses, so I could slide the washer into the kitchen.

2- Unfastened the two screws in the front lower corners of the controls panel and tilted is back. Unfastened the old lid-switch wiring from the control panel.

3. Remove the clips at the two corners under the control panel. I rotated the cover forward to clear it from the back and lifted it off and set it off to the side.

4. While I had the Washer disassembled I vacuumed out all the accumulation of dust, etc.

5. Removed the lid switch and unfastened the ground wire.

6. Installed the new switch and reassembled the Washer.

7. I did not read Paul's reassembly instructions closely enough. The front flange of the cover goes UNDER the steel frame on the washer. I spent 30 minutes trying to get the cover on, then finally figured that out on my own. Once I got the flange under the frame, it took about five minutes to get the cover on, the clips in and the control panel back into positions and reassembled.

The entire process is not particularly difficult. Had I read the "UNDER the frame" part earlier, the entire repair would have taken no more than 45 minutes.

Having another person to help reinstall the cover would be helpful. The cover is not heavy but it is a little awkward to handle and having another person to help line up the back cover, etc. will make the reassembly even easier.

To replace gearcase seals, first disconnect the power cord. Turn off water supply and remove water inlet hoses at washer (safety first). You may want to have a bucket available to catch water that will drain out of the hot/cold and drain hoses. Next, remove top agitator cap, seal and (7/16”) bolt (see diagrams on PartSelect). This will allow the top agitator and cogs to be removed. Grab the bottom agitator and rock it back and forth until it can be removed.
Suggestion: now is a good time to remove and clean the old soap and junk from drain holes in the top agitator and any junk that may be under the lower agitator.
Lay the washer on its right side. You will now have access to the motor, pump, hoses clutch and gearcase. Place a couple of 2X4X(5?) blocks under the tub to support it. Remove the electrical connector from the motor (this is clipped into place) and the two wires that go to the capacitor on the motor.(TIP: don’t put your finger across these terminals, SHOCK HAZARD) Remove the hose clamps and hoses, the two screws (5/16”) on each strap that holds the motor in place, you may have to use a screw driver to pop the straps off the motor. Remove the motor and pump by pushing the tub to the left and move the motor and pump to the right to clear the coupling. If you have not replaced the drive coupling, now would be a good time to order and replace. With the motor out of the way, remove the three (½”) bolts holding the gearcase to the chassis and pull to remove gearcase and shaft. If you are only replacing the drive shaft seal, you do not need to open the gearcase case. Stand the gearcase so the input shaft is facing up, or what fluid is left in the gearcase will come out. One question I see a lot is how do you remove the seal. One, buy a real expensive tool that you will only use once, or take a screwdriver with about a ¼” blade, stick it between the shaft and the seal, gently leverage the seal out while going around the shaft. After the seal is removed, oil can be added thru the seal hole. Understand that different oils are designed for different applications. That said, I used 90 weight gear oil from the local auto parts store, you can add it thru the seal hole. To install the seal, lightly tape it into the seal cavity, then use a socket that is close to the diameter of the seal and gently drive it in.
If you have to replace the top case seal, it will require you to take the gearcase apart. The advantage of this is, if you have an older washer, you can clean out the contaminated oil and sludge and check for wear on the parts, and replace as needed from PartSelect. Here’s a suggestion: if you have a digital camera, take pictures, this will really help when you put things back together.
Now look at the diagram that is provide by PartSelect, remove the clutch, remove the bolts on the top cover, try to keep it level or you may have a mess on your hands. Lift the cover up over the shaft. I found the top case seal very stubborn to remove. Using a small screwdriver, get between the case and the seal and gently pry it out. Replace the seal, again, by using a socket and gently taping into place. There is also a seal at the top of the drive gear that you may want to replace to keep the oil from going up into the clutch. Now its time to clean all of the years of gunk out of the case and gears. When you are ready, fill the bottom half of the gearcase with oil, about half a quart. To seal the case, I used a ultra blue silicone gasket sealer in a tube from my local auto parts store or sealant can be purchased from PartSelect. I used it on the top half of the gearcase case. Slide the top case over the shaft and evenly tighten the bolts. Reinstall the clutch to the gearcase shaft and install into the washer. I found that the motor bearings needed to be lubed, so I used white lithium grease in an aerosol can. Reinstall motor and don’t forget to put the electrical plug back into the motor and the wires that go to the capacitor and pump h

To see if the lid switch was the problem I first jumped it out and tried to start the washer. That was the problem. I removed the main controll so I could get to the lid switch. I made the mistake of removing the screws all the way out and the metal clip fell into the body of the washer, no problem since I was changing the drive beld anyway. I realized that you do not remove the screws all the way out, you just have to loosen them and then slide out the lid switch & then replace it.

First found out where the belts were by tipping the machine backwards and saw that the belts were intact but extremely loose. Ordered two belts (Drive and Pump) . Re-tipped the machine and in less than three minutes, had installed the new belts. I re-hooked the hoses to the back and the machine operated as if new.

I replace the belts - 5 min
I tried to replace the glides...I couldn't figure out how to do that..I took out the motor and and the glide mechanism...but I could not get glide braket separate from the motor mount..so i did not do this
I replace the springs and added 1 extra sping...3 instead of 2..it worked

I determined that the spin bearing was bad and decided to replace the brake too. Placed the machine on its side and then removed the rubber cap, v-belt, screw, drive lug and pulley. Then used a chain-vise grip to turn the brake off with the aid of a 3 foot long pipe extender for leverage. Blocked up the tub to align the transmission and installed the new spin bearing, brake, pulley and drive lug. Adjusted the drive lug position to contact the ccw motion of the pulley at the point when I could just feel the brake pressure. Installed the screw and rubber cap. Replaced the drive belts. Tested and all works. Halleluah!

Turned off water supply, disconnected hoses so I could lay on its back.( drain hose also ) have something to catch all the water in. There will be some residual water so have something to wipe it up. Removed agitater, then I removed the spanner nut with hammer and punch. layed it on its back, removed the three mounting bolts that hold the gearcase to the tub support. Removed wire harness and ground wire , pulled gearcase and shaft out . Removed spin tube thrust washer, removed support ring from groove in shaft , removed retaining ring , slid clutch off shaft ,installed new clutch. Take care to watch how parts are removed so that they are installed in proper orientation. Since I had it this far apart I decided I should replace the coupling. I removed the two motor retainers , seperated coupling , pulled both halves off shafts , installed new halves , they go on a lttle tight , newer couplings have metal inserts , aligned coupling halves , inserted together , put motor retainers back on , tightened small screws,done.

Well the washer died and would not turn on in the middle of a wash cycle. Absolutely dead. I disconnected it from power and opened up the front panel on which all the control switches and knobs are mounted. This is removed by unscrewing 4 screws at the top of the washer.

Checked the fuse, and found blown. Replaced the fuse, closed the panel and plugged it in. Still not working. Checked the Check switches and found the Check Switch really limp. Checked with Digital Multimeter and found no continuity at either position. Unscrewed the check switch. Removal and re inspection with DMM of the check switch confirmed it was bad. Opened up the check switch and found contacts were blown.

Installed a new check switch making sure all the connecting wires go in the right places. The wiring diagram in the washer was very helpful in doing so since u dont want these wires reversed. Adjusted the plunger which operates the check switches when the lid is opened to make sure it is not over or under operating the switches. This is done by loosening the bolt holding down the check switch assembly and slidint the whole assembly forwards or backwards till the plunger has just enough push on the switches. This is done to avoid the plunger from exerting excessive pressure on the check switch and the safety switch in lid open or lid closed position. (both switches are operated by the same plunger according to the lid position)

Closed panel cover and plugged the washer in. There u go, it was alive again!

I removed the two spring clips that hold the pump and two wire spring clips that hold the hoses. Then I had to pry the pump off the shaft (it was frozen with rust). Then I cleaned the shaft with sandpaper and installed the new pump (which, by the way, came the next day, thank you very much) which made my wife very happy, and I thank you for that , too.

To discover what the problem was, I intially tested the inlet valve by blowing into both sides - discovering that the cold side was stuck in the open position. The hardest part was removing the back of the machine. First, you unscrew the top plastic part which contains the controllers by phillips head on either side. Then you pop the clips out with a large slot screwdriver, then at the bottom, a nutdriver or large slot screwdriver there are two nuts to remove. The valve itself took a small nutdriver and pliers to remove the hose. Took less than 20 mintues to complete repair. Washing works like new now.

I took everything apart and put in the new inlet valve. Tried to run the washer and it was still not stopping when filling. I looked more into it and the tube that comes up from the wash basin to the load size selector switch was disconnected and that was the real problem. If this happens to you, I suggest first looking under the control panel at the clear tube and ensuring that it is connected to the switch. Then if that is connected it is probably the inlet valve. There are helpful installation videos that can be found on the part select website that I would recommend looking at before taking things apart because it will make it much easier.