Start by removing the front panel to see where the leak is coming from. Then, pray to Allah, who is compassionate and merciful, that it’s just a leaking hose because if’n it ain’t, start practicing yoga so you can kiss your sweet derriere goodbye.

If the tub seal is leaking, you’ll need to replace the hub and seal kit on this puppy. I hope you enjoy spending hours on end in a dark, damp basement, breaking apart old parts fused together by years of corrosion while another glorious summer day gallops by outside, leaving you more pallid and one day closer to the bed pan. Time and pain–that’s what awaits you in this repair journey to Hell, Budrow. And there’s a fair chance that this will be a one-way trip, too, since your hours of weeping and gnashing of teeth may not result in a successful repair. How much time and pain? Let’s just say that it’s off the scale on the SUDS-o-meter. This is one of those jobs that makes even crusty old appliance warriors wet themselves and pretend they have a bad phone connection when they get a call for one of these jobs.

Ahh, Grasshopper, let this be your wakeup call. But if, after reading my wise admonitions, you think you have the cohonas for this job, then here are a couple resources that’ll hepya:

• The Amana factory service manual for this washer.
• Some disassembly tips from American Appliance.

Do you hear your phone ringing yet?

One sure sign that the drive coupler is bad is if the washer will fill with water and pump out ok, but it just won’t agitate or spin. Replacing the motor coupler is the most common repair task on this washer and is a pretty easy job, even for appliance repair virgins. How easy? About two mugs on the SUDS-0-meter. How can you tell if your washer is the direct-drive or belt-drive model? Like this.

We begin this repair odyssey by removing the washer’s cabinet. The secret to removing the cabinet is revealed in this post. Read it now, go ahead, I’ll wait…

Finished already? See, you’re a whiz at this!

Ok, so with the machine stripped naked like a fatted calf in a butcher shop, we focus our keen Vulcan squinties on the pump, down in front, and remove the two clips holding it on to the motor. Then pull off the pump, unclip the wiring harness from the motor and the two wires from the capacitor (if present). Then remove the two motor clips (top and bottom) to remove the motor. Wallah! The motor, by the way, is double-shafted (for those of you in Palm Beach, “double-shafted” means it has two shafts). The coupler is the three-part piece you see between the motor and the transmission (the other side of the motor). Your old coupler probably looks something like this, or even worse. Here’s what a new coupler looks like.

Incidentally, for an excellent and detailed interactive diagram of the guts of this washer, see this page. You’ll be glad you did.

When you’re all done and you have the guts all tucked back in place, replacing the cabinet is just as easy…if you know the trick. And remember to reconnect the lid switch harness or you’ll be scratching your head wondering why the washer won’t spin.

Ok, that’s about all the rocket science involved with this little gig. All that’s left for you to do is order the coupler, maybe even a genuine repair manual for more adventurous repairs in the future. And, of course, your love offerings to the United Samurai Beer Fund would be received most joyously.

To learn more about your washer or to order parts,
click here.

This is one of those repairs with a steep learning curve. Referring to the SUDS-o-meter scale of appliance repair difficulty, this repair rates five mugs of beer for tender, nubile repair virgins like yourself, but only a single mug for crusty, old appliance repair prostitutes like myself. I recommend you have a six-pack of Old Milwaukee on hand. Your bold determination to tackle this repair is exactly what made this country great and you are an inspiration to appliance repair grasshoppers all over the world! In the electrifying words of AC/DC, “For those about to rock, we salute you!”

If you’ve never replaced the belt on a Whirlpool belt-drive washer, you’re in for a banquet of appliance repair merriment. During this repair celebration, you’re going to gain valuable expertise in busting loose rusted nuts and bolts. These new skills will serve you well in many other areas of your life like, uhh, busting loose rusted nuts and bolts on other old, broken stuff. You’ll also learn how to hang on to greasy wrenches with tired, bleeding hands–another valuable life skill that actually has some application to auto repair.

Now that I mention it, this repair kinda reminds me of working on an old ’73 Ford Maverick I used to have. Seems like anything I did on that car involved lots of rust, grease, and blood. And that was just the interior.

Ok, ok, your washer. Oron Schmidt has done a good job of putting together illustrated, step-by-step instructions for tackling this repair. While you have the belt off, turn the pump pulley by hand. Sometimes, the pump seizes and burns the belt. If you can’t turn the pump pulley easily by hand, replace the pump, too.

To help encourage you onward in this repair, I leave you with the battle cry we used to scream when I was in the Kamikaze squad, “I’m gonna kill the bastard who talked me into this!”