Can someone please tell me if a bearing change on a Hotpoint WM63 is fairly easy(ish) and if so can it be done through the access hole (the back is welded on except for this hole), or do I have to remove the drum from the top? Any special tools needed?
Bearing change on a Hotpoint WM63
- Thread starter Sammy A
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B
breezer
have you got specialist tools to get the baering out, how are you going to get the drum suport out?
sorry but you need to take the m/c apart, unless you have a way of getting the bearings out and new in flat, m/c is a write off. sorry
Iused to work for hp, we had a specil tool (custom made for us) it was easy but time consuming, but i am not saying its the only way to get them out / in
sorry but you need to take the m/c apart, unless you have a way of getting the bearings out and new in flat, m/c is a write off. sorry
Iused to work for hp, we had a specil tool (custom made for us) it was easy but time consuming, but i am not saying its the only way to get them out / in
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It's fairly straight forward, not easy though.
The facia comes off (take the dispenser out and remove the four screws), front of the machine comes off (3 screws at the bottom and 3 behind the facia, the outer tub front comes off.
The pulley on the rear comes off, the the inner drum can then be knocked through.
This gives you access to the bearings and bearing seal, not the easiest to get out. A lot of the time the outer race is left behind from the front bearing and it's a nightmare to get out. Hotpoint use a special bearing tool, haven't had much success with it myself though.
If you go ahead with this, get yourself a spider and bearing kit as well as a new tub seal.
The facia comes off (take the dispenser out and remove the four screws), front of the machine comes off (3 screws at the bottom and 3 behind the facia, the outer tub front comes off.
The pulley on the rear comes off, the the inner drum can then be knocked through.
This gives you access to the bearings and bearing seal, not the easiest to get out. A lot of the time the outer race is left behind from the front bearing and it's a nightmare to get out. Hotpoint use a special bearing tool, haven't had much success with it myself though.
If you go ahead with this, get yourself a spider and bearing kit as well as a new tub seal.
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breezer
Sleepyhead said:
I found it a right doddle
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It's ok for bearings that are whole. The ones where the outer race is left behind it's pretty useless for them.
B
breezer
thtsa true, but those they did that we wrote off
On a WF220 which i assume is the same, as my instruction manual says WM61-65...........
To put my advice in perspective, I'm not in the trade but will have a go at anything mechanical.
I took the weights off the drum assembly and lifted the whole drum/motor/front panel assembly out as one......... I left the front panel/door seal attached because, to be honest, I didn't fancy the door seal.........
You will need torx bits to split the drum casings.
In my case the outer bearing was shot to pieces. The good front bearing drifted out quite easily. The remnants of the rear wouldn't budge. Without the right tool I couldn't get enough on it with various size drifts and car type pullers etc.
I ended up ordering the half drum with bearings fitted. If the bearings have failed, I can't see how the spider axle won't be badly scored too. So, you will need a new spider........ That's when my problems started......
The spider is an alloy casting with steel screws..... Add heat, water and detergent and they will never budge again..... at least mine wouldn't....
I tried WD40, heat, impact driver and swearing at it... all to no avail..... I ended up trashing several torx bits and used an angle grinder to take the heads off. Fortunately, although the spider has three arms with two fixings in each, Hotpoint only saw fit to put one fixing in each arm. That is good for us because when you trash those holes with the grinder, you have the unused holes to use on the new spider.
It all goes back together surprisingly easily....... however, just when I was feeling all smug about getting the job done, the drum started leaking around the mid case seal! Bugger! At least I knew how to disassemble the bloody thing!
I used silicone sealant and it's been ok since.
The economics of it are interesting.......... Some service guys didn't want to touch it at all......... Some wanted so much that by the time you've added the parts you are up close to a new machine. Certainly past the point of a secondhand machine with some kind of warranty.
The bit I screwed up on was that it had a five year parts warranty on it..... I dismissed this thinking "yeah but they'll charge the earth for the call out and labour." It turns out that it it's a fixed fee of around £90, whatever the fault. A bit OTT if it's motor brushes, but an absolute bargain when it's this job! My screw up was that they wouldn't touch it because I had done the disassembly. They didn't think that I'd done them a favour by taking it apart for them!
I suspect the guy would have rolled up with a complete replacement drum assembly (about £175 to us), a couple of hours work and job done with no fuss. Still cost me about £90 in parts and whole bucket of grief from SWMBO for no washing machine for a week........ Still, nothing about this machine would frighten me now!
Bottom line; if it's less than 5 years old, get Hotpoint out and avoid the hassle.
Best of luck,
Paul
To put my advice in perspective, I'm not in the trade but will have a go at anything mechanical.
I took the weights off the drum assembly and lifted the whole drum/motor/front panel assembly out as one......... I left the front panel/door seal attached because, to be honest, I didn't fancy the door seal.........
You will need torx bits to split the drum casings.
In my case the outer bearing was shot to pieces. The good front bearing drifted out quite easily. The remnants of the rear wouldn't budge. Without the right tool I couldn't get enough on it with various size drifts and car type pullers etc.
I ended up ordering the half drum with bearings fitted. If the bearings have failed, I can't see how the spider axle won't be badly scored too. So, you will need a new spider........ That's when my problems started......
The spider is an alloy casting with steel screws..... Add heat, water and detergent and they will never budge again..... at least mine wouldn't....
I tried WD40, heat, impact driver and swearing at it... all to no avail..... I ended up trashing several torx bits and used an angle grinder to take the heads off. Fortunately, although the spider has three arms with two fixings in each, Hotpoint only saw fit to put one fixing in each arm. That is good for us because when you trash those holes with the grinder, you have the unused holes to use on the new spider.
It all goes back together surprisingly easily....... however, just when I was feeling all smug about getting the job done, the drum started leaking around the mid case seal! Bugger! At least I knew how to disassemble the bloody thing!
I used silicone sealant and it's been ok since.
The economics of it are interesting.......... Some service guys didn't want to touch it at all......... Some wanted so much that by the time you've added the parts you are up close to a new machine. Certainly past the point of a secondhand machine with some kind of warranty.
The bit I screwed up on was that it had a five year parts warranty on it..... I dismissed this thinking "yeah but they'll charge the earth for the call out and labour." It turns out that it it's a fixed fee of around £90, whatever the fault. A bit OTT if it's motor brushes, but an absolute bargain when it's this job! My screw up was that they wouldn't touch it because I had done the disassembly. They didn't think that I'd done them a favour by taking it apart for them!
I suspect the guy would have rolled up with a complete replacement drum assembly (about £175 to us), a couple of hours work and job done with no fuss. Still cost me about £90 in parts and whole bucket of grief from SWMBO for no washing machine for a week........ Still, nothing about this machine would frighten me now!
Bottom line; if it's less than 5 years old, get Hotpoint out and avoid the hassle.
Best of luck,
Paul
Just thought I'd add some more information, to the above threads. My Hotpoint WF640 washer is 3.5 years old (medium use only) and the drum bearings became unbearably noisy. Check for play between the inner and outer drum, to ensure it's the drum bearing and not a motor problem.
I'd sent off the slip, for the five year guarantee, on all parts, when we bought it.
After reading all the threads and weighing up the cost of a new bearing kit, spider and time it would take, I rang Hotpoint and their fixed price is now £99.98 for labour - whatever the job. I paid over the phone and the Hotpoint enginner has been round today and fitted a new bearing kit, to the existing drum. You get a 3 month guarantee, on this repair. The drum is now "super silent " as it states on the front cover.
Is the price worth it - I think so - Hopefully I'll get another 3.5 years, out of it. I'll add another post, when the new bearings wear out.
I'd sent off the slip, for the five year guarantee, on all parts, when we bought it.
After reading all the threads and weighing up the cost of a new bearing kit, spider and time it would take, I rang Hotpoint and their fixed price is now £99.98 for labour - whatever the job. I paid over the phone and the Hotpoint enginner has been round today and fitted a new bearing kit, to the existing drum. You get a 3 month guarantee, on this repair. The drum is now "super silent " as it states on the front cover.
Is the price worth it - I think so - Hopefully I'll get another 3.5 years, out of it. I'll add another post, when the new bearings wear out.
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