Philco not spinning

Hello, I have a Philco RWM 1163 w/m which has just stopped spinning. Washes and drains fine. It sounds like it is spinning (motor whirring, etc) but drum is not turning. The drum spins completely freely when spun by hand.

Any help would be most appreciated.

check the belt is on

KexPlumb,

Cheers for that. Your diagnosis was spot on. The large wheel that turns the drum appears to be slightly loose (although nut is tight) which has resulted in the belt slipping off.
Belt back on and wash is currrently doing its cycle.
Thanks very much for taking the time to reply.

Cheers

Stuart

Firstly, apologies to Kevplumb for the spelling mistake in my original reply. The belt has slipped off again during the cycle. Although the only working knowledge of washing machines is what i have been reading on this site in the last day, I think it is because the big wheel that makes the drum go round is slightly loose, which is making it slip off. The nut holding it is as tight as baggery, but is this an easy thing to repair. Could I stick an extra washer on it to keep it straight?

Once again, i would be most indebted if anyone could give me any comments on this (other than s*d off!!).

I would suggest you take the large pulley wheel off completely and find out what the mechanism should be for stopping it moving in the first place.

It should either lock into something or screw on to the same thread as the nut (as in Hotpoint). I wouldn't recommend bodging it until you understand exactly what's gone wrong.

It could be that something (e.g. the pulley) has come loose and worn over time so that it no longer fits correctly in which case it should really be replaced. (He says from the other side of a computer screen - complete shot in the dark!)

I would think that it's unlikely to be the shaft as this is steel and the pulley is only alloy.

IanDB,
Thanks for the reply. I will have a proper look at it when I get back tonight. Excuse my complete ignorance, but by pulley I take it you mean the wee grooved bit at the bottom that the belt goes round (I thought you hung wet clothes from a pulley!!). When I was looking at it at lunchtime, it appeared to be sound. As you suggested, I think I will try to take the big wheel off and see whats happening.
This is typical. We had an old machine (about 15 years old) which looked pretty gash, but worked fine (although noisy and with a little bit of cardboard wedged into front to keep door shut ). Just before Christmas, we got this machine from my Grandads house, which was only a couple of years old and only used once a week.
They don't make them like they used too.
Cheers again for the reply.

the pulley is as you call it "the big wheel" is there no adjustment on the motor? ie, is it not on a "sliding thing" (bad as you, and i used to work for hotpoint) where by you can put tension on the belt by pulling the motor back slightly.

try this first:

open door, grab inner drum (one clothes go in) can you lift it up and down?
also where the spindle comes out for the pulley are ther any "brown stains"