Home Repair forum - Kitchenaid Washer Problem

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Kitchenaid Washer Problem

HRSDad22@aol.com

2005-08-20, 5:21 pm

I've got a Kitchenaid washing machine, Model# KAWE850VWH1, with an
unusual problem. From the day we brought the machine in 1989 for about
$700, it's leaked water. Not all the time, just every now and then a
stream of water would emerge out from under the front of the machine.
We had a service man here twice about it and they couldn't determine
why it leaked.

Several months ago, I realized that if the tub was cocked toward the
front of the machine, either from a load being out of balance or if the
tub was moved while loading or unloading the machine, the water nozzle
spraying into the tub could splash water down the back of the tub and
cabinet and run out onto the floor.

Just recently, we've noticed that the washer moves a lot and spins
out of balance frequently. When I pulled the case off the machine, I
discovered that those years of water trickling down the back of the tub
has rusted off the bottom of the rear support leg of the base. So,
I've got the equivalent of a 3-legged stool with a broken leg
supporting the weight of the tub, the transmission, the motor, the pump
and the wash load. No wonder it shakes.

Has anyone ever tried to repair or replace the base support frame (Part
# 3351810) on this washer? Can the tub, motor, transmission and pump
be lifted off as an assembly or must I disassemble the components to
get them off the base? Believe it or not, these bases are still
available for anywhere from $120-$145. That suggests to me that my
problem is not unique. I'm thinking that I might be able to
reattached the rear support leg by fabricating a metal patch. Any
thoughts or advice?

HRSDad22@aol.com

2005-08-30, 4:21 pm

I thought I'd give an end to this posting. After scraping out a lot of
rust and propping up the tub assembly for proper alignment I made a
cardboard pattern for a leg to overlay and splice onto the rear support
leg. I fabricated the new rear support leg from a piece of 16 gauge
steel plate that I bought at Lowes. After a lot of bending and
hammering on a machinists vise, the piece fit well enough to bolt to
the leg and attach to the base frame. It seems to have worked. The
machine now runs though the spin cycle without shaking or going
out-of-balance. I also sealed up the openings on the water inlet spout
that allowed water to leak down the back of the machine, which caused
the rust problem in the first place.

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