Whirlpool 12001788 Washer Drive Belt And Isolator Kit OEM Part

I just wanted to put my experience here for all to see. I have a Maytag Neptune, MAH5500BWW, one of the original ones. I bought it back in 2002 and it has done many many loads of wash faithfully. So when the bearings started to get loud I thought it best to replace them, the seal kit and the belt. I did my research as best I could and decided to order the OEM parts from an appliance supplier. If you are replacing the bearings, watch on line videos prior to performing the job. It will definitely let you in on what to expect. Be sure it is within your comfort level. Be prepared for soap scum and sludge. You will spent a lot of your time cleaning up the mess. Save yourself some time and be sure to get or borrow an inside puller as the front bearing is a real PAIN. The basket has movement and as such a puller is definitely the way to go. Well I want to say to all, the OEM belt is very short. I went to replace the belt when I was putting the washer back together and I could not believe just how short the belt really was. My motor has an adjustment slide and it was at the minimum and still guitar string tight. Hence, I decided to put the original back on (as it appeared to be in great shape) and keep the new one as a spare. No use putting undo strain on 15 year old motor bearings.Also the lip seal kit shows the pulley bolt and washer as being replaced with a newer version with 2 washers and a new bolt. My kit only contained the bolt and one washer. I installed the new bolt and washer over the original tabbed washer and torqued to 33 ft/lbs. In all the job took me the better part of a day. I spent about an hour cleaning sludge from the parts. And probably over an hour just getting the bearings out. Most of that spent on that front bearing. In the end, I rigged up a puller using an electric junction box, washers and a big bolt. I used it to apply pressure and then tapped with a drift and hammer. I applied pressure again and then tapped again and repeated. The stubborn bearing came out. My 15 year old bearings did not seem that bad when they were out. However, when I ran the first load the sound was gone. Good Luck and I hope this helps someone out there!

Disassembly of washer to the point of removing the inner tub is fairly straightforward. You will need access to front and back of the machine for this repair. Having enough room to work on the machine may be an issue as stacked combo units tend to be used in space-constrained apartments or condos. Removing the old bearings is the challenging part of this job. Most online videos say you can "tap" the old bearings out with a hammer and rod. If your washer is old with failing bearings they will likely be rust/seized in place. Only way they are coming out is with a threaded bearing puller. Once bearings are out, plan on spending time cleaning the tub, front tub cover and the bearing seating surfaces. Pressing the new bearings in is fairly easy once everything is cleaned up if you use a bearing press. Only pain is the center spacer tube. If you press the bearings in too far, center spacer tube can damage the bearings if not aligned correctly. Recommend pressing rear bearing first and retaining with the snap ring. Then press the front bearing until the spacer tube is just snug. If bearings do not turn freely after installation, you likely pressed them in too far and the spacer tube is being pinched and putting too much preload on the bearings. Font bearing seal is easy after bearings installed. Reassembly is not too bad. It helps to have a 2nd person look through the back bearing to help align the inner tub shaft so you don't tear up the new seal. I also replaced the tub drive belt proactively since I had the machine apart to this degree.. If I did this for a living, I would invest in buying or fabricating a specialized bearing puller/press. Since I am a home-gamer and have done this twice in 20yrs I probably spent more time cobbling together a bearing puller and press from an assortment of threaded rods, bolts, etc than necessary. Since the stacked washer/dryer combo is a pain to move, while you have the machine out for repair, it is a good time to chase your dryer vent and check/replace water hoses, etc.

Checked the circuit board to see if R11 was burnt and it was. They told me if the wax motor had a brown tip that I would have to replace the Machine control circuit board as well as the Wax motor. I ordered the new parts put them in and it worked.

I ORDERED A NEW BELT AN BUSHINGS FROM APPLIANCE PARTS PROS. I WATCHED THEIR VIDEO ON HOW TO INSTALL A NEW BELT. THAT IS WHAT I REALLY LIKE ABOUT THEIR WEB SITE. YOU GET YOUR YOUR PARTS AN INSTRUCTION BY VIDEO ALL AT ONE PLACE. MY WIFE MADE ME CLEAN UP BEHIND THE WASHER AN DRIER WHICH TOOK ME ABOUT 1 1/2 HRS. TO INSTALL THE PARTS ABOUT 1/2 HR. THANKS APPLIANCE PARTS PROS.

Basically rebuilt the washer from the ground up. Spent more money than a new washer but we have been so happy with the way this machine has worked over the last 19 years figured it would be money well spent.